Space tourism – 20 years in the making – is finally ready for launch

May 09, 2021 10:11 am UTC| Science

For most people, getting to the stars is nothing more than a dream. On April 28, 2001, Dennis Tito achieved that lifelong goal but he wasnt a typical astronaut. Tito, a wealthy businessman, paid US$20 million for a seat...

How scientists make plant-based foods taste and look more like meat

May 09, 2021 08:53 am UTC| Science

In 2019, Burger King Sweden released a plant-based burger, the Rebel Whopper, and the reaction was underwhelming. So, the company challenged its customers to taste the difference. Burger King Sweden created menu item...

From making wine to managing mine waste, clay is important for many industries

May 03, 2021 02:47 am UTC| Science

The discovery and use of clays dates back to 30,000 years ago, making clays one of the oldest materials used in society. Clays are naturally occurring materials that were first used to make pottery and are now used...

One incredible ocean crossing may have made human evolution possible

Apr 30, 2021 07:51 am UTC| Science

Humans evolved in Africa, along with chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys. But primates themselves appear to have evolved elsewhere likely in Asia before colonising Africa. At the time, around 50 million years ago, Africa...

Inside the world of tiny phytoplankton – microscopic algae that provide most of our oxygen

Apr 30, 2021 07:50 am UTC| Science

Phytoplankton are microscopic algae living throughout the oceans surface waters. They cant swim and are at the mercy of the currents and tides. Despite their small size, phytoplankton enable life in the oceans and...

First human-monkey embryos created – a small step towards a huge ethical problem

Apr 23, 2021 12:07 pm UTC| Science Insights & Views

Scientists have created the worlds first monkey embryos containing human cells in an attempt to investigate how the two types of cell develop alongside each other. The embryos, which were derived from a macaque and then...

Lab–grown embryos and human–monkey hybrids: Medical marvels or ethical missteps?

Apr 23, 2021 11:52 am UTC| Science

In Aldous Huxleys 1932 novel Brave New World, people arent born from a mothers womb. Instead, embryos are grown in artificial wombs until they are brought into the world, a process called ectogenesis. In the novel,...