
All of humanity should share in the space mining boom
Apr 18, 2016 08:21 am UTC| Science
One solitary asteroid might be worth trillions of dollars in platinum and other metals. Exploiting these resources could lead to a global boom in wealth, which could raise living standards worldwide and potentially benefit...

Telling people apart: new test reveals wide variation in how well we recognise faces
Apr 15, 2016 23:58 pm UTC| Science
Its three oclock and you are picking up your son from school. The bell rings. A class of six-year-olds charges out of the building. And you have absolutely no idea which child is your son. They all look exactly the...

Living in a bubble: inflatable modules could be the future of space habitats
Apr 15, 2016 01:27 am UTC| Science
The astronauts of the International Space Station welcomed the arrival of what we call the Bigelow Bungalow, officially known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on April 10. If all goes to plan, the...
How does an invisible underwater crater prove an asteroid killed the dinosaurs?
Apr 14, 2016 16:31 pm UTC| Science
A team of scientists recently set off to drill a 1,500m-deep hole into the seabed off the coast of Mexico. Their goal is to learn more about the asteroid impact some 66m years ago that many scientists believe killed the...

How long before we can transplant an animal's heart in a human?
Apr 14, 2016 15:11 pm UTC| Science
The announcement that researchers in the US kept a genetically engineered pigs heart beating in a baboon for nearly three years has, in some quarters, revived speculation about the prospect of pig organs being suitable for...

How to launch a rocket into space ... and then land it on a ship
Apr 14, 2016 05:08 am UTC| Science
On Friday 8 April 2016, SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket launched a mission to deliver a spacecraft called Dragon with its payload of supplies and experiments into a trajectory towards the International Space Station (ISS). Most...

Technology 'challenges' to reach for the nearest stars
Apr 14, 2016 04:51 am UTC| Science
Its an ambitious plan to launch a series of micro-spaceships to our stellar neighbours but thats what Russian billion Yuri Miller has announced this week. The US$100-million Breakthrough Starshot project aims to send the...