
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...

Why sailing to the stars has suddenly become a realistic goal
Apr 14, 2016 02:14 am UTC| Science
It takes a bold person to declare that interstellar travel is now within our grasp. Physicist Stephen Hawking has shown that he is just that, taking part in the Breakthrough Starshot initiative. The project has announced a...

Shifting the field of view: Telling science stories with virtual reality
Apr 12, 2016 06:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Science Technology
Since first donning a Virtual Reality (VR) headset only 8 months ago, my personal relationship with this technology has progressed at lightning speed, way past the awkward getting-to-know-you phase. In the broad scheme of...