Our 500 million-year-old nervous system fossil shines a light on animal evolution

Mar 01, 2016 15:10 pm UTC| Science

The nervous system is the command centre of an animals body, carrying all the complex electrical signals for the actions that keep it alive, such as moving and eating. Because of its critical function, the nervous system...

We helped uncover a public health crisis in Flint, but learned there are costs to doing good science

Feb 29, 2016 12:43 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Our team of more than two dozen students and research scientists at Virginia Tech has spent much of the past year analyzing and publicizing unsafe drinking water in Flint, Michigan. Our open science research...

Here's how we could build a colony on an alien world

Feb 26, 2016 14:52 pm UTC| Science

If the human race is to survive in the long-run, we will probably have to colonise other planets. Whether we make the Earth uninhabitable ourselves or it simply reaches the natural end of its ability to support life, one...

Leap day: fixing the faults in our stars

Feb 26, 2016 04:48 am UTC| Science

The number 2016 divided by 4 equals 504, exactly with no remainder, which makes the year 2016, like the upcoming years 2020, 2024 and 2028 (and beyond), a leap year. We will get an extra day, February 29. This pattern...

Should scientists engage with pseudo-science or anti-science?

Feb 25, 2016 04:48 am UTC| Science

The ABCs flagship science journalism TV programme, Catalyst, has riled the scientific community once again. And, in a similar vein to Catalysts controversial 2013 report on the link between statins, cholesterol and heart...

The mysterious biomechanics of riding – and balancing – a bicycle

Feb 25, 2016 04:27 am UTC| Science

Humans have been riding bicycle-like machines for close to 200 years, beginning with the Draisine or velocipede in 1817. While riding and balancing a bicycle can seem simple and effortless, the actual control process...

Could big dinosaurs swim? Scientists follow the footprints

Feb 24, 2016 14:12 pm UTC| Science

How far can you trust a footprint? Dinosaur footprints are fascinating but theres a question over how reliable they are at providing information about the palaeobiology of the creatures that made them. While certain prints...