Future astronauts will visit Mars. Shutterstock/Vadim Sadovski For the first time in 11 years, the European Space Agency (Esa) is recruiting new astronauts. Applications will open on the 31 March 2021 for eight weeks, followed by a six-stage selection process to identify the next generation of European astronauts. By 2030,Continue Reading
Jaruwan Jaiyangyuen/Shutterstock In the past five years, ransomware attacks have evolved from rare misfortunes into common and disruptive threats. Hijacking the IT systems of organisations and forcing them to pay a ransom in order to reclaim them, cybercriminals are freely extorting millions of pounds from companies – and they’re enjoyingContinue Reading
Nope, we are not talking about telepathy. Sanja Karin Music/Shutterstock Mind-reading sounds like science fiction. But the term, also referred to as “mentalising”, is a psychological concept used to describe the process of understanding what other people are thinking. We may not be aware of it, but we use mind-readingContinue Reading
Mummies fascinate people. Shutterstock/Andrea Izzotti There’s something about mummies that always fascinates people. We see this from the attention given to mummies in museum exhibitions and in their frequent appearance in books, films and games. Perhaps it’s the fact that they are dead yet still very identifiable as people –Continue Reading
Our robot is inspired by the common moon jellyfish. Willyam Bradberry/Shutterstock Some of the last areas of pristine and untouched wilderness on Earth exist beneath the seas. Yet these marine ecosystems are under threat from deep-sea mining projects, oil rigs and offshore windfarms. When these facilities are built and maintained,Continue Reading
Megrim sole…or Cornish sole? Iakov Filimonov / shutterstock British fishermen have decided to rename two of their biggest exports as they turn to local markets to overcome some Brexit-related difficulties with shipping products abroad. What used to be known as the megrim sole and spider crab will now be CornishContinue Reading
Graphene is sensitive down to the single molecular level. Shutterstock/Rost9 Graphene is a layer of carbon only one atom thick. Since it was first isolated in 2004, it has found applications in strengthening materials, accelerating electronics, and boosting the capacity of batteries, among others. It also shows great potential forContinue Reading
Perseverance in action. NASA/JPL-Caltech We’ll soon be able to properly start asking the question: “Are we alone in the universe?” Nasa’s next major mission, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, will land on the surface on February 18. Following a complex landing procedure, it will get started on one of itsContinue Reading
Perseverance in action. NASA/JPL-Caltech We’ll soon be able to properly start asking the question: “Are we alone in the universe?” Nasa’s next major mission, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, will land on the surface on February 18. Following a complex landing procedure, it will get started on one of itsContinue Reading
The red planet. Nasa Last year was the year of Mars launches, and this one will be the year of Mars landings. The Hope Mars mission, launched by the United Arab Emirates, entered its orbit around Mars on February 9, while China’s Tianwen-1 rover, now orbiting the planet, will landContinue Reading
