Science

Gastornis was a flightless bird that lived in the Arctic 50 million years ago, and the ancient avian has now been described in new details from fossil remains examined by investigators. Researchers once believed the creature was a fearsome predator, hunting prey on Ellesmere Island, off the coast of Greenland. The confirmation comes from a new study by researchers from …

Researchers have given up hope of restoring contact with space probe Philae. Philae landed on a comet in a pinpoint operation in November 2014 but lost power because its solar-driven batteries were in the shade. Before it stopped communicating, Philae sent back reams of data about 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko that scientists will spend years analysing.

A new research at Oregon State University has concluded that significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses. One such event was documented even as it happened in a three-day period. It showed how an explosion of three viral groups, including a herpes-like virus, occurred just as corals were …

Scientists at UBC Okanagan have discovered new glass technology which could change the way we use light. Scientists in the school of engineering have learned that placing thin layers of metal on glass makes it possible to increase the amount of light passing through. “Engineers are constantly trying to expand the scope of materials that they can use for display …

A team of researchers have made the first direct observation of gravitational waves, proving that Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity was correct. Using a stunning display of technological prowess, a group of physicists measured gravitational waves, a ripple in the fabric of space caused by the collision of two immense objects far out in the universe. The discovery is …

A Sumatran tiger was mauled by a male tiger on Wednesday shortly after the two were introduced. According to zoo officials, the male tiger attacked the 15-year-old female named Baha. The Zoo’s male tiger, Mohan, became aggressive with Baha during a physical introduction on the morning of February 10. Staff, who had been monitoring the introduction from the outside of …

A human foot discovered on a Vancouver Island beach over the weekend appears to have detached naturally from the body, according to the BC Coroners Service. Charlotte Stephens made the grim discovery at Botanical Beach, not far from Port Renfrew, on Sunday afternoon. “[My husband] was up on the driftwood and he happened to find the shoe. He picked it …

A team of American researchers have taken inspiration from the humble cockroach to create a slightly unnverving robot which is capable of squeezing through tiny gaps and being crushed by weights that far exceed its own. “What’s impressive about these cockroaches is that they can run as fast through a quarter-inch gap as a half-inch gap, by reorienting their legs …

A new study using an advanced computer model casts doubt on previously held theories about the Yellowstone supervolcano’s origins, adding to the mystery of Yellowstone’s formation. “Our model covered the entire history of Yellowstone volcanic activities,” said Lijun Liu, a geology professor at the University of Illinois. Liu’s computer model accounted for the last 40 million years, prior to even …

Gravitational waves were predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916 as part of his general theory of relativity. They are distortions, or ‘ripples’, in the fabric of space-time – but their discovery has remained elusive for 100 years. Now, scientists from Caltech, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration are set to make a …

Death by meteorite is a common theme in science-fiction movies, but in real life, the chances of being done in by a falling space rock are virtually nil. That’s what makes the reports about the death of Indian bus driver V. Kamaraj in an apparent meteorite strike so remarkable. A bus driver died after suffering severe injuries while he was …