Upcoming missions to Mars have grabbed plenty of headlines in recent years, but before we set off for the Red Planet, a lot more research is needed – and that's why NASA has a new plan for sending astronauts into orbit around the Moon. It's been a while –…

Almost 50 years after lithium was first approved to treat patients in the US, scientists think they've finally identified the molecular mechanism behind its effectiveness in treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder. This is a huge deal. One of the biggest…

For the first time, scientists have detected evidence of a magnetic field that's associated with the vast intergalactic 'bridge' that links our two nearest galactic neighbours. Known as the Magellanic Bridge, the bridge is a huge stream of neutral gas that…

Researchers have come up with yet another candidate for a male contraceptive - this time in the form of a chemical found in certain traditional arthritis remedies. The team identified molecules that stop sperm from reaching the necessary speed to charge into…

Brain surgery is precision business, and one slip can spell doom for affected patients. Even in one of the most skilled jobs in the world, human error can still be a factor. Researchers from the University of Utah are looking to provide less opportunity for…

Despite the NSA confirming the existence of Skynet, we all should be grateful that technology has not yet advanced to the stage where a liquid metal T-1000 terminator can shape-shift its way into your home and demand to see John Connor. But scientists in…

Imagine a jet engine that could propel an aircraft faster than a traditional engine, taking us all the way to the edge of the atmosphere, all without burning fossil fuels - and for a low cost. That's exactly what plasma jet engines should be able to do, although…

Mouse sperm that spent more than nine months in orbit have been used to produce a litter of healthy mice, giving hope that mammalian reproduction in space colonies could one day be possible. While humanity is already pretty obsessed with the idea of getting…

In classical computing, information is stored in bits that are read by physical phenomena such as electricity. You might recognise them as 1s and 0s, also called binary code. In quantum computing, it's stored in quantum bits, or 'qubits'. However, computers…

Perhaps one of the most intriguing and interesting phenomena in quantum physics is what Einstein referred to as a "spooky action at a distance" - also known as quantum entanglement. This quantum effect is behind what makes quantum computers work, as quantum…

Our brains are pretty good at filling in the blanks when it comes to our sense of perception - often to the point we have a mental movie of an entire event before it even finishes unfolding. New research has shown this 'mind's eye' prediction of future motion…

If at some point in your life, you end up needing a heart pump such as a ventricular assist device (VAD), you'll notice pretty quickly that there's a cable that comes out of you and connects the pump to its control unit and battery. But that uncomfortable…

Gastric bypass surgery is the most effective way for those with morbid obesity to lose weight, but new research has confirmed that there could be more to the procedure's success than just limiting food intake. It seems the bypass also swaps the ecosystem…

Still waiting patiently for quantum computing to bring about the next revolution in digital processing power? We might now be a little closer, with a discovery that could help us build quantum computers at mass scale. Scientists have refined a technique using…

Earth is full of bizarre landscapes. Some are land formations moulded over thousands of years, while others are human-made creations that have altered the planet in strange ways. From the bubbling lava lakes of Ethiopia, to a lake that has been nestled in…

For decades now, scientists have been investigating the possibility that our Universe is, or once was, a giant hologram, where the laws of physics require just two dimensions, but everything appears three-dimensional to us. It sounds far-fetched, but if true…