Science News
Human ancestor 'Lucy' adept at tree climbing as well as walking
AUSTIN, Texas Scientists using sophisticated scanning technology on the fossil bones of the ancient human ancestor from Ethiopia dubbed "Lucy" have determined that she was adept at climbing trees as well as walking, an ability that in her case may have proven fatal.
SpaceX aims for December 16 return to flight, customer Iridium says
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX hopes to return its Falcon 9 rocket to flight on Dec. 16, said Iridium Communications Inc, which plans to have 10 of its satellites on board for launching.
Scientists record biggest ever coral die-off on Australia's Great Barrier Reef
SYDNEY Warm seas around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have killed two-thirds of a 700-km (435 miles) stretch of coral in the past nine months, the worst die-off ever recorded on the World Heritage site, scientists who surveyed the reef said on Tuesday. | Video
Czech scientists develop human lung model to aid treatments
BRNO, Czech Republic Czech scientists have developed a model of a functioning human lung that can be used to simulate problems like asthma or other chronic diseases and their treatments.
Destination Moon? Belgium joins the space race
BRUSSELS Belgian comic-strip hero Tintin helped popularize the 1950s Space Race with his iconic cartoon rocket; seven decades on from the boy reporter's "Destination Moon", his country is finally getting its own version of NASA.
Astronauts enjoy a zero-gravity 'Spacegiving' dinner
An international crew of astronauts celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday with a special 'spacegiving feast' of rehydrated foods on board the International Space Station. | Video
Navigation system failure cited in crash of European Mars lander
Europe's Schiaparelli Mars lander crashed last month after a sensor failure caused it to cast away its parachute and turn off braking thrusters more than two miles (3.7 km) above the surface of the planet, as if it had already landed, a report released on Wednesday said.
Crustacean revelation: coconut crab's claw is stunningly strong
WASHINGTON It may not be wise to get into a scrap with a coconut crab. Its claw is a mighty weapon.
Scientists say gut microbes may play role in yo-yo dieting, obesity
LONDON, Nov 24 - Scientists studying yo-yo dieting in mice say the tendency for people to regain excess weight rapidly after successfully slimming may well be due to their microbiome - the trillions of microorganisms in the gut.
U.S. weather satellite's launch promises 'quantum leap' in forecasts
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla A U.S. weather satellite that will "revolutionize" forecasting blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Saturday, promising to deliver continuous high-definition views of hurricanes and other storms over the Western Hemisphere. | Video
AstraZeneca in broad drug deal with Bicycle worth up to $1 billion
LONDON AstraZeneca has signed a wide-ranging deal with private biotech firm Bicycle Therapeutics to develop a novel class of small molecule medicines for treating respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.