Sciencetech

SHOPPING: Products featured in this article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, MailOnline will earn an affiliate commission. If you've been thinking about investing in a smart watch but yet to take the plunge, now is a great time to invest as the Apple Watch SE is on sale for an unmissable price on Amazon . Reduced from £269 down to just £249 for a 40mm display, the Apple Watch SE is equipped with all tech you need to get active and stay healthy. The popular device tracks heart rate, sleep and calories burned and will let you know when a new heart rate is detected, which could be useful in spotting signs of an irregular heart rhythm. Wear it for walks, runs and cycle rides and GPS will track your route and let you know how fast you're going and how your heart rate changed. There's even a feature that can detect if you fall and send out a call to an emergency contact to keep you safe. Prefer indoor … [Read more...] about Deal alert! Save £20 and snap up the Apple Watch SE for an unmissable price on Amazon – they’re are going to sell out fast

Explorers have discovered the deepest-known cave in Australia – and named it after a variant of the Covid virus. The cave, christened the Delta Variant, reaches 1,315 feet (401 metres) in the Junee Florentine Karst area of Tasmania , Australia's southern island. Delta Variant is only slightly deeper than Australia's previous record holder, the Niggly Cave, which is 1,302 feet (397 metres) deep and is located in the same cave system. However, neither compare to the deepest-known cave in the world – Veryovkina Cave in Abkhazia, Georgia, which reaches 7,257 feet (2,212 metres). Scroll down for video An elite team of nine cavers from the Southern Tasmanian Caverneers set a new record for the deepest cave in Australia at Tasmania's Niggly and Growling Swallet cave system 'An exhausting expedition': The explorers celebrate when they reach the bottom of the Delta Variant, Australia's deepest known cave Delta Variant is only slightly deeper than … [Read more...] about Now THAT’S down under! Explorers discover Australia’s deepest known cave – and name it after a Covid variant

Scientists have discovered the most recent known example of the long-vanished European panda. The species lived six million years ago in the wetland forests of Bulgaria but is thought to have been wiped out by climate change . Intriguingly, experts say that unlike today's iconic black and white bear, the European panda would not have eaten much bamboo because its teeth were not strong enough, while it was also forced into vegetarianism because it was outcompeted on meat. The animal, called Agriarctos nikolovi, was identified from a couple of teeth gathering dust in a museum. Professor Nikolai Spassov, from the Bulgarian Museum of Natural History, became intrigued after finding the teeth in the archives. 'They had only one label written vaguely by hand,' he said. 'It took me many years to figure out what the locality was and what its age was. 'Then it also took me a long time to realise that this was an unknown fossil giant panda.' Scientists have found the most … [Read more...] about Europe’s last pandas were giant weaklings who couldn’t even eat bamboo – and were wiped out by climate change 6 million years ago

Animals in the wild such as primates and rodents tolerate and may even prefer mating with their relatives, a new study reveals. Researchers from Stockholm University summarised 139 experimental studies in 88 species, spanning 40 years of research. The team wanted to find out whether species avoid inbreeding when they are given the choice, or deliberately engage in it – something called 'kin preference'. Their findings suggests biologists should 'rethink the widely held view' that species in the wild deliberately avoid mating with their relatives. Of the 88 species that were assessed by the researchers, five showed the strongest kin preference, including the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta, pictured) TOP FIVE  KIN PREFERENCE SPECIES Of the 88 species that were assessed by the researchers, five showed strongest kin preference - one rodent, one primate, two fish and a species of springtail. - The Littledale's whistling rat (Parotomys littledalei) - The African … [Read more...] about Animals in the wild including primates and rodents tolerate ‘and may even prefer’ mating with their relatives, scientists say

Deer in Ohio have been infected with Covid-19 , likely due to transmission from humans, a new study reveals. Scientists at Ohio State University tested 360 free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for Covid-19 in nine northeast Ohio locations, using PCR testing methods. A total of in 129 (35 per cent) of the deer, spread across all nine locations, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid) but appeared symptomless. From six of the locations, the researchers were able to identify three variants of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.2, B.1.582 and B.1.596). SARS-CoV-2 could mutate while passing between deer, potentially facilitating transmission of new strains to humans and other species, although there is no evidence to suggest this as yet. Scientists don't know how the deer got infected, although it's thought likely the virus was passed from infected humans in nearby neighbourhoods. The team speculate the deer were infected by drinking contaminated water, … [Read more...] about Deer in nine locations across Ohio have been infected with Covid-19 – and likely caught it from humans, study warns

Rainwater everywhere on Earth has been found to contain dangerous levels of man-made 'forever chemicals' linked to cancer and other illnesses, a study has found. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have many uses, including in firefighting foams, the non-stick coatings on frying pans, and textiles. They are thought to get into the environment through industrial emissions, transfer from packaging, wastewater and evaporation from the foams. Researchers from Stockholm University and ETH Zurich have conducted laboratory and field work on the presence and transport of PFAS for the past decade. They claim they can be found in rainwater and snow in even the most remote locations on Earth, like Antarctica and Tibet. The fluorinated chemicals have been linked to a wide range of human health concerns, including cancer, immune system disorders, obesity and fertility issues. The researchers detected PFAS in the rainwater and snow in even the most remote … [Read more...] about Rainwater everywhere on Earth contains unsafe levels of ‘forever chemicals’ linked to cancer and other illnesses, study finds

One of Elon Musk 's rockets gave New Zealanders a spectacular sight at the weekend — when it dumped its fuel and created a glowing blue swirl in the night sky. The exhaust plume came from a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster which had just blasted a satellite into space, despite some thinking it might have an extraterrestrial link. As the rocket spun to vent its fuel, it created a vapour trail that reflected the sunlight and produced a visible blue swirl that eyewitnesses said moved 'serenely' across the night sky. One observer said it 'looked like an enormous spiral galaxy, just hanging there in the sky, and slowly just drifting across'. The plume lit up the sky over Nelson, a city at the tip of New Zealand's south island, and travelled 466 miles (750km) south to Stewart Island by about 7.30pm on Sunday. 'Fascinating': One of Elon Musk's rockets gave New Zealanders a spectacular sight at the weekend - when it dumped its fuel and created a glowing blue swirl in the night sky … [Read more...] about Space oddity: Exhaust plume from one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets leaves an eerie blue spiral in the night sky over New Zealand

Last month was one of the three hottest Julys on record globally, satellite data shows — while for southwestern Europe it was the warmest ever in terms of peak heat. Temperatures over 104F (40C) were observed in parts of Portugal, Spain , France and the UK, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This led to all-time records for maximum temperature being broken across those those areas, including in Britain, which saw its hottest day ever recorded on July 19, 2022. On average, July 2022 was the sixth warmest July for Europe on record. The C3S data reveals the intensity of the prolonged heatwave that started in Portugal and Spain, before continuing north and eastwards towards France, the UK, central Europe and Scandinavia. The Iberian Peninsula saw an unusually large number of days with maximum temperatures above 95°F (35°C), underlining the longevity of hot temperatures in this region. Sweltering: Last month was one of the three hottest … [Read more...] about July 2022 was one of the three hottest Julys on RECORD – with global temperatures 0.7°F above average, satellite data reveals

We know when our pooch is giving us those puppy dog eyes – but having spent thousands of years with our canine friends, it turns out we really can read their moods. A study found slight changes, from wide eyes to a lolling tongue, can help to detect six different emotions in dogs. When 105 people were shown pictures of three different breeds, they correctly identified feelings of happiness, sadness, curiosity, fear, disgust and anger in the animals. Professor Harris Friedman, from the University of A Belgian malinois was one of the breeds recruited for the Floraglades Foundation US study Researchers recruited a dobermann, a Belgian shepherd called a malinois, and a floppy-eared Rhodesian ridgeback for their study. The easiest emotion to spot appears to be anger, which was correctly identified in almost 78 per cent of cases. Dr Tina Bloom, who led the study from Floraglades Foundation in the US, said: ‘It makes sense that, having lived with dogs so long, we can … [Read more...] about Why the long face? Humans really CAN tell their dog’s mood from its facial expression, research suggests

Traces of oil from BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster are still present more than 10 years after the devastating spill, a new study reveals. Researchers have looked at the long-lasting effects of the explosion in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. They say small amounts of 'highly weathered oil residues' from the disaster were still present in the surroundings as recently as 2020. Oily layers coated grasses along the shorelines and some particles even sank to the seafloor, staying there for a decade. After the Deepwater Horizon spill on April 20 2010, 210 million gallons (795 million litres) of live oil poured into the Gulf of Mexico over the course of 87 days. Small amounts of highly weathered oil residues from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster were still present in the surroundings ten years later, a study shows. This photo taken on April 21, 2010 by the US Coast Guard shows fire boat response crews as they battle the blazing … [Read more...] about Traces of oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster are STILL present more than 10 years after the devastating spill, study reveals