The earliest recorded use of zeroBodleian Libraries, University of Oxford By Timothy Revell The symbol “0” is a familiar sight, but its origins are far from certain. A recent batch of carbon dating is causing the history of mathematics to be rewritten, as it has discovered zeros dating back to […]
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When Polaroid released the OneStep camera in 1977, the company described it as the “simplest camera in the world.” It had a fixed focus lens and automatic roller mechanism that spit out film that developed in minutes. The OneStep was certainly simpler—and cheaper—than the SX-70, a foldable, leather-bound instant film […]
Writer Neil Gaiman’s 1997 urban fantasy novel “Neverwhere” imagined sewers underneath large cities as magical shadow worlds, each a home to a host of peculiar individuals and monstrous beasts. However, the reality of what lies below cities in their waste networks is much more disgusting, as a team of Thames […]
Will the culling of “nuisance” bears and wolves bring back trophy hunting?Jack Picone/Alamy Stock Photo By Andy Coghlan The hunting of bears and wolves is back on the agenda in Romania, less than a year after the government banned trophy hunting. Conservation groups have condemned the U-turn and are calling […]
Astroscale is creating a service the space industry knows it needs even if there’s disagreement over who should pay for it. Removing out-of-commission satellites from orbit — including pre-planned de-orbits and unplanned but important debris removal — form the crux of Astroscale’s business plan. The company’s two satellites, Idea OSG-1 […]
First there was the sheer distance involved. The 22ft long spacecraft, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 1997, took seven years to reach Saturn after a journey of two billion miles that involved fleeting visits to Venus, Earth and Jupiter. Each fly-by provided a gravitational “kick” that boosted Cassini’s speed […]
Perhaps the biggest threat now facing Tesla isn’t its ability to scale up Model 3 production or nail down autonomous driving software; it might actually be that the mainstream auto industry is finally entering the market Elon Musk’s upstart car company has long dominated. For five years, Tesla’s Model S […]
In the crosshairsMikeLane45/Getty The decision to expand badger culling as a key plank of the UK government’s strategy to wipe out tuberculosis in cattle is disappointing and flies in the face of evidence that it won’t eradicate the disease. This isn’t just a continuation of the previous cull, but an […]