Chinese hackers spied on the computers of five European foreign ministries over the summer, according to research from US security company FireEye. The hackers sent emails with malware-ridden attachments purporting to detail a possible US intervention in Syria. The company has not revealed which ministries were targeted but said the malware samples were meant for individuals involved in the G20 talks. In total nine computers had been compromised, the company […]

The US SpaceX company has announced its intention to take a big slice of the market for launching the world’s TV and telecoms satellites. The California outfit has just launched a new platform for satellite operator SES to serve its growing customer base in India and South East Asia. It is the first time SpaceX has put a satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit, far above the Earth. The launch […]

Twenty-five years ago minister Edwina Currie sparked a scare over salmonella in eggs and had to resign amid outrage from farmers and plummeting sales. The panic has shaped the way we think about food safety. There are foods that people instinctively associate with the risk of poisoning – raw chicken, raw egg, shellfish. At the time of Edwina Currie’s remarks – which were perceived to have dramatically exaggerated the prevalence […]

Memories may be passed down through generations in DNA in a process that may be the underlying cause of phobias Memories can be passed down to later generations through genetic switches that allow offspring to inherit the experience of their ancestors, according to new research that may explain how phobias can develop. Scientists have long assumed that memories and learned experiences built up during a lifetime must be passed on […]

Alastair Sooke looks through the ultimate Renaissance man’s anatomical sketchbooks – scientific masterpieces full of lucid insights into the functioning of the human body. We tend to think of Leonardo da Vinci as a painter, even though he probably produced no more than 20 pictures before his death in 1519. Yet for long periods of his career, which lasted for nearly half a century, he was engrossed in all sorts […]

STORY HIGHLIGHTS A European satellite fell Saturday an estimated 8 miles, space agency says Scientist: It will have its final entry into the atmosphere in “less than 2 days” Nobody knows exactly where its fragments will hit Earth, though it’s being tracked It was powered by solar panels and a lithium-ion battery Earthlings, you’re safe for another day or two. After that, you might want to watch your head. The […]

A new super-predator dinosaur that roamed the Earth 80 million years ago has been discovered in southern Utah. It was closely related to its slightly larger relative, Tyrannosaurus rex, but lived earlier, making it the largest living land predator of its time. Growing to about 30ft (9m) long, the predator has been named Lythronax argestes which means “king of gore”. The research, published in the journal Plos One, highlights once […]

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India has successfully launched a spacecraft to the Red Planet – with the aim of becoming the fourth space agency to reach Mars. The Mars Orbiter Mission took off at 09:08 GMT from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the country’s east coast. The head of India’s space agency told the BBC the mission would demonstrate the technological capability to reach Mars orbit and carry out experiments. The spacecraft is […]

A rare solar eclipse allowing a view of the Sun that is totally or partially blocked out by the Moon has begun. It is first visible in the southern United States, and is moving east, The best view of the total eclipse on land will be in Gabon at about 13:50 GMT. The total eclipse will then sweep east across the African continent. Partial views will be available in eastern […]