Brian Cox says universe could have 200bn alien civilisations
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Physicist Brian Cox has said there could be as many as 200 billion alien civilisations in the universe. As speculation grows that we are not alone, the space expert said: “There have to be other civilisations in the universe. I can’t imagine we are the only one.” Speculating on what form these civilisations may take, he added: “We’d all like ET to be real. We’d like ET to arrive. But we don’t want Darth Vader coming down.”
Worms survive 24,000 years in Siberian frost
A microscopic worm-like creature, which has thrived for millions of years without having sex, has now been shown to endure for at least 24,000 years in Siberian permafrost before reproducing. Experts say the bdelloid rotifers, which have a complete digestive tract that includes a mouth and anus, survive by halting all activity and almost entirely arresting their metabolism. Their persistence has led to them being dubbed an “evolutionary scandal”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Massive dinosaur discovered down under
A new species of dinosaur discovered in Queensland has been officially recognised as the largest ever found in Australia and among the biggest in the world. It is believed that the Australotitan cooperensis, a plant-eating dinosaur of the family known as titanosaurs, lived between 92 million and 96 million years ago. Experts said the colossal creature would have been up to 6.5m (21ft) tall and 30m long, or “as long as a basketball court”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 27, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - natural gas, fundraising with Ted Cruz, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Aid to Ukraine: too little, too late?
Talking Point House of Representatives finally 'met the moment' but some say it came too late
By The Week UK Published
-
5 generously funny cartoons on the $60 billion foreign aid package
Cartoons Artists take on Republican opposition, aid to Ukraine, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Race to the Moon: the manned missions to lunar surface
The Explainer China and US locked in battle for future dominance of Earth's satellite and its precious resources
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Good news stories from 2023
In Depth Huge strides have been made in medicine and science, and records broken in women's sports and conservation
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why transparent wood offers 'promising future' for the environment
The Explainer New techniques that change structure of material could mean tougher and more efficient windows and phone screens
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How Iceland deals with volcanic activity
The Explainer Scientists are closely monitoring seismic activity as threat of eruption looms
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Young teen wins top science prize for soap that can treat skin cancer
Speed Read Memory of Ethiopian workers out in the sun inspired US schoolboy to make cell-reviving soap
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
Aliens could be spiders the size of elephants
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Starbucks launches olive oil coffee
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
‘Planet-killer’ asteroid will cross Earth’s orbit
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published