It is named after Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who described the laws of motion and energy and gravity and a bunch of other things about five-hundred years ago. This is the playground version. Don't try this at home.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Science comic of the week: Newton's Playground
The Newton's Cradle is a toy that business people like to have sitting on their desks for when they get bored.
It is named after Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who described the laws of motion and energy and gravity and a bunch of other things about five-hundred years ago. This is the playground version. Don't try this at home.
It is named after Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who described the laws of motion and energy and gravity and a bunch of other things about five-hundred years ago. This is the playground version. Don't try this at home.
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Giant platypus discovered in Queensland
The fossilised tooth of a giant platypus has been found in Queensland.
The scientists who found the tooth think it belonged to a platypus that was one-metre long and ate crayfish, fish, frogs and small turtles. Modern platypuses grow to about fifty centimetres long, don't have any teeth and mostly eat crayfish and other small crustaceans.
The new species is named Obdurodon tharalkooschild after a character in an Aboriginal dreamtime story called Tharalkoo. She was a duck that mated with a water rat and gave birth to the first platypus.
But here at Death Ray Science News we're calling it...
The scientists who found the tooth think it belonged to a platypus that was one-metre long and ate crayfish, fish, frogs and small turtles. Modern platypuses grow to about fifty centimetres long, don't have any teeth and mostly eat crayfish and other small crustaceans.
The new species is named Obdurodon tharalkooschild after a character in an Aboriginal dreamtime story called Tharalkoo. She was a duck that mated with a water rat and gave birth to the first platypus.
But here at Death Ray Science News we're calling it...
Predatorpus!
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| Now you know why turtles and platypuses don't get along Drawing by Peter Schouten, tooth photo by Rebecca Pian |
Mangalyaan Mission to Mars: The Fart Probe
India has launched a rocket carrying a fart probe that is heading for the Red Planet.
The rocket blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the east coast of India on Tuesday morning. It will orbit the Earth for a few weeks and slowly build up speed before a final blast of its engine sends it rocketing towards Mars.
If all goes well the Mangalyaan (which means Mars craft in Hindi) will travel through space for 300 days and then go into orbit around Mars. When in orbit it will use a special instrument to look for farts in the Martian atmosphere.
The rocket blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the east coast of India on Tuesday morning. It will orbit the Earth for a few weeks and slowly build up speed before a final blast of its engine sends it rocketing towards Mars.
If all goes well the Mangalyaan (which means Mars craft in Hindi) will travel through space for 300 days and then go into orbit around Mars. When in orbit it will use a special instrument to look for farts in the Martian atmosphere.
Thursday, 24 October 2013
Test your Death Ray #1
Quiz time WOO!
Do you think you know stuff? Prove it by getting a high score on this the first ever Death Ray Science News Quiz.
Hint, have you read all the articles on our site yet?
Do you think you know stuff? Prove it by getting a high score on this the first ever Death Ray Science News Quiz.
Hint, have you read all the articles on our site yet?
Friday, 18 October 2013
Science comic of the week: Gravity is rad!
Today, Dinosaur Comics brings us a tale of gravity, friendship and being rad. These tips from Timmy are guaranteed to increase your radness by at least 18%. ☠
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| Click the comic for a bigger version |
Rad links
Find out more about gravity from a physicist.
Seriously, Utahraptor, are you even a real dinosaur?
And who is that mysterious omnivore in the corner? Why it's the lovely Dromiceiomimus.
Finally, check out the BBC's Planet Dinosaur game, but only if you like dinosaurs and games.
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And the winners are.... elephants and crocodiles
Greg du Toit of South Africa is the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 with Essence of Elephants, while 14-year-old Udayan Rao Pawar of India is the young Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his photo Mother's little headful.
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| © Greg du Toit. Click here to see a bigger version at the Natural History Museum website. |
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 - sneak preview
In a few hours we will all be astonished when the winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 awards ceremony are revealed.
This competition is in its 49th year and it has the best wildlife photographs. If you don't believe me, just ask Google.
It is for serious wildlife photographers. Many of the winners spend weeks or months staking out a particularly rare species or animal behaviour in order to get the perfect shot.
But it's not just for the pros.
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| Photo © Jasper Doest |
It is for serious wildlife photographers. Many of the winners spend weeks or months staking out a particularly rare species or animal behaviour in order to get the perfect shot.
But it's not just for the pros.
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