Tortured globe reveals what Earth would look like if its shape were altered to make gravity the same everywhere on its surface

Pastoralists face insecure livelihoods, but depictions of them as victims of forces beyond their control and dependent on relief handouts fail to tell the whole story

Did you know that some sand dunes make a booming or humming sound? This fascinating and amusing video shows you a little of the science that underlies the "singing" of sand dunesHave you spend any time in a desert filled with sand dunes? Whilst you've been there, tracking around the dunes, have you ever noticed a low humming or booming sound? A musician might identify this hum as closely...

SeaWorld animal training curator Kelly Flaherty Clark said that returning Tilikum to performing more than a year later was best for the whaleThe killer whale that drowned a female trainer at Orlando's SeaWorld performed on Wednesday for the first time since last year's death, wowing thousands amid heightened safety that included a steel bar protecting the orca's trainers.Tilikum participated...

The wild animals had been moved out but that didn't stop one 19th century joker trying to pull a gentle April fool, an archive has revealedThe proud recipients of an invitation sent out in 1856 must have felt they were being called to witness a magnificent event that joined history, royalty and a superb setting – British pomp and circumstance at its best.Signed by one Herbert de Grassen,...

If you are a teacher, parent or tutor, then you will love this video. Salman Khan has developed a series of free online videos to teach kids (and adults too) about maths and the sciencesSalman Khan talks about how and why he created his remarkable Khan Academy, a carefully structured series of educational videos offering complete curricula in mathematics and the sciences. In this presentation, he...

Fragmented crime scene services may go overseas or to private companies if proposed changes go aheadMiscarriages of justice will not be corrected and public confidence in the criminal justice system will be damaged if proposed changes to the forensic science service go ahead, according to Richard Foster, chairman of the criminal cases review commission.He said the proposals would be "disastrous"...

Research shows how to reduce the amount of methane produced by cows and sheep belching and breaking windA change of diet could help flatulent farm animals reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, a study has said.Government funded research aimed at helping farmers cut their contribution to climate change shows how to reduce the amount of methane produced by cows and sheep belching and breaking...

This endemic Ethiopian mystery bird is named for the field mark that distinguishes from a close relativeWattled ibis, Bostrychia carunculata, photographed at Ghion Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Africa). Image: Dan Logen, 10 February 2011 [velociraptorize].Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 800, f/9, 1/1000 sec Question: This distinctive African mystery bird is an endemic of Ethiopia -- it is found...

Frozen blood stem cells could save workers' lives if they become ill after exposure to high levels of radiationJapanese authorities are considering plans to collect and freeze cells from engineers and water cannon operators at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in case they are exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.The proposal has been drawn up as a precautionary measure that could potentially...

Forget the hose . . . firefighters of the future may be putting out fires with a wave of an electric wandFire extinguishers may soon be a thing of the past: wave a magic electric wand at a flame and you can snuff it out in milliseconds, according to Dr Ludevico Cademartiri.In a paper presented to the American Chemical Society, Cademartiri's Harvard University team reported that they had been able...