Beach

Could the phenomenon of whale and dolphin strandings be due to Alzheimer's-like cognitive deficits in pod leaders that draw groups into shallow waters? A new study found pathological signs of Alzheimer's disease in brain tissue from stranded dolphins.

Such is the magnitude of our plastic pollution problem that cleaning beaches is a tough ask. The BeBot is a robot designed to tackle this problem, sifting through sand to gather up waste while making a minimal impact on the environment.

People have been casually playing football, soccer, and ultimate frisbee on the beach and at picnics for decades, but basketball? Not so much. Now that's about to get a lot easier with Uball, a portable, easy-to-set-up hoop and backboard that even has its own unique game rules.

St Andrews Beach House is nestled among the bush and dunes on a rugged stretch of shore in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. The circular vacation home is finished to a high standard and boasts a degree of sustainable design, including rainwater collection.

This charming little beach hut in England named the Spy Glass is designed to look like an oversized pair of old-fashioned coin-fed binoculars. It rests atop a turntable that rotates it 180 degrees, allowing its occupants to change the view to suit.

A new research project has pitted a set of commercially available shark deterrent systems for surfers against one another, with a device that creates an electric forcefield around it coming out on top. ​

After being swept away by the surf off the coast of New South Wales, two Australian swimmers have found themselves safely back on shore after a local lifeguard used a drone to deliver them a lifesaving flotation device. ​

This sandcastle isn't the kind that you make on the beach with a bucket and spade, but an ambitious project that has been declared the world's tallest sandcastle by Guinness World Records. Rising to 16.68 m (54.72 ft), it surpasses the previous record holder by almost 2 meters.

For the last few months, John Dingley has been bending tubing on a DIY hydraulic machine, welding metal together and installing parts salvaged from a go-kart, golf cart and an e-bike. The Electro-Luge 500S has been built to zip over long stretches of firm sand, with the rider laid flat and low.

Who wants to carry a fully loaded modern cooler, often a war zone-ready hunk of roto-molded plastic, plus chairs and other gear, meters or miles to the campsite? The Real Wheel presents a better way - a mono-wheel cart that rolls over pavement, rock, sand and whatever else is in the way.

We've all been there: you're just drifting off to sleep and then realize you may have left the back door open. Spare a thought for the owners of the House in Morrillos, as they've got a total of 72 doors to check. Located in Chile, this beach house has some interesting ideas up its sleeve.

Here’s a nifty lifesaving idea from Noras Performance out of Portugal. U-Safe is a lifesaving buoy that can drive itself around in the water by remote control, meaning it can reach a victim quickly, and transport them to safety if need be.