Durham University

Want to appear more competent? Smile and tidy up that background the next time you're on a video call, says a team of UK researchers

Good Thinking

Study reveals which Zoom background items make you look more competent

Before you hop on your next Zoom call, you might want to tailor your background in a very particular way, says a new study. Doing so could make everyone else on the call perceive you as being more competent – whether or not you really are.

Space

Ultramassive black hole found, 33 billion times the mass of the Sun

Some 19 years on from an initial hint, the same UK astronomers have discovered one of the biggest black holes known to date. They also believe the technology on hand for their findings will help shed new light on one of space's biggest mysteries.

A simulation of the Moon forming after a massive collision between ancient Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet

Science

Wild simulations of cosmic collisions show the Moon forming in just hours

It’s believed that the Moon formed billions of years ago, from debris from a cosmic collision with Earth. New high-resolution simulations not only illustrate the idea in stunning detail, but reveal that the Moon’s birth might have taken mere hours.

The four adjustable-height huts utilized in the study

Good Thinking

Raising huts may help reduce malaria-causing mosquito bites

There are already places where homes are built on stilts, to avoid seasonal floods. A new study, however, suggests that doing so may also significantly reduce the risk of being bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitos.

That's as far as an angle grinder made it through this Proteus non-cuttable bar

Materials

Proteus becomes the world's first manufactured non-cuttable material

Researchers claim they've come up with the world's first manufactured non-cuttable material, just 15 percent the density of steel and impervious to drills or angle grinders. They say it could make for indestructible bike locks and lightweight armor.

Scientists have previously trained springer spaniels to detect diseases like malaria, and hope to do the same for COVID-19

Infectious Diseases

UK researchers begin training dogs to detect the scent of COVID-19

There is a long line of research projects aimed at leveraging the famous sensitivity of canine noses to detect risks to human health. But could they be trained to sniff out the scent of COVID-19 and offer a non-invasive way to detect the disease.

A new study has demonstrated how sediment flows in the ocean can shift microplastic waste into the deep ocean

Environment

Underwater avalanches drive microplastic waste into the deep ocean

Scientists studying the movement of seafloor sediment have found that underwater avalanches are driving microplastics into the deep ocean, which may help researchers better map the distribution of waste throughout the marine environment.

An artist's imagining of the night sky from Earth as the Milky Way collides with neighboring galaxy Andromeda – a new study shows that the Large Magellanic Cloud will also smash into the Milky Way much sooner

Space

Neighboring galaxy found to be on a collision course with the Milky Way

According to a new study, the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy, is on a collision course with the Milky Way. But there’s no need to worry just yet – the starry smashup won’t begin for another two billion years or so.

Since the initial study a third dog, a springer spaniel called Freya, has also been trained to detect malaria

Body & Mind

Dogs sniff out malaria with 70% accuracy during research trial

Currently, in order to check if someone has malaria but isn't showing any symptoms yet, a blood sample has to be drawn and analyzed. Thanks to an ongoing research project, however, it may soon be possible to detect the disease on the spot within seconds – using sniffer dogs.

New simulations suggest life could be more common throughout the multiverse – or perhaps show that the multiverse doesn't exist after all

Physics

Simulations suggest multiverse is either teeming with life – or doesn't exist

Our universe seems to contain a suspiciously perfect amount of "dark energy" to sustain life. But new research suggests that life is still possible even with far more dark energy than we have, and the results have some big implications for the multiverse theory.

The researchers tracked the numbers in this hotbed for wild leopards by setting up 23 camera traps

Environment

Leopard numbers plummet in former African stronghold

What was once a hotspot for the leopards of Africa has experienced an alarming population decline, with new research finding that numbers of the large cats are plummeting due mostly to illegal hunting. If the trend isn't reversed, the animals could be gone in the region within three years.

The mimicking abilities of an orangutan not unlike this one could provide clues as to how humans learned to talk

Biology

Mimicking orangutan provides clues to early human speech

It’s generally assumed that great apes aren’t capable of controlling their voices, and that our ability to do so couldn’t have originated from them. A study turns that notion on its head, with evidence gathered from an adolescent orangutan indicating that the species is able to learn new sounds.