“Taking inspiration from the Hollywood text-book, scientists at NASA are testing daredevil technology which will see space ships slowed down when they hit a planet’s atmosphere. Their latest technology is a large inflatable heat shield, which was tested this week with a plunge through the Earth’s atmosphere while traveling at hypersonic speeds up to 7,600 mph. The ideas is that as ship enter the atmosphere, the outer shell fills with nitrogen, which helps slow down the ship as it streaks towards the surface. Film fans might remember Indiana Jones coming up with a similar strategy in the Temple of Doom, when he leaps out of a plane with nothing more than an inflatable raft to slow his descent. The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) was launched by sounding rocket at 7am on Monday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.” w/ photos

“We’ve all been there before – a seemingly innocent night with some friends, ending in a morning from Hell. Why must it be like this? Find out what causes the notorious hangover, and share the truth with the world!” — AsapSCIENCE

“Like long walks on the beach with a coffee in one hand, and a beer in the other? If there isn’t a washroom nearby, you might want to rethink that. Find out why caffeine and alcohol affect the amount of water in your urine, and how it affects your body.”

“The mystery of ‘dark matter’ has just got a bit darker – after the mysterious particles failed to show up AGAIN. The theoretical particles – are thought to make up 83% of all matter. But detecting them directly has proved impossible – leading some scientists to question whether ‘dark matter’ exists at all. The huge Xenon 100 experiment – a gigantic tub of supercooled liquid buried in a mine in Gran Sasso Italy has failed to show up any ‘WIMPS’, a theoretical particle of dark matter. WIMPS – or Weakly Interacting Massive Particles – are one of the forms scientists believe dark matter might take.” w/ photo

“Short bursts of intense exercise could be as beneficial as long sessions in the gym, according to researchers in Manchester. Academics at Manchester Metropolitan University are investigating the claim that just a few minutes of very high intensity exercise, such as sprinting, could have the same benefits as jogging for 90 minutes. They are launching a study to try to prove the theory – and see if people can keep their bodies fit and healthy without having to train for hours. A team of 12 academic staff from MMU’s school of healthcare science will be involved in the research and more than 80 volunteers from across the city have already signed up.” w/ photo

“When astronauts return from space walks and remove their helmets, they are welcomed back with a peculiar smell. An odor that is distinct and weird: something, astronauts have described it, like ‘seared steak.’ And also: ‘hot metal.’ And also: ‘welding fumes.’ Our extraterrestrial explorers are remarkably consistent in describing Space Scent in meaty-metallic terms. ‘Space,’ astronaut Tony Antonelli has said, ‘definitely has a smell that’s different than anything else.’ Space, three-time spacewalker Thomas Jones has put it, ‘carries a distinct odor of ozone, a faint acrid smell.’ Space, Jones elaborated, smells a little like gunpowder. It is ‘sulfurous.’ Add to all those anecdotal assessments the recent discovery, in a vast dust cloud at the center of our galaxy, of ethyl formate — and the fact that the ester is, among other things, the chemical responsible for the flavor of raspberries. Add to that the fact that ethyl formate itself smells like rum. Put all that together, and one thing becomes clear: The final frontier sort of stinks.” w/ photo

“A physicist has put forth new ideas in the long-running question of how best to keep dry when moving in the rain. If you run, you are out in the rain for less time, yet you run into more drops – so what is the optimal speed? Franco Bocci, reporting in the European Journal of Physics, now asserts that both wind direction and a person’s stature figure into the answer. In most cases, the general answer is to run as fast as possible; but the answer changes in a tailwind, or for the thin. Prof Bocci is by no means the first person to address the problem, which is far more mathematically complex than it seems on the surface. In the 1970s, a number of papers came out in mathematics magazines debating the question, each more fully exploring the issues at hand.” w/ photo

“The salad is a menu go-to for anyone watching their weight. But the seemingly-healthy dish can also function as a platform for high-fat, high-calorie foods that can spell disaster for dieters. Indeed, ever-tempting variations can come loaded with cheese, croutons and creamy dressings, and could be just as damaging to your waistline as a burger and fries. But, one expert reveals, that doesn’t have to be the case. Dietician Heather Bauer says just a few simple ingredient trades could make all the difference.” w/ photos

“An introduction to how digital cameras work that also highlights Canon’s unique manufacturing expertise and latest environmental measures. Years of know-how, combined with leading-edge technologies and manufacturing processes, support Canon’s position as the leader in high-resolution, high-quality digital cameras.” — kachenification

“Originally hailing from the city of Frankfurt, they were simply pork sausages served in a bun and doled out to the watching public for free during imperial coronations. Various German immigrants then claimed to have introduced the popular snack to America in the 19th century. From there, they have mutated into the processed sausage we know today. Charlie Powell from the food lobby group Sustain, said: ‘Cheap frankfurters are highly processed and have little in them that will improve your health. ‘If they are eaten on a regular basis, they cannot be good for you. They are one of the least natural foods I can think of… So just what goes into the hot dogs to make them such a target for real food campaigners?” w/ photos