Europe and the US space agencies are trying to protect us from death by asteroids October 8, 2015 It's never the wrong time to remind yourself that millions of asteroids are rushing around us in space, posing a constant threat to human existence. Should one head down and collide with earth, it could lead to such devastating destruction that we would perish, just like the dinosaurs did some 65m years ago. But the [...]
Deutsche Bank’s share price rises despite warning of huge quarterly loss and reduced dividend payment October 8, 2015 Deutsche Bank's share price has gone up despite this morning's warning to investors that it expects to post a €6.2bn (£4.5bn) loss in its third quarter results. Germany's biggest bank said its dividend payment for the full year could be reduced or suspended, as write-downs at its corporate banking unit take their toll. Along with difficulties at [...]
Volkswagen share price rises as US boss Michael Horn admits he knew about “emissions non-compliance” last year October 8, 2015 Michael Horn, the head of Volkswagon in the US, has admitted he was made aware of “possible emissions non-compliance” by the company last year. In a testimony due to be presented to a panel of investigators at the House of Representatives today, Horn said the possibility was highlighted to him in a West Virginia University study [...]
VW emissions scandal: Recalls expected to start in January 2016 and complete by year-end October 7, 2015 New Volkswagen boss Matthias Mueller expects the company to start recalling cars involved in the emissions scandal at the start of next year. Last month, it was revealed that millions of the German company's diesel vehicles were fitted with technology that allowed them to cheat in emissions tests. An estimated 11m cars worldwide are [...]
Nobel Prize for Physics 2015: How two scientists changed our understanding of particle physics October 7, 2015 The 2015 Nobel Prize has been awarded to two scientists who helped reveal that neutrinos, one of the most enigmatic subatomic particles in our universe, have mass. Takaaki Kajita from the University of Tokyo in Japan won half the prize, while the other half went to Canadian physicist Arthur McDonald. At the Royal [...]
Israel rockets into first place in race to complete first ever private mission to the moon October 7, 2015 A team of Israeli scientists has accelerated into first place in the race to send a privately-funded space mission to the moon. Calling themselves SpaceIL, they have just signed an official launch contract with the organisers of Google's Lunar X Prize competition to send a rocket to the moon before the end of 2017. The [...]
Renault might lose some of its stake in Nissan October 7, 2015 Renault could be about to lose some of its stake in Nissan, according to the Nikkei business daily. The French and Japanese car manufacturers have been joined in an alliance since 1999, under which Renault owns 43.4 per cent of Nissan and Nissan owns 15 per cent of Renault. Read more: Car manufacturer Renault [...]
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 goes to three geneticists who could transform cancer treatment October 7, 2015 Three geneticists whose discoveries could transform cancer treatment have been awarded this year's Nobel Prize for chemistry. Thomas Lindhal from Sweden, Paul Modrich from the US and Aziz Sancar from Turkey made findings that shed light on how the body repairs genetic damage and keeps DNA healthy. Read more: Nobel Prize for medicine: These discoveries shaped [...]
Careers: Thinking you’re cleverer than you actually are brings success, but could make you unpopular with your colleagues October 7, 2015 When it comes to success, it's not just having brains that brings you rewards – having an inflated view of your own ability also gives your career a boost. When researchers at Baylor University in Texas compared the academic results of intellectually arrogant students with those of intellectually humble students, they found a clear correlation – [...]
Scientists bring quantum computers a step closer to reality October 6, 2015 For years scientists have known the merits of quantum computing, but increasingly the business world has shown interest and is now eagerly awaiting its introduction into the mainstream. Once it's fully developed, it's hoped the technology will perform a far wider range of calculations than any computers already available, and running at speeds we [...]
