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What is sleep inertia?

ELLA MICHAELS, VIA EMAIL Sleep inertia is the groggy state we sometimes experience upon waking. It is most noteworthy during the first 15 to 30 minutes after we wake up. During this state our cognitive functioning dips – something which improves once we have been awake for a while. In an excellent review of the […]

What is ball lightning?

OSCAR BROWN, VIA EMAIL Ball lightning is a mysterious and unexplained form of lightning which has puzzled weather watchers for millennia and continues to intrigue researchers today. The phenomenon is generally described as a ball of light that appears during thunderstorms. The size of the ball varies, from a golf ball to larger than a […]

Optimus wine

CHANGI AIRPORT, SINGAPORE If you find yourself in Changi Airport, Singapore, this pair of robotic arms will offer you a free drink. Inside the airport’s duty-free shop, Toni the robot bartender can provide you with a sample from the selection of 150 bottles hanging from the ceiling. To kick things off you have to install […]

Quite a mouthful

LA AZOHIA, SPAIN This Mediterranean painted comber (Serranus scriba) is almost as large as the prey it’s devouring. This carnivorous predator belongs to the family of fish that includes groupers and sea bass. The stripes on its body help conceal its outline so it can sneak up on its prey. The comber uses its powerful […]

Big oil to big algae

NOVARA, ITALY Italian company Eni is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. The seven ‘supermajor’ companies, which also includes BP and Shell PLC, are dubbed Big Oil for their influence on economy and politics. But as science warns us of the link between fossil fuels and global warming, some of […]

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