Motorists 'must switch to electric cars by 2050 if Britain is to meet C02 emissions target' Modern athletes such as Usain Bolt may be approaching the fastest speeds possible for the human body.

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Modern athletes such as Usain Bolt may be approaching the fastest speeds possible for the human body.

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As the humble computer mouse turns 40, is it finally heading for the exit door?

It rose from humble beginnings to become an essential piece of computer hardware. But as the computer mouse turns 40, there are signs that it could finally be heading for the big electronic scrapheap in the sky. When Doug Engelbart's team at the Stanford Research Institute designed a computer controller encased in a carved-out wooden block, with wheels mounted on the underbelly, one researcher nicknamed it a 'mouse'. ...read

Big step forward: How the beat of our feet can create electricity

Power harvesting technology is already being tested on the floors of discos

The beat of our feet could become a valuable source of electricity as scientists develop new ways of generating power.

150 whales battered to death against rocks in mass stranding off Australian coast

Heartbroken wildlife officials, mourning the death of 150 small whales when they were smashed against rocks in Tasmania, admit there will probably be other mass strandings in the weeks to come.

Born to run? U.S. parents offered $150 test to predict their child's athletic niche

American parents obsessed with having their children play and excel in sport can now access a test that predicts their child's natural athletic strengths.

Fruit 'n' veg power: How I charged my iPod using an onion soaked in Lucozade

A student claimed he can turn vegetables soaked in Lucozade into a homemade battery and recharge his iPod. Could that really be true? We put his bizarre claims to the test.

How do you like your pancakes? Robot cooks breakfast at exhibit

Fancy breakfast in bed? Robots could soon be taking over kitchens up and down the country if the impressive Motoman is anything to go by.

Polaroid launches world's first digital camera that prints instantly

Ice breaker! Scientists predict when ice bergs will crack off Antarctic shelves

Scientists have figured out a way to predict when an ice shelf is likely to break off and form an ice berg. The events, called calfing, are a critical step in the process that decides how much sea levels will rise as global temperature increases.

Plague of the parakeets: Exotic birds trouble British farmers as numbers hit 20,000 high

Record numbers of ring-necked parakeets are brightening up Britain's dreary winter skies. But the exotic birds are proving a pest for seasonal traders, costing up to an extra £5,000 a year in damage to fruit.

Pictured: Spectacular images of deep space caught by an amateur astronomer - from his back garden

An amateur astronomer has caught the dazzling light shows of space with just a telescope and digital camera in his back garden.

YouTube sees the bigger picture and goes widescreen

YouTube users can now have a cinematic experience after the video-sharing website went widescreen overnight.

Dogs have wet noses 'to enhance their sense of smell'

Dog lovers have long said that their 'best friend's wet nose is a sign of their health. But the slimy surface of a canine nose is actually behind their sophisticated sense of smell, scientists now reveal.