Six Nations: Nia Davies handed full Wales debut against France. A view from space: Astronaut tweets stunning pictures of Earth. That Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special has found its companion. Day in pictures: 6 February 2013. Six Nations 2012: Mark Jones says French exiles give Wales an edge. Six Nations 2013: Halfpenny says players owe Howley a performance. Six Nations 2013: Ryan Jones, Shingler and Hibbard fit for Paris. Your Pictures: Photos from Wales. Who, What, Why: What is the method for reconstructing Richard III's face? 6 February 2013Last updated at 06:23 ET Bones found in a Leicester car park have been confirmed by DNA testing as those of Richard III. But what was the technique scientists used to reconstruct his face? The only thing scientists had to go on was a skull. No portraits of the king done during his reign survive.
And yet scientists have built a model of Richard III's face. Richard died in 1485 but his bones are well preserved. The team of scientists at Dundee University doing the facial reconstruction never got near the bones. At this point no-one knew if it was Richard III or not, says Caroline Wilkinson, Dundee University's professor of craniofacial identification. Continue reading the main story The answer 3D digital recreation of face using CT scans 3D printing onto plastic Artist guesses at hair, skin and eye colour It may seem impossible to build someone's cheeks, nose, and eyebrows from a piece of bone.
"The width of the mouth can be determined exactly by the position of the teeth. Cryonics: Could being frozen for resurrection work? Halley VI: The British Antarctic Survey's new base. Skydiver Felix Baumgartner fell faster than thought. 5 February 2013Last updated at 13:01 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News Highlights from Felix Baumgartner's leap into the record books Austrian Felix Baumgartner fell even faster during his historic skydive last October than was originally thought. Subsequent analysis has revealed that the daredevil attained a speed of 1,357.6km/h (843.6mph) when he leapt from his stratospheric balloon. It is about 15km/h (10mph) above what was initially reported. Baumgartner's stated aim was to become the first person to break the sound barrier unaided by a vehicle.
But although his vertical velocity has been revised upwards, the 43-year-old's jump altitude has been corrected downwards slightly. The additional analysis shows the Austrian stepped out of his special capsule at 38,969.4m (127,852.4ft), a reduction from the previous estimate of 39,045m (128,100ft). Baumgartner's "space jump" was made over the New Mexico desert, US, on 14 October.
'Bionic man' surprises roboticists. What the web is doing to the future of fiction. 6 February 2013Last updated at 02:57 ET By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News A bizarre and vibrant world forms the detailed backdrop of the video game Dishonoured Adolf Hitler was gunned down in 1944 in a Parisian cinema in the closing scenes of Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. That pivotal fictional event is linked to the director's other films, say fans - the son of one of the Basterds appears in Tarantino's True Romance.
It's just one of the many links and influences that turn this set of movies into windows on an alternate world brought to life by the fast-talking director. That common back story is just one example of what is known as trans-media - something the web has made increasingly common. "People use that approach because it helps extends their stories over timelines and territories so it can span the real world and the digital world," said Alison Norrington, a writer who uses and teaches trans-media techniques. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote. 'Stand-alone' Star Wars films planned. 6 February 2013Last updated at 03:47 ET It is rumoured the first stand-alone film will focus on Jedi master Yoda Films built around existing characters from the Star Wars universe are being developed alongside the new trilogy of films, the Disney studio has revealed.
"We are working on a few stand-alone films... derived from great Star Wars characters," Disney CEO Bob Iger told the CNBC channel on Tuesday. The films, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg, will be released between 2015 and 2021, he continued. The seventh Star Wars film, directed by JJ Abrams, is due out in 2015. Disney bought George Lucas's Lucasfilm company for $4.05 billion (£2.58 billion) last year, saying it was committed to at least three new films. The first of these, Star Wars: Episode VII, will be scripted by Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning writer of Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine. "We still plan to make Star Wars 7, 8 and 9 roughly over a six-year period of time starting in 2015," he went on. Inquiry reports on Stafford Hospital deaths scandal. 6 February 2013Last updated at 08:08 ET By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News "A story of appalling suffering": Watch Robert Francis QC's statement in full NHS staff should face prosecution if they are not open and honest about mistakes, according to a public inquiry into failings at Stafford Hospital.
Years of abuse and neglect at the hospital led to the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of patients. But inquiry chairman, Robert Francis QC, said the failings went right to the top of the health service. He made 290 recommendations, saying "fundamental change" was needed to prevent the public losing confidence. His report comes after the families of victims have voiced anger that no-one has been sufficiently punished for their roles.
Senior managers were able to leave the trust with little sanction, while most doctors and nurses involved have escaped censure from their professional regulators. Continue reading the main story The Mid Staffs public inquiry In particular, it recommended: Curiosity will help humans reach Mars. February 4, 2013 by Chris Bergin As NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) continues to impress during its mission on the Red Planet – marked by another milestone via the use of its drill for the first time – NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, John Grunsfeld believes Curiosity is providing vital information ahead of potential crewed missions to Mars. MSL On Mars: Following on from its impressive survival during the “seven minutes of terror”, Curiosity’s August 6, 2012 landing on Mars kick-started a mission that has already achieved a series of stunning results.
Tasked with investigating the Martian climate and geology, assessing whether the selected field site inside Gale Crater has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life, and conducting planetary habitability studies in preparation for future human exploration, Curiosity’s control team took several weeks to verify the rover’s systems post landing. MSL To Crewed Missions: However, Dr. Wales |