[dropcap]Images[/dropcap] taken by a Nasa spacecraft show that the American flags planted in the Moon’s soil by Apollo astronauts are mostly still standing. The photos from Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter (LRO) show the flags are still casting shadows - except the one planted during the Apollo 11 landing. This matches Buzz Aldrin’s account of the flag being knocked over by engine exhaust as Apollo 11 lifted off. LRO was designed to produce the most detailed maps yet of the lunar surface. Each of the Apollo missions planted an American flag in the soil at their landing sites. Scientists had previously examined photos of the Apollo landing sites for the flags, and had seen what looked like shadows cast by them on the lunar surface. But this was not considered conclusive. Now, researchers have studied photos of the landing sites taken at different points during the day (and under different illuminations) and have observed shadows ...

A formerly sceptical climate scientist says human activity is causing the Earth to warm, as a new study confirms earlier results on rising temperatures. In a US newspaper opinion piece, Prof Richard Muller says: “Call me a converted sceptic.” Muller leads the Berkeley Earth Project, which is using new methods and some new data to investigate the claims made by other climate researchers. Their latest study confirms the warming trend seen by other groups. The project received funds from sources that back organisations lobbying against action on climate change. Their latest study, released early on Monday (GMT), concludes that the average temperature of the Earth’s land has risen by 1.5C (2.7F) over the past 250 years. Continue reading the main story I’m now going a step further: Humans are almost entirely the cause” Prof Richard Mueller University of California, Berkeley The team argues that the good correspondence b...

[dropcap]A unique [/dropcap]social division among a population of bottlenose dolphins in Australia’s Moreton Bay has ended, according to a new study. The dolphins lived as two distinct groups that rarely interacted, one of which foraged on trawler bycatch. But scientists think that a ban on fishing boats from key areas has brought the two groups together. They believe these socially flexible mammals have united to hunt for new food sources. The findings are published in the journal Animal Behaviour. Bottlenose dolphins have large brains and quickly learn new behaviours. Using a wide range of sounds to communicate with other members of the group, or “pod”, they have been observed showing remarkable individual and social intelligence: One for the team: watch how a single dolphin peels off from the pod to shepherd the mullet into the open mouths of the group Bubble trouble: initially cautious of the new shapes created by th...