WEIRD STUFF

Space tourism could harm moon

Rich space tourists could ruin attempts to find out more about the history of the universe.

Dr Martin Elvis, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, claims that specific areas on the far side of the moon provide opportunities for scientists to expand their understanding of the solar system, but the lack of rules to protect them from inquisitive billionaires could ruin future exploration attempts.

He told reporters ahead of the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Boston: "At the same time that having people on the moon enables us to do great new things that will make today's best telescope look like toys, the activities of humans can actually disturb the very environment that we're going there for.

"So we've got this balancing act, and at the moment there is no balance, because there's no protection for science at all on the moon."

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Dancing can boost heart health

Dancing for 20 minutes each day can help people hit their weekly exercise targets. A small study into the cardiovascular benefits of "solo freeform dancing" found that people received health benefits from all forms of dance.

Researchers invited 48 people into the laboratory and told them to dance however they wished, as the boffins would not "really be watching" the moves and would be "mostly focused on the data".

Aston McCullough, an expert at Northeastern University in the US, revealed that the aim of the study was to find more straightforward ways for people to keep active.

He said: "Dance is a really accessible form of physical activity that people can do, even in their homes.

"The main idea is to understand whether the intensity that people would receive from dancing freely on their own would be enough to be a health-enhancing physical activity.

"And the answer was yes. All adults were able to reach a health-enhancing level of activity without being told what intensity to dance at. They just put on their own music and danced around."

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Scotland could bring back wolves

Wolves could be reintroduced to the Scottish Highlands.

Scientists at the University of Leeds claim that reintroducing the beasts to the area could help reduce red deer populations and lead to an expansion of native woodland that can take in and store carbon dioxide (CO2).

Study author Professor Dominick Spracklen said: "There is an increasing acknowledgment that the climate and biodiversity crises cannot be managed in isolation.

"We need to look at the potential role of natural processes, such as the reintroduction of species to recover our degraded ecosystems, and those in turn can deliver co-benefits for climate and nature recovery."

However, the call has been met with an angry backlash by Scottish farmers.

Bob Carruth, communications director at the National Farmers Union (NFU) for Scotland, told MailOnline: "NFU Scotland remains crystal-clear that any proposals to reintroduce predators such as lynx, wolves or bears are wholly unacceptable to Scottish farmers and crofters."