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Metro
13 hours ago
- Metro
New fear unlocked after 16-inch stick insect found deep in Australian jungle
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video To anyone with a phobia of insects reading this article, we're so, so sorry. Australian researchers deep in the country's wet tropics have identified a new species of stick insect – and it's absolutely huge. Not only is it about 16in (40cm) long, but it also has a wingspan comparable to a small bird's, and it weighs 150% more than the next-heaviest Australian insect. The new species, named the Acrophylla alta, was found in high-altitude trees in the wet tropics region of Queensland. Professor Angus Emmott from James Cook University, who helped identify the species, said the insect had probably remained undiscovered for so long because of its remote habitat. He told MailOnline: 'They live high up in the rainforest canopy, and accessing that is almost impossible. 'You've got to wait until, for instance, a bird knocks one down or you get a big storm and they get knocked down. It's very, very hard to find them in situ. 'Their body mass likely helps them survive the colder conditions, and that's why they've developed into this large insect over millions of years.' The females of the species, much bigger than the males, weigh around 44grams – much bigger than Australia's next-heaviest insect, the giant wood moth, which weighs in at about 30grams. But despite their large wingspan, Professor Emmott says they're 'not really great flyers' because of their 'heavy bodies' weighing them down. To be able to identify the species, the researchers' next step was finding a male – but because the males are so different to the females, they had been considered a different species of stick insect altogether. There was only one way to be sure the male and female were of the same species, and that was to catch them while mating. Professor Emmott explained: 'You really need to find the male copulating with the female. 'You know what it is then, and you collect the eggs and you can actually ascertain that they're one of the same thing. 'Every species of stick insect has their own distinct egg style. 'They've all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes. Even the caps on them are all very unique.' So, not only did the researchers need to watch the insects have sex, they also needed to snoop on their eggs to make sure they definitely had a brand new species on their hands. A specimen of the Acrophylla alta is now part of Queensland Museum's collection – but it could be one 'untold' numbers of insect species which have gone undiscovered. 'Up here in the tropics, in northern Australia, we've got so many insects that are as yet undescribed,' Professor Emmott said. 'For instance, I've got an undescribed cicada in the garden here that a friend of mine is in the process of describing, and I've been working on the moths up here as quite a number of them are undescribed.' Trying to study the new species has its challenges, as stick insects by nature stay very still during the day to look like, well, sticks, to avoid being eaten by birds. More Trending Researchers end up trekking through the rainforest at night wearing head torches to stand the best chance of seeing them. Because of this, it's also not yet known how long the Acrophylla alta live for. Professor Emmott said: 'We don't actually don't know that yet, but I imagine only a couple of years maximum. 'Because, yes, there's a lot of pressure on them with birds looking for them and eating them all the time, and I guess that's why they're so cryptic.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: I spent four days on a train in the Australian outback — it was my idea of hell MORE: Virginie Giuffre's family ask what Trump really knew about Epstein after his 'stolen' comment MORE: This country will be underwater by 2050 — and people are entering a bleak competition to escape
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Just ONE can of your favourite drink ‘raises risk of silent killer by 40%'
'Artificial sweeteners are often recommended as a healthier choice, but our results suggest they may carry their own health risks,' one scientist explained. HARD TO SWALLOW Just ONE can of your favourite drink 'raises risk of silent killer by 40%' KNOCKING back just one of your favourite drinks might be enough to raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 40 per cent, a new study has revealed. Millions of Brits drink sugar-free sweetened drinks under the belief they are healthier because they have zero calories. 1 Just one diet fizzy drink could up your risk of type 2 diabetes by 40 per cent Credit: Getty But Australian scientists at Monash University say it's wrong to think artificial sweeteners in drinks are a totally safe swap for sugar. Their research looked specifically at sweetened soft drinks - both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened - and found both types raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Artificially sweetened drinks, often marketed as 'diet,' carried the highest risk, with even people at a healthy weight facing a significant chance of developing diabetes from guzzling them. In recent years, natural alternative sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit have become popular, replacing older artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin. Previous research, published this year in the Journal of Applied Physiology earlier this year linked a common - and natural - sugar substitute called Erythritol (E968) to a higher risk of vascular health issues, including stroke. The new study, published in Diabetes and Metabolism, did not differentiate between the different types of artificial sweeteners used. Scientists followed more than 36,000 Australian adults aged 40–69 for nearly 14 years, monitoring how often they drank sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages and tracking new cases of type 2 diabetes. They found that artificially sweetened soft drinks raised people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 38 per cent. That's higher than the 23 per cent increased risk linked to sugary drinks. Diabetes symptoms and the signs of all types of diabetes Professor Barbora de Courten, one of the study authors, said the findings challenge the common belief that diet drinks are a safer option. 'Artificial sweeteners are often recommended as a healthier choice, but our results suggest they may carry their own health risks,' she explained. Unlike sugary drinks, where the risk can mostly be linked to weight gain, the connection between diet drinks and diabetes remained strong even after adjusting for body weight. This suggests artificially sweetened drinks might directly affect how the body handles sugar. The researchers say these findings should influence public health policies, urging caution around all sweetened drinks - not just sugary ones. 'We support measures like sugary drink taxes, but our study shows we also need to pay attention to artificially sweetened options," Professor de Courten added. "These are often marketed as better for you; yet may carry their own risks. Future policies should take a broader approach to reducing intake of all non-nutritive beverages.' Low or no calorie sweeteners are used instead of sugar to sweeten some foods and drinks. These substances are found in products such as drinks, desserts, ready meals and cakes. The 3 feared risks of artificial sweeteners They could increase risk of heart attack and stroke Research published earlier this year suggests aspartame, a common sugar substitute, may negatively impact vascular health. It was shown to trigger insulin spikes in mice, which can lead to atherosclerosis - plaque buildup in arteries - and increased inflammation. This could potentially raise the risk of heart attack or stroke, researchers suggested. Researchers fed mice daily doses of food containing 0.15 per cent aspartame for 12 weeks - the equivalent of consuming about three cans of diet soda each day for humans Aspartame-fed mice developed larger and more fatty plaques in their arteries compared to mice who weren't given sweeteners. When the research team analysed the mice's blood, they found a "surge" in insulin levels after aspartame entered their system. They said aspartame - which is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar - seemed to "trick" the receptors into releasing more insulin. The mice's elevated insulin levels appeared to fuel the growth of fatty plaques in their arteries, researchers added. But scientists not involved in the study said you don't need to pour out your diet soda just yet - as we don't yet know whether the artificial sweetener has the same effect on humans. They may increase sugary cravings Some studies link artificial sweeteners to increased appetite and cravings for sugary food. One - published in 2021 - found that sucralose made people feel hungrier. Researcher Professor Kathleen Page said: 'Drinking artificially sweetened drinks may trick the brain into feeling hungry, which may in turn result in more calories being consumed.' However, Gavin Partington, of the British Soft Drinks Association, said the study should be 'treated with caution' because it was based on a 'tiny' number of participants. Other studies suggested that artificial sweeteners can alter people's gut microbiome and cause weight gain. But it should be noted that lots of research supports that sugar substitutes can help with weight loss and maintenance. They may be linked to type 2 diabetes People who regularly consume artificial sweeteners may be more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with a lower intake, a study published in 2023 showed. The additives may stop the body from being able to regulate blood sugar levels healthily, researchers from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital suggested. Prior studies have discovered that the sweeteners saccharin and sucralose can increase the blood sugar levels of healthy people. Sweeteners approved for use in the UK include acesulfame K, aspartame, erythritol, saccharin, sorbitol, steviol glycosides, sucralose and xylitol. Some squash drinks contain sweeteners such as sucralose and acesulfame K. Scientific evidence has linked sugar consumption to a range of health conditions including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, switching to products with sweeteners has been argued to help people who are overweight or obese lose weight. NHS advice says sweeteners are safe and can help keep blood sugars low for diabetics and reduce the risk of tooth decay. Type 2 diabetes affects about 1.3 million people in Australia, and over 4.7 million people in the UK - numbers that continue to rise each year.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
‘We have a cloud, and that's the end': first Australian-made orbital rocket crashes shortly after takeoff
The spaceship hovered for less than a minute before crashing in a giant plume of smoke, but it was history-making nonetheless – the attempted launch of an orbital rocket designed and made in Australia. The Eris rocket was built by Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space and briefly blasted off from the Bowen orbital spaceport in north Queensland on Wednesday morning, after months of waiting for the right conditions. The orbit attempt was watched on from the surrounding hills by enthusiasts and streamed live by the likes of YouTuber Josh Keegan, also known as Aussienaut. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'OK we're going, we're going, it's going!' Keegan said with breathless excitement after a second day of patient watching – but the celebrations did not last long. 'It's gone, it's gone,' Keegan said seconds later. 'Oh no, it didn't go, there wasn't sufficient thrust to actually keep it up. 'I believe that's the end of the Eris rocket. We have a cloud, and that's the end.' But while the billow of smoke may have marked the end of Eris, Gilmour and the nascent Australian space industry hope this failed orbit attempt will prove just a beginning. Gilmour Space issued a statement shortly afterwards saying Eris's 14 seconds of flight brought Australia closer to the club of six nations who regularly launch spacecraft to orbit. 'For a maiden test flight, especially after an extended 18-month wait on the pad for final approvals, this is a strong result and a major step forward for Australia's sovereign space capability,' the statement read. 'Most importantly, the team is safe and energised for Test Flight 2.' The company's CEO, Adam Gilmour, posted on social media that he was happy with the launch attempt. 'Got off the Pad, I am happy,' he wrote. 'Of course I would have liked more flight time but happy with this.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The 23-metre-long, 30-tonne rocket was covered in sensors from which the Queensland company will hope to glean information to assist future launch attempts. One Giant Leap Australia Foundation, which develops education programs geared toward growing a future workforce in the space industry, was among those to congratulate Gilmour Space for a 'sterling effort'. 'The only way to learn is to fail forward,' it posted on social media. 'We know more today than we did yesterday.' Gilmour Space was poised to launch on Tuesday but winds were too strong. It had also sought to launch in May but did not. The company received $5m from the Australian government for its Eris launch vehicle last week to develop its next-generation liquid rocket engine.
