SCIENCE BOND

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Bull sharks

Bull sharks are mainly found in the warmer and shallower coastal waters of the southern hemisphere. The bull shark is one of the most common species of shark found worldwide. The bull shark is able to inhabit both salt and fresh water sources just as happily, with one bull shark known to have swum 4,000 km up the Amazon River in South America, finally ending up in the mountainous Peru. The bull shark is well known for its unpredictable and aggressive temperament and is thought to be one of the most dangerous sharks towards humans. This is probably because the bull inhabits coastal waters and rivers and is therefore more likely to come into contact with swimmers and water sports enthusiasts. The bull shark is an effective and dominant predator in its environment and so has no real natural predator itself. Bull sharks are occasionally hunted by the bigger shark species such as the tiger shark and the infamous great white shark.

Mark Zuckerberg to build AI to help at home and work

In a post on the social media site, he said his personal challenge this year would be to build a "simple AI" similar to the butler Jarvis from the film Iron Man. Mr Zuckerberg plans to share his progress over the course of the year. Last month, he made headlines for plans to give away 99% of his Facebook stake. He had to defend his philanthropic venture - launched to celebrate the birth of his daughter- after critics argued that it could provide a way for the founder to avoid paying tax on the sale of his shares.On Monday, Mr Zuckerberg said he would start to build the AI with technology that is already out there and teach it to understand his voice to control everything in his home from music and lights to temperature. "This should be a fun intellectual challenge to code this for myself," Mr Zuckerberg said. "I'll teach it to let friends in by looking at their faces when they ring the doorbell," he said. "I'll teach it to let me ...

Four elements added to the periodic table, completing the scheme's seventh row

They are the first to be included in the table since 2011, when elements 114 and 116 were added. The first true iteration of the table was produced in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. The new additions were formally verified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on 30 December 2015. The body announced that a team of Russian and American researchers had provided sufficient evidence to claim the discovery of elements 115, 117 and 118. IUPAC awarded credit for the discovery of element 113 to a Japanese team at the Riken Institute. The teams responsible for the discoveries have been invited to come up with permanent names and chemical symbols for the now-confirmed elements. "The chemistry community is eager to see its most cherished table finally being completed down to the seventh row. IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalising names and symbols for these elements," said Prof Jan Reedijk, president of ...

Dementia loved ones benefit from visits

A survey found that 42% of the public think there is no point in keeping up contact at this stage. But the Alzheimer's Society said family visits stimulated feelings of happiness, comfort and security. Even as the condition progresses, it said people with dementia can still hold an "emotional memory". This means they continue to feel happy long after a visit or experience that they may have forgotten. The charity is calling on people to visit friends and relatives with dementia regularly and help them take part in activities they enjoy. In a separate survey by the charity of 300 people affected by dementia, more than half said they were no longer taking part in any, or hardly any, social activities. And 64% said they felt isolated following their diagnosis. Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: "After spending time with friends and family over the festive period, New Year can be a bleak and lonely time for people with dem...

The government creating a marine reserve almost as big as the UK in the Atlantic waters of Ascension Island

Just over half of the protected area will be closed to fishing. The fishery in the other half will be policed under a grant of £300,000 from the Louis Bacon Foundation, a charitable body. It is the latest marine reserve to be declared around remote islands, which will increase marine conservation zones to about 2% of the ocean. That remains a far cry from the 30% recommended by scientists to preserve species and expand fish stocks, but is much more than just a few years ago. Governments have designated marine parks at Palau in the North Pacific, Easter Island and Pitcairn in the South Pacific, and New Zealand's Kermadec islands, in what has become a landmark year for ocean conservation. The latest reserve at Ascension Island is said to hold some of the largest marlin in the world, one of the largest populations of green turtles, big colonies of tropical seabirds and the island's own unique frigate bird.Dr Judith Brown, director of fisheries and marine ...

The pull of gravity on a distant star can now be measured more accurately

The method makes it possible to study even the faintest of stars. "Our technique can tell you how big and bright is the star, and if a planet around it is the right size and temperature to have water oceans, and maybe life," said Prof Jaymie Matthews. The findings appear in the journal, Science Advances. Surface gravity is the intensity of the force that pulls everything on the surface of a star or celestial body towards the centre. It is usually calculated by measuring a star's light or brightness - but this only works well for the closest, brightest stars. A team led by Thomas Kallinger of the University of Vienna used data from theKepler space telescope - which is searching for other worlds like the Earth - to show that variations in the brightness of distant stars can give more accurate measurements of surface gravity. The timescale of turbulence and vibration at a star's surface, based on its brightness variations, tells you its surface grav...

The number of seals born at England's largest colony dropped after nine years of growth

The National Trust counted 2,342 pups born this season at Blakeney in Norfolk - about 80 fewer than last year. Ajay Tegala, National Trust ranger, said: "This is good news as the seals were spreading at such a rate over such a big area that it makes it easier to protect them." The Trust said the lower birth rate meant the colony had "stabilised".After grey seals began colonising the spit on the north Norfolk coast, the Trust said there was anecdotal evidence of two pups being born in 1987 or 1988 and a first "official" record of five pups in 1999. A more accurate standardised method of counting pups began in 2006 when 213 were recorded.The Trust has 12 volunteers to try and make sure people visiting with their dogs did not disturb the breeding colony. Mr Tegala said: "The seals have filled the key habitats on Blakeney, so it's good news the population has stabilised this year. "If they continued to spread into the dunes and alo...