麻豆传媒

For Maker 2nd Dec

Mathematics

How to perfectly wrap gifts of all shapes and sizes using maths

Reduce wastage and enjoy deeply satisfying neat folds by applying a little geometry to your gift-wrapping, says Katie Steckles

2JP8KPY Very tight parking in Italy with a small dented family car bumper to bumper squashed in next to two cars in a parking bay with only inches to move.

What is the shortest space a parking car can get into?

Split view of a pod of sperm whales in a social group showing the sky and below the waterline, north western Mauritius.; Shutterstock ID 742662229; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Why don鈥檛 marine mammals like whales get ‘the bends’? Part 2

CRF88E Woman spooning meat into tupperware

This week鈥檚 new questions

Killing pigeons ‘not in their best interests’, find pigeon ethicists

Tom Gauld: Notice how the eyes follow you around the room

Twisteddoodles on an ultra-rare limited edition cold

Looking At Trees Anna_Beeke-p8-?Anna Beeke

Life

See a very special spruce – the Tree of Life in Washington state

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Graeme Whipps/Shutterstock (4301807b) Pic shows the Geminid meteor shower over Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire on Sunday evening Dec 14th. A Scottish photographer has managed to get some pictures of the Geminid meteor shower on its FINAL night above the UK. Amateur astronomer Graeme Whipps picked up 13 meteors on camera in the dramatic display above Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire last night (Sun). "There was a little bit of airglow, an active burst of aurora, distant lightning flashes and last, but not least, the Geminids," said Graeme, 50, who works as a meteorologist. "It wasn't as bright as the 12th and 13th but they were much more frequent, although mostly short and fast moving." The shower is an annual occurrence which happens when the Earth crosses paths with a trail of rocky debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. The debris burns up when it enters the Earth's atmosphere, giving the appearance of a "shooting star." Annual Geminid Meteor Shower, Exeter, Devon, Britain - 14 Dec 2014 A Scottish photographer has managed to get some pictures of the Geminid meteor shower on its FINAL night above the UK. Amateur astronomer Graeme Whipps picked up 13 meteors on camera in the dramatic display above Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire. "There was a little bit of airglow, an active burst of aurora, distant lightning flashes and last, but not least, the Geminids," said Graeme, 50, who works as a meteorologist. "It wasn't as bright as the 12th and 13th but they were much more frequent, although mostly short and fast moving." The shower is an annual occurrence which happens when the Earth crosses paths with a trail of rocky debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. The debris burns up when it enters the Earth's atmosphere, giving the appearance of a "shooting star."

Space

How to spot this year’s Geminid meteor shower

2GA52R4 A woman on the beach at Portrush, Co. Antrim, on Northern Ireland's north coast doing open water swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

When sea swimming, is it better to enter quickly or to take your time?

The most important consideration when swimming in the sea is safety, say our readers 鈥� but it also depends on how cold the water is

What is the minimum number of people needed for a Martian settlement?

This week鈥檚 new questions

New black hole discovered in New Zealand toilet

Tom Gauld on a disagreement about the nature of gravity