Asterix comics study: cartoons that were deemed 'too violent'

Asterix is not the first cartoon to be criticised for the level of violence its characters inflict on one another. Here are some more examples of animated brutality that some felt went too far. Tom and Jerry The beloved cat-and-mouse duo would never have been made in today's society because of health and safety rules, the director of Bob the Builder claimed last year. Fears that children will try to imitate the behaviour they see on screen have led to guidelines demanding that modern cartoons must be more "realistic" than in previous generations. Sarah Ball said: "In the society we live in now there are so many health and safety or 'standard...

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Lunar eclipse: science behind why Moon changes colour

A lunar eclipse is when the Earth casts its shadow over the moon. Often the moon turns brown in an eclipse but can become a reddish, coppery colour or orange. Thursday's eclipse sent the moon into a "blood red" colour. The lunar face is usually tinged by light from the Sun that refracts as it passes through our atmosphere. But the intensity of the colour depends on the amount of ash and dust in the atmosphere. The Moon, a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles in diameter has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. It orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days and as it circles the planet, its changing position,...

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Astonishing image captures night sky in dazzling formation

Exclusive: Lit up in the night sky, this spectacular picture shows a galaxy of stars in a dazzling formation more akin to a large-scale spinning wheel. The astonishing image, taken in the heart of the Australian outback, was used simply by taking advantage of the earth's rotation. Andrew Brooks, an amateur photographer, took the image using his camera, a tripod, his neighbour's lounge room light and a little patience while letting gravity do the rest. The image, taken in the remote town of Denial Bay, a fishing village on the edge of the Great Australian Bight, was taken using a special “time lapse” process. It takes advantage of the earth’s...

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Scientists create cow that produces 'human' milk

Scientists in Argentina have created the world’s first cow to boast two human genes that will enable it to produce human-like milk. Genetic engineering was used to introduce the “mothers’ milk” genes into the animal before birth, according to the National Institute of Agribusiness Technology in Buenos Aires. As an adult the cloned cow “will produce milk that is similar to humans” in what will prove “a development of great importance for the nutrition of infants”, it said in a statement. “The cloned cow, named Rosita ISA, is the first bovine born in the world that incorporates two human genes that contain the proteins present in human milk,”...

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