California regulations restrict insurers from using sophisticated computer models to consider the rapidly growing wildfire risks from climate

A newly discovered species of beetle that has sex organs shaped like a bottle opener has been named Carlsberg after the beer giant. Many animals face an uncertain future thanks to changes to their habitats. So, when a brand new species is discovered it is an exciting thing for scientists. It allows experts an opportunity to get creative with the name, with some previous examples including a new rainbow fly species named after RuPaul and an ancient egg-laying mammal named after Sir David Attenborough. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered six new South American beetle species of the rove beetle genus Loncovilius, one of which caught the eye. Because the insect’s penis was shaped like a bottle opener. The unusual shape led to researchers giving it the very apt name – Loncovilius carlsbergi. Biologist Aslak Kappel Hansen, from the Natural History Museum of Denmark, explained: “This species is characterised, among other things, by the fact that the male’s sexual organ is shaped remarkably like a bottle opener. "Therefore, we thought it is obvious to dedicate this species to the Carlsberg Foundation, which has generously supported independent research for many years. “Their support for various projects, expeditions, or purchase of the scientific instruments at the Natural History Museum of Denmark contributes to the discovery of new species on our planet.” Hansen explained that the beetles’ penises evolve to be differently shaped, allowing them to only reproduce with members of the same species. “As such,” Hansen explained, “they are often the best way to identify a species. That’s why entomologists like us are always quick to examine insect genitalia when describing a species. The unique shape of each species’ genitals ensures that it can only reproduce with the same species”. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Space is full of mysteries which we will never likely solve but, generally, we at least know a thing or two about craft we send out into the cosmos. Not so, when it comes to one probe which has just touched back down on Earth after 276 days in orbit. The experimental spacecraft was launched by China’s space agency, ostensibly to test the nation’s reusable space technologies. According to state media agency Xinhua News, the mission’s aim was to help with the development of “more convenient and affordable round-trip methods for the peaceful use of space in the future”. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter That all sounds pretty similar to what SpaceX and NASA are up to, except that the Chinese spacecraft and its journey have been shrouded in secrecy. No information has been released on the altitude it reached or the systems it tested. We don’t even know where it went or, indeed, what kind of spacecraft it was – not a single image has been released to the public. Commentators on Chinese social media have speculated that Beijing has been developing a spacecraft like the UAir Force's X-37B, an autonomous spaceplane that can remain in orbit for years. However, no one knows how well this is going nor, indeed, if it’s going at all. All we do know about China’s latest unidentified flying object is that it was launched from the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on August 5, 2022 and returned to the same site on 8 May, 2023. It follows an earlier mission, carried out in July last year, which saw a Chinese spacecraft fly to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere and back on the same day. The country’s main space contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), hailed the success of the craft’s brief celestial jaunt at the time. It gushed: "The development of reusable space transportation technology is an important symbol of China's transition from a 'big' space-faring nation to a 'powerful' space-faring one.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.