Twenty years before Edison, it was Frenchman Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville who invented sound recording. For the BBC

Survivors of near-death experiences describe having an ethereal, almost spiritual encounter as their bodies shutdown. Researchers at NYU Langone Health say they may have found an explanation. For the BBC

I spoke to the experts who process images from the James Webb Telescope to find out how close pictures of our Universe are to reality. For the BBC

The polio survivor, Paul Alexander, lived inside an iron lung for 70 years. But what is an iron lung and how does it work. For the BBC

The co-inventor of one of the first virtuality experiences explains how we got the VR headsets we see today. For the BBC

A micronation unto itself, Molossia is a territory within Nevada that developed its own currency, laws, and government agencies. Micronations are small, unrecognised 'countries' of sorts and there are at least 200 of them in the world today. We spoke to Molossia's President Kevin Baugh to learn more. For the BBC

Engineers are exploring the possibility of space habitation in balloon-like structures the size of a stadium. How does the inflatable space habitat work? And how does it compare to other alternatives? For the BBC

Storms, an eagle attack, emergency landings, and a unique bond: how scientists led a flight of endangered ibises on a 2,300km journey to their new winter sanctuary. Video embed for the BBC

The Earth and Venus are made of similar material and are about the same size. Yet one planet has an abundance of water and the other is dry. When and how did this happen? For the BBC

J. Robert Oppenheimer led the development of the world’s first nuclear bomb: the atomic bomb. A weapon that devastated the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But he was famously opposed to building hydrogen bombs. What makes the two nuclear bombs different? For the BBC

Oscar-nominated 'Oppenheimer' suggests that the New Mexico test site for the atomic bomb was deserted before scientists arrived there. But a documentary called 'First We Bombed New Mexico' sheds new light on the severe impact the radiation had on residents in the area. For the BBC

A star in the Corona Borealis constellation is about to explode. The recurrent nova has an outburst every 80 years. The next one is expected between now and September. What can we expect to see when looking up at the night sky? And what should we know about watching this rare event? For the BBC

For over half-a-century, the Nasa and US Geological Survey's Landsat program has documented changes to the Earth's surface, making it the longest continuous space-based record of our planet's land ever. What has the program taught us about the Earth's transformation? For the BBC

Throughout history, novelists, engineers and painters alike envisioned a wheeled vehicle that would allow human beings to get a taste of what birds, butterflies and bees enjoy freely: flight. In the 21st century, these vehicles are becoming a reality. How soon could we see flying cars crowd the skies above us? What's the future of personal mobility? For the BBC

Tumbleweed is an icon of the old American West. But this invasive plant did not actually reach US shores until the latter part of the 19th Century. Here's the story of where they came from, and how they came to dominate the mainland so quickly. For the BBC

How are languages in films created? Go behind the scenes with the creators of the Fremen language in Denis Villeneuve's latest science fiction Dune: Part Two, to find out. For the BBC

The brain computer may soon not just be a device out of a sci-fi novel, but a reality. Elon Musk's neurotechnology company, Neuralink, has implanted a chip into a human brain and the patient is said to be "recovering well". Who will this technology help most? How risky is it? For the BBC

It was once believed that life cannot exist without sunlight and oxygen. But in 1977, researchers found a geological feature that supports life on volcanic energy through hydrothermal vents. What kind of life do these geological structures support? For the BBC