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Scientists have discovered the world's largest known bacteria, reaching up to one centimetre (0.4-inches) in length. The species, called Thiomargarita magnifica, was discovered on sunken leaves in the waters of a mangrove swamp in Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. It appears as thin white filaments like vermicelli pasta, and contains microscopic sulphur granules that scatter light, giving it a pearly gleam. The 'giant' organism is thousands of times larger than most bacteria and can therefore be seen by the naked eye. Thiomargarita magnifica 'challenges the prevailing view of bacterial cell size' and the assumption that microbes are only visible...

House Speaker John Boehner could file a lawsuit against President Barack Obama in days, in an attempt to challenge the administration's heavy use of executive actions to further its agenda. Roll Call's Daniel Newhause reports Boehner told House Republicans during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday he could have an announcement in the coming days on whether he will mount the legal challenge. According to the report, he has been "consulting with legal scholars" ahead of his next move. Boehner's office confirmed the Roll Call story, but declined to comment on whether specific executive actions would be targeted. Any legal action...

An artist’s impression of the stars creating gamma-ray bursts. The background blue star is the progenitor of a standard long duration gamma-ray burst. A new type of powerful, long-lasting explosion deep in space may be the death knell of gigantic stars, scientists say. Star explosions (called supernovas) can give off high-powered flashes of radiation known as gamma-ray bursts. These bursts usually fall into two categories: ones that last less than two seconds, and ones that last for several minutes. But this new type of explosion can create a gamma-ray burst that goes on for much longer — up to several...

A CALZONE measuring 65cm wide and weighing more than two kilos is on the plate in front of me at Amici Pizza Restaurant in Holloway Road. For 15 months the supersize feast has been taunting diners, and now I have taken up the calzone challenge. Anyone who can finish the giant folded pizza receives a free dessert and coffee. Simple. Despite the restaurant taking, on average, 50 orders a week only one person has completed the challenge. The traditional Italian calzone dough is hand-made on the premises and filled with tomato, mozzarella, goat’s cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, ham and olives. The...

A ball of gas more massive than a billion suns is hurtling like an enormous comet through the interior of a distant galaxy cluster. The massive structure is held together by mysterious dark matter, astronomers said today, but it is steadily breaking apart and becoming fuel for new stars. "This is likely a massive building block being delivered to one of the largest assembly of galaxies we know," said study team member Alexis Finoguenov of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The finding is detailed in the June 6 issue of Astrophysical Journal. Great ball of fire The gas blob...

A gigantic ape standing 10 feet tall and weighing up to 1,200 pounds lived alongside humans for over a million years, according to a new study. Fortunately for the early humans, the huge primate's diet consisted mainly of bamboo. Scientists have known about Gigantopithecus blackii since the accidental discovery of some of its teeth on sale in a Hong Kong pharmacy about 80 years ago. While the idea of a giant ape piqued the interest of scientists – and bigfoot hunters – around the world, it was unclear how long ago this beast went extinct. Precise dating Now Jack Rink,...