A Japanese astronaut tested a "flying carpet" in outer space, folded laundry and used eye drops as part of a series of zero-gravity challenges submitted by the public.

Standing on a white sheet, Koichi Wakata was gliding smoothly through a cabin of the International Space Station, as if snowboarding, in a video clip posted online by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

"I flew on this magic carpet by using adhesive tape so that the soles of my feet stayed on it," the 45-year-old revealed, speaking into a microphone during what appeared at times like a variety show.

The experiment was part of 16 offbeat tasks selected from ideas sent to the space agency by hundreds of Japanese citizens, from nursery school pupils to a 90-year-old man. (AFP)

Komodo dragon's deadly secret

The world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, has a snake-like venom in its bite which sends victims into shock and stops their blood from clotting, according to Australian research.

It had been widely believed that deadly bacteria in the carnivorous lizard's mouth helped kill its prey.

But magnetic resonance imagery has for the first time uncovered venom glands containing a shock-inducing poison which increases blood flow and decreases blood pressure, scientists say.

Lead researcher Bryan Fry said three-dimensional computer imaging comparing the Komodo's bite with that of Australia's saltwater crocodile showed it used a "grip and rip" pulling manoeuvre to tear deep wounds, similar to a shark or sabre cat.

The Komodo is the world's heaviest lizard, typically weighing 70 kilograms and growing up to three metres in length. (AFP)

Schoolboy not a father after all

Schoolboy Alfie Patten, who made headlines earlier this year when it was reported he had got his girlfriend pregnant when aged just 12, is not the baby's father after all, the Sun said yesterday.

In February, media said Alfie's 15-year-old girlfriend Chantelle Stedman had fallen pregnant after a night of unprotected sex, possibly making Alfie Britain's youngest father when she gave birth to daughter Maisie.

But after the story was reported, other boys came forward to say they had had sex with Ms Steadman. The Sun said DNA tests had now revealed that Alfie was not the baby's father. Instead Maisie is the daughter of another schoolboy, Tyler Barker, who was 14 at the time Ms Stedman conceived. The results were revealed after a judge lifted a court injunction and said Alfie was "extremely distressed" at the news. (Reuters)

Brown's latest thriller is top UK film

Dan Brown's first Vatican thriller Angels and Demons shot to the top of the UK box office with one of the highest opening weekend takes this year, according to Screen International yesterday. With Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard again in charge and Tom Hanks as Harvard professor Robert Langdon - this time on the trail of kidnappers and an anti-matter bomb - the film took just over £6 million.

That beats last week's chart-topper Star Trek which took £5.9 million but still falls short of the X-Men prequel of Wolverine which took £6.6 million at the start of May. (Reuters)

Hubble back into space after repairs

Rejuvenated by hours of repairs in space, the Hubble Space Telescope floated out of shuttle Atlantis' cargo bay yesterday to reclaim its place as the world's flagship observatory for astronomical research.

Atlantis astronauts spent more than 36 hours over five marathon spacewalks to make upgrades and outfit Hubble with new instruments.

These included a panchromatic wide-field camera that should be able to see objects formed just 500 million years after the universe's birth in the big bang explosion some 13.7 billion years ago.

Using the shuttle's robot arm, astronaut Megan McArthur gently lifted the 13-tonne observatory from a work platform in Atlantis' payload bay where it had been positioned since last Wednesday.

"Hubble isn't just a satellite," astronaut John Grunsfeld said as he wrapped up the final spacewalk.

"It's about humanity's quest for knowledge." (Reuters)

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