Reaching for the stars: enduring symbols of Soviet science – in pictures - The Guardian

More than 250 million years ago, weigeltisaurids became the first vertebrates to glide through the air, with a flight system unlike anything alive today. Long before birds, bats or even dinosaurs, a small reptile lineage became the first known vertebrates to glide through the air. Weigeltisaurids achieved flight using an unusual wing system built from entirely new bones anchored to the side of their abdomen, and new research shows these early fliers were capable, well-engineered gliders.

OpenAI claims to have found proof of Sligo scientist’s equations but tech rivals are less than impressedGeorge Gabriel Stokes made profound contributions to hydrodynamics and devised and performed many ingenious experiments in optical science. Portrait: The Royal Society Aoife KearinsMon Oct 19 2026 - 06:00 • 4 MIN READA mathematical problem is making big news, with AI companies clashing over claims by one tech giant to have found the solution to the Navier-Stokes equations. Regarded as one of trickiest puzzles of mathematics, it has Irish connection. Who was George Gabriel Stokes? George Gabriel Stokes was born in Skreen, Co Sligo, in August 1819, the son of the local Protestant minister. After schooling at home, in Dublin, and in Bristol, Stokes entered the University of Cambridge in 1837 to study mathematics. He held many of the most significant roles in 19th century science, including Lucasian Professor of Mathematics – a position previously held by Isaac Newton and later held by Stephen Hawking – and Member of Parliament for Cambridge University.