BALTIMORE: The deepest-ever view of the universe, a photo by the Hubble Space Telescope that looks back to the edge of the big bang, shows a chaotic scramble of odd galaxies smashing into each other and re-forming in bizarre shapes.

The snapshot of the universe, called the Ultra Deep Field, captured light that had streaked through space for more than 13 billion years.

The portion in the sky photographed by two Hubble instruments is very small. Release of the Ultra Deep Field may be among the Hubble’s last major contribution to astronomy. — AP

Robots to care CANNES, France: Furry talking robot ‘carers’ able to raise the alarm if their elderly owner needs help will play a key role in helping the world’s ever-growing aging population, trials in Japan have shown.

Robot popularity has been growing worldwide in recent years, with global demand jumping by a best ever 26 per cent in the first half of 2003 from a year earlier, according to the annual World Robotics Survey.

Few doubt today that robots are here to stay, but analysts say their popularity in

the workplace or home is likely to hinge on price. — AFP