WASHINGTON (AP) -- The explosion of a star halfway across the universe was so huge it set a record for the most distant object that could be seen on Earth by the naked eye.

A star 7.5 billion light years away exploded, giving off the brightest gamma-ray burst afterglow ever seen.

The aging star, in a previously unknown galaxy, exploded in a gamma ray burst 7.5 billion light years away, its light finally reaching Earth early Wednesday.

The gamma rays were detected by NASA's Swift satellite at 2:12 a.m. "We'd never seen one before so bright and at such a distance," NASA's Neil Gehrels said.

It was bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

However, NASA has no reports that any skywatchers spotted the burst, which lasted less than an hour.

Telescopic measurements show that the burst -- which occurred when the universe was about half its current age -- was bright enough to be seen without a telescope.

"Someone would have had to run out and look at it with a naked eye, but didn't," said Gehrels, chief of NASA's astroparticles physics lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The starburst would have appeared as bright as some of the stars in the handle of the Little Dipper constellation, said Penn State University astronomer David Burrows. How it looked wasn't remarkable, but the distance traveled was.

The 7.5 billion light years away far eclipses the previous naked eye record of 2.5 million light years. One light year is 5.9 trillion miles.

"This is roughly halfway to the edge of the universe," Burrows said.

Before it exploded, the star was about 40 times bigger than our sun. The explosion vaporized any planet nearby, Gehrels said.

New glasses can find lost car keys

New glasses can find lost car keys

Scientists have invented a pair of glasses that will help you remember where you put your car keys.

The Smart Goggle records everything the wearer sees - and can recognise objects, reports the Daily Telegraph.

So you can tell the glasses what you're looking for and the technology will show you when, and where, you last saw it.

Inventor Yasuo Kuniyoshi and his team at Tokyo University School of Information Science and Technology have created the world's most advanced object recognition software.

If a user initially tells the glasses the name of everything he or she looks at, the glasses will remember.

They can then locate the last time the object was seen if it is misplaced, and replay the footage.

In the future, the glasses will be more intelligent than the wearer, able to identify objects their owner doesn't even recognise.

The experimental model is too large for everyday use, but Prof Kuniyoshi's team is working on miniaturising it.

In theory, the only question that the glasses will not be able to answer is: "Where have I put my glasses?".

World record smashed

World record smashed

A Cornish strongman has set a new world record by breaking 55 concrete blocks with his bare hands in less than five seconds.

Karate expert Ed Byrne, 40, chopped through the granite and concrete edging stones in 4.86 seconds, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The ninth dan black belt shattered the previous record of 17.49 seconds.

He said: "I used to break things when I was a kid for fun with my friends and I would break things easily whereas my friends wouldn't.

"People think it's a lot easier to break blocks than it actually is - I make it look easy. I have hypnotherapy and picture breaking the slabs. I also feed off the energy of the crowd."

Mr Byrne is now aiming to beat the existing record for breaking the most blocks in one stack which currently stands at 31.

Health warning against crucifixion

Health warning against crucifixion

The Philippines government has issued an Easter public heath warning - on the dangers of crucifixion.

Thousands of worshippers in the Philippines will this week practice crucifixion and self flagellation to show their faith.

The government is encouraging them to get a tetanus shot first and be sure to use a clean whip or nails, reports the Daily Telegraph.

"We are not trying to go against the Lenten tradition here because whipping has somewhat already become some form of atonement for sins for some of us," Health Secretary Francisco Duque the 3rd said.

"Getting deep cut wounds during whippings or lashings is inevitable and being so exposed during the course of the penitence, with all the heat and dust blowing in the wind, welcomes all sorts of infections and bacteria like tetanus."

In San Fernando City 23 people, including two women, have signed up to re-enact the crucifixion at three improvised Golgothas. Four of them will use real nails.

The festival is sponsored by Coca-cola and a company called Smart Telecommunications.

Penitents are encouraged to "bring enough drinking water for the whole course of the pilgrimage to avoid dehydration, rather than buy bottled drinking water from unfamiliar sources."

And tourists and spectators are warned: "It is also better to bring self-prepared foods such as sandwiches, not only to save money, but also to avoid getting diseases such as diarrhoea, hepatitis A, and typhoid after eating food bought from street vendors."

Love takes time

Love takes time

Brits take an average of 22 dates, three one-night stands and three long-term relationships before settling down, says a new poll.

Couples revealed how long it had taken to find The One for entertainment website BT PodShow.

Some needed as many as 50 dates with potential partners. And nine per cent reckon it takes at least ten one-night stands.

Talking regularly and an active sex life were what people were looking for.

Poor personal hygiene, no sense of humour and being bad in bed were the biggest turn-offs, the poll found.

The good news for those still searching is this weekend is the best chance of the year to banish those single days.

Relationship expert Jo Hemmings said: "The four-day Bank Holiday gives us double the free time of a normal weekend, so double the chances to enjoy ourselves and find love.

"And the onset of spring, a full moon and an abundance of chocolate Easter eggs will all play their part."

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Computer translates dog barks

Computer translates dog barks

Hungarian scientists are working on a computer programme to enable people to understand dog barks.

The software is said to work out the nuances of a dog's barks, howls, yaps and growls, reports the BBC.

After analysing 6,000 barks, it aims to determine when a dog has seen a ball, when it is fighting, playing, meeting a stranger or when it wants a walk.

But the scientists admit the technology only just out-performs humans.

While the computer correctly recognised the emotional state of 43% of dogs, humans did almost as well with 40%.

Csaba Molnar, from Eotvos University in Budapest, told the BBC: "I would say that we proved there are very strong contextual differences between the barks.

"But very long further work is needed to determine which emotional states and which characteristics belong to each different breed."