Science
-
Floating wood could help us refreeze the Arctic seas
Sea ice coverage in the Arctic has rapidly declined due to global warming Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Modified floating wood could seed the formation of new sea ice in the Arctic, helping counteract the rapid decline of ice coverage due to global warming. The area of the Arctic Ocean covered by ice is shrinking as the climate warms, and…
Read More » -
Most quakes on Mars happen during the summer – and we don’t know why
A fracture on Mars’s surface, taken in January 2018 by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express craft ESA/DLR/FU Berlin Thousands of mysterious quakes on Mars that only happen during summer are unlike any known earthquakes, puzzling scientists. Since NASA’s InSight lander reached Mars in 2018, it has recorded thousands of marsquakes, including some surprisingly large quakes that indicate the planet…
Read More » -
Major ship collision in UK waters sparks fears of toxic chemical leak
Fire and rescue services douse fires after a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship carrying sodium cyanide Getty Images Europe Scientists fear a major collision between a cargo ship and a fuel tanker in the UK’s North Sea could cause a huge leak of toxic chemicals into delicate marine habitats, with potentially devastating consequences for local wildlife.…
Read More » -
US military wants to grow giant biological structures in space
DARPA envisions growing structures hundreds of metres long Science Photo Library / Alamy Stock Photo The US military is brainstorming ways to build large structures in space, from telescope antennas to elevator tethers. By growing these objects in microgravity using biological organisms, they hope to avoid the costly and painstaking process of launching components from Earth. “We have yet to…
Read More » -
Big animals have higher cancer risk – but also evolved better defences
African elephants have extra copies of genes that help resist cancer Neil Aldridge/Nature Picture Library/Alamy Bigger animals live longer and have more cells that could go awry, so we would expect them to have a greater risk of developing cancer. A comprehensive analysis of 263 species suggests this is indeed the case, but also finds that some large animals have…
Read More » -
AI-generated optical illusions can sort humans from bots
An AI-generated image of a city skyline and a man’s face – but AIs are unable to see both Ziqi Ding et al. (2025) Artificial intelligence programs can create optical illusions that other AIs are unable to recognise, creating a useful CAPTCHA test to differentiate humans from bots. A cat-and-mouse game has played out for almost two decades between website developers…
Read More » -
There’s a tiny chance the asteroid headed for Earth could hit the moon
Artist’s impression of an asteroid nearing the moon NASA/JPL-Caltech Asteroid 2024 YR4 is on a potential crash course with Earth, but there’s a very slight chance the moon could take the hit. Based on current observations, there is a 2.1 per cent chance that the asteroid – about as long as the Leaning Tower of Pisa is tall – will…
Read More » -
Bonobos can tell when they know something you don’t
Kanzi, one of three captive bonobos whose mental abilities were tested in the study Ape Initiative Bonobos are quick to help a person who doesn’t know what they know, a sign that they can deduce the mental states of others. The capacity to think about what others are thinking, known as theory of mind, is an essential skill that allows…
Read More » -
European cities face millions more deaths from extreme temperatures
Tourists try to cool off in Rome, where a large increase in heat deaths is expected by 2099 Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images There will be an extra 2.3 million temperature-related deaths in Europe’s main cities by 2099 without more action to limit warming and adapt to it, researchers predict. However, in cities in colder northern countries such as the…
Read More » -
The surprising relationship between your gut microbiome and sleeping well
Foxys_forest_manufacture/Getty Images There are many things we can blame for a bad night’s sleep – screen time, stress, too much booze. Now there is another culprit: the microbes in our gut. This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here. We have long known that our microbiome has a powerful influence on our health,…
Read More »