Science
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Insect extinction threatens ‘collapse of nature’
According to a shock report, Earth’s insects could be wiped out in the next 100 years — with “catastrophic” consequences for humankind. Scientists say drastic action is needed to avert disaster.
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Xanax plague leaves teens ‘dicing with death’
How to fix the Xanax crisis? A BBC report has found that misuse of the drug has led to more than 200 deaths since 2015. Teenagers are particularly...
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How rocks shaped Brexit (and all of history)
Brexit, ancient Greece, human evolution… What is the key to understanding all these things? Geology, according to a groundbreaking new book by astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell.
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Sub-zero Chicago colder than Antarctica
Extreme weather is back. A polar vortex has sent temperatures in the US plummeting below -40C. Halfway across the planet, baking Australia is set for the hottest January on record.
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Health apps threaten to overwhelm NHS
A report has claimed that unreliable fitness apps are sending healthy people to the doctors. Thousands more health apps promise to improve our lives, but some say they do more harm than good.
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Adventure, shipwreck, storms and survival
What can we learn from Ernest Shackleton? Over 100 years ago his ship, The Endurance, sank in the frozen waters of Antarctica. This week, a modern team of explorers is hoping to find it.
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Game changer as mice pass down edited genes
Gene drive technology could be the key to eradicating animal-spread diseases. Now, scientists have successfully used it in mammals for the first time. But could it spell ecological disaster?
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You are part of the royal family. Probably.
A leading geneticist has calculated that almost every Briton is directly descended from Edward III. But many find facts like this scarcely believable. Why are we so bad at probability?
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The oldest man on Earth dies aged 113
As people mourn the death of the world’s oldest man, scientists are trying to unlock the secrets of long-life. Some say diet holds the key; others think technology could make us immortal.
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Nine-year-old masters world’s hardest game
Meet Sumire Nakamura, the world’s youngest professional Go player. Many say her precocious talent makes her a genius. But what is a “genius” anyway? And are they born, or made?
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Flying cars and iToilets: welcome to the future
Thousands of glitzy new gadgets have been launched today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Some of the innovations could transform our lives — but not necessarily for the better.
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Race to make Moon Earth’s eighth continent
Should we colonise the Moon? Yesterday morning, China successfully landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s far side. Some say a new age of lunar exploration (and exploitation) is beginning.
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The incredible story of triplets split at birth
Does nature or nurture determine who we are? Identical triplets were separated at birth and raised by very different families. Years later, the three strangers met for the first time.
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Germany introduces ‘third sex’ option at birth
Every year, thousands of babies are born who are biologically neither male nor female. Now some countries are recognising a “third sex”. Are gender distinctions less rigid than we think?
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Mars, meat, monkeys: the best science of 2018
Will they change the world? 2018 has been a year of fascinating experiments and mind-blowing discoveries in science. We take a look at five of the best from the past year…