Science
-
‘Back to the Future Day’ arrives at last
Today is 21 October 2015: the date to which Marty McFly travels in Back to the Future II. Were the film’s predictions correct? Or is trying to guess the future a fool’s game?
-
'Plants are intelligent too’ say scientists
Recent botanical discoveries are leading some scientists to the conclusion that plants might be intelligent beings. But how can it be possible to think without a brain?
-
Outrage over rare bird killed ‘for science’
It took over a century to find the moustached kingfisher. But moments after the first photographs were taken of the elusive bird, it was killed for research. Can the decision be justified?
-
Legal cannabis ‘could save millions on tax’
Yesterday a government study suggested that legalising cannabis could generate hundreds of millions of pounds in tax. The risk is that it might spark a wave of addiction. Is it worth it?
-
Nuclear blast zone is new wildlife ‘paradise’
Twenty-nine years ago humans were forced to evacuate the area surrounding Chernobyl after a devastating nuclear meltdown. Now, it is teeming with wildlife. Why?
-
Amazing but few: the women shaking up science
She was the daughter of a poet and the world’s first computer programmer; she was born 200 years ago. But there is still a shocking lack of women in scientific careers. Why?
-
Henry V’s warship found buried in Hampshire
The wreck of a 600 year-old warship, called the ‘Holigost’, has been discovered buried in the mud of the River Hamble. What is behind this island nation’s obsession with ships?
-
Scientists practice for asteroid apocalypse
In seven years’ time, a space probe will crash into an asteroid in an attempt to change its path. It could stop us from being destroyed — but can we rely on scientists to save the world?
-
Eureka! Liquid water on Mars, confirms NASA
Yesterday NASA confirmed that there is liquid water on the surface of Mars, making alien life and human settlement on the planet more likely. Is colonisation a good idea?
-
‘Advent of the virgin births’ at IVF clinics
There are ‘dozens’ of women in the UK who have never had a relationship, but successfully had a baby through IVF. The end of men? Or a welcome opportunity for modern women?
-
Act to make yourself happier, says Dalai Lama
One of the world’s most significant spiritual leaders is promoting a movement which calls on us all to make the world a happier place. But how far is happiness dictated by our actions?
-
Cyber war ‘more deadly’ than nuclear weapons
Britain’s foremost military historian and the world’s leading expert on internet security both warned last week the next global conflict will be a cyberwar that could annihilate humanity.
-
Earth set for warmest years on record — again
The Met Office has warned that 2015 and 2016 could each break the record for the hottest average temperatures across the globe. Something must be done, say scientists. But what?
-
Scientists ‘find’ over two trillion new trees
There are likely to be eight times more trees in the world than we previously thought, according to a new study. When they can be so wrong, should we trust in the statistics we read?
-
Frankenstein: Exploring the edges of science
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is perhaps society’s most famous story about overreaching human knowledge. As the science of artificial intelligence advances, has humanity ignored its warning?