Science
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The true courage of science’s brightest star
What can we learn from Stephen Hawking? Superstar physicist, renowned writer and inspiring teacher — Hawking achieved all this despite huge adversity. Some see a life lesson for us all.
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Hawking: physicist, optimist, prophet of doom
Was Stephen Hawking right to predict the end of the world? The visionary physicist urged humans to colonise space to save themselves from inevitable destruction. Is this science or sci-fi?
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Flying cars lift off in fight for the future
Would you rather zoom through a vacuum at the speed of sound or soar through the air in your own car? The world’s most powerful entrepreneurs are battling to invent the future of transport.
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UK mourns death of ‘classic British inventor’
Is the age of the maverick inventor over? Trevor Baylis: circus performer, stuntman and inventor of the wind-up radio has died. Some say eccentric engineers like him are facing extinction.
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Give half the world to animals, say scientists
Could we save the planet by turning 50% of it into a nature reserve? As climate change grows and wildlife numbers plummet, this is the radical idea being discussed by scientists in London.
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Major study: more should take anti-depressants
Has the debate finally been settled? A major study has come out in full support of antidepressants. But sceptics remain unconvinced, and say that we are in danger of medicalising sadness.
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‘World’s most powerful rocket’ set for lift-off
Are we about to witness a giant leap or a silly stunt? Today SpaceX will launch a huge rocket which could pave the way for future Mars missions. But some people do not believe the hype.
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Animals that talk ‘could be a nightmare’
What if all animals could talk? For the first time, a killer whale has been taught to say words like “hello”. Some think that we will soon be able to communicate with other animals too…
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‘Super blue blood Moon’ lights up the sky
Why are coincidences so interesting? Yesterday morning a large, reddish Moon heralded an incredibly rare celestial convergence. What do coincidences say about the way we think?
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How to find out your entire genetic make-up
Should everyone get their genome sequenced? A new, handheld device could allow people to analyse their DNA from “the comfort of their own home”. But they might not like what they find…
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NASA’s cool, hot, and fast mission to the Sun
How much could we learn from NASA’s next mission? This summer a probe will travel closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft in history. Scientists hope it will unlock many solar secrets.
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Introducing the world’s first monkey clones
Will humans be next? For the first time, Chinese scientists have successfully cloned two macaque monkeys — the first primates to survive the process. Now, “The genie’s out of the bottle.”
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Flu crisis alarm grows as deadly virus surges
How scared should we be about the latest flu outbreak? One hundred years after Spanish flu killed 50 million people, thousands across the world are falling victim to another fatal epidemic.
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Clash of the conservationists over new forest
Should we plant more forests? The UK government has backed a project to create a vast green band across England. Reforestation is popular with environmentalists, but it has its critics…
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Boiled alive! Swiss ban cruelty to lobsters
Should humans be allowed to plunge living lobsters into the bubbling pot? Switzerland says not, igniting a furious debate about which animals feel pain — and just how much it matters anyway.