Science
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Happy Birthday NHS! Now bring on the robots
Will technology save the NHS? The National Health Service turns 70 today, but tight budgets and surging demand have put its future in doubt. Here are five ways futuristic tech could help.
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The modern twists on an ancient sun festival
Should we all celebrate the summer solstice? Pagans descended on Stonehenge this morning to celebrate the longest day of the year. Some think we all could benefit from a little sun worship.
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The British mammals facing total wipe out
Should animals have the same rights as humans? A new study claims a fifth of Britain’s wild mammals may be extinct within a decade. With humans largely to blame, some want urgent action.
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Dozens killed in Guatemala volcano disaster
Should we all worry about volcanoes? On Sunday, Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted, killing at least 60 and injuring hundreds. Other long-dormant supervolcanoes could be even more devastating.
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Vaccines deployed as Ebola strikes the Congo
Can we end the scourge of global pandemics? Dozens have died as a fresh Ebola outbreak hits central Africa. The lives of potentially thousands more depend on a new experimental vaccine.
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Laurel, Yanny and 2,000 years of philosophy
Is there such a thing as reality? The internet erupted in an ear-splitting debate this week — all thanks to a mysterious recording. Science has since cracked the case, but deeper riddles remain.
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The volcano burning through homes in Hawaii
Would you live near a volcano? In Hawaii, 26 homes have been destroyed by molten hot lava spewing from the ground near the mighty Kilauea. Around 1,700 residents have been forced to flee.
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Toxic air linked to millions of early deaths
How worried should we be about air pollution? A worldwide study has found that over 90% of the planet’s population breathes polluted air. In some extreme places, the fumes could be fatal.
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Students in ‘dangerous world’ of smart drugs
What should we do about smart drugs? University students are risking their health by using potent prescription pills to boost their grades. Now the worrying trend is seeping into schools.
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Choking oceans fuel calls to ban plastic
Time to ban plastic? A report released yesterday claims the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean could treble by 2025. Animals and humans alike are set to suffer the consequences.
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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.