Science
-
Perfect storm for plague of locusts in Africa
Is climate change to blame for the swarms of locusts? The UN warns of famine in east Africa as wet weather and civil war contribute to the largest infestation of locusts in decades.
-
Alien-hunting astronomers demand more money
Does the search for intelligent life in space deserve more funding? Mysterious radio signals have been picked up from the depths of the Universe. Scientists want us to pay more attention.
-
Site of Earth’s oldest asteroid discovered
Should we embrace randomness? As scientists discover more evidence that we are the product of many million-to-one chances, perhaps we should give up trying to plan our lives so much.
-
Wildlife trafficking blamed for deadly virus
Is the coronavirus, Covid-19, nature’s revenge? A growing body of experts believes that illegal trading of rare animals led directly to the epidemic that has spread fear around the world.
-
Penguins can talk to each other like people
Do some animals have a language? New research has found that penguins speak similarly to us. But the jury is out on whether they use grammar and thought in a comparable way to humans.
-
The living robot! Part-frog, part-machine
Is it dangerous to create living robots? Using the cells of a frog and artificial intelligence, scientists have designed an entirely new life form small enough to travel inside a human body.
-
Spacecraft to seek the secrets of the Sun
Will the source of life on Earth also be its end? This weekend, a new space probe will blast off towards the Sun to investigate one of the biggest threats to our planet – the solar wind.
-
Personalised medicine is coming for your DNA
Is precision medicine always a good idea? Personalised treatments could represent the beginning of a golden new age of healthcare. But this might come at a cost to individual privacy.
-
Paltrow modern-day ‘quack’, says health chief
Why do we still yearn for unconventional medicine? Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop has made its Netflix debut. She calls it an “optimisation of life”. Critics say she is dangerously misinformed.
-
One woman’s fight to capture whiff of the past
Should there be museums for smells? As our lives move online and artificial intelligence takes over, some think it has never been more important to preserve culturally important aromas.
-
Virus toll rises as 14 are tested in Britain
Is this a global pandemic? In China, there are more than 830 confirmed cases and 25 deaths – with further reports from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US.
-
Thunberg, Trump and the battle for the truth
Is emotion stronger than science? Appealing to the most powerful people in the world at the World Economic Forum this week, Donald Trump and Greta Thunberg directly opposed each other.
-
Universal cancer cure now suddenly possible
Should we hope for a world without disease? It seems possible. At last, a cure for cancer seems to be on the horizon. And, now, scientists are dreaming of a future where no one becomes ill.
-
Protein made from thin air to feed the world
Could Solein save the world? As farming struggles, scientists in Finland have made a miracle protein out of air and electricity that could both reduce global emissions and feed millions.
-
‘Aliens exist and may already be among us’
Do aliens exist? Helen Sharman, a scientist who was the first Briton in space, has declared that there are definitely other forms of life in the Universe – and they may already be among us.