Latest Stories
-
Schools become new battleground in virus war
Is the coronavirus transmitted in schools? Many scientists say children have a minimal role in the pandemic. Yet, in the last two weeks of July alone, nearly 100,000 tested positive in the USA.
-
New penguin colonies discovered – from space
Is this good news for humans? Emperor penguins are the world’s early warning system. Could the discovery of new colonies give us any hope that Earth has begun to reverse the climate crisis?
-
Endangered tigers roaring back across Asia
Are tigers the key to saving the planet? The big cat is bouncing back, with numbers rising across six countries. But some warn this news is a distraction from a gloomy global picture.
-
Bioprinting to fight cancer – and Covid-19
Could printed human organs help end disease forever? In an amazing breakthrough, scientists are creating tiny replicas of human organs – some as small as a pinhead – to test new treatments.
-
How to live longer: eat fish with chopsticks
Should we eat more like the Japanese? Scientists are trying to work out what makes certain populations live longer. The puzzle: is it about lifestyle – or the stuff we put in our mouths?
-
Mystery elephant deaths spark new virus fears
Is a new pandemic starting in Botswana? Hundreds of elephants have dropped dead in southern Africa, baffling environmentalists. Scientists now fear a lethal disease could be the cause.
-
The 450-million-year-old crab saving humanity
Does it all come back to nature? A substance key to making a Covid-19 vaccine is only found in horseshoe crabs. But conservationists are worried declining numbers will threaten ecosystems.
-
Insects in amber hint at Jurassic dreams
Could scientists bring dinosaurs back to life? Bugs preserved in amber offer a window into prehistory. But resurrecting the dinosaurs is not going to be as simple as it is in the movies.
-
Cannibal rats swarm in lockdown infestation
Do rats deserve their evil reputation? The news that a hungry army of rodents is closing in on our homes will probably fill you with disgust. But some say we are too hard on the humble rat.
-
Virus death toll reaches 500,000 worldwide
Will we prevent a second wave? Britain is on a “knife edge”, warns a government adviser this morning. And US test sites were overwhelmed, yesterday, as global infections passed 10 million.
-
Arctic on fire as temperature records broken
Are we facing the end of the world? Or a new beginning? With a heatwave in Siberia, the climate crisis is more alarming than ever – but many see a moment of opportunity.
-
Shock research: Humans now fatter than pigs
Is it wrong to be fat and lazy? Many of us now have more body fat than pigs, scientists said yesterday. But for most of history, being plump and idle was regarded as the goal of a good life.
-
Eureka! Bees talk with ‘toots’ and ‘quacks’
Should bees run the world? Bee colonies are highly organised and hugely successful societies built on cooperation and hard work. Some say we have a lot to learn from these social insects.
-
Bat or man? Scientists confront virus origins
Was Covid-19 created during a lab accident? Former MI6 boss Richard Dearlove claims that a new scientific report suggests key elements of the virus were “inserted” deliberately.
-
‘To care for ourselves, we must care for nature’
Could animal poaching lead to a new killer virus? On World Environment Day 2020, we investigate the powerful links between human health and our attitude to nature and wildlife.