Latest Stories
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Mass bleaching of Barrier Reef could go global
Are all the coral reefs going to disappear? The Great Barrier Reef has just suffered its third mass bleaching event in five years, causing huge loss in the world’s largest living structure.
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Coronavirus catastrophe closes in on Africa
Could Africa see the worst outbreak yet? As the virus begins to spread across the world’s poorest continent, experts warn the impact could be much more severe than in Europe and Asia.
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Save forests to stop pandemics, expert warns
Is conservation the long-term answer? As the coronavirus sweeps the world, science is highlighting the link between the rising numbers of new diseases and our treatment of the environment.
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Exposed: how toxic air reduces intelligence
How can we solve the air pollution crisis? Humans are losing almost three years of life on average because of outdoor air pollution – as well as huge reductions in cognitive ability.
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Coronavirus: the maths behind the panic
How worried should we be? The headlines shout: “killer virus”, “crisis”, and “confusion”. Italy accuses misleading media of creating an “infodemic”. But what do the numbers say?
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Human compost offers eco-friendly way to go
Can human composting save the planet? As we try to live more ecologically, new funeral methods are changing our attitudes about death and creating green alternatives to burial and cremation.
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Western life expectancy slows in ‘lost decade’
Has Western society stopped improving? A shocking new report shows that babies born in England will no longer live longer than their parents. Life expectancy in America peaked in 2014.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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China shuts down as new virus goes global
Can the coronavirus be contained? As the number of infected rises, the world is racing to isolate the disease and prevent a global pandemic. But some experts believe it is already too late.
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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.
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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.