Latest Stories
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Campaigners welcome ban on plastic straws
Could Britain’s fight against plastic lead the way to other reforms? For some, the UK shows that humanity really can act to protect the Earth. For others “plastic politicians” are the problem.
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Global clean energy surges as coal declines
Can we really stop climate change? Our focus may be on bad news but good things are happening and in many parts of the world solar power is getting progressively cheaper and more effective.
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TB, AIDS and polio on the verge of extinction
Is a world free from disease really possible? The news may be about superbugs and cancer but the deeper trends show that many of the great killer diseases are in long-term dramatic retreat
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Judi Dench, tree talk and the Wood Wide Web
Can trees converse? Scientists have written about their powers of communication. In a new documentary Dame Judi Dench looks at the ways they interact. How much do they share with humans?
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The tide of plastic waste engulfing the world
Will humanity ever manage to break its plastic habit? Western governments are taking steps to fight it. And now the UN has declared the levels of plastic in the oceans a “planetary crisis”.
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Oldest fossils shed light on life’s beginning
Scientists claim to have found the oldest known fossils on Planet Earth. If they are right, the discovery suggests answers to huge questions: How did life begin? and Is it unique?
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ExoMars ready to resume search for alien life
European ministers will decide this week whether to invest £350m in a project to put a rover on Mars. ExoMars will search for life on the red planet — so what if life is actually discovered?
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Praise and anger at Nobel science prizes
Over their 115-year history, the Nobel prizes have acquired an unrivalled prestige. Yet as the three science prizes are awarded, some are questioning whether the system is fit for purpose.
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‘The Age of Humans has begun’ say scientists
Nuclear tests. Mass extinction. Climate change. Experts say we have entered a new geological era, defined by humanity’s actions. But could the Anthropocene be a golden opportunity?
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Gene scientists in secret talks on replicants
Last week, 150 top genetic scientists and entrepreneurs met in secret to discuss the possibility of synthesising a human genome from scratch. The potential consequences are mind-boggling.
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Science in 2015: Rethinking the universe
A cure for disease and hunger. Water on Mars. A new human ancestor. This year, scientists have witnessed amazing breakthroughs. Which will be the ones to reshape humanity’s story?
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Drinking apes hint at evolution of alcoholism
For the first time ever, scientists have observed chimpanzees habitually drinking alcohol. Does the history of the world’s favourite drug stretch back beyond even the dawn of humans?
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Fear and celebration at first ‘edited’ embryo
Chinese scientists have changed the genes of human embryos for the first time. Using the technique could lead to major advances in combating disease — but can it overcome ethical objections?
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Humans could live to 500, says Google grandee
Bill Maris of Google Ventures has predicted that humans could one day live 500 years. Would you want to live this long, and how would the world be different if lifespans lengthened?
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Food fraud costs the UK over £400m every year
From adding fillers such as chalk to a loaf of bread to claiming a chicken is free range when it has spent its entire life in a cage, food fraud is widespread. Can anything be done about it?