Latest Stories
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Inferno in paradise as tourists flee Bali
Are volcanoes nature’s most terrifying force? The alert for Bali's Mount Agung is now at its highest level and the airport is closed amid fears of an imminent catastrophic eruption.
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World ‘losing night’ due to light pollution
Should we be less afraid of the dark? A new survey shows that light pollution is increasing, posing risks to us and our environment. Campaigners are trying to reverse that trend.
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Quantum leap spells new age of computing
Will quantum computers change the world for the better? IBM has built the most powerful quantum computer ever. The technology has a long way to go, but some think it will change everything.
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Hacking the atmosphere ‘could save the world’
Could geoengineering stop or even reverse climate change? Today, as the UN discusses carbon emissions at a global conference, politicians in the USA will debate a far more radical solution.
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How science is transforming entertainment
Will we have more fun in the future? By 2050 we could take holidays in space, use cyborg superpowers, and play games in super realistic VR. Here are five predictions for the future of fun…
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Outer space: ‘For everyone, for no-one’
Should anyone own space? Fifty years ago the Outer Space Treaty was signed, banning countries from owning parts of space. But as companies eye up the galaxy’s minerals, do we need a new law?
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Worldwide rocket travel is ‘another mad idea’
Would you want to travel from London to Sydney in 51 minutes? Elon Musk has revealed extraordinary plans to revolutionise travel with “big rockets”. The plan is a logistical nightmare.
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Sputnik is 60 as new space race beckons
Does space exploration have a bright future? When Sputnik was launched 60 years ago, it supercharged the space race. Now a new dash to Mars has dawned, but some see conflict on the horizon.
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Catastrophic earthquake hits central Mexico
Does earthquake prediction cause more harm than good? This is the question some experts are asking after over 200 people were killed in a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the past 48 hours.
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Monstrous hurricane rakes through Florida
In the face of nature’s awesome destructive power is it any surprise that so many people believe it could be a portent of the complete destruction of the world as foretold in the Bible?
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Record-breaking Irma ravages the Caribbean
Has weather forecasting “beaten” Mother Nature? As Irma approaches Florida, improved technology means that we are able to predict natural disasters with greater accuracy than ever before.
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Threat of killer robots imminent, warns Musk
How can humanity control the terrifying prospect of autonomous weapons? Elon Musk has joined over 100 artificial intelligence experts in asking the UN to ban the use of “killer robots”.
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Peggy Whitson breaks another record in space
Can new perspectives make us wiser? This weekend astronaut Peggy Whitson returned to Earth after a record-breaking flight and 665 days of a literally new perspective on our planet.
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More than 1,200 killed in South Asian floods
As rolling coverage of Storm Harvey continues, millions more lives have been affected by devastating floods in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Why have you heard so much more about the first?
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‘The ultimate mix tape of humanity’ turns 40
In 1977, NASA sent a groundbreaking object into space. The Golden Record was a compilation of sounds from Earth designed to teach aliens about us. Four decades on, it still fascinates us…