CATEGORIES
فئات
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: WHY IS IT BEING RETIRED AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO IT?
The last decade of the ageing space station's life will feature private occupants, movies and an eventual watery grave
Using magnets to influence the brain could lead to revolutionary new depression treatment
The method, tested in rats, targets star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes. Neuroscientists Dr Yichao Yu and Prof Mark Lythgoe at University College London tell us more...
SPACE: HOW CAN WE SOLVE THE SPACE JUNK PROBLEM?
Recent news of an out-of-control rocket crashing into the Moon sounds dramatic, but it's the millions of pieces of smaller debris that present the real danger, according to a UK expert
Q&A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
AS THE CROW DIES
Corvids, such as crows, rooks and ravens, are some of the smartest animals out there. They can learn to make new sounds, they can cooperate and even use tools. But as Dr Kaeli Swift tells Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, they also have some intriguing rituals when it comes to their dead... and could even be capable of feeling empathy
Ideas we like...
INNOVATIONS
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
With Italy's iconic Etna volcano erupting at the beginning of the year, followed by the lava flows of La Palma making headlines for weeks in autumn, then activity starting at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in late December, it felt like 2021 was a particularly big year for the planet's volcanoes.
London Tube: Does Its Air Harm Your Health?
The Mayor of London hopes that 80 per cent of trips in the city will be made on foot, bike or public transport by 2041. But how polluted is the Underground's air?
An Immune System for the Planet
Can we build a global pathogen defence system -a planetary equivalent of the immune system - to protect us when the next pandemic arrives?
ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?
The search for alien life is ramping up. But what if, instead of searching for signs of biology, we looked for something more familiar: an extraterrestrial civilisation
What's behind the UK's big aurora displays?
Melanie Windridge looks at the influence of recent increases in solar activity
Waking up WEBB
The James Webb Space Telescope's launch and deployment was a storming success, but why haven't we seen the first pictures yet? Govert Schilling has the answer
Get Ready for the Revolution
Technology seems poised to transform UK agriculture – but can science help farmers grow more food, while simultaneously restoring the health of our environment? Jess Stevenson investigates
WHY WE NEED TO EAT MORE PROTEIN
Load up on eggs, tofu, Greek yogurt, fish, and lean meat to help you feel full for longer
THE VOLCANO THAT SHOOK THE EARTH
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano was a once-in-a-century geological event – and now the clock is ticking to study its effects…
This robot arm can be controlled with your mind
It’s hoped the tech will one day help tetraplegic patients with day-to-day life
The metaverse: will it be safe for use?
The next stage of the internet could be a Wild West if we’re not careful. Alex Hughes spoke to Prof David Reid, an expert in AI, virtual reality, and spatial computing, to find out more
Surgeons save terminal patient's life with a genetically modified pig's heart
This world-first operation proves that an animal heart can function just like a human heart, without the body rejecting it
Pandas' gut bacteria help them stay chubby on an all-bamboo diet
Changes in the bears’ gut microbiome in the season, when nutritious bamboo shoots are sprouting, helps them to gain weight and store fat ahead of leaner times
New blood test can tell if cancer has spread around the body
The test could be performed at a GP practice and would help doctors prioritize patients with widespread and later-stage cancer
Crime and Nourishment
In prison, suicides, self-harm, and assaults on officers are on the rise. But studies suggest there is a cheap, low-risk way to improve inmate behavior and mental health, making the facilities safer for both staffand prisoners
Me, You, and Intimacy Too
When was the last time you were intimate with someone, emotionally, intellectually, or physically? Psychologist Dr. Michelle Drouin says we are in an intimacy famine, and speaks to Amy Barrett about whether social media and smartphones are stripping us of one of our basic human needs
Dinosaur treasure trove unearthed in Italy
PALAEONTOLOGY
ANIMAL EMISSIONS: HOW BIG IS MY PET'S CARBON PAWPRINT AND WHAT CAN I DO TO MINIMISE IT?
Globally, pets chomp their way through about 20 per cent of the planet’s meat and fish. Could Fido and Mr Tibbles adopt a more carbon-friendly lifestyle?
ASTRONOMY: NASA'S SOLAR PROBE ‘TOUCHES' THE SUN
The Parker Solar Probe is part of the way through its seven-year mission to investigate the inner workings of our nearest star
A WINNING FORMULA
Beneath the rainforests of South America lives a fungi that consumes 50,000 leaves a day without ever coming to the surface. It relies on ants to bring it food in exchange for nutrients. This unlikely partnership starred in Sir David Attenborough’s new wildlife series The Green Planet. Evolutionary biologist Dr Pepijn Kooij speaks to Amy Barrett about this special relationship…
Why do we find human like androids so unsettling?
Alex Hughes spoke to the creator of Ameca, a humanoid robot that’s been going viral online for its uncanny facial expressions
WELCOME TO YOUR FUTURE COMMUTE
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, IT FELT LIKE FLYING CARS WERE STILL A DISTANT SCI-FI FUTURE WE COULD ONLY DREAM ABOUT. BUT INVESTMENT HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY, AND A NUMBER OF COMPANIES ARE NOW BUILDING AIR TAXIS TO MAKE OUR CITY JOURNEYS FASTER, EASIER AND CLEANER
Havana Syndrome: What's Causing the Mysterious Illness?
Some have blamed top-secret weapons, but the condition could be all in the mind
Omicron Variant: How Worried Should We Be About It?
Research has started to emerge on the latest variant of COVID. How concerned should we be about it, and what makes it different from previous variants?