The First Black Holes

Since just after the Big Bang, ancient black holes may have been shaping the universe as we know it. Now, scientists are tantalizingly close to glimpsing these mysterious objects for the first time

Only in Your Wildest Dreams

Even today, scientists don't know why we dream. But now, psychologists have found a way to communicate with lucid dreamers - people who can take control of their dreams – in the hope that they might help us explore what goes on with our brains at night

Elon Musk says settlers will likely die on Mars. He's right.

When Elon Musk said there’s a ‘good chance’ the first settlers on the Red Planet will die there, at an August 2020 conference, the outcome was easy to imagine. It’s a dangerous place, after all. But that obscures the ultimate goal of any colony: to have people comfortably die on Mars after a long life of work and play that, we hope, looks at least a little like life on Earth.

Why wetlands are vital for humans and nature: Part 1

Wetlands vary greatly in type, yet all are indispensable for purifying water and controlling its flow. They include mountain springs, midland marshes, flood plains, coastal lakes, mangrove swamps and estuaries.

MORE ME, NOW: IS NARCISSISM ON THE RISE?

Are we becoming more narcissistic? And is social media behind the seemingly growing ‘me crowd?

Regularly drinking coffee may help to protect your heart

Researchers at the Heart and Vascular Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, have found that drinking up to three cups of coffee a day may help protect your cardiovascular system.

LONELINESS: IS IT INEVITABLE IN A MODERN WORLD?

Young or old, rich or poor, many of us will experience a longing for social contact at some point in our lives. But loneliness doesn't have to be inevitable...

THE NET IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR FOLK WISDOM

Every culture on Earth, and even some groups of animals, have traditions and rituals for sharing knowledge vital for survival

The risk of developing a genetic disease drops off as we age

It's widely known that as we age, our immune systems become weaker and slower to respond to infection, leaving us at a greater risk of becoming ill. But when it comes to developing genetic diseases, the risk of us getting ill actually wanes with age, a study carried out at the University of Oxford has found.

Bizarre 'alien simulation' study shows how COVID panic-buying was a natural response

New research from the University of New South Wales has demonstrated how people react differently to change

What's it like to fly to the edge of space?

Dave Mackay, Virgin Galactic's chief pilot, reveals what it's like to ride a rocket ship to the stars...

Better out than in

The Mediterranean diet will increase flatulence, but it has benefits for you and the planet

A NEW AGE OF HUMANITY

From reality-enhancing implants to brain-controlled exoskeletons, breakthroughs in biotech have fuelled a new fusion of machinery and organic matter. We speak to the cyborgs who are helping humanity transcend its biological limits, one device at a time

Hungry All The Time? It Could Be In Your Blood…

Researchers working on the largest in-depth nutrition study in the world have found that some of us experience big dips in blood sugar levels after eating, and it makes us hungrier, sooner

Hope For Deaf People Struggling With Mask-Wearing During The Pandemic

See-through solution offers hope for deaf people struggling with mask-wearing during the pandemic

Locked And Loaded

A 100-year legacy has left people with things to protect – including themselves – feeling safer

Wider World Of Glow-In-The-Dark Life Forms

A few years ago, scientists believed only a tiny band of creatures could emit light. But a string of new discoveries has illuminated a wider world of glow-in-the-dark life forms

Why Do Some People Experience More Vaccine Side Effects Than Others?

Amelia Calderbank, Runcorn

Nature's Weirdest Creatures

The tarsier

Conquering The Underground Everest

The Dark Star cave system in a remote corner of Uzbekistan might one day be crowned the ‘world’s deepest cave’. Hidden inside the subterranean labyrinth lie geological time capsules that hold the secret to Earth’s past and future climate…

Could A Cosmic Lasso Divert Extinction-Level Asteroids?

IN 2013, A METEOR EXPLODED 22.5 KM (14 MILES) above Chelyabinsk, Russia, knocking out windows across 500 km2 and injuring more than 1 600 people. It was a wake-up call for astronomers to help defend Earth from more potentially hazardous asteroids.

‘Mad Mike' Hughes Rejected Science And Chased Fame. It Killed Him.

The Mojave Desert had cast its spell over ‘Mad Mike’ Hughes the night he thought to fly to the edge of space.

Know Your Heart Rate

With a few simple calculations, you can easily figure out how healthy your heart is

The Truth Is Out There

Bellingcat’s founder Eliot Higgins talks about why people need an intelligence agency, how internet investigations work and how we can fight misinformation

Privacy: Can We Protect Future Generations?

In 1989, while tinkering with a system to share scientific notes, a 34-year-old CERN scientist named Tim Berners-Lee invented something that would change everything.

How Does Memory Work?

Some things seem to stick while others don’t – what’s happening?

Has Our Behaviour Changed During The Course Of The Pandemic?

There’s no doubt that the introduction of new rules and regulations has had an impact on our actions over the past year. But what are the factors at play when it comes to getting the public to protect each other?

On The Origin Of Us

Palaeoproteomics, a new technology that studies the proteins of ancient remains, is shaking up history. Not only can we now peer further back in time, but the technique is also letting us see our past in a new way…

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cheese

When milk and microbes come together, there’s no doubt something wonderful happens. We asked a food scientist how a choreography of chemistry, biology and psychology make cheese the ultimate food

Endangered Elephants Tracked From Space By Artificial Intelligence

The world-first study opens the door to more effective methods of monitoring the movements of endangered species