CATEGORIES

ALIEN PLANET DEBRIS DISCOVERED DEEP UNDER EARTH'S CRUST

A planetary collision so big that it formed the Moon also left behind remnants that changed Earth's mantle

INTERACTIVE IMAGES COULD REVOLUTIONISE POLICE LINE-UPS AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS

We're trying to identify criminal suspects all wrong, say psychologists. But new technology could help us catch more bad guys

CAN I REALLY DIFFERENCE MAKE A BY RECYCLING?

Recycling is not a silver bullet that will halt climate breakdown. Not even close. Its potential impact - a saving of around 11 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) over 30 years if the whole world recycles more than 80 per cent of its municipal waste - is dwarfed by the amount of greenhouse gases currently released by fossil fuels and industry: 36.8 gigatonnes in 2022 alone.

HELLO DARKNESS.MY OLD FRIEND

With the evenings drawing in, could embracing the darkness be good for you?

WHAT IS ASHEN LIGHT?

The 'ashen light', or AL, is a faint, mysterious glow, or colouration, seen in the night-side hemisphere of the planet Venus.

DEAR DOCTOR

IS IT REALLY BETTER TO HOPE FOR THE BEST, BUT BRACE FOR THE WORST?

WHAT IS THE DEADLIEST CREATURE IN THE UK?

Mosquitoes are infamously the world's most deadly animal, killing up to a million people every year via the diseases they spread, such as malaria and dengue fever. In the UK, however, our 36 native mosquito species pose little in the way of threat, so they don't feature in the three-way tie for the title of UK's deadliest creature.

HAMMERHEAD BAT

With a face that wouldn't look out of place among the Notre Dame gargoyles, the hammerhead bat is what the French would call 'jolie laide'.

THE SCIENCE OF DOCTOR WHO

At 60 years old, Doctor Who, the BBC Show following the adventures of the regenerating Time Lord, continues to be highly enjoyable fiction. But it's science fiction. The Doctor's primary tool is a sonic screwdriver, not a magic wand. The Gallifreyan takes science seriously. And so should we...

The Power of Caffeine

For many, caffeine is considered a guilty pleasure. But there is growing evidence that our daily fix isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it might actually be doing us some good

HOW TO MAKE THE MOON ON EARTH

The expense and prestige involved in sending landers and rovers to the Moon means you can’t afford for them not to work when they get there. But the lunar landscape is like nothing here on Earth. So how, and where, do you test equipment that’s bound for the Moon?

DEEP & BROODY

On the side of a hill next to some thermal springs 3,000m beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, scientists have discovered the world's biggest octopus nursery. Join them as they explore it on Planet Earth III

These vibrating vests bring music to life for deaf gig-goers

Haptic tech is making music accessible to people with impaired hearing

Sony WF-1000XM5: An audio home run, but in a smaller package

Alex Hughes tries out Sony’s tiniest earbuds to date to see if it’s possible to pack a bigger musical punch into a smaller package

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER:WHY IS IT STIGMATISED?

Despite being recognised for decades, the condition remains misunderstood and undertreated as a result

ANTIGRAVITY: A RECENT TEST RESULT MIGHT HAVE RULED IT OUT

Hoverboards and flying cars may be off the cards... but dark energy may yet come to the rescue

REALITY CHECK - THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

SICK DAYS: WE'RE TAKING MORE THAN EVER. SO WHAT'S KEEPING US AWAY FROM WORK?

WOMB TRANSPLANTS ARE NOW A REALITY AND THEY'RE CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES

There’s new hope for the thousands of women who are unable to conceive or carry their own child

SAYING NO TO DRUGS CAN BE HARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR BRAINS HAVE EVOLVED TO SAY 'WHY NOT?'

The Stoptober’ push to quit smoking is useful, but we need to look at why people start... especially when it's harder drugs

DID THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE JUST SPOT GALAXIES THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST?

Given the age of the Universe, the galaxies we've just been shown appear to be too old. So, what's gone wrong?

PLANT APOCALYPSE

The race is on to document and protect the world's plant and fungi species... and everything is at stake if we lose

THE BURNING 'RING OF FIRE' ECLIPSE.…..THAT WENT DOWN, DOWN, DOWN THE AMERICAS

The burning ring produced by the Sun and Moon crossing paths won't be seen again in the US until 2039

MYSTERIOUS AFTERGLOW POTENTIALLY CAUSED BY MASSIVE COLLISION OF PLANETS

Scientists have a probable cause for the unexplained brightness

A MAP OF THE BRAIN CELLS THAT MAKE US UNIQUE MARKS "A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN NEUROSCIENCE"

Benchmark study maps over 3,000 cell types in the human brain

SCIENTISTS PLAN TO MELT MOON DUST TO LAY LUNAR ROADS

Triangular paving stones’ could be made on the Moon using the Sun's rays and might solve the problems caused by Moon dust

ULTRA-BRIGHT LIGHT BREAKTHROUGH COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING

Creating an ultra-bright light in a small space is harder than it sounds... But scientists think it may be possible

How does the fitness app on my phone know how many steps I've taken, especially if it's in my bag?

Your phone uses GPS to track distance travelled. But try disabling it and you'll notice that fitness apps will still give you step counts.

Should you underestimate the power of the Force?

It's an energy that lets you control people's minds and.... make things float. So where do midi-chlorians fit in?

DEAR DOCTOR : WHY DO I CATASTROPHISE SO MUCH AND HOW DO I STOP?

Catastrophe-filled thoughts are common, especially for people prone to anxiety. You might find yourself imagining that your first day at a new job will be an excruciating disaster, that you'll flunk an upcoming exam, or that your flight to New York will crash. These thoughts are unpleasant, but they're essentially your mind working overtime to keep you safe. If you start to act on these catastrophic thoughts, trying to avoid any risk in your life, that's when this thinking style can start to become debilitating.

IS IT TRUE THAT WEARING HEADPHONES INCREASES EAR BACTERIA?

Your ears are already dark, moist and full of oils and dead skin - an all-you-can-eat buffet for many bacteria. Sealing off the entrance with headphones or earphones seems like it could only make that environment more inviting to these microbes.