CATEGORIES

In Search Of Immunity

It seems the more we learn about COVID-19, the more menacing it becomes. Why are there so many symptoms? Are some of us already immune? As scientists race towards a vaccine, we report on the latest discoveries helping us understand how our immune system handles the infection

Eating Contests: Is There A Limit To How Much You Can Consume In One Go?

This summer, the world record for the ‘sport’ of hotdog speed-eating was broken for the third time in five years. Are we approaching peak performance?

Face Masks: Are They Changing How We Behave?

Wearing face masks could affect how we communicate

Covid-19: Should We Infect People With It?

A vaccine may be available sooner if volunteers are deliberately infected. But is it ethical?

HOW TO SIT

STIFF AS A BOARD OR SLOUCHED LIKE A SLOTH? PULL UP A CHAIR AND TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF YOUR FEET AS BACK PAIN RESEARCHER DR KIERAN O’SULLIVAN EXPLAINS HOW TO SIT

IN PRAISE OF CAFFEINE

There’s more to a cup of coffee than just an early morning pick-me-up

TURNING THE RED PLANETGREEN

If humans are to stand a chance of successfully setting up a colony on Mars, we’re going to need to figure out a way of producing food on the Red Planet

THE SEE-THROUGH ZOO

WELCOME TO NATURE’S MENAGERIE OF TRANSPARENCY

Extinct woolly rhinos were a victim of climate change, not overhunting

By analysing their genetic diversity, scientists have been able to estimate changes in population size over time

BACK TO SCHOOL

After months of homeschooling, children are returning to the classroom. How can we ease the transition and help frazzled teachers?

Covid-19: Why Are So Many Bame Patients Dying From The Disease?

Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are dying from COVID-19 at disproportionate rates. What’s the story behind the statistics?

THE JOY OF A ROUTINE

It might be boring, but setting a routine can reduce stress, ease anxiety and help you sleep

THE WAR IN OUR HEADS

In these strange times, it can be tough to get definite answers. To compensate, our brains seek solace in conspiracy theories

SCIENCE HISTORY: DOES RENAMING A BUILDING REWRITE ITS PAST?

What message does naming a building after a scientist associated with eugenics send? And does rechristening that building simply hide the complicated truth?

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

WITH TOP GUN: MAVERICK DUE TO HIT CINEMAS LATER THIS YEAR, WE WENT BEHIND THE SCENES AT RAF MARHAM TO GET UP CLOSE TO THE NEW F-35, THE FIRST FIGHTER JET THAT DOES (MOST OF) THE FLYING FOR YOU

THE NEXT GIANT LEAPS

From spider robots to antennas on the Cornish coast, these UK-based projects are laying the groundwork for a permanent station on the Moon. Wallace and Gromit would be proud…

LOOKING FOR LIFE ON MARS

The Mars 2020 Rover, named Perseverance, is set to launch this month. It will collect rock and soil samples from our red neighbour, which Miché Aaron will be using in her search for organic minerals. She tells Amy Barretthow the presence of these minerals could reveal if there was once life on Mars…

How Dogs Can Help Us Live Longer, Healthier Lives

Our best friends’ biology could unlock the secret to ageing well

Return To Work: Does Covid-19 Mark The End Of The Office?

As people head back to work, organisations are making drastic changes to the office layout, putting up dividers, two-metre distancing markers and hand-sanitising stations. But is it enough to keep us safe?

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

THE MOST COLOURFUL SIGHTS ON EARTH

LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL IS CURRENTLY OFF THE CARDS, SO WE THOUGHT WE’D BRING SOME OF THE PLANET’S MOST SPECTACULAR NATURAL PLACES TO YOU

SHOULD I TAKE ZINC TABLETS?

Many people are taking supplements to try and keep COVID-19 at bay. Do they work?

SpaceX craft completes its landmark flight

SpaceX makes history as the first private company to design, build and launch a craft to carry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), opening up the future for private spaceflight

MAKING SENSE OF DEATH

We can no longer celebrate lives through large funerals and wakes, but could technology offer a way to help us negotiate our grief?

GAMING IN LOCKDOWN: WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE PLAYING ANIMAL CROSSING?

It sold more digital units in its first month of release than any other video game in history. What makes Animal Crossing: New Horizons such a compelling game to play?

FASTER-THAN-LIGHT TRAVEL: IS A WARP DRIVE REALLY POSSIBLE?

A NASA scientist recently released a report analysing the feasibility of a warp drive as a means of faster-than-light travel. Could this Star Trek technology really be possible?

COLD COMFORT

Many people swear by the benefits of a cold plunge, and it seems they might be on to something. Scientists are finding evidence that regular icy dips could help relieve stress, anxiety and depression…

A New Wave Of Bacteria Is Coming Soon…

We get inside the labs that are growing beneficial bacteria to gobble up pollution, harvest waste, generate energy and help keep us healthy

Reality Check - Science Behind The Headlines

Positives of lockdown | Quarantine dreams | NHS tracing app

Opening The Doors Of Depression

For the past decade Prof David Nutthas been investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. He spoke to Jason Goodyer about his pioneering work on using psilocybin to treat depression and the effect that psychedelics have on other mental disorders