CATEGORIES

COULD AN ASTEROID IMPACT EVER CHANGE EARTH'S ORBIT?

Theoretically, any two objects colliding with each other will involve a transfer of momentum that alters their trajectories. So, even a micrometeorite, weighing less than a gram, could result in an imperceptible change in Earth's orbit around the Sun. However, things are not quite that simple.

CAN SCIENCE TURN A NIGHT OWL INTO A MORNING LARK?

If you're a night owl, you probably have a hard time dealing with a world that starts at 9am. But can science help you tinker with your body clock to make it easier to rise with the larks?

HOW TO THINK BATIONALLY ABOUT AI

The entire planet is hooked on the conversation about Al and its sinister future. But, if you ask those in the know (and we have) our future with machines looks entirely different to what the world's CEOs would have us believe. Here's how to stop worrying and, maybe, learn to love AI...

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

The hit TV show The Last of Us imagined an apocalypse caused by a Cordyceps fungus turning humans into zombies. For many insects, real life isn't much different...

Apple Vision Pro: a virtual reality expert gives his verdict

David Reid, a professor of Al and spatial computing, explains why Apple is leading the way when it comes to virtual reality

JAZZ COULD BE THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING QUANTUM PHYSICS

An improvising soloist can play any note they want next. At the quantum level, electrons have a similar freedom

THE THREAT OF DAY ZERO

Queues at public water taps could become normal. What can we do to avoid them?

DAILY MULTIVITAMIN CAN DELAY AGE-RELATED MEMORY LOSS

Study finds that a multivitamin pill a day keeps memory decline at bay

THE T.REX WAS ACTUALLY A COWARD... SOMETIMES

According to palaeontologists behind Apple TV+'s Prehistoric Planet 2, the Tyrannosaurus rex was more than willing to run from a fight

PUPS IN SCRUBS: DOGS COULD MAKE CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS BETTER FOR EVERYONE

Dogs have been bringing their owners comfort at home for centuries. Now, the pooches are branching out to do it hospitals

HIDDEN FUNGI ABSORB OVER A THIRD OF EARTH'S FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS

A new study pinpoints a major carbon pool in the filament networks of mycorrhizal fungi found underneath mushrooms

ENTOMOLOGY - SPOTTY WINGS MAKE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES MORE AERODYNAMIC

New research shows that the butterflies fly better when they have more spots on their wings

Antares: The Rival of Mars

If you've never seen Mars in the night sky before, you've just about got time as it's visible low above the west-northwest horizon shortly after sunset.

Could humans ever run at supersonic speeds?

Is there a biological limit to how fast humans can run? Or will we all be sprinting like The Flash in future?

ZARA WEBB, STAFFORD - WEIRD AND WONDERFUL: WHAT ARE TROVANTS?

Trovants are bulbous, otherworldly stones that grow over time, thus appearing to be alive. Parent rocks can even push out baby trovants, which then grow independently.

CHARLOTTE LEE, VIA EMAIL - WHAT IS SOCIAL PRESCRIBING, AND IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO IT?

Social prescribing is a way for primary care staff and other agencies to refer patients to a link worker. These are highly trained and have time to explore the person's health and well-being needs in a more holistic way.

MYTHBUSTERS: SHOULD I START WASHING MY HAIR WITH BEER?

A quick search online, and you will find lots of articles suggesting that beer used as a shampoo, hair mask, or rinse at home, can result in healthy, shiny locks and even promote hair growth.

DUNCAN DAVIDSON, VIA EMAIL - WHAT IS THE SUPINE POSITION?

The supine position is simpler than it may sound. It describes the position of the body when lying flat on the back, with the face and torso facing up. In this position, the limbs are generally straight, with the palms facing upward.

ELIZABETH HUMPHREY, BATH - WHAT CAUSES PREGNANCY CRAVINGS?

Cravings are something many mamas-to-be are familiar with. Whether it's ice cream, chocolate, pickles, or something obscure, the body knows what it wants during pregnancy and makes sure we know about it.

KENDRA PARK, VIA EMAIL: WHY DOES MY SKIN FEEL MORE SENSITIVE TO TOUCH WHEN I HAVE A COLD?

If you've noticed that your skin feels extra sensitive when you're ill, you're not alone - and there are several reasons why this might happen.

LARA EATON, MANCHESTER: HOW IS HAIL MADE?

Many of us have experienced those hot summer days which start off with sunshine, before towering cumulonimbus clouds bubble up through the day, eventually bringing thunder, lightning and torrential downpours.

NATURE'S WEIRDEST... SHAMPOO GINGER LILY

Tired of taking two bottles into the shower? Simply snip off the club-shaped flower head of the shampoo ginger lily plant - you can't miss it; it's the one that looks like an embarrassed pinecone - and squeeze the spongy structure onto your scalp.

WHAT IS THE POWER POSE? AND WILL IT REALLY BOOST MY CONFIDENCE BEFORE A JOB INTERVIEW?

A power pose is essentially any kind of body position that involves taking up more space. Imagine standing with your legs astride and your hands on your hips, or - as used in the seminal research on power poses from 2010 - leaning back in your chair with your legs up and your hands behind your head.

THE MYSTERIES OF EARTH'S CORE

Take even a quick peak beneath Earth's surface and you soon discover just how much we don't know about what's happening right under out feet

MAKING WAVES

How do you study a gigantic mammal that migrates over thousands of miles and spends most of its time underwater? Here's how the latest tech is shaping the future of whale conservation

Matter made magic

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PROGRAMMABLE MATERIALS. FROM SELF-ASSEMBLING STRUCTURES TO FUTURISTIC FABRICS, TAKE A PEEK AT THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME...

Five of the best video doorbells

These devices promise to revolutionise the way you collect packages, keep your home safe and even how you interact with your postie and friends. The BBC Science Focus team picks their faves

AI art is everywhere but it can never compete with human creativity

Alex Hughes speaks to Prof Ahmed Elgammal, an expert in artificial intelligence to learn more about the rise of art made by AI

ONE MEAL A DAY: COULD IT WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Is eating just once a day the secret to staying trim or is it just restrictive eating?

SPACEFLIGHT:SHOULD THE FIRST CREW TO TRAVEL TO MARS BE ALL-FEMALE?

A new study carried out by the European Space Agency suggests that women may be better suited to space travel