What is behind the surge in ufology? The recent spike can be traced to the top of the US government, which inspired me to start investigating ... I never gave much thought to aliens beyond Star Wars. I put extraterrestrials and their flying saucers in a box marked “nonsense” long...
Mud-rich coastline made 2011 Japan tsunami far more destructive, study finds
Analysis of video footage reveals how wave changed as it travelled over mud-rich rice paddies, exerting more force It is just over 15 years since the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, killing almost 20,000 people and triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Fresh analysis of video footage of...
‘Is it life? We can’t tell’: Nasa’s Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars
Scientists think they are looking at chemical building blocks of life preserved for 3.5bn years Nasa’s Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth. Five of the seven molecules identified in a dried lakebed near the equator...
Ketamine, psychedelics, GHB: is the US falling out of love with cocaine?
Use of the illicit drug has plummeted in recent years among gen Zers, compared with their parents’ generation Ever since cocaine first emerged as a popular party drug via the shores of Miami in the early 1970s, use of the stimulant has been inextricably entwined with the very essence of...
Zoologist, author and presenter Desmond Morris dies aged 98
Morris pursued dual passions of zoology and surrealist art, presenting TV documentaries and hosting exhibitions The zoologist Desmond Morris, perhaps best known for his book The Naked Ape and his work on the ITV programme Zoo Time, has died aged 98. Morris’s son Jason paid tribute to him after his...
Gut microbiome can reveal risk of Parkinson’s, scientists say
Study shows signature changes more pronounced in people with genetic risk, raising hopes for new therapies Changes to microbes that live in the gut can identify people at greater risk of Parkinson’s disease long before symptoms develop, according to work that also raises hopes for new therapies. Researchers discovered signature...
Mythos: are fears over new AI model panic or PR? – podcast
Earlier this month the AI company Anthropic said it had created a model so powerful that, out of a sense of responsibility, it was not going to release it to the public. Anthropic says the model, Mythos Preview, excels at spotting and exploiting vulnerabilities in software, and could pose a...
Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds
Fish swam further and dispersed more widely after exposure to environmental levels of drug and main metabolite Traces of cocaine that pollute rivers and lakes may accumulate in the brains of salmon and disrupt their behaviour, according to researchers who warn of unknown consequences for fish populations. Juvenile Atlantic salmon...
FBI, DOJ scrambling to rebuild after being depleted by resignations and firings
Some current and former officials see a lowering of long-accepted standards.
Republicans plan big spending to keep Ohio’s Senate seat. A bribery scandal adds to their challenges
A political bribery scandal in Ohio is shadowing Jon Husted this election year