Millions of Americans are bracing for a potentially catastrophic ice storm from New Mexico to the Carolinas
Plantwatch: Neighbouring plants warn each other about incoming stress
A study of Arabidopsis thaliana plants found that plants growing together activated genes to protect themselves, while isolated plants did not Plants growing close to each other can warn each other about stresses in their lives. Thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants were grown on their own or crowded so close...
The year of the ‘hectocorn’: the $100bn tech companies that could float in 2026
OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Stripe are rumoured to be among ten of the biggest companies considering IPOs You’ve probably heard of “unicorns” – technology startups valued at more than $1bn – but 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the “hectocorn”, with several US and European companies potentially...
How positivity affects health, the rise of scabies and bovine intelligence – podcast
The Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample, talks to Madeleine Finlay about three eye-catching science stories from the week, including a study that suggests positive thinking can boost immune response. Also on the agenda is the mysterious rise of scabies in the UK, and the discovery that cows are more adept...
So a cow can use a stick to scratch its backside. When will we learn that humans are really not that special? | Helen Pilcher
Veronika’s improvised grooming device has caused great surprise – but that tells us more about humans than cows I have a farmer friend who regularly regales me with colourful stories of her cattle. Take the time when a beef cow called Noisette used her tongue to pull back the catch...
Suni Williams, Starliner astronaut, retires after 27 years at Nasa
She set the record for most spacewalk time by a woman and spent nine months at the International Space Station Suni Williams, one of two Nasa astronauts whose 10-day test flight mission turned into a nine-month odyssey on the International Space Station (ISS), has retired from the US space agency....
Spectacular aurora captured from space by Russian cosmonaut – video
Aurora lights shimmering over Earth were filmed on camera by Russia's space agency Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov from the International Space Station. The phenomenon is caused by solar storms emitting high-speed charged particles colliding with gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The most common colour seen during this display is green, although...
Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art
Archaeologists say stencil painted with ochre in limestone cave on Muna Island was created at least 67,800 years ago The faded outline of a hand on a cave wall in Indonesia may be the world’s oldest known rock art, according to archaeologists who say it was created at least 67,800...
Supreme Court seems likely to strike down Hawaii’s restrictions on guns in stores and hotels
The Supreme Court seems likely to strike down Hawaii restrictions on carrying guns in stores in the justices’ latest firearm case since their landmark decision expanding Second Amendment rights
Federal judge says Trump-appointed federal prosecutor in Virginia is ‘masquerading’ in the job
Two judges in Virginia are rejecting Trump administration arguments that a White House loyalist can continue serving as a top federal prosecutor in the state, with one soliciting applications for a replacement and the other prohibiting Lindsey Halligan...