Exclusive: It is imperative humans expand their understanding of space, argues Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock Life must exist beyond Earth, a leading space scientist says, adding it is yet another example of human pride to suppose otherwise. The British space scientist Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who will be giving the Royal Institution...
Swollen eyeballs, baby-like skin, and the overview effect: how astronauts feel when they return to earth
As Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams prepare to come home after their unexpected nine-month ISS stay, here is what they may experience Gravity may seem like a drag, but spending long periods of time without its grounding force can wreak havoc on your body. On Friday, Nasa and SpaceX will...
From profiteroles to moles: project uncovers gulls’ surprising diet
Salford University findings show gulls are predators – not just opportunists snatching people’s snacks In pictures: Octopus? Ice cream? Is there anything gulls don’t eat? Gulls are renowned for snatching chips from tourists’ hands, but a scientific project has revealed the greedy birds also like to tuck into moles and...
Primordial surf: ‘microlightning’ in mist may have sparked life on Earth, study finds
Tiny lightning streaks in fine spray can power chemical reactions that generate molecules for life, scientists say Charles Darwin thought it started in a warm pond. Others point to comets that ploughed into Earth. And some suspect a bolt from the blue, a lightning strike into the ocean. How life...
‘Spreadsheets of empire’: red tape goes back 4,000 years, say scientists after Iraq finds
Ancient Mesopotamian stone tablets show extraordinary detail and reach of government in cradle of world civilisations The red tape of government bureaucracy spans more than 4,000 years, according to new finds from the cradle of the world’s civilisations, Mesopotamia. Hundreds of administrative tablets – the earliest physical evidence of the...
The science behind winning a Nobel Prize? Being a man from a wealthy family | Torsten Bell
A lot of talent is wasted in a world where more than half of laureates come from households in the richest 5% We like scientific breakthroughs. Humanity ultimately relies on them. So it matters if we’re missing out on discoveries. But compelling evidence that we are indeed missing out comes...
The most dangerous delivery truck? How a lorry-load of antimatter will help solve secrets of universe
Fantastically expensive and hard to handle, the substance holds the key to a holy grail of science. And experts at Cern now know how to transport it Researchers are preparing to make one of science’s most unusual journeys. They are planning to transport a container of antimatter in a lorry...
Limit on human embryo research should be extended to 28 days, says regulator
Exclusive: Experts say increasing law from 14 days could lead to breakthroughs in understanding of miscarriages The 14-day limit for human embryo research should be extended to 28 days, the fertility regulator has recommended in a move that could pave the way for breakthroughs in understanding the causes of miscarriages...
Black and Asian cancer patients less likely to survive UK stem cell transplant than white peers
Study finds increased risk of fatal complications for patients from every minority ethnic background after donor stem cell transplant Black and Asian cancer patients are less likely to survive in the five years after a donor stem cell transplant than their white counterparts, according to a study and largest of...
Nasa announces further delays in Artemis moon missions
US space agency chief says astronauts still on schedule to make landing ‘well ahead’ of China’s lunar voyage The Nasa administrator, Bill Nelson, announced on Thursday new delays in the US space agency’s Artemis programme to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972, pushing back the...