Strange new types of cells keep coming to light in the human brain. By the latest count, there are more than 3300, and we don’t even know what most of them do ⌘ Read more
Strange new types of cells keep coming to light in the human brain. By the latest count, there are more than 3300, and we don’t even know what most of them do ⌘ Read more
The surprising discovery that your brain has its own microbiome is raising an intriguing possibility – that some dementias might be reversible ⌘ Read more
Astronomers have found a quasar 12 billion light years away hosting a supermassive black hole that gobbles up a sun-sized amount of mass every day ⌘ Read more
People with higher levels of niacin in their blood may be more at risk of a heart attack or stroke, possibly because too much of the vitamin inflames blood vessels ⌘ Read more
Research is cutting through historical discrimination and gender politics to get to the truth about differences between the brains of men and women ⌘ Read more
Diving seabirds, a tiny octopus and a close encounter with a grey whale feature in breathtaking entries for the 2024 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition ⌘ Read more
Your brain burns through the same amount of energy whether you’re daydreaming or taking an exam. So why do we experience mental fatigue? ⌘ Read more
Earth lacks some of the ingredients that would have been key to the origins of life – they may have been delivered to glacial ponds by tiny specks of cosmic dust ⌘ Read more
Around one-fifth of the stem cells grown in laboratories for as-yet-unapproved medical treatments have cancer-causing mutations ⌘ Read more
The latest AI model capable of converting text into video is attracting praise from some AI researchers, while also raising concerns about the risks of video deepfakes during global elections in 2024 ⌘ Read more
Shipping companies are experimenting with onboard carbon capture systems, but they face difficult trade-offs on energy and space for regular cargo ⌘ Read more
Assembling starch granules into 3D shapes could achieve the same thickening effect in foods with up to 50 per cent fewer granules, reducing the calories and carbohydrates without sacrificing texture ⌘ Read more
Carbon dioxide gas found throughout the atmosphere of Callisto hints it has a complex carbon cycle – akin to the one which on Earth helps to sustain life ⌘ Read more
Regulators in Australia and New Zealand have given the green light to growing a genetically modified banana resistant to a devastating fungal disease spreading worldwide ⌘ Read more
The optic nerve has been partly regenerated in mice, raising hopes for treating blindness caused by conditions such as glaucoma ⌘ Read more
Markers of biological ageing in polar bear tissue samples reveal that stress associated with climate change appears to be taking a toll ⌘ Read more
A "negative greenhouse effect" means rising concentrations of CO2 and methane have slightly cooled parts of Antarctica’s upper atmosphere, but that could change as the air becomes more humid ⌘ Read more
A tiny robot with a clutch that mimics similar mechanisms found in microorganisms could be used to trigger the internal workings of a cell ⌘ Read more
Incredibly thin, hollow wires made from gallium and nitrogen can produce laser beams that are hollow with a ring-shaped cross-section, and that could be used to create optical fibres out of thin air ⌘ Read more
US officials have warned of a new international security threat – a mysterious Russian space weapon that may possess nuclear capabilities. Here’s what you need to know ⌘ Read more
Tree-planting projects in Africa may damage grasslands and savannahs by introducing too much shade. By preventing smaller plants from photosynthesising, this would have knock-on effects for the rest of the ecosystem ⌘ Read more
The largest study of telehealth abortions to date has found that the medications are just as safe and effective if they are obtained via online services instead of through a face-to-face doctor’s appointment ⌘ Read more
Changing the microbial community on the roots of tea plants can improve the flavour and nutritional content of tea leaves, leading to a better-tasting cuppa ⌘ Read more
As organic material in a bone gets replaced by minerals over time, it becomes a fossil. But that can happen at different rates even within the same individual ⌘ Read more
Different species of poison frogs tap their toes when feeding to create vibrations that cause flies to move closer to them ⌘ Read more
Children who live in countries where school uniforms are the norm appear to be less active than those who don't, possibly because the clothing restricts their movement ⌘ Read more
A drug called pazopanib is known to provide brief relief from arthritis pain – encapsulating it in nanoparticles can make its effects last much longer, research in mice suggests ⌘ Read more
A 2200-year-old burial ground in northern Italy includes people interred with dogs and horses, perhaps showing they had strong bonds with their animals ⌘ Read more
An emoji that represents happiness to one person may signify a different emotion to another, with this varying according to our age, gender and nationality ⌘ Read more
Sperm that were immobile became active after just 20 seconds of ultrasound exposure in a lab experiment that may help boost the success of fertility treatment ⌘ Read more
Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon ⌘ Read more
Microbes that rapidly convert CO2 to rock could lock away the greenhouse gas in deep underground storage sites, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs ⌘ Read more
During courtship rituals, female scorpions appear to willingly let males sting them, which may be a way for them to evaluate prospective mates ⌘ Read more
Chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas frequently toy with their peers by poking, tickling or stealing from them, perhaps showing behaviours that were prerequisites for human joking ⌘ Read more
Dream engineers are developing technologies that can help you sleep more soundly and use your nighttime hours to your advantage - but there could also be a dark side ⌘ Read more
If we are ever going to have a solar power station in space, we will need to be able to transmit power from orbit - a feat that has now been achieved ⌘ Read more
Some pet dogs retain their baby teeth, creating two rows that resemble the mouth of a shark. A new analysis shows that the condition is more prevalent in smaller breeds and obese dogs ⌘ Read more
Scientists have found that we generally remember where an object was located, but possibly not its other details, a discovery that could change how we view eyewitness testimonies ⌘ Read more
Male Brachycephalus pulex frogs are so small that two of them can sit side by side on a pinky nail ⌘ Read more
A phenomenon called the Fermi resonance, which affects how molecules vibrate, is responsible for a large part of carbon dioxide’s planet-warming effect ⌘ Read more
Two wayfinding apps use motion sensors and AI to help people who are blind navigate a building, without needing to hold their phone out in front of them and risk theft ⌘ Read more
US company Intuitive Machines is launching its Odysseus lander towards the moon's south pole. If all goes well, it will be the first private firm to put a spacecraft on the moon ⌘ Read more
When black holes are born from collapsing stars, they emit a short-lived jet that may slow down the black hole’s rotation to nearly a standstill ⌘ Read more
String theory is widely considered beyond empirical investigation. But we could conceivably test it thanks to ancient particles called moduli, which might appear in astronomical observations, says theorist Joseph Conlon ⌘ Read more
As we increasingly live in cities, tiny apartments are likely to become the norm. A new exhibition has clever space-managing ideas – but also stark warnings about the health challenges ahead ⌘ Read more
The first ever UN report into the state of migratory species suggests animals from sharks to sea birds face a bleak future ⌘ Read more
Infants aged just 4 months old who live in a home where two languages are spoken have distinct patterns of brain activation compared with infants living in monolingual environments ⌘ Read more
Moulds of an organ's delicate blood vessel network can be made with 3D-printed ice, helping to overcome the intricacies of growing transplant organs in a lab ⌘ Read more
The most detailed computer model run so far shows that melting ice sheets could cause the collapse of the major ocean current that warms Europe, but it's still unclear how likely this is to happen ⌘ Read more
Our hominin ancestors originated in Africa and the consensus is that they didn't leave there until about 1.8 million years ago, but stone tools found in Jordan challenge the idea ⌘ Read more
By applying heat or cold in certain locations on the upper arm, an adapted prosthetic with sensors can give people with an amputation the sensation of temperature in their phantom limb ⌘ Read more
To extract valuable metals from discarded computer motherboards, researchers have developed a gold-absorbing material made from old milk ⌘ Read more
Researchers have a new way to assess an AI model’s intelligence: drop it into a game of Minecraft, with no information about its surroundings, and see how well it plays ⌘ Read more
In 1905, Einstein discovered a paradox in the predicted behaviour of mirrors travelling at impossible speeds, but it may now have been resolved ⌘ Read more
The eROSITA X-ray telescope’s survey of the night sky has revealed extreme and violent processes in the universe, including inexplicably strange stars and erupting black holes ⌘ Read more
As a 15-kilometre crack formed ahead of the recent eruptions, magma flowed into it at the highest rate observed anywhere in the world ⌘ Read more
Insects may be finding it harder to locate flowers because the scent molecules released by the flowers smell different after they react with pollutants in the air ⌘ Read more
Companies are searching all over the world for deposits of geologic hydrogen that could be used as clean fuel, and a mine in Albania could give them clues about where to look ⌘ Read more
Inscribing a spiral in the centre of a contact lens seems to create optical vortices that interact so that the lens provides a clear image of objects at all distances ⌘ Read more
In its final experiments before being shut down for good last year, the UK's JET reactor set a world record for the energy output of a fusion reaction ⌘ Read more
An eight-week virtual exercise programme improved the quality of life of people with long covid, but the effect was relatively modest and it may not benefit everyone with the condition ⌘ Read more
The global average temperature in January 2024 was 1.7°C above pre-industrial levels for the month, meaning the planet has breached the 1.5°C benchmark for the past 12 months ⌘ Read more
A type of distant planet long thought to have water oceans on its surface may be too hot for liquid water, and magma oceans might be more likely ⌘ Read more
Nanoparticles designed to release antibiotics deep inside the lungs reduced inflammation and improved lung function in mice with symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ⌘ Read more
Close measurements of Mimas’s orbit suggest there could be an ocean 30 kilometres deep beneath the small moon’s icy exterior ⌘ Read more
Physicists’ search for a theory that explains all reality in one framework appeared to have stalled. But now they are reinvigorating the hunt by exploring a wild landscape of abstract geometry ⌘ Read more
In space, growing plants could be important for food, oxygen and even astronauts' psychological well-being – but growing anything beyond Earth is more difficult than it might seem ⌘ Read more
A Chinese company is building wind turbines with 131-metre-long blades, the longest ever used in an onshore power plant ⌘ Read more
Making a strange state of matter called a time crystal inside a quantum computer helped researchers stabilise a fragile quantum state inspired by Schrödinger’s cat ⌘ Read more
Menstrual cycles change over time, but the menopause, and the time leading up to it, particularly alters their length and variability ⌘ Read more
A robot that can learn to open most types of doors, cabinets, drawers and refrigerators – without human direction – may pave the way for your future robot butler ⌘ Read more
From how well they work to side effects such as hair loss, here’s the skinny on new weight loss injections that work by blocking a hormone that normally reduces appetite ⌘ Read more
An analysis of satellite observations has identified some extreme thunderstorms over the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Mexico with lightning flashes so frequent that the sky would appear continuously lit ⌘ Read more
Researchers have recreated the hybridisation of two wild yeast species that led to the first lager yeasts, generating new varieties that could make beer with a range of new flavours ⌘ Read more
People with blue eyes may have better sight in dim conditions than those with brown eyes, which could explain why the colour has persisted in certain populations ⌘ Read more
A Greek philosopher’s musings on pleasure, contained in ancient papyrus scrolls buried by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption 2000 years ago, have been rediscovered with the help of AI ⌘ Read more
For decades we thought the Irish elk’s body size alone explained why it had enormous antlers, but the truth may be more complicated ⌘ Read more
Lightning strikes during volcanic eruptions could have provided nitrogen in a form that was needed by early life forms ⌘ Read more
Five storms in the past decade had wind speeds that belong in a hypothetical category 6 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale ⌘ Read more
The US National Ignition Facility has achieved even higher energy yields since breaking even for the first time in 2022, but a practical fusion reactor is still a long way off ⌘ Read more
Earth’s air temperature passed the agreed 1.5°C warming limit around 2010, according to measurements from the skeletons of sea sponges in the Caribbean, but some climate scientists aren't convinced ⌘ Read more
DNA sampling is revealing fungi thriving throughout the oceans, from hydrothermal vents to the open seas. They might even help tackle antibiotic resistance and clear up plastic pollution ⌘ Read more
There were 69 unprovoked shark attacks on people and 10 fatalities in 2023 worldwide, with four of the deaths occurring in Australia ⌘ Read more
As the US military begins integrating AI technology, simulated wargames show how chatbots behave unpredictably and risk nuclear escalation ⌘ Read more
Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle have previously been blamed for "brain fog", but new research finds they have no effect on verbal or spatial skills ⌘ Read more
Converting hundreds of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach into mathematical networks reveals that they store lots of information and convey it very effectively ⌘ Read more
Large proportions of users posting on Twitter – now X – about the Chinese balloon that drifted over the US and Canada in 2023 were bots attempting to shape the debate ⌘ Read more
Researchers studying fruit fly egg cells have discovered that they stir up the fluid inside them with a twister-like current ⌘ Read more
A nationwide electronic warfare system called Pokrova can disrupt satellite navigation – Ukraine may already be using it to prevent strikes by Russian drones and missiles, but doing so will also affect satnavs in the country ⌘ Read more
Plastics from organic sources are touted as environmentally friendly, but they appear to make an appealing meal for some marine creatures ⌘ Read more
Preparations are underway for a third attempted launch of the enormous Starship rocket after the first two test flights both ended in explosions ⌘ Read more
Through experiments in macaques, scientists have mapped how a range of organs - including the heart, liver and skin - change their interactions during pregnancy, and they expect much of this will also apply in people ⌘ Read more
Molecules called photoacids could offer a more energy-efficient way to release carbon dioxide captured from the air in order to store or reuse it ⌘ Read more
A layered material reflects infrared and visible light to mimic the appearance of leaves, and could be used to camouflage objects against foliage in forest settings ⌘ Read more
Shiba inus and miniature dachshunds are among the longest-lived dog breeds while flat-faced dogs tend to die younger, a comprehensive study of UK pets has found ⌘ Read more
From a new Jasper Fforde to post-apocalyptic hellscapes aplenty, February’s science fiction offers something for everyone ⌘ Read more
Tiny male anglerfish fuse their bodies into the larger females, and this strange strategy may have helped the fish diversify widely in the deep sea ⌘ Read more
The abundance of wild birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and insects has drastically declined over the past 50 years, but the scale and seriousness of this loss is often lost when we focus on the number of species in an area ⌘ Read more
A wrist-worn heart tracker called WHOOP detected changes in activity during pregnancy that may be linked to premature births ⌘ Read more
Experiments with a replica suggest that a piece of mammoth ivory with carved holes found in a cave in Germany was used by ancient humans to make ropes ⌘ Read more