Ultralight dark matter particles that behave like waves, called axions, seem to be a better match for gravitational lensing measurements than more traditional explanations for dark matter | Continue reading
The launch of SpaceX's Starship rocket, the biggest and most powerful to ever fly, didn't quite go as planned. It lifted off from the Starbase launch facility in Texas on 20 April but exploded a few minutes afterwards | Continue reading
Artificial light doesn’t actually attract insects but instead interferes with the control systems they use to orientate their body when flying | Continue reading
Europe had the hottest summer on record and the second warmest year ever in 2022, according to the latest European State of the Climate report | Continue reading
In some countries, including China, people are more likely to report being right handed if they are educated beyond secondary school level or live in a country where there may be a stigma around left-handedness | Continue reading
The element samarium has been spotted in the atmosphere of a planet called MASCARA-4b, breaking the record for heaviest element ever detected in a world beyond our solar system | Continue reading
The element samarium has been spotted in the atmosphere of a planet called MASCARA-4b, breaking the record for heaviest element ever detected in a world beyond our solar system | Continue reading
Some carnivorous plants seem to tailor the cocktail of scents they emit to the prey they want to attract, which shows that their smell plays a key role in luring insects and other creatures | Continue reading
A parasitic microorganism with tiny hair-like structures over its body called a ciliate appears to be behind the mass die-off of long-spined sea urchins across the Caribbean | Continue reading
How will we find a way through the new minefield of brain tracking and hacking? Ethicist and lawyer Nita Farahany's book is an excellent, if troubling, look at neurotechnology | Continue reading
Existential risk from AI is admittedly more speculative than pressing concerns such as its bias, but the basic solution is the same. A robust public discussion is long overdue, says David Krueger | Continue reading
Orchids seem unique in how they inspire such a devoted following, but why are these much-loved plants so diverse and widespread, wonders Penny Sarchet | Continue reading
From a firefly panorama to a howling coyote, these are some of the finalists and shortlisted photographs for the professional competition in the 2023 Sony awards | Continue reading
Marine algae could replace plastic, massively cut our carbon emissions and help feed billions of people healthily, according to an excellent new book by Vincent Doumeizel | Continue reading
Remaking a cult psychological thriller like Dead Ringers is a seriously tough ask. Amazingly, a six-parter starring Rachel Weisz as twin gynaecologists is a standalone triumph, says Bethan Ackerley | Continue reading
Sam Wong digs into the science of microwaves, dispelling some common myths – and makes a tasty mug cake in just a few minutes | Continue reading
Companies creating the new generation of chatbots and other generative AI are shy about sharing their code and data. That has to change | Continue reading
Since the 1930s, the so-called homunculus map has shown how different parts of the brain's motor cortex may control movement to different parts of the body. But it may be missing an important network | Continue reading
SpaceX’s powerful Starship rocket is due to make another launch attempt on 20 April after the first attempt was cancelled – watch the launch live here | Continue reading
Following claims that an AI has shown "sparks of artificial general intelligence", what are we to make of the hype surrounding this technology? AI expert Melanie Mitchell is your guide | Continue reading
Proposed methods of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the alkalinity of seawater using minerals such as basalt could severely affect the availability of nutrients in the deep ocean | Continue reading
If zebra finches are prevented from singing for two weeks, they sing at a lower pitch – but they soon recover once they resume daily practice | Continue reading
An experiment with beetles suggests that those deprived of nurture in their early life may devote more time to helping their own offspring | Continue reading
The long-distance speed of animals that weigh more than a tonne is limited not by their bulk but by the need to stay cool, according to an analysis of more than 500 species | Continue reading
Researchers are finally getting to grips with how children's brains pick up reading. Now the challenge is to apply this to the classroom to help kids reach their potential in literacy | Continue reading
What actually is a neural network and are AIs conscious? Here are five important questions about artificial intelligence answered | Continue reading
Procrastination can steal hours of our time, but the latest research has some answers about how to reduce it, finds David Robson in his new 60-second psychology column | Continue reading
There is no doubt that the latest advances in artificial intelligence from OpenAI, Google, Baidu and others are more impressive than what came before, but are we in just another bubble of AI hype? | Continue reading
Towering underwater kelp forests generate a potential value of $500 billion each year by providing a boost to commercial fishing, as well as nitrogen and carbon removal | Continue reading
Tumours in mice had reduced growth after brown fat, which burns sugars and other fuel that tumours need to grow, was implanted nearby. Researchers used CRISPR gene editing to convert white fat, which can be collected via liposuction, into brown fat | Continue reading
Cycling teams are beginning to plan their riders' diets using statistical models that analyse data on the route, weather conditions and individuals’ power output | Continue reading
The increasing mass of the Greenland ice sheet caused local sea level to rise more than 3 metres after Vikings colonised Greenland, flooding many settlements and contributing to their abandonment of the place | Continue reading
Remains preserved in amber from 105 million years ago are the oldest evidence of a mutually beneficial relationship between dinosaurs and arthropods | Continue reading
The latest evidence suggests that indoor air quality can be as bad as a city street at rush hour. The good news is that making a few simple changes at home can help reduce the risks to your health | Continue reading
Arthropods and molluscs dwelling on plastic and other rubbish in the middle of the Pacific Ocean seem to be part of a new type of ecological community inadvertently created by humans | Continue reading
The first test of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, was due to take place on 17 April but was cancelled due to a frozen valve | Continue reading
You have a decent chance of seeing shooting stars from anywhere in the world on 19 April and during the Lyrids meteor shower peak in the early hours of 22 and 23 April | Continue reading
Elon Musk's SpaceX is expected to launch its Starship rocket from Boca Chica, Texas, later today | Continue reading
Sunflower pollen’s spiky texture dramatically reduces the prevalence of a widespread gut parasite in eastern bumblebees | Continue reading
A programme to test robotic vehicles in the Mojave Desert shows that they can autonomously navigate rocky landscapes to get to their destination, without roads or maps | Continue reading
The songs that Australian zebra finches hear before they have hatched influence which birds they choose as singing instructors when growing up | Continue reading
You have a decent chance of seeing shooting stars from anywhere in the world on 19 April and during the Lyrids meteor shower peak in the early hours of 22 and 23 April | Continue reading
An artificial intelligence can detect if people have had at least 7 hours of sleep or just 3 hours with 77 per cent accuracy, based on the tone and rhythm of their speech | Continue reading
A well in Nebraska is the first in the world to have been drilled in search of naturally occurring geologic hydrogen, but tests to determine how much of the gas it might supply are on hold because of a broken pump | Continue reading
The US has made a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses available without prescription – it will no doubt prevent some deaths, but it’s not enough to tackle the opioid epidemic | Continue reading
Two distinct groups of neurons underlie different types of itching sensations in mice, and both work together to fuel chronic itchiness | Continue reading
The state of California is trying to eradicate invasive populations of South American nutria, whose burrows can damage levees and earthen dams | Continue reading
If you’ve been on a playground swing, you may intuitively know when to lean back to get it going higher – physicists have confirmed that perfectly timed leaning produces the most height | Continue reading