“Earth get brighter every year but progression is volatile.”
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.com).
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Today
Covid, light pollution regulations and faltering global economy affect location and intensity of brightness Earth continues to get brighter every year, researchers have found, but the location and intensity of the progression has become increasingly volatile because of Covid-19, regulations on light pollution, and a faltering global economy. Nasa-funded researchers at the University of Connecticu
Yesterday
Scientists say finding is ‘very concerning’ as collapse would be catastrophic for Europe, Africa and the Americas The critical Atlantic current system appears significantly more likely to collapse than previously thought after new research found that climate models predicting the biggest slowdown are the most realistic. Scientists called the new finding “very concerning” as a collapse would have
Apr 16, 2026
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This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading…
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My friend and colleague Chris Walton, who has died aged 69 of brain cancer, was a biologist and lecturer at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire. He had a passion for getting things to work in the real world; consequently he was widely regarded by his colleagues as an honorary engineer. Chris studied volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in matrices including breath, sweat, blood, urine and faeces, fin
Scientists who analysed nearly 16,000 ancient remains suggest red hair and fair skin is favoured for vitamin D production People with red hair who have put up with teasing or “fiery” stereotypes may be pleased to learn that they appear to be winners from an evolutionary perspective. A large genetics study has revealed that, in Europe, the gene for red hair has been actively selected for more than
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For his project ‘De Oförtrutna’ (The Relentless), photographer Christer Björkman pictured Swedish scientists working in the spirit of Carl Linnaeus , the botanist who created the modern taxonomic system that classifies organisms based on appearance. Each scientist brought to the shoot a book and an item of importance to their work Continue reading…
Apr 15, 2026
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The solutions to today’s puzzles Earlier today I asked you these three puzzles. Here they are again with solutions. 1. Battleships Continue reading…
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Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and science editor Ian Sample to discuss three eye-catching stories from the week, including a review into the effectiveness of a new class of Alzheimer’s drug that was once hailed as a game-changer in slowing the progress of the disease. Also on the agenda is the news that the world could be heading for a ‘super El Niño’ this summer and a study exploring w
Informal migration, plus climate change and rising numbers of cases globally, are complicating the tireless efforts of landlocked Eswatini to eradicate the killer disease The freezer is filled with blue-lidded tubes of cows’ blood, ready to be defrosted and used to feed the colony of mosquitoes. “Also, you can use your arm,” says Nombuso Princess Bhembe, who tends the mosquitoes at Eswatini’s nat
Data assessed from 17 clinical trials of anti-amyloid drugs found no ‘meaningful effect’ on cognitive decline Drugs that have been hailed as a gamechanger for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease make no noticeable difference to patients, according to an extensive review. The analysis of clinical trials in people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia found that the effects of anti-amylo
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Science rarely produces identical outcomes. Mistaking this for failure turns caution into an excuse for inaction A new set of studies out this month suggests that as many as half of all results published in reputable journals in the social sciences can’t be replicated by independent analysis. This is part of a long-running problem across many research fields – most visibly in the social sciences
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Prof Michael Krawczak says the required molecular genetic testing comes at a cost, but should not be ruled out as it was in a recent court case I read with great astonishment your article regarding the court of appeal’s decision on proving paternity in the case of a child whose father could be either one of a pair of monozygotic twins ( Court of appeal says it cannot rule on which identical twin
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Analysis shows whales’ coda vocalizations are ‘highly complex’ and remarkably similar to our own We may appear to have little in common with sperm whales – enormous, ocean-dwelling animals that last shared a common ancestor with humans more than 90 million years ago. But the whales’ vocalized communications are remarkably similar to our own, researchers have discovered. Not only do sperm whale ha
Apr 14, 2026
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Researchers identify wrecks at the bottom of the sea from as far back as fifth century BC, from Europe and beyond Spanish archaeologists exploring the bay that curves between the southern port of Algeciras and the Rock of Gibraltar have documented the wrecks of more than 30 ships that came to grief near the Pillars of Hercules between the fifth century BC and the second world war. Over the millen
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In eastern Brazil, Coleocephalocereus goebelianus towers above surrounding plants, making its beacon even clearer Some flowers lure bats into pollinating them by stinking like fermenting fruit, cabbage, garlic and even urine. But one cactus flower tempts bats by turning into an acoustic beacon. Bats make high-pitched squeaks, too high for humans to hear, and use the echoes when the sounds bounce
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Deal, subject to regulatory approval, would give Bezos firm access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites Amazon said on Tuesday it would acquire a satellite company in an $11.57bn deal, bolstering its own fledgling space business as it looks to take on Elon Musk-led bigger rival Starlink. The deal gives Amazon access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites, boosting the tech gia
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Large language models aren’t trained on real-life conversations. As we encounter their language, it could affect our own Because of the way they are trained, large language models capture only a slice of human language. They’re trained on the written word, from textbooks to social media posts, and our speech as captured in movies and on television. These models have minimal access to the unscript
Apr 13, 2026
Researchers examined trends in 10 global cities, with Sydney’s summer growing at two-and-a-half times the average Scientist Ted Scott could feel that summers in his home state of Minnesota were not what they used to be. With the climate crisis accelerating, Scott could feel and see the seasons changing from their usual patterns – especially summer – and he wanted to know what the data said. Conti
A skull fragment found in a tray of unsorted fossils collected more than a century ago leads to discovery Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A prehistoric fossil, hiding in plain sight in museum storage for more than a century, has revealed that giant echidnas once roamed Victoria. The Owen’s giant echidna, Megalibgw
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Alongside the oil and gas stranded in the strait of Hormuz is another commodity vital to today’s economy: helium. It is a critical element in all kinds of areas from MRI machines to the Large Hadron Collider, and even deep-sea diving. It is also integral to the AI boom. And this isn’t the first time its fragile global supply chain has been threatened. So why is helium so useful, and what will hap
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Amid growing evidence of fungi’s key role in ecosystems and storing carbon, African scientists are championing the need to preserve ‘funga’ as much as flora and fauna Madagascar has long been celebrated for its remarkable wildlife, with the vast majority of its species – from ring-tailed lemurs to certain species of baobab trees – found nowhere else on the planet. But when discussing the island n
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MASLD affects one in six people now and is projected to rise because of population growth, obesity and high blood sugar Metabolic liver disease will affect 1.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, driven by rising obesity and blood sugar levels, a study suggests. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is one of
Trump has pushed unfounded claims of Tylenol use in pregnancy being tied to ‘a very increased risk of autism’ Taking acetaminophen – known in the US by the brand name Tylenol – during pregnancy has no effect on later autism diagnoses, according to a sweeping new study from Denmark published on Monday. The Trump administration has targeted Tylenol use in pregnancy as a major cause of autism in chi
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Exclusive: Pre-chemotherapy tests previously did not look for gene variant that put some ethnicities at higher risk of serious side effects Thousands of cancer patients from minority ethnic backgrounds will have access to “groundbreaking” genetic testing on the NHS that previously discriminated against them. This routine form of genetic testing, used before chemotherapy treatment, could save the
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Participants reported enjoying the human connection regardless of whether they thought the topic was dull The human aversion to dull experiences was nailed by the author Paulo Coelho when he declared: “I can stand defeats, pain, anger. But I can’t stand boredom.” But the natural desire to avoid boring conversations comes at a cost, according to researchers, who found that people enjoyed chatting
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We send the voice of the dead across space as an act of continuity and care, while on Earth we tally the bodies. Which do we choose to become? Four people are sleeping 19,000 miles from the moon when the voice of Apollo 13’s commander arrives. “Hello, Artemis II. This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood.” Flynn Coleman is an international human rights lawyer, political
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Experts say natural kratom may offer benefits and blame synthetic derivatives for surge in poisonings noted by CDC A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that kratom poisonings have soared in the US, but experts say this is probably