https://www.theguardian.com/science Latest Science news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 Fri, 17 Jul 2026 04:22:44 GMT 2026-07-17T04:22:44Z en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.png https://www.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/buzz-aldrin-apollo-astronaut-mission-felt-tip-pen-auction <p>Second man on moon’s Duro Rocket pen, crucial to Apollo 11 return, reaches astronomical sum at Sotheby’s auction</p><p>The felt-tip pen <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/buzz-aldrin">Buzz Aldrin</a> used to fix a broken circuit-breaker and escape from the moon in 1969 has sold at auction in New York for more than $850,000 (£630,000).</p><p>The dented silver plastic Duro Rocket pen – used by the second man on the moon to save Neil Armstrong and himself from being “stuck on the moon for ever” – had a sale price estimated <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2026/space-exploration-2/apollo-11-16">by Sotheby’s</a> at between $800,000 and $1.2m and went for $857,600 after being pursued by five bidders. The victor got the broken piece of circuit breaker, too, as part of the lot. Both came from Aldrin’s personal collection.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/buzz-aldrin-apollo-astronaut-mission-felt-tip-pen-auction">Continue reading...</a> Buzz Aldrin Space Apollo 11 US news Science World news The moon Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:17:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/buzz-aldrin-apollo-astronaut-mission-felt-tip-pen-auction Photograph: Neil Armstrong/AP Photograph: Neil Armstrong/AP Photograph: Neil Armstrong/AP Paul Owen 2026-07-15T15:17:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/16/can-a-world-first-gene-therapy-reverse-ageing-podcast <p>The first person has been treated with a highly anticipated new gene therapy that aims to turn back the clock on ageing cells. The trial is aimed at retinal cells, with the hope that encouraging them to behave as if they were young again could improve sight in the affected patients. If it proves to be safe, it could open the door to a whole raft of therapies based on the emerging field of cellular rejuvenation. To understand more about this cutting edge research, Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and from Paul Knoepfler, professor of cell biology and human anatomy at the university of California, Davis.</p><p><a href="https://theguardian.com/sciencepod">Support the Guardian</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/16/can-a-world-first-gene-therapy-reverse-ageing-podcast">Continue reading...</a> Science Ageing Biology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:00:13 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/16/can-a-world-first-gene-therapy-reverse-ageing-podcast Photograph: Alexey Kotelnikov/Alamy Photograph: Alexey Kotelnikov/Alamy Photograph: Alexey Kotelnikov/Alamy Presented by Madeleine Finlay, with Ian Sample, produced by Ellie Sans, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer was Ellie Bury 2026-07-16T04:00:13Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/deep-sea-expedition-builds-digital-twins-shipwrecks-scott-shackleton <p>Canadian scientists visit remains of polar exploration vessels in ‘golden era for shipwreck investigating’</p><p>Moments after devouring the final glimmers of light, the seafloor offered nothing but darkness and silt. Then the bow appeared.</p><p>More than 1,000ft (305 metres) below the surface of the Labrador Sea, off the coast of Canada, the skeleton of the final ship used by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/feb/06/how-ernest-shackletons-icy-adventure-was-frozen-in-time-antarctica">famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton</a> appeared in its silty grave.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/deep-sea-expedition-builds-digital-twins-shipwrecks-scott-shackleton">Continue reading...</a> Science Canada Americas World news Marine life Environment Exploration Oceans Technology Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:49 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/deep-sea-expedition-builds-digital-twins-shipwrecks-scott-shackleton Photograph: Royal Geographical Society/Getty Images Photograph: Royal Geographical Society/Getty Images Photograph: Royal Geographical Society/Getty Images Leyland Cecco in Toronto 2026-07-15T08:00:49Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/14/ancient-dna-analysis-reveals-upton-lovell-shaman-was-woman-wiltshire <p>Exclusive: Analysis offers ‘smoking gun evidence’ that overturns previous assumption that bronze age individual was male</p><p>The Upton Lovell Shaman, a bronze age individual who has been depicted in museum exhibits as a bearded spiritual leader and metalworker, was female, an ancient DNA analysis has revealed.</p><p>The 4,000-year-old skeleton, along with the extensive collection of stone axes, metalworking tools and the remains of an elaborate ceremonial cloak found in the grave, is viewed as among the most significant bronze age burials in Britain.</p><p><em><a href="https://tracking.vuelio.co.uk/tracking/click?d=SncqCPNIGrj16EQ8jbYrOjuFkKgFXIxGqeeihoH0M7Ou7tE4xqrGRf5VHLwGSyEhTO30wfUYWtVPxbrnIgRBaYfMbJO_gbPo8bPkueVKGk46RlyjFVO_CnURRWeKk8kU3Kqx48C9IP6ZZsPvRFAs3AD-alBexn1kwPbMWG9Z020NphhpaIH6ubrcegnj2thlNQ2">We Go Way Back</a> opens at the Francis Crick Institute on 16 July</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/14/ancient-dna-analysis-reveals-upton-lovell-shaman-was-woman-wiltshire">Continue reading...</a> Archaeology Museums Wiltshire Science UK news Exhibitions Culture Women Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:01:47 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/14/ancient-dna-analysis-reveals-upton-lovell-shaman-was-woman-wiltshire Photograph: Wiltshire Museum Photograph: Wiltshire Museum Photograph: Wiltshire Museum Hannah Devlin Science Correspondent 2026-07-14T19:01:47Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/plantwatch-mushroom-hallucinogen-lanmaoa-asiatica <p>Anyone eating <em>Lanmaoa asiatica </em>could have visions for days of tiny people running and jumping around</p><p><em>Lanmaoa asiatica</em> is a bolete mushroom, prized for its delicious taste and hugely popular in Yunnan province, China, where it is found growing in a symbiotic relationship with pine trees. But anyone eating the mushroom needs to be careful because it also gives hallucinations of lots of tiny people about 2cm tall wearing brightly coloured clothes, all jumping, running, climbing and being generally playful, but in a normal, real-world setting.</p><p>The hallucinations are reminiscent of the small people in the hit BBC series <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/09/small-prophets-review-mackenzie-crooks-magical-new-comedy-is-pure-pure-pleasure">Small Prophets</a>, although without their psychic powers. Despite the powerful visions it brings, <em>Lanmaoa</em> is completely unrelated to Psilocybes, or “magic mushrooms”, which give wide-ranging hallucinations for a few hours triggered by the chemical psilocybin.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/plantwatch-mushroom-hallucinogen-lanmaoa-asiatica">Continue reading...</a> Fungi Science Plants Environment Biology Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:00:46 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/plantwatch-mushroom-hallucinogen-lanmaoa-asiatica Photograph: Imaginechina Limited/Alamy Photograph: Imaginechina Limited/Alamy Photograph: Imaginechina Limited/Alamy Paul Simons 2026-07-15T05:00:46Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/jul/14/human-hibernation-space-mars <p>Scientists are trying to recreate the biology that lets animals survive months without food or water, in hopes of making deep-space travel possible</p><p>Long-term space travel is bad for your health. Very bad. Being in space exposes humans to dangerously high levels of radiation; extended exposure to microgravity can damage a range of organ systems, including muscles, bones and eyes. Living for months or years in tight quarters can have severe psychological effects.</p><p>The key to solving these problems could be a 250m-year-old physiological strategy that allows mammals, birds, fish and other animals to survive extreme scarcity by essentially going offline: hibernation. When they hibernate, animals almost completely switch off their bodily functions; they don’t eat, drink or move, and just as importantly, aren’t hungry, or thirsty and don’t seem to suffer from the cold. This remarkable ability could prove crucial in helping humans get to Mars and beyond – and could also help save lives on Earth.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/jul/14/human-hibernation-space-mars">Continue reading...</a> Science Space Medical research Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:24 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/jul/14/human-hibernation-space-mars Photograph: Space Frontiers/Getty Images Photograph: Space Frontiers/Getty Images Photograph: Space Frontiers/Getty Images David Kohn 2026-07-14T11:00:24Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/14/t-rex-skeleton-sothebys-auction-new-york-scientists <p>Palaeontologists warn before auction at Sotheby’s in New York that super-rich collectors are harming research</p><p>With its dagger-like teeth, bone-crushing bite and behemothic size, the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex ruled western North America during the late Cretaceous period. Now its fossilised remains are about to dominate the auction house, with a price tag to terrify punters.</p><p>On Tuesday, one of the largest and most complete T rex skeletons discovered to date is to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York with an estimated sale price of $20m-$30m (£15m-£22.4m).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/14/t-rex-skeleton-sothebys-auction-new-york-scientists">Continue reading...</a> Dinosaurs Palaeontology Fossils Science US news World news Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:00:20 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/14/t-rex-skeleton-sothebys-auction-new-york-scientists Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Nicola Davis Science correspondent 2026-07-14T04:00:20Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/13/natural-sugar-cloud-dust-gas-milky-way-erythrulose <p>Detection of erythrulose shows compounds that are key to life can form in expanse between stars</p><p>A natural sugar found in raspberries and used in fake tan lotions has been detected in an enormous cloud of dust and gas that lurks near the heart of the Milky Way.</p><p>The discovery does not suggest that the galaxy revolves around a distant civilisation of pale, safety-conscious frugivores, but shows that compounds important for life can form in the frigid expanse between the stars.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/13/natural-sugar-cloud-dust-gas-milky-way-erythrulose">Continue reading...</a> Science Astronomy Alien life Space World news Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:50 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/13/natural-sugar-cloud-dust-gas-milky-way-erythrulose Photograph: NASA/Reuters Photograph: NASA/Reuters Photograph: NASA/Reuters Ian Sample Science editor 2026-07-13T15:00:50Z https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/12/record-breaking-ebola-treatment-trial-drc <p>Two drugs are being trialled in the Ituri region in a programme set up just six weeks after the outbreak was declared, with hopes it will reduce mortality rates</p><p>There is no approved drug to help the medical teams scrabbling to save lives in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – but there are hopes that could change within months as the first patients are enrolled in a treatment trial.</p><p>It is a record pace to set up and start this kind of research, scientists said, with patients enrolled just six weeks after the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2026-epidemic-of-ebola-disease-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-and-uganda-determined-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern">outbreak being declared a public health emergency</a> of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 17 May.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/12/record-breaking-ebola-treatment-trial-drc">Continue reading...</a> Global health Ebola Global development World news Infectious diseases Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa Medical research Science Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:12 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/12/record-breaking-ebola-treatment-trial-drc Photograph: Michel Lunanga/Getty Images Photograph: Michel Lunanga/Getty Images Photograph: Michel Lunanga/Getty Images Kat Lay, Global health correspondent and Prosper Heri in Bunia 2026-07-12T08:00:12Z https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2026/jul/11/spermageddon-world-facing-male-reproductive-crisis <p>Reports of falling sperm counts and testosterone levels have fuelled fears over chemicals, pollution and modern lifestyles. But how much do scientists agree on what is affecting male fertility?</p><p>The world is unwittingly walking into a male reproductive crisis, scientists warned this week as they presented data that revealed an apparent <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/07/mens-average-testosterone-levels-have-halved-in-last-50-years-say-scientists">halving of average male testosterone levels</a> over the past 50 years.</p><p>“It<em> </em>is mind-blowing that testosterone has declined by 50%,” Prof Hagai Levine, who led the work, told the Guardian. “This is a lot. Wake up people. Wake up.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2026/jul/11/spermageddon-world-facing-male-reproductive-crisis">Continue reading...</a> Men's health Fertility problems Men Medical research Reproduction Biology Health Science Society Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:09:36 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2026/jul/11/spermageddon-world-facing-male-reproductive-crisis Illustration: Anaïs Mims/Guardian Design Illustration: Anaïs Mims/Guardian Design Illustration: Anaïs Mims/Guardian Design Hannah Devlin Science correspondent 2026-07-11T06:09:36Z https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/08/health-who-global-persistent-inequities-progress-cancer-prevention-diagnosis-treatment-care <p>The disease will touch 92% of people globally, finds annual review, while ‘persistent’ inequities found to exist in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care</p><p>Remarkable scientific progress against cancer has changed very little for millions of patients globally, who face devastating physical, emotional and financial consequences after diagnosis, a new World Health Organization report has warned.</p><p>One person in five will develop cancer, according to WHO estimates, and the disease will touch 92% of people, either through their own diagnosis or that of a close family member.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/08/health-who-global-persistent-inequities-progress-cancer-prevention-diagnosis-treatment-care">Continue reading...</a> Global health Global development Cancer Cancer research Health Medical research World Health Organization World news Science Society Inequality and development Inequality Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:32 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/08/health-who-global-persistent-inequities-progress-cancer-prevention-diagnosis-treatment-care Photograph: Adri Salido/Getty Images Photograph: Adri Salido/Getty Images Photograph: Adri Salido/Getty Images Kat Lay, Global health correspondent 2026-07-08T12:00:32Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/15/ai-consciousness-anthropic-claude-dawkins <p>Despite Anthropic’s claims, Claude is no more likely to achieve sentience than a simulation of a weather system is likely to generate a real hurricane</p><p>For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the prospect of creating artificial beings in our own image. Of developing synthetic minds and artificial bodies that not only think but also feel, and are both intelligent and conscious. For the vast majority of this time, this prospect seemed very distant; a topic for science fiction and philosophy, not for the here and now. But over the past few years, the rapid rise of AI – and especially of language models – has changed everything.</p><p>Last week, the frontier AI firm Anthropic <a href="https://transformer-circuits.pub/2026/workspace/index.html">published new research on its language model</a>, Claude, in which the researchers claimed to find signs of consciousness emerging within its inner workings. They didn’t claim that Claude is actually conscious in the same way that humans are, but the findings certainly upped the ante on the possibility of consciousness arising in AI.</p><p>Anil Seth is professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex, and co-director of the Sussex centre for consciousness science. He is the author of <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/being-you-9780571337729/">Being You</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/15/ai-consciousness-anthropic-claude-dawkins">Continue reading...</a> AI (artificial intelligence) Consciousness Science Computing Neuroscience Anthropic Technology Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:00:47 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/15/ai-consciousness-anthropic-claude-dawkins Photograph: Mark Garlick/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF Photograph: Mark Garlick/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF Photograph: Mark Garlick/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF Anil Seth 2026-07-15T06:00:47Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/14/sun-health-outdoors-heatwave-daylight-science <p>Extreme exposure<strong> </strong>should be avoided, but we’ve gone too far the other way – enjoyed safely, the sun can have enormous health benefits</p><p>High summer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/summer">has returned to the UK</a>, and with it, the usual warnings about the dangers of sunlight and reminders to seek shade and cover up. After years of such advice, most members of the public naturally assume that the science connecting sun exposure to poor health is well established, so people are often shocked to learn that the opposite is true: those who spend more time in the sun tend to be healthier. A <em>lot</em> healthier.</p><p>I know because I began researching the subject nine years ago after stumbling upon some studies – and I’ve stayed on the case ever since, now summarising everything we know in my new book, <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/in-defense-of-sunlight-9781668092163?utm_source=editoriallink&amp;utm_medium=merch&amp;utm_campaign=article">In Defense of Sunlight</a>. It contains good news for many people: we don’t have to fear the sun nearly as much as we thought. In fact, most of us could benefit from a bit more exposure.</p><p>Rowan Jacobsen is a former Knight Science Journalism Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a media fellow at the Nova Institute for Health in Baltimore. His book <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/in-defense-of-sunlight-9781668092163?utm_source=editoriallink&amp;utm_medium=merch&amp;utm_campaign=article">In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure</a> is published this month</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/14/sun-health-outdoors-heatwave-daylight-science">Continue reading...</a> The sun Cancer Extreme heat Summer UK weather Science Health Society UK news Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:00:23 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/14/sun-health-outdoors-heatwave-daylight-science Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA Rowan Jacobsen 2026-07-14T07:00:23Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/13/can-a-power-phrase-turn-a-spineless-worm-like-me-into-a-go-getter-i-doubt-it-but-its-worth-a-shot <p>The psychotherapist Amy Morin says uttering a ‘short, positive sentence’ can offer the cognitive reset we need. The idea makes me cringe – but then I can barely cope with returning defective trousers</p><p>Are you dreading a high-stakes meeting, a challenging professional task or an awkward conversation? I’m not, because I’m a craven coward who has dodged that kind of unpleasantness for years. If only I had a “power phrase” to activate, maybe things would have been different.</p><p>That is the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amy-morin-mental-strength-two-minute-reset-power-phrase-2026-7">psychotherapist Amy Morin’s advice</a> for dealing with sticky situations. The author of The Mental Strength Playbook, Morin explained in Business Insider that a “short, positive sentence you say to yourself in the moment” is an effective two-minute cognitive reset. She used hers, she says, while answering challenging questions to land her book deal: “I activated my power phrase and told myself, <em>I’m a strong, straightforward communicator.</em>”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/13/can-a-power-phrase-turn-a-spineless-worm-like-me-into-a-go-getter-i-doubt-it-but-its-worth-a-shot">Continue reading...</a> Psychology Science Health & wellbeing Life and style Happiness Mental health Health Society Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:00:44 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/13/can-a-power-phrase-turn-a-spineless-worm-like-me-into-a-go-getter-i-doubt-it-but-its-worth-a-shot Photograph: monzenmachi/Getty Images/iStockphoto Photograph: monzenmachi/Getty Images/iStockphoto Photograph: monzenmachi/Getty Images/iStockphoto Emma Beddington 2026-07-13T10:00:44Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/12/learn-another-language-french-restaurant-service-multilingual <p>I love busting out a French subjunctive in pursuit of better restaurant service, so it’s a joy to discover there’s a neuroscientific upside to being multilingual</p><p>It’s hard to pick a favourite PG Wodehouse line, but the one I’m perhaps most fond of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/332816-into-the-face-of-the-young-man-who-sat-on">is this</a>: “Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to speak French.”</p><p>It’s funny, but it also succinctly captures something that I have long felt about language acquisition, which is that in order to truly embrace learning another tongue, you have to be prepared to look foolish and vulnerable. (Why that can be so difficult for the English – a monoglot minority on a largely bilingual planet – is another article entirely.) More people will perhaps be prepared to endure that humbling process now, as new research has found that learning another language can <a href="https://www.fens.org/news-activities/news/speaking-another-language-could-slow-ageing-in-the-brain">slow ageing in the brain by up to 13 years</a>. Multilingualism, it is thought, promotes brain connectivity and slows its decline with age.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/12/learn-another-language-french-restaurant-service-multilingual">Continue reading...</a> Languages Neuroscience Education Linguistics Science UK news Sun, 12 Jul 2026 05:00:10 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/12/learn-another-language-french-restaurant-service-multilingual Photograph: Jan Wlodarczyk/Alamy Photograph: Jan Wlodarczyk/Alamy Photograph: Jan Wlodarczyk/Alamy Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett 2026-07-12T05:00:10Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/14/fungi-the-invisible-force-protecting-our-planet-podcast <p>Scientists often talk about the importance of flora and fauna to the health of our planet, but Dr Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist and founder of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, wants us to consider another force: fungi. Her work charting the planet’s vital underground systems has earned her numerous awards, including a MacArthur fellowship and a Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (sometimes called the ‘green’ Nobel). She tells Ian Sample about her work mapping fungal networks on the remote Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, and what the research reveals about fungi’s often invisible role</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/11/arbuscular-mycorrhizal-fungi-plant-life-climate-global-mapping-study">Subterranean fungi networks more than 100 quadrillion km in length, study finds</a></p><p>Support the Guardian: <a href="http://theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/14/fungi-the-invisible-force-protecting-our-planet-podcast">Continue reading...</a> Fungi Science Pacific islands Biology Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:00:19 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/14/fungi-the-invisible-force-protecting-our-planet-podcast Photograph: SPUN Photograph: SPUN Photograph: SPUN Presented by Ian Sample; produced by Madeleine Finlay; sound design by Joel Cox; executive producer Ellie Bury 2026-07-14T04:00:19Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/09/is-male-testosterone-in-freefall-podcast <p>Men’s average testosterone levels have halved over the past 50 years, according to scientists who say society is facing a male fertility crisis. Rising levels of obesity and diabetes are expected to play a part, but the team behind the work suggest that environmental factors such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals – which can be found in various household items – and global heating could also be factors in the apparent striking decline. Ian Sample speaks to science correspondent Hannah Devlin to find out how the work has been received and what the researchers want to see happen in response to their finding</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/07/mens-average-testosterone-levels-have-halved-in-last-50-years-say-scientists">Men’s average testosterone levels have halved in last 50 years, say scientists</a></strong></p><p>Support the Guardian: <a href="http://theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/09/is-male-testosterone-in-freefall-podcast">Continue reading...</a> Science Men Men's health Thu, 09 Jul 2026 04:00:52 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/09/is-male-testosterone-in-freefall-podcast Photograph: Eugene Sergeev/Alamy Photograph: Eugene Sergeev/Alamy Photograph: Eugene Sergeev/Alamy Presented by Ian Sample, with Hannah Devlin, produced by Madeleine Finlay, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer was Ellie Bury 2026-07-09T04:00:52Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/07/a-break-from-scrolling-how-gen-z-fell-in-love-with-birding-podcast <p>In the last 50 years, Britain has lost an astonishing 73 million wild birds from its landscape, according to the British Trust for Ornithology. Habitat loss, pesticides, disease, cats and the climate crisis mean there are fewer birds than ever before. For children and young people it can be difficult to appreciate the scale of the loss due to a psychological phenomenon called ‘shifting baseline syndrome’, where each generation inherits a degraded version of the environment, and therefore doesn’t notice the overall decline. But Gen Z are bucking the trend. Thanks to social media and the Merlin Bird ID app, birding has become cool. To find out what we’re missing from the dawn chorus, and why <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/01/birdwatching-boom-britain-nature-gen-z-rspb-environment">young people are embracing birdwatching</a>, Madeleine Finlay hears from the writer Robert Macfarlane and from Jess Painter, a member of the RSPB’s youth council</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/03/dawn-chorus-uk-birdsong-50-years-audio-landscape">Listen to Britain’s dawn chorus of 1976: the dramatic loss of birdsong in 50 years</a></strong></p><p><strong><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-book-of-birds-9780241404737/">To support the Guardian order The Book of Birds from Guardian Bookshop</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/07/a-break-from-scrolling-how-gen-z-fell-in-love-with-birding-podcast">Continue reading...</a> Science Environment Biodiversity Wildlife Conservation Birds Animals Tue, 07 Jul 2026 04:00:30 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2026/jul/07/a-break-from-scrolling-how-gen-z-fell-in-love-with-birding-podcast Photograph: Edo Schmidt/Alamy Photograph: Edo Schmidt/Alamy Photograph: Edo Schmidt/Alamy Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay, with additional production by Ellie Sans, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer was Ellie Bury 2026-07-07T04:00:30Z https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jun/25/armageddon-physicist-carlo-rovelli-nuclear-apocalypse <p>In a chilling new book, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli says we’re back on the brink – and this time, leaders chronically lack the nous of Kennedy and Khrushchev. So why is he against rearming?</p><p>Should European members of Nato be rearming in the face of the Russian threat? And if not, I ask Carlo Rovelli, why not? The Italian theoretical physicist seems a good person to answer these questions since his timely new book, 85 Seconds to Midnight, is subtitled A Physicist’s Argument against Rearmament.</p><p>Rovelli, 70, brown eyed, genial, with enviably luxuriant grey locks, removes his glasses before answering. “The idea of the Russian military being a threat to Europe is ridiculous. Russia can’t even get to Kyiv! A few years ago, Russia had 4% of the world’s military spending and Nato had 40%.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jun/25/armageddon-physicist-carlo-rovelli-nuclear-apocalypse">Continue reading...</a> Books Science Nuclear weapons Physics Weapons technology Culture Thu, 25 Jun 2026 04:00:04 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jun/25/armageddon-physicist-carlo-rovelli-nuclear-apocalypse Photograph: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images Photograph: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images Photograph: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images Stuart Jeffries 2026-06-25T04:00:04Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/16/atmosphere-lhs-1140b-exoplanet-could-water-scientists <p>Scientists discover the first confirmed atmosphere around rocky planet outside our solar system that is within the habitable zone</p><p>The search for life outside our solar system has taken another twist as researchers revealed they have discovered an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet 49 light years away that could have liquid water on its surface.</p><p>Atmospheres have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/24/water-small-warm-planet-atmosphere">previously been found</a> around gas giant exoplanets as well as “sub-Neptunes”. There have also been signs of such envelopes around rocky exoplanets that sit outside their <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-webb-hints-at-possible-atmosphere-surrounding-rocky-exoplanet/">star’s habitable zone</a> – a region in which liquid water could exist on the planet’s surface, and hence potentially support life.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/16/atmosphere-lhs-1140b-exoplanet-could-water-scientists">Continue reading...</a> Space Exoplanets Planets Science Astronomy World news Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:00:45 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/16/atmosphere-lhs-1140b-exoplanet-could-water-scientists Photograph: Melissa Weiss/CfA Photograph: Melissa Weiss/CfA Photograph: Melissa Weiss/CfA Nicola Davis Science correspondent 2026-07-16T18:00:45Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/deaf-people-excluded-from-gene-editing-debate <p>There is no majority support for use of gene editing on non-life-threatening conditions, writes <strong>Tom Lichy</strong> of the British Deaf Association</p><p>Your editorial (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/05/the-guardian-view-on-gene-edited-humans-darker-uses-must-be-acknowledged-alongside-medical-ones">The Guardian view on gene-edited humans: darker uses must be acknowledged alongside medical ones, 5 July</a>) offers welcome support to those expressing concern about the lack of public dialogue on gene-edited humans. These concerns are exacerbated when some scientists&nbsp;view the use of germline editing to eradicate hereditary conditions as inevitable.</p><p>The new polling for the Progress Educational Trust reported in your editorial indicates that the UK public agrees with the use of gene editing to correct life‑threatening genetic conditions. No such majority supports use for conditions such as deafness which are not remotely life-threatening.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/deaf-people-excluded-from-gene-editing-debate">Continue reading...</a> Gene editing Genetics Deafness and hearing loss Science Society UK news Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:51:56 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/15/deaf-people-excluded-from-gene-editing-debate Photograph: Aleksandr Davydov/Alamy Photograph: Aleksandr Davydov/Alamy Photograph: Aleksandr Davydov/Alamy Guardian Staff 2026-07-15T16:51:56Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/did-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant <p>The answer to today’s puzzle</p><p>Earlier today I set you this puzzle about an imaginary game show.</p><p>At the end of the show two people will be chosen and each placed in a separate booth.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/did-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant">Continue reading...</a> Mathematics Mathematics Education Science Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:00:14 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/did-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant Photograph: Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images Photograph: Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images Photograph: Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images Alex Bellos 2026-07-06T16:00:14Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/can-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant <p>A probability puzzle</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/did-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant">UPDATE: Read the solution here</a></p><p>Today’s puzzle imagines a TV game show.</p><p>The compere announces that at the end of the show two people will be chosen and each placed in a separate booth.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/can-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant">Continue reading...</a> Mathematics Mathematics Education Science Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:10:03 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/06/can-you-solve-it-this-tv-show-is-flipping-brilliant Photograph: CNCCRAY/Alamy Photograph: CNCCRAY/Alamy Photograph: CNCCRAY/Alamy Alex Bellos 2026-07-06T06:10:03Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/did-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences <p>The solutions to today’s puzzles – and the winner of the Anguish Languish contest</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/can-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences">Earlier today </a>I set these three puzzles about deception. Here they are again with solutions.</p><p><strong>1. Super syllabus</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/did-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences">Continue reading...</a> Mathematics Mathematics Education Science Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:59:53 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/did-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences Photograph: AaronAmat/Getty Images Photograph: AaronAmat/Getty Images Photograph: AaronAmat/Getty Images Alex Bellos 2026-06-22T15:59:53Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/can-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences <p>When numbers and sounds are not what they seem</p><p>Today’s puzzles – and prize draw! – are about different types of deception.</p><p><strong>1. Super syllabus</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/can-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences">Continue reading...</a> Mathematics Mathematics Education Science Mon, 22 Jun 2026 06:10:51 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/22/can-you-solve-it-dotty-data-and-silly-sentences Photograph: LagunaticPhoto/Getty Images Photograph: LagunaticPhoto/Getty Images Photograph: LagunaticPhoto/Getty Images Alex Bellos 2026-06-22T06:10:51Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jun/10/this-one-danced-and-snaked-nasa-astronaut-captures-aurora-australis-from-space-video <p>Nasa astronaut Jessica Meir, part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, released a timelapse showing the southern lights as seen from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. They appear near the poles because Earth's magnetic field channels charged particles from the sun toward those regions, where they collide with the atmosphere and create shimmering curtains of colour. 'As opposed to the previous aurora I’ve seen, this one danced and snaked its way directly below us, putting on quite a show. I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon,' Meir wrote on social media</p><p></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jun/10/this-one-danced-and-snaked-nasa-astronaut-captures-aurora-australis-from-space-video">Continue reading...</a> Nasa SpaceX Wed, 10 Jun 2026 01:20:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jun/10/this-one-danced-and-snaked-nasa-astronaut-captures-aurora-australis-from-space-video Photograph: NASA/Jessica Meir Photograph: NASA/Jessica Meir Photograph: NASA/Jessica Meir 2026-06-10T01:20:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jun/09/nasa-unveils-astronaut-crew-for-artemis-iii-mission-video <p>Nasa revealed the crew for its Artemis III mission in Houston on Tuesday, the next step in the US space agency’s plan to eventually land astronauts on the moon. The announcement came two months after Artemis II’s record-breaking trip around the moon that surpassed the maximum distance achieved by Apollo 13. Nasa’s Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas and the European Space Agency’s Luca Parmitano will orbit Earth while practising docking their Orion capsule with two lunar landers</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/09/artemis-iii-crew-nasa-moon">‘Earth’s first starfleet’: Nasa reveals Artemis III crew and project’s next steps</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jun/09/nasa-unveils-astronaut-crew-for-artemis-iii-mission-video">Continue reading...</a> Nasa Space The moon Science European Space Agency Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:21:07 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jun/09/nasa-unveils-astronaut-crew-for-artemis-iii-mission-video Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Photograph: AFP/Getty Images 2026-06-09T18:21:07Z https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2026/jun/09/beaker-street-science-photography-prize-tasmanian-museum-gallery-in-pictures <p>The 12 finalists will be exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery during <a href="https://www.beakerstreet.com.au/">Beaker Street festival</a> from 6 to 17 August, including images of newborn fish, a native wasp and satellite trails across the night sky</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/mar/31/liss-fenwick-colony-old-books-termites-in-pictures">The language of termites: Liss Fenwick’s The Colony – in pictures</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2026/jun/09/beaker-street-science-photography-prize-tasmanian-museum-gallery-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a> Science Photography Art and design Animals Wildlife Marine life Insects Australia news Tasmania Environment Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:38 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2026/jun/09/beaker-street-science-photography-prize-tasmanian-museum-gallery-in-pictures Photograph: Francisco Albergoli Photograph: Francisco Albergoli Photograph: Francisco Albergoli Guardian Staff 2026-06-09T00:00:38Z