The Royal Society - Latest news

Royal Society responds to G8 science ministers' statement

14 Jun 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, responds to a statement from the G8 science ministers, which was issued following the first joint ministers and science academies meeting to be held under the G8.

G8 science ministers and national science academies meet at Royal Society

12 Jun 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society will play host today to the first ever G8 joint science ministers and national science academies meeting.

Presidents meet BBC Director-General following the Panorama programme on North Korea

06 Jun 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Following their joint statement criticising the use of academic cover in the making of the recent BBC Panorama programme on North Korea, and the possible consequent risks to academic researchers elsewhere, the Presidents of the British Academy and Royal Society met this week with the corporation’s new Director-General, Lord Hall. A report of that meeting follows below:

Academies respond to Government consultation on science and research funding

20 May 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Government’s spending decisions for the financial year 2015-16 provide an important opportunity to strengthen the role of research and innovation as drivers of UK growth and competitiveness, according to the UK’s four national academies, including the Royal Society.

Royal Society elects new Fellows for 2013

03 May 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Pioneers of the Internet, computing, climate modelling and virtual surgery are just some of the experts who have been announced as new Fellows of the Royal Society today (3 May 2013).

Royal Society announces new round of Wolfson Research Merit Awards

26 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 27 new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders.

An evening of physics and ballet at the Royal Society

25 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Last night saw the official opening of the exhibition ‘Transactions. Spain in the History of the Royal Society,’ including a special, world première performance from the English National Ballet.

A celebration of Spanish science and the Royal Society

23 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Prince of Asturias Foundation and the Royal Society join this week to celebrate the relationship between Spanish science and the Royal Society over the centuries.

More Government support for research and innovation needed to drive UK growth and prosperity

22 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Presidents of the four UK National Academies have called on Government to guarantee a stable investment framework for research and innovation over the next ten years. It is vital to increase investment in research to ensure that other countries do not overtake the UK in innovation.

Panorama and North Korea

15 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The following joint statement by Sir Adam Roberts, President of the British Academy and Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society was issued earlier today:

Eight new Royal Society Industry Fellowships connect academia and industry

12 Apr 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society announces eight new fellowships aimed at strengthening links between academia and industry. The fellowships are awarded to academic scientists who want to work on a collaborative project with industry and for scientists in industry who want to work on a collaborative project with an academic organisation.

Turing’s Universal Machine Voted Greatest British Innovation of 20th Century

25 Mar 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Over 50,000 votes have been counted and the Universal Machine has triumphed in a closely fought race to be voted the greatest British innovation of the past 100 years.

Top scientists receive Royal Society Research Professorships to fund long-term UK research

20 Mar 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Research Professorships have been awarded to three world-class scientists whose research interests cover topics ranging from climate to cognition.

Royal Society Enterprise Fund portfolio company Sphere Fluidics closes £1.6 million investment round

01 Mar 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Sphere Fluidics, an early-stage, Cambridge-based company focussing on developing novel products and services for single cell analysis, has just completed a £1.6 million investment round.

Testing prosthetic limbs in a virtual world: Personal avatars to revolutionise medicine

21 Feb 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Revolutionary digital modelling of patients will allow personalised prosthetics to be designed and tested in a completely virtual environment, according to research published in a special issue of Interface Focus today.

Royal Society announces new round of esteemed Wolfson Research Merit Awards

08 Feb 2013 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 24 new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders.

Royal Society President Sir Paul Nurse to guest edit BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme

21 Dec 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Sir Paul Nurse will act as guest editor for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday 27th December 2012.

The Royal Society’s oil paintings join unique national online collection

13 Dec 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Today images of the 190 oil paintings from the Royal Society’s collections have been posted live on the BBC ‘Your Paintings’ website joining artworks from public and other institutions.

Royal Society Fellows share world’s biggest science prizes

12 Dec 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Three Royal Society Fellows are among the recipients of two £1.8 million special prizes awarded by the Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation.

New wound healing technology wins Royal Society innovation prize

06 Dec 2012 09:30:00 GMT

New technology that could significantly improve wound healing in people such as those suffering from diabetes, the elderly and the obese, as well as greatly cut the cost to the NHS associated with treating such wounds, has been awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2012.

Leading international researchers awarded fellowships in UK

06 Dec 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The fifth round of Newton International Fellowships has been awarded jointly by the UK’s national research academies – the British Academy and the Royal Society.

Royal Society response to Autumn statement

05 Dec 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has today announced an additional £600million of capital investment in science over the next three years.

Department for Education makes changes to Free Schools agreements to guarantee teaching of evolution

30 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Following discussions with President of the Royal Society, Sir Paul Nurse, the Department for Education has agreed to insert a specific clause into funding agreements for Free Schools to ensure the comprehensive teaching of evolution.

Royal Society recognises the excellence of Spanish science

26 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

With the title “Networking Nations: Scientific opportunities in the UK and Spain”, the Royal Society will host the first scientific meeting between Spain and the United Kingdom on 28 November.

The Information wins the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books

26 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

James Gleick’s The Information has been named as the winner of the 2012 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.

Robert Winston’s Science Experiments scoops books prize

16 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Robert Winston’s Science Experiments, a book packed with fun, exciting and often explosive experiments young people can do at home, has won the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2012.

Osborne champions science in a speech at the Royal Society

09 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, spoke at the Royal Society today of both his belief in the value of science as a driver of the UK economy and his commitment to science funding into the future.

The new Royal Society Charter

07 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has updated its Royal Charter for the first time in over 340 years.

Human enhancement technologies set to change UK workforce

07 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Technologies that enhance human functions such as memory, hearing and mobility could dramatically change how people work over the next decade, according to a workshop hosted by four of the UK’s national academies.

Royal Society response to NERC's decision on the proposal to merge BAS and NOC

06 Nov 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society and NAS issue statement regarding the recent conviction of Italian earthquake scientists

25 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, and Ralph J. Cicerone, President of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, have issued a joint statement regarding the recent conviction of Italian earthquake scientists.

The Royal Society and Wellcome Trust name first Sir Henry Dale Fellows

18 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust, two of the world’s most influential scientific organisations, today announce the inaugural recipients of a joint new fellowship scheme that aims to nurture future world leaders in the biomedical sciences.

Royal Society hosts Wikipedia edit-a-thon to write women into history of science

17 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, is to host a group edit-a-thon, in partnership with Wikimedia UK, to improve Wikipedia articles about women in science on Friday 19th October. Places at the event were snapped up almost as soon as it was advertised however anyone interested can still take part remotely.

Royal Society announces next round of prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Awards

16 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 19 new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders.

Royal Society comment on Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine 2012

08 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society response to Treasury investment in science

08 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced an additional £200 million of investment in science projects at UK universities. It will be awarded to initiatives supported by an additional £400 million from industry.

Royal Society announces prestigious University Research Fellowships for 2012

04 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has announced the appointment of 36 new University Research Fellows (URFs) for 2012. The scientists started to take up their new posts at institutions across the UK at the start of October.

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships for 2012 announced

04 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has announced the appointment of 5 new Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows (DHFs) for 2012. The scientists started taking up their new posts at institutions across the UK at the start of October.

Newton’s death mask scanned in 3D

01 Oct 2012 09:30:00 GMT

These are the results of the first ever 3D scan of Newton’s death mask. Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, and arguably the greatest scientist of his era. This mask was prepared shortly after his death to serve as a likeness for future sculptures. It is now held in the archives of the Royal Society, of which Newton was President at the time of his death. These images were created by the Cambridge Microsoft Research Laboratory, using a Kinect peripheral camera which is normally used with an Xbox games console.

Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2012 Shortlist Announced

25 Sep 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Six inspirational books that help readers to better understand themselves and the world around them have been selected as the shortlist for The Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.

African scientist wins Royal Society Pfizer Award for salmonella research

21 Sep 2012 09:30:00 GMT

A Kenyan scientist who is working to understand a disease that kills around 100,000 people in Africa each year has been awarded the Royal Society Pfizer Award. Dr Samuel Kariuki, who is conducting research on invasive non-typhoidal salmonella, will receive £60,000 towards a study which aims to provide a better understanding of the transmission patterns of the disease so that a vaccine can be developed.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Danum Valley Field Centre

14 Sep 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society names refrigeration most significant invention in the history of food and drink

13 Sep 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has today named the fridge, pasteurised milk, and the tin can as the three most significant inventions in the history of food and drink. These relatively modern innovations outscored more ancient inventions including the fishing net, the plough, and the cork.

New Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Reserach Fellowship appointments announced

04 Sep 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of seven new Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship holders.

Edward Lear's other owl and pussycat go on display

29 Aug 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Edward Lear and the Scientists; a public display of rare and valuable books, drawings and lithographs, showcasing the fine zoological illustrations of Edward Lear, renowned for his nonsense poetry, including the famed The Owl and the Pussycat, is today being unveiled.

New £15.3 million funding injection to support African science

14 Aug 2012 09:30:00 GMT

African science is to receive a £15.3 million boost thanks to a new partnership between the Royal Society and the Department for International Development (DFID). The funding will help setup a programme aimed at strengthening research and training capacity across sub-Saharan Africa by creating sustainable scientific networks.

Government response to Finch report

16 Jul 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces winner of world's oldest science prize

10 Jul 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, today (10 July 2012) announced that Professor Sir John Walker FRS has been awarded the Copley Medal, which is believed to be the world’s oldest scientific prize. Sir John receives the medal for his ground-breaking work in understanding what powers living cells.

Royal Society recognises top scientists

10 Jul 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s independent academy for science, has announced the recipients of its 2012 Awards, Medals and Prize Lectures today (10 July 2012). The scientists receive the awards in recognition of their achievements in a wide variety of fields of research - the uniting factor is the excellence of their work and the profound implications their findings have had for others working in their relevant fields and wider society.

Scientists search for the genes behind our faces

03 Jul 2012 09:30:00 GMT

A team of Oxford University scientists will explain how they look for the genes that determine our facial features at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, which opens today (3 July).

Hydraulic fracturing can be undertaken safely if best practice and effective regulation are enforced

29 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Hydraulic fracturing (often termed “fracking”) can be managed effectively in the UK as long as operational best practices are implemented and robustly enforced through regulation according to a review by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Exploiting data revolution is key to scientific and economic progress

21 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books Longlist 2012 Announced

16 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The longlist for this year’s Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books – the world’s most prestigious award for popular science writing – has been announced at the Cheltenham Science Festival today, by one of the judges, author Jasper Fforde.

IAP statement on population and consumption

14 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society aims to bring more diversity to scientific workforce

07 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, today announced a new BIS-funded programme focused on increasing diversity in the scientific workforce. The programme, run over four years, has total funding of £700,000 and in joining a parallel programme being run by the Royal Academy of Engineering, now provides an integrated diversity programme for the Science Technology, Engineering and Maths workforce.

Uncovering the extraordinary history that changed our understanding of the universe

01 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The extraordinary history of our exploration of the Transit of Venus, the astronomical phenomenon that helped us to understand the Earth’s place in the solar system, is uncovered today by the Royal Society in an exciting new online resource.

Distinguished former President of Royal Society passes away

01 Jun 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces first round of prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Awards for 2012

28 May 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of nineteen new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders.

Royal Society Young People's Book Prize shortlist announced

18 May 2012 09:30:00 GMT

How can we inspire the next generation of scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs? Publishers across the UK have submitted their best recent books communicating science to young people to the 2012 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize and now an adult judging panel – comprising scientists, a teacher, an inventor and one self-confessed daredevil science geek – have narrowed down the choice to a shortlist of six books.

Notes and Records of the Royal Society announces winner of its bi-annual Essay Award

18 May 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The latest winner of the Notes and Records Essay Award will be publically announced at a reception at the Royal Society today (18th May).

Science academies call for action on global challenges

10 May 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Meet the mini mammoth

09 May 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society calls for a more equitable future for humanity

26 Apr 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society elects new Fellows for 2012

20 Apr 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The expansion of the universe, genetics, the exploration of Saturn and its moons and the appliance of science are among the fields of expertise of the scientists who have been newly elected as Fellows of the Royal Society.

The fishy blunder that nearly prevented Newton’s masterpiece from being published

19 Apr 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Fungus fighting soldiers cast new light on the evolution of sociality

11 Apr 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Football - the great universal

28 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Academies challenge cuts to select committee

23 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has joined forces with the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering to condemn proposals to slash the budget of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.

DNA reveals secrets of Madagascan settlement

21 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society response to Budget 2012

21 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

In response to chancellor George Osborne's budget speech today Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said:

Sounds like a winner

14 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Fellow awarded the € 1 million Brain Prize 2012

12 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Professor Karen Steel FRS has been announced as winner of The Brain Prize 2012. She shares the award with Professor Christine Petit for their pioneering work on the genetics of hearing and deafness.

How to predict a winner

07 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering to review potential risks of shale gas extraction

01 Mar 2012 09:30:00 GMT

What are the geological, environmental and technical risks associated with hydraulic fracturing as a means to extract shale gas in the UK? Can these risks be effectively managed? A new review announced by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering will investigate these questions.

T. rex's mighty bite

29 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Oldest elephant tracks uncovered

22 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Tiny songbird's globe-crossing migration tracked

15 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Objects in Space land at the Royal Society

10 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

New exhibition displays largest British meteorite for the first time in public

In the jungle no one can hear you scream

08 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society says new neuroscience research likely to improve the lives of our armed forces

07 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists are hopeful that advances in our understanding of the human brain will improve the lives and performance of the UK’s armed forces however they have warned that careful consideration should be given to how research is prioritised so as not to come at a cost to other applications.

Testosterone tests cooperation

01 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Science and education dream team to create new vision for next generation

27 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMT

A galaxy of leading lights including two previous Secretaries of State for Education, two scientist-media stars and a Nobel Prize-winning academic have been brought together with leading teachers and educationalists by the Royal Society to create a new vision for the future of science and mathematics education.

Royal Society Fellow fronts new BBC 4 series

24 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Snakes show perfect timing in dispatching prey

18 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Lack of specialist ICT teachers must be addressed by Department for Education

13 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Just 35% of ICT teachers are specialists, compared with, for example, 74% of maths, 76% of history, 80% of English, and 88% of biology, according to a new report from the Royal Society published today. The new report, Shut down or Restart? The way forward for Computing in UK schools, analyses recent declines in numbers of young people studying computing at schools and the reasons for the declines.

Beetles choose a balanced diet

11 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Using particle accelerators, biofuels and rocket cars to bring science to UK classrooms

06 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Growing algal biodiesel, racing rocket cars and building model particle accelerators are just some of the new schools projects that are being funded by Royal Society grants totalling over £45,000 awarded today. These grants are part of a scheme that has been helping scientists and teachers to establish innovative science and engineering projects in schools since 2000.

New Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Awards announced

15 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of eighteen new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders. The scheme provides up to 5 years’ funding after which the award holder continues with a permanent post at the host university.

Hair to stay

14 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society cautions against premature legal applications of neuroscience

13 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists’ growing understanding of the brain will definitely impact on the law in the future however at present the use of some neuroscientific findings as evidence in a court of law should be approached with great caution according to a report published by the Royal Society.

Musical frog reveals talent for advertising

07 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society seeks the best science books of 2011 for adults and young people

07 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

New exhibition reveals rarely seen account of life – and death – in 17th century London

05 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

International consortium of NGOs calls for coordinated action on geoengineering research

02 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Nations, NGOs and individuals must engage in a wide-ranging dialogue to explore both the potential risks and benefits of solar geoengineering and establish effective governance arrangements for research, according to a new report from an international collaboration of NGOs: the Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative (SRMGI). SRMGI is convened by the Royal Society, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world.

Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize winner announced

01 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

One giant leap for nematodes

30 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Funding good science is good for the economy

30 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society has today urged research funders to trust scientists to decide where public funding should be directed or risk funding less effective scientists doing obvious work that is behind the cutting edge.

Royal Society response to Chancellor's Autumn Statement

29 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

New breakthough in Parkinsons research

23 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Cloudspotter makes waves at Royal Society

17 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Can't take my eyes off you

16 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Revolutionary ultrasonic nozzle that will change the way water cleans

10 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

A team of scientists from the University of Southampton were today awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2011 in recognition of their invention of an attachment for taps which massively enhances the ability of water to clean.

Royal Society response to Department of Education announcement

09 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces prestigious University Research Fellowships for 2011

08 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 40 new University Research Fellows (URFs) for 2011. The scientists started to take up their new posts at institutions across the UK in October.

New Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships for 2011 announced

08 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 6new Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows (DHFs) for 2011. The scientists started taking up their new posts at institutions across the UK in October.

Mysteries of the Viking sunstone

02 Nov 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Dysfunctional disgust

31 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society journal archive made permanently free to access

26 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society and Wellcome Trust partnership to nurture future world leaders in biomedicine

25 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Two of the world’s most influential scientific organisations today launched a joint scheme to identify and support future world leaders in biomedical research. Funded in partnership by the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust, Sir Henry Dale Fellowships will provide the brightest biomedical scientists with the best possible start to their research careers in the UK.

Facebook on the brain

19 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

World’s oldest scientific publisher breaks new ground with Open Biology

17 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

UK Government needs to correct its short sighted approach to nuclear power

13 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Partner choice influenced by the pill

12 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Chancellor boosts science spending

04 Oct 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Chancellor George Osborne has announced a £195 million boost to science spending in his speech to the Conservative Party Conference.

Fellows of the Royal Society featured on new £50 banknote

30 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Bank of England has announced that it will introduce a new-style £50 banknote featuring two Fellows of the Royal Society into circulation on 2 November 2011.

Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books Shortlist Announced

27 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Call for EPSRC to pause ‘shaping capability’ strategy

22 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has joined with other science, engineering and mathematics bodies to call on the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to pause the changes being made to its funding policy.

Further £3.4 million to build research capacity in Africa

22 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

African science will benefit from an extra £3.4 million thanks to a grant by the Leverhulme Trust for the Royal Society to continue its capacity building scheme for Ghana and Tanzania. The Leverhulme – Royal Society Africa Awards have already seen £3.3 million invested in science in Africa over the last three years. Due to the scheme’s success so far, the Leverhulme Trust has agreed to extend funding for another five years.

Royal Society response to transposition of EU Directive on the use of animals for scientific purposes

21 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Whales navigate Northwest Passage

21 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Tanzanian scientist wins Royal Society Pfizer Award for Sickle Cell Disease research

15 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

An African scientist who is working to save the lives of people with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Tanzania has been awarded the Royal Society Pfizer Award.

New computer programming in schools project reflects Royal Society concerns

15 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Response to announcement of Behind the Screen project by Science Minister David Willetts at the British Festival of Science.

Laughter is the best medicine

14 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces latest round of prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Awards

13 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of twenty-six new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders. The scheme provides up to 5 years’ funding after which the award holder continues with a permanent post at the host university.

Open Biology Editor sets out his vision

08 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Angry birds

07 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Angry birds

07 Sep 2011 09:30:00 GMT

New habitat for critically endangered turtle

31 Aug 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society comment on GCSE results

25 Aug 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has welcomed increases in numbers of students taking science at GCSE but expresses concern at declining numbers studying ICT.

Royal Society comments on A Level results

18 Aug 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has welcomed increases in numbers of students taking science and maths A Levels, but hopes for greater increases in future and expresses concern at declining numbers studying Computing A levels.

Royal Society response to the Vorderman report on mathematics education

08 Aug 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Professor Dame Athene Donald FRS, Chair of the Royal Society Education Committee, has commented on the new report, A world-class mathematics education for all our young people, chaired by Carol Vorderman.

It's dim up North

27 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

New Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellows appointed

26 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of seven new Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellows. The scientists will be carrying out their fellowships at institutions across the UK.

Battle weary

20 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces 2011 Copley Medal recipient

19 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s independent academy for science, has announced the recipients of its 2011 Awards, Medals and Prize Lectures today (19 July 2011). The scientists receive the awards in recognition of their achievements in a wide variety of fields of research - the uniting factor is the excellence of their work and the profound implications their findings have had for others working in their relevant fields and wider society.

Newly discovered fossil supports asteroid dinosaur extinction

13 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Face it, faces matter

09 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

A team of scientists is developing software that will enable robots to recognise human facial expressions. The group will be exhibiting research on how the brain understands faces and the ways this information can be used to develop the next generation of life-changing software and robots at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition which runs until Sunday 10 July.

Experience how Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility could become a reality

07 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

As thousands of fans descend on Trafalgar Square for the world premiere of the final Harry Potter movie today (7 July), visitors to the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition, just down the road, will have the opportunity to see how scientists are drawing ever closer to making the boy wizard’s magical cloak of invisibility a real possibility.

What are you hiding in your holiday luggage?

06 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The snake-like queue in the security hall at the airports is probably the least appealing part of embarking on any holiday. The ritual of emptying pockets of loose change, stripping off jackets, placing luggage on the X-ray conveyer belt and padding barefoot through the body-scanners brings frustration for most travellers. Spare a thought, however, for the screeners who spend their days surveying X-ray images of the contents of our rucksacks – according to research being presented at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition their task is probably more difficult than one might think.

Eye can see you now

05 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT

A non-invasive and low cost prosthetic device that could help tens of thousands of people with visual impairment regain independence is being developed by a team of scientists. The group will be exhibiting their research on visual prosthetics at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition which opens today (5 July).

Gove speaks at the Royal Society

29 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Secretary of State for Education, the Right Honourable Michael Gove MP, today gave a speech at the Royal Society highlighting the importance of science and maths and stating that the Government “unequivocally believe that maths and science education are at the heart of improving our society and our economy.”

Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books Longlist Announced

28 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Chinese Prime Minister awarded King Charles II medal

27 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society today awarded the King Charles II medal to Mr Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

Ask the scientist

20 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2011 shortlist announced

17 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Educationalists and scientists have combined their insider knowledge of exciting science and what captivates children to choose the shortlist for this year's Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize. Publishers across the UK have submitted their best recent books that communicate science to young people and an adult judging panel have now narrowed down the choice to a shortlist of six books.

Let the punishment fish the crime

15 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Ocean acidification affects clownfish hearing

01 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Great snipes are long-distance champions

25 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces new Fellows for 2011

20 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has elected 44 new Fellows and eight new Foreign Members. Experts working on drug-resistant malaria, non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders, the discovery of graphene and our understanding of the solar system were among the scientists honoured.

Science Academies issue joint statement ahead of G8 Summit in France

19 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

In the run up to the G8 Summit meeting to be held in Deauville between 26 - 27 May 2011, the national science academies of several G8 and G20 countries are addressing joint statements to their respective Heads of State, stressing the need for action in two critical areas: 'Water and Health' and 'Education for a Science-based Global Development'.

Hide and seek

18 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society receives Spanish award

18 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Professor Martyn Poliakoff nominated as next Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society

18 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Council of the Royal Society has agreed to nominate Professor Martyn Poliakoff CBE to be the new Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, it was announced today (18 May 2011). He is nominated to succeed Professor Lorna Casselton.

Royal Society launches study on openess in science

13 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Why should the public trust scientists? That is the question that lies at the heart of a study launched today (Friday 13 May) by the Royal Society.

Twins point to maternal health

11 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Inspire young people to read about the exciting world of science

09 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Chimpanzees are self-starters

04 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Don't call me bird brain

28 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society launches groundbreaking new journal

28 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists put their finger on why some men are attractive

20 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society announces prestigious 2011 Wolfson Research Merit Awards

18 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Design for life – the economic and social life of synthetic biology

14 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering are jointly hosting a two day symposium this week to discuss the economic and social life of synthetic biology.

Bees prefer biofuel crops

06 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The strange tale of the invisible mountains that disappeared

01 Apr 2011 09:30:00 GMT

It’s raining ants

30 Mar 2011 09:30:00 GMT

New countries emerge as major players in scientific world

28 Mar 2011 09:30:00 GMT

A new group of countries, lead by China and followed by others including Brazil and India, are emerging as major scientific powers to rival the traditional “scientific superpowers” of the US, Western Europe and Japan , a new report from the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has found.

The long and short of sauropod grazing

23 Mar 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Budget 2011 comment

23 Mar 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has welcomed the announcement of an additional £100 million in capital expenditure for science in today’s budget. Other good news for the science community includes the £3 billion Green Investment Bank, expansion of the R&D tax credits and a proposed reduction in regulation that has slowed down clinical trials in the UK.

Chicken research advances understanding of animal emotion

09 Mar 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Spoilt for choice

02 Mar 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Manure happens

28 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists speaking at the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, today (28 February) say it will be difficult but nevertheless important to significantly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) while also improving the diets of a growing global human population. The experts are taking part in a discussion meeting on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Royal Society says give neuroscience a greater role in education policy

24 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists’ growing understanding of the neurological basis of learning should play a much greater role in education policy according to a new report published by the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, today (24 February). The report also suggests that teacher training should include a component of how the brain works relevant to educational issues.

Cane toads restrained

23 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientific Immigration

22 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Following discussions between the President of the Royal Society, Sir Paul Nurse, and the Immigration Minister, Damien Green MP, the following joint statement has been agreed:

Where did it all begin?

21 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Hydrothermal vents above serpentine-rich rocks on the seafloor could have provided a very attractive site for the origin of life according to scientists speaking at the Royal Society. Experts are discussing the chemical origins of life on earth and its early evolution.

Call for entries for 2011 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books

16 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Entries for the 2011 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, the world’s leading science books prize, are being accepted from 16 February 2011. The 2011 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books will celebrate the best of 2010's new popular science writing for a general adult readership. The Prize is open to science books written for a non-specialist audience. The winner will receive £10,000 and the authors of the short listed books £1000.

Royal Society calls for fundamental reform of A-level system

15 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society is calling for fundamental reform of the A-level system leading to the introduction of an A-level based Baccalaureate or similar qualification, in a new report published today (15th February 2011). The new qualification should give students the opportunity to study a greater breadth of subjects, including science and maths.

Miss con-gene-iality

09 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society backs technology to increase number of livers available for transplant

08 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society Enterprise Fund has participated in a £2.75m funding round for OrganOx Ltd which is developing a medical device that will significantly increase the number of human livers available for transplant.

Stockpiling ‘flu drugs ‘not cost-effective’ for two thirds of countries

02 Feb 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists based at the National University of Singapore have advised that the price of ‘flu drugs such as Tamiflu needs to be reduced in order to make treatment strategies cost-effective in poorer nations.

Royal Society invests further in Novacem

28 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society Enterprise Fund announced this week that it has participated in a £1.6m funding round for Novacem, a company developing carbon negative cement. Novacem’s two other existing investors – Imperial Innovations and the London Technology Fund – also participated in the round. A new investor – Laing O’Rourke – has also joined the group.

T. rex – scavenger or hunter?

26 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Sir Paul Nurse PRS presents BBC Horizon

25 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

End of the kilogram as we know it

25 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists are drawing ever closer to redefining the kilogram, though it may be some time yet before the actual change is made. Research that affects how the kilogram – the last SI unit still defined by a material artefact - will be defined in the future is being discussed this week at the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science.

Mathematical malaria management

19 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Conservation bamboozled

12 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Epic journeys of turtles revealed

05 Jan 2011 09:30:00 GMT

UK primary school children in groundbreaking scientific publication

22 Dec 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Green means danger for one flashy mollusc

16 Dec 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Mothers' diet affects the developing brain

01 Dec 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Science sees further: How science will answer some of the world's biggest questions

30 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Leading international researchers to begin fellowships in UK

26 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The third round of Newton International Fellowships has been awarded jointly by the UK’s national research academies – the British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. The Fellowship programme is a government-sponsored initiative to ensure that the UK engages with the world’s most promising academics.

Kenyan scientist wins award for childhood malaria research

24 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

An African scientist whose research may save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children has been awarded the Royal Society Pfizer Award. Dr Collins Ouma receives £60,000 for his research into severe malarial anaemia (SMA), one of the leading causes of paediatric mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

New findings reveal animal obesity epidemic

24 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Miniature droplet technology receives Royal Society Enterprise Fund backing

18 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Technology has application in fields from drug discovery to algal biofuel development

Monitoring Parkinson's at a distance

17 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Seven days in science - 16 November 2010

16 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

New research uncovers startling relationship between childhood events and pregnancy

10 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Cooling the world with crops

08 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Europe and North America’s massive agricultural plantations could be harnessed to cool the globe in the face of global warming according to Dr Joy Singarayer, speaking at the Royal Society's Discussion Meeting: Geoengineering - taking control of our planet's climate.

Seven days in science - 8 November 2010

08 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

New advance in medical technology enables blind people to see

03 Nov 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals that a group of researchers based in Germany have developed a retinal implant that has allowed three blind people to see shapes and objects within days of the implant being installed.

Web of deception

27 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

It’s well known that some predators in the natural world use camouflage or stalking to catch their prey – but new research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that the assassin bug uses even more devious means to ensnare its victims.

Seven days in science - 22 October 2010

22 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The life of fossil hunter Mary Anning will be celebrated in a Local Heroes event at Lyme Regis Museum this weekend (23-24 October).

Life Ascending rises to the top

21 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Winner of the Royal Society Prize for Science Books announced

New big cat research is spot on

20 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists have finally discovered the truth behind Rudyard Kipling’s famous Just-So story, ‘Why the leopard got his spots’. The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, looks at whether there is any connection between the patterns on big cats’ coats and their habitat and lifestyle.

Spending Review: UK's science budget frozen in cash terms

20 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Chancellor George Osborne unveiled details of the Spending Review today, announcing that the UK’s science budget will be frozen in cash terms.

Device to revolutionise the production of alternative fuels wins the Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2010

15 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Professor Will Zimmerman from the University of Sheffield was last night (14 October) awarded the Royal Society’s Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2010 in recognition of his breakthrough work which promises to revolutionise the production of alternative renewable fuels.

Seven days in science - 15 October 2010

15 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society 350th anniversary event Rise of the Robots takes place at the Society this Friday (15 October), as part of Sci-Fi London’s Oktoberfest. For other anniversary event please visit 350.royalsociety.org/calendar.

Pigeons like a flutter

13 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B has revealed that when it comes to choosing ways to receive food, pigeons like to gamble.

Seven days in science - 8 October 2010

08 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Local Heroes event Sounds of Space started at Town Hall Symphony Hall in Birmingham last night; a weekend of music, talks and events inspired by the wonders of our universe and beyond.

Nobel Prize wins for Royal Society Fellows

05 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Seven days in science - 1 October 2010

01 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

This week started at the Society with the discussion meeting Web science: A new frontier (27 and 28 September).

Royal Society launches new short guide to the science of climate change

30 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Where to now for the Web?

29 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The World Wide Web is a phenomenon that will continue to transform how we interact and so needs to be treated as an important and coherent area of study according to a group of researchers speaking at a Royal Society event this week (27-28 September). The speakers, including the Web’s inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, discussed the new and growing field of Web Science.

Seven days in science - 24 September 2010

24 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In a Capital Science talk physics professor, author and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili will discuss the The Golden Age of Arabic Science at Asia House on Wednesday 29 September.

Royal Society announces prestigious University Research Fellowships for 2010

24 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 30 new University Research Fellows (URFs) for 2010. The scientists will take up their new posts at institutions across the UK in October.

Royal Society announces prestigious Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships for 2010

24 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 10 new Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows (DHFs) for 2010. The scientists will take up their new posts at institutions across the UK in October.

Royal Society awards first ever Kavli Education Medal

23 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The first ever “Royal Society Kavli Education Medal” has been awarded to Professor Celia Hoyles from the London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University of London. The Medal, established by agreement with the Kavli Foundation, will be made biennially in recognition of a distinguished contribution made by an individual to science or mathematics education.

Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2011 call for exhibit proposals now open

22 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Would you like the opportunity to promote your research to a wide public audience and other key influences? Has your research got what it takes to be part of the most prestigious Science Exhibition in the UK?

Do animals make shopping lists?

21 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

It may be a bird found in North America and not our closest relatives, the great apes, that prove the human process of thought is not as special as first supposed according to a talk being given at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre at Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire today (20 September). The presentation forms part of a symposium on “Cognition, computation and consciousness”.

Seven days in science - 17 September 2010

17 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A number of Local Heroes and Capital Science events are taking place over the coming week, including ‘Health, medicine and chocolate’ (with chocolate tasting) at RCP London on Saturday 18 September.

Opening of The Kavli Royal Society Centre for the Advancement of Science

15 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Most attractive dance moves revealed

08 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

New research published today in Royal Society journal Biology Letters reveals one of the most coveted secrets for generations of hipsters – exactly which dance moves are most attractive to women.

Seven days in science - 3 September 2010

03 Sep 2010 09:30:00 GMT

An exciting new Local Heroes exhibition on the pioneering mathematical biologist D’Arcy Thompson opens today (3 September) at the University of Dundee. From major figures of 20th-century modernism to today’s students at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, the exhibition covers a wide range of media and styles, all linked by D’Arcy Thompson’s writings and collections.

InterAcademy Council publishes review of IPCC

30 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Why being hungry affects flies’ mating

26 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Female fruit flies mate more frequently when there’s plenty of food available and research published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals why. Although it has been known for some time that feasting fruit flies have a higher mating rate, up to now nobody knew why the level of food available should influence the flies’ sex drive.

Scientists trump popstars as role models for girls

26 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Drive to change attitudes to women in science is succeeding but new ICM poll shows still more work to be done on public awareness and perceptions.

Seven days in science - 25 August 2010

25 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

With the Bank Holiday weekend approaching and the last week of the school holidays underway, now is a good time to drop in and visit one of the Capital Science or Local Heroes exhibitions taking place across the country. From dentistry to earthquakes and astronomy to x-rays, there is something on for everyone. To find an exhibit near you visit the Royal Society anniversary events calendar. The published tour of the Brunel Museum has been changed - unfortunately the candle lit tube tour will no longer take place.

Royal Society Prize for Science Books 2010 shortlist announced

24 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

As the UK parliament’s summer recess draws to a close, what should politicians, public figures and decision makers be reading to prepare them for the year ahead?

Prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Awards announced

20 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 12 new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders. The scientists started taking up their awards at institutions across the UK at the beginning of August.

Seven days in science - 17 August 2010

17 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society published a report on food security in this week’s Philosophical Transactions B. Each of the 21 papers from the report Food Security: Feeding the world in 2050 are available online, visit Guardian.co.uk for a write-up of the story.

Seven days in science - 6 August 2010

06 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

There are a number of Local Heroes events and exhibits taking place over the coming weeks, including Introducing the astronomer’s assistant at National Museum Scotland and the Heroes of Transport Festival at MoSI, Manchester. For more details visit the Royal Society Anniversary Calendar.

Current ICT and Computer Science in schools - damaging to UK’s future economic prospects?

05 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Numbers of students studying computing are plummeting across the UK, with a fall of 33% in just three years in ICT GCSE students, a fall of 33% in six years in A level ICT and 57% in eight years in A level Computing students in England and similar declines found elsewhere in the UK*. Concerns over these declines and the constraints in the way that computing is taught in school are so great that an unprecedented range of organisations, including learned societies, professional bodies, industry corporations and higher education establishments, as well as school teachers themselves, has come together to launch a study of the issues and possible solutions today (5th August 2010).

Mongoose mother mystery solved

04 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

New research published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters shows that on average, more than 60% of female mongooses give birth on the same night – even though they may have mated weeks apart from each other. The new research offers a convincing new explanation for the conundrum of extraordinarily coordinated mongoose births and may inform theories of birth synchronicity in many other species.

Seven days in science - 30 July 2010

30 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

This weekend kicks off with the first workshop in the Capital Science series at HMS Belfast: Shipshape Science Summer Fun! Families can go on board during the summer holidays and explore the science behind ships at interactive, hands-on events (Saturday, 31 July).

Hormonal contraceptives alter lemur odours

29 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

New research published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that hormonal contraceptives alter the scent of lemurs, making them less attractive to males and disrupting clues about their relationship to other group members and other genetic qualities. The study could have worrying implications for humans who use hormonal contraceptives and may explain why some captive primates – among whom the administration of such contraceptives is becoming more frequent – show unusual patterns of aggression.

Seven days in science – 22 July 2010

22 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Cave salamander sheds light on ageing

21 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A bizarre cave-dwelling creature could be about to revolutionise the science of ageing. New research, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, suggests that the olm – a blind amphibious salamander more correctly known as Proteus anguinus – seems to defy all predictions offered by current theories of ageing.

Seven days in science – 15 July 2010

16 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society makes case for investment in science

16 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

For richer, for poorer: sickness not health

15 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Catch me if you can

14 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A new study has found that gorillas react to games of tag the same way that humans would - by trying to maintain their advantage when they’ve got the upper hand. The research, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, investigates the way that gorillas respond to unequal social situations during ‘tag’ chases and play fights.

Does population matter?

12 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In 1993 the world’s population was 5.5 billion; it is now 6.8 billion and is due to hit 7 billion by early 2012. A major new study looking at the implications of the changes in global population is being launched by the Royal Society with an expected conclusion in early 2012.

Royal Society appoints new Principal for Kavli Royal Society International Centre

12 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Sir Peter Knight FRS has been appointed as the first Principal of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre.

Royal Society appoints new Executive Director

09 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Dr Julie Maxton has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science. She will succeed Stephen Cox who will step down in early 2011.

Sir Paul Nurse confirmed as President Elect of the Royal Society

08 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Nobel laureate, Sir Paul Nurse has been confirmed as President Elect of the Royal Society. The result of a ballot of the Fellowship was confirmed at a meeting of the Society’s Council today. He will take up the post of President on 1 December 2010.

Seven days in science - 8 July 2010

08 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Summer Science Exhibition may have come to an end, but the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary celebrations certainly haven’t.

Royal Society launches seminal education report

07 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A new report published by the Royal Society has found that the majority of England’s primary schools do not have the science specialist teachers needed to provide a high quality science education. The Royal Society recommends that every primary school should have a science specialist teacher and finds that to enable this, the number of science specialist teachers must triple. The report analysed science and mathematics education in primary and early secondary education, finding a serious shortage of science specialist teachers in English primary schools.

Newton’s apple tree returns from space

06 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The piece of Newton’s apple tree that was taken into space by British-born astronaut Piers Sellers is today being returned to its Royal Society home. The section of wood, taken from the original tree that inspired Newton to formulate his theory of gravitation, was released from the Royal Society’s archives and entrusted to NASA Astronaut Piers Sellers as part of the Society’s 350th anniversary year celebrations.

Newton’s apple tree returns from space

06 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Last chance to see the Summer Science Exhibition

03 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

This weekend is the last chance to see this year's Summer Science Exhibition.

Brian Greene - parallel universes lecture

02 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Book Prize winning physicist Brian Greene discusses parallel universes in an illustrated lecture, in celebration of the Society’s 350th anniversary. The lecture takes place this evening (2 July) at 7.45pm.

Summer Science Exhibition – last chance

02 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Hurry to London’s Southbank Centre this weekend for your last chance to meet the minds behind some of the UK's most exciting scientific advances at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition. The exhibition closes at 8.30pm on Sunday 4th July so make sure you get a chance to see the best of the UK’s cutting edge science before then.

Tomorrow’s giants

01 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society anniversary Discussion Meeting ‘Tomorrow’s Giants’ today explores the future of science, looking into questions such as how to enable academic achievement of the highest quality, what science might be like in 10 and in 50 years time, and what its main goals and challenges could – or should – be.

Walking the science of the city

30 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Join the Royal Society anniversary walking tour of London and find all about the science behind the city. Sightseers will discover the engineering behind Tower Bridge, the geology of London’s streets, the biodiversity of the River Thames and much more.

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment - Cosmos

29 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society’s 350th anniversary will be celebrated today with a feast for the eyes and the ears with a motion picture of the Milky Way and music from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

The Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition Starts

25 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Meet the minds behind some of the UK's most exciting scientific advances at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition. From machine intelligence to green energy, try out the interactive exhibits and question the expert scientists themselves about the discoveries you make.

350th anniversary convocation celebrated in Royal style

23 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and The Duke of Kent joined around 700 Fellows of the Society and over 1000 other guests at the 350th anniversary convocation. The event was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

2010 Reith Lectures - 4th lecture

22 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In the last of the 2010 Reith Lectures, President Martin Rees explored how fast our lives are changing in the 21st Century.

Giant prehistoric creatures descend on London

21 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Five pterosaurs - giant predatory flying reptiles from the age of the dinosaurs – have been created for See Further: The Festival of Science + Arts as part of the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary celebrations. The prehistoric creatures have descended upon London’s Southbank Centre, where they will be on show to the public until Sunday 4 July.

Seven days in science - 17 June 2010

17 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A live performance of BBC Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage will take place at 7.30pm on the opening day (Friday 25 June) of See Further: The Festival of Science + Arts.

Listen up

16 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Listening to a man’s voice allows you to accurately guess how strong he is, according to research published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. While previous experiments have shown that a man’s height and weight can be guessed from the sound of his voice, the new research shows that upper body strength can be guessed even more accurately than his physical measurements.

Royal Society 2010 Prize for Science Books Longlist Announced

16 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The longlist for this year’s Royal Society Prize for Science Books – the world’s most prestigious award for science writing – has been announced. The judges selected a longlist of twelve books:

2010 Reith Lectures - 3rd lecture

15 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary year, President Martin Rees explores the challenges facing science in the modern world in the 2010 Reith Lectures: ‘Scientific Horizons’.

Snakes in decline

10 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Snake populations are dwindling at unprecedented rates, adding to an alarming list of declining vertebrate populations across the world. Startling results revealing the extent of snake population decline are published this week in Royal Society journal Biology Letters. The study is the first ever documented evidence of such a decline based on long-term studies of snake populations.

Seven days in science - 10 June 2010

10 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Explore Hans Sloane’s fascinating medicine garden at the Royal College of Physicians this weekend (12-13 June).

Royal Society recognises excellence in science

09 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s independent academy for science, has announced the recipients of its 2010 Awards, Medals, Royal Medals and Lectures today (9 June 2010). The scientists receive the awards in recognition of their achievements in a wide variety of fields of research - the uniting factor is the excellence of their work and the profound implications their findings have had for others working in their relevant fields and wider society.

2010 Reith Lectures - 2nd lecture

08 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary year, President Martin Rees explores the challenges facing science in the modern world in the 2010 Reith Lectures: ‘Scientific Horizons’.

Robert Boyle’s astonishing scientific wishlist

03 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Extraordinary 17th century predictions for the future of science, including flight, organ transplants, pinpointing geographic locations accurately, commercial agriculture and psychotropic drugs, will be displayed in public for the first time next week as part of a new Royal Society exhibition. The list was written in the 1660s by Robert Boyle, a founding Fellow of the Royal Society, and outlines his hopes for what science would achieve.

Seven days in science - 3 June 2010

03 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

As the World Cup is set to kick off, the legacy of former FA chairman Sir Harold Thompson FRS will be discussed at the Society next Friday (11 June).

2010 Reith Lectures

01 Jun 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary year, President Martin Rees explores the challenges facing science in the modern world in the 2010 Reith Lectures: ‘Scientific Horizons’.

Royal Society to publish new guide to the science of climate change

28 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society is to publish a new guide to the science of climate change to help the public gain a better understanding of the issue. The guide is due to be published this summer.

Seven days in science - 27 May 2010

27 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The exhibition ‘John Aubrey and the development of experimental science’ starts on Friday (28 May) at Bodleian Library, Oxford.

The sound of fear

26 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Film soundtracks use a surprising technique to manipulate our emotions, a group of scientists report today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. The researchers, based at the University of California, Los Angeles, analysed the incidence of ‘non-linear sound’ in 30 second samples of soundtracks from films from different genres, including Gone with the Wind, The Godfather and Psycho.

Royal Society announces new Fellows

21 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

On 21 May 2010 the Royal Society elected 44 new Fellows and eight new Foreign Members. Experts in artificial intelligence, DNA repair, asthma and superstring theory were among the scientists newly elected. The new Fellows join the ranks of the UK and Commonwealth’s leading scientists as the Society celebrates its 350th Anniversary.

Seven days in science - 21 May 2010

21 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The mystery of the argonaut shell was unveiled in this week’s Royal Society Biology Letters.

Snail of destruction

19 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A little-known marine snail may be destroying coral reefs at an alarming rate, scientists report this week in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. The creature, described as a “zoological oddity” by the authors of the study, is known as Dendropoma maximum and belongs to a bizarre family of snails which fix themselves to a hard surface (such as coral) and catch their food using a ‘mucus net’. Although previous work has pointed towards the organism’s harmful effect on certain coral species, this is the first time that the snail’s effects on multiple species of corals have been described, raising concerns that the creature may be a significant factor in worldwide coral decline.

Mum's the word

12 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists have discovered that a comforting phone call may be just as soothing as a hug from mum. The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, shows that girls placed in a stressful situation are just as relaxed by conversations with their mothers on the phone as when experiencing direct physical contact.

Newton’s famous apple tree to experience zero gravity

10 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A piece of Newton’s apple tree is being taken into space by British-born astronaut Piers Sellers on the next NASA mission STS 132. The section of wood, taken from the original tree that inspired Newton to formulate his theory of gravitation, was released from the Royal Society’s archives and entrusted to NASA Astronaut Piers Sellers as part of the Society’s 350th anniversary year celebrations. In addition to the piece of tree, the Society has also provided an image of Sir Isaac Newton, former President of the Royal Society, to accompany the historic item into space.

Inbreeding affects ant hygiene

06 May 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Inbreeding reduces the ability of ant colonies to respond to fungal infections, scientists report this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Researchers based in Regensburg and Cambridge studied colonies of Brazilian Cardiocondyla obscurior ants infected by the pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae.

Unpicking the impact of brain research

30 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A major new project, which will investigate developments in neuroscience and their implications for society, is to be carried out by the Royal Society, the UK’s independent science academy, with the first of a series of five reports to be published in the Autumn.

Seven Days in Science - 30 April 2010

30 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse has been nominated to be the new President of the Royal Society. Paul Nurse is a geneticist who works on what controls the division and shape of cells. He is presently President of Rockefeller University New York and will be returning to the UK at the end of the year.

Links between recession and tuberculosis stronger than previously thought

28 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

New research published this week in the Royal Society journal Interface suggests that the links between economic recession and the deadly disease tuberculosis are stronger than previously thought. The researchers, based at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Emerging Infections and the World Health Organisation (WHO), developed a new statistical model to analyse data on economics and TB rates in Central and Eastern European countries from 1980 to 2006. The authors suggest that their model may prove useful in predicting the effects of the current economic crisis.

Royal Society announces prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Awards

27 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Seven days in science - 23 April 2010

23 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Capital Science event ‘Blood under the microscope – William Hewson, an 18th century anatomist’ took place on Tuesday (20 April) at London’s Hunterian Museum.

Sir Paul Nurse nominated as next President of the Royal Society

23 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Council of the Royal Society has agreed to nominate Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse to be the new President of the Royal Society, it was announced today (23 April 2010).

It pays to be altruistic

21 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Selfless acts such as giving to charity or contributing to public goods have long puzzled behavioural scientists. Evolutionarily, it’s difficult to explain behaviours which have no obvious benefit to the individual.

Seven days in science - 16 April 2010

16 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Hugh Falconer exhibition is moving on from Moray Museum Services this week - for details of the other locations the touring exhibit will visit over the coming months go to seefurther.org.

DNA tests uncover illegal trade in whale meat

14 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A team of scientists, led by Professor Scott Baker of Oregon State University, have used DNA analysis to show that restaurants in Los Angeles and Seoul were serving illegally traded whale meat from protected species. The results of the study, published this week in Royal Society journal Biology Letters, were handed over to local and national authorities and have since resulted in criminal proceedings against the Los Angeles restaurant. The authors urge extensive and immediate further action in order to determine the extent to which whale products are being illegally traded.

New national academy of sciences for Ethiopia

09 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A national academy of sciences is being launched in Ethiopia on Saturday 10th April 2010, making it the world’s youngest science academy. The Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS) will be the first independent, merit-based academy of science in Ethiopia and will be launched at a one-day conference for 300 international scientists and politicians. The launch will include speeches by the new President of the EAS, Professor Demissie Habte, the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Girma Wolde-Giorgis and the Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, Professor Lorna Casselton.

Seven days in science - 8 April 2010

08 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Spectacular images of plankton from Richard Kirby URF of the University of Plymouth are now showing on the Plymouth City Centre Big Screen (pictured). The show will run intermittently until the end of the year.

Qatar Foundation to partner Royal Society on project mapping science in Islamic countries

07 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Qatar Foundation is to become a lead partner on the Royal Society’s Atlas of the Islamic World Science and Innovation project. The agreement was signed at the Royal Society today by Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society and by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

New giant lizard species discovered

07 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Researchers have discovered a spectacular new species of giant lizard living in the Sierra Madre mountains in Luzon, an island of the Philippines. The brightly coloured reptile – which can grow up to two metres long – is a kind of monitor lizard previously unknown to science and its discovery is reported this week in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

German Chancellor honoured by the Royal Society

01 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor has been awarded the Royal Society’s King Charles II Medal at a ceremony in London today. She has been recognised for her extraordinary contributions to the promotion of science and science in society. Chancellor Merkel is recognised not only for her role in supporting science in Germany but also for the leadership she has provided on the European and world stages in promoting science based policy making over issues such as climate change. Upon receiving the medal, Chancellor Merkel said: "I am very pleased to be here today in the Royal Society to receive this great honour. It is a great honour not only for me personally but also for the country I represent."

Seven days in science - 1 April 2010

01 Apr 2010 09:30:00 GMT

School children were given a unique insight into one of Britain’s most famous and iconic scientific figures – Sir Isaac Newton – at a two-day Capital Science workshop at the Royal Armouries in London on Wednesday (31 March).

Unlocking the mysteries of the Picts

31 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Archaeologists and historians have long been baffled by the mysterious symbols left behind by the Picts, an ancient Scottish race believed to have left no written records of themselves. While the Picts are mentioned by their contemporary Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Irish, all they left to posterity were mysterious elaborate figures carved into stones. Nobody has yet been able to decipher these symbols, with some arguing that they are nothing more than decorative or heraldic images.

Seven days in science - 25 March 2010

25 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

This week began with the discussion meeting ‘Handling uncertainty in science’. Mervyn King, governor of the bank of England, talked about uncertainty in macroeconomic policy making on Monday.

Modelling 'man flu'

24 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Research published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that there may be some very good reasons why ‘man flu’ has evolved. Olivier Restif – a Royal Society University Research Fellow – and Professor William Amos at the University of Cambridge have developed a model showing why differences between male and female responses to infection might have evolved. Critically, this is the first such model to take an ‘ecological’ approach to the way that pathogens and their hosts interact by accounting for the effect that immunity has on pathogens and vice-versa.

Budget nods at importance of science to economy but proof will be in the CSR

24 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Commenting on the Budget announced today, Sir Peter Williams FRS, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Royal Society said:

Most influential British women in the history of science selected by panel of female Fellows of the Royal Society and science historians

21 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

To celebrate its 350th anniversary and its commitment to the advancement of women in science, the Royal Society has asked a panel of experts - all leading female scientists or science historians - to vote for the ten women in British history who have had the most influence on science. The panel comprised of Professors Lorna Casselton, Athene Donald, Uta Frith and Julia Higgins, all Fellows of the Royal Society, and Dr Patricia Fara, an eminent historian of science.

Royal Society launches major study on the governance of geoengineering

18 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A major new initiative to ensure strict governance of any plans for solar radiation management (SRM) geoengineering (counteracting global warming by reflecting a small percentage of the sun’s light and heat back into space), will be undertaken this year by the Royal Society, in partnership with the TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The first output of the Initiative will be a set of recommendations for the governance of geoengineering research, to be released late in 2010.

Seven days in science - 18 March 2010

18 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

This week began with the Ferrier prize lecture by Professor Colin Blakemore FRS (pictured) on Monday (15 March). The lecture discussed plasticity of the brain, and how it could be the key to human development, cognition and evolution.

How your country’s health might affect your next date

17 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Women living in less healthy countries tend to show a preference towards more masculine-looking men, a team of researchers led by Lisa DeBruine at the University of Aberdeen has found. The study, published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is one of the first to demonstrate a link between an environmental factor (such as national health) and human mating preference.

Scientific co-operation to support nuclear arms control and disarmament

16 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The scientific community has a vital diplomatic role in supporting nuclear arms control and disarmament, a new briefing published jointly by the Royal Society and the AAAS states. The document is being launched at a cross-party panel discussion chaired by Royal Society President, Lord Martin Rees, with former defence secretary, Des Browne MP, Special Advisor on Nuclear Proliferation to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Baroness Williams of Crosby, and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, David Lidington MP.

Celebrating science's 'unsung heroes'

11 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A technician who has made scientific instrumentation that has been sent into space since the earliest days of the ‘space age’ and a chemistry teacher who has inspired hundreds of postgraduates to do outreach work are just some of the individuals awarded a Royal Society Hauksbee Award last night (10 March 2010) at a special reception held at the Society’s London headquarters.

Eggstracting ancient DNA

11 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists have successfully extracted ancient DNA from fossil eggshells for the first time, as reported this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The discovery has the potential to provide exciting new insights into the characteristics of some of the heaviest birds to have ever existed, including the Madagascan elephant bird and the New Zealand Moa – both now extinct.

Seven days in science - 11 March 2010

11 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

This week started with the launch of The Scientific Century: securing our future prosperity a report from the Royal Society that looks at the need for sustained long-term investment in science.

Invest in science or risk relegation from the economic premier league

09 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The UK will face decades of slow economic decline unless it invests heavily in research - one of the country’s few genuine areas of economic competitive advantage, according to a report by the Royal Society. The report, published today, warns that the UK’s current advantage is in danger of being wiped out by the US, China, India, France and Germany who have ramped up spending in science to boost their economies.

Seven days in science - 5 March 2010

05 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Professor Donal Bradley CBE FRS of Imperial College London gave the Bakerian Prize Lecture this week (2 March), where he spoke about the diverse uses of plastic electronic materials. A webcast of the lecture will be available on demand from 9 March at http://royalsociety.tv/

Size matters for female dung beetles

03 Mar 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Research published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that although the size of a female dung beetle’s horn may not make her more attractive to males, it can give her an advantage when fighting off other females in competition for a critical resource – dung.

Seven days in science - 26 February 2010

26 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Marking the fiftieth anniversary of Keeling's first publication of atmospheric CO2 measurements, the week started with a Discussion Meeting on greenhouse gases in the Earth system.

Honesty is the best policy

24 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Queen ants who have to compete for dominance of a colony may act selfishly to promote their survival, but scientists have discovered that they are rigorously honest when declaring their status to potentially murderous workers. The research, published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, may have interesting wider implications in terms of the evolution of cooperative behaviour.

Seven days in science - 17 February 2010

17 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A major new study was launched at the start of this week in order to answer the question What next for international Science? The study will map and analyse where, why, how and by whom science is being carried out around the world and how this is changing. The results, published in November, will inform global decision makers in science, business, NGOs and government by addressing some of the most significant questions facing science today.

What next for international science?

16 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A major new study, which will map and analyse where, why, how and by whom science is being carried out around the world and how this is changing, will be undertaken this year by the Royal Society, and published in November. In particular, the study will look at how international networks of collaboration are changing the way in which scientific research is conducted and funded, and why this is important.

Research beyond borders

16 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

One hundred of the world’s rising research stars gather at the Royal Society in London to celebrate the Newton International Fellowship Scheme.

Advising UEA on independent scientific experts

12 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society will provide advice to the University of East Anglia in identifying assessors to conduct an independent external reappraisal of the Climatic Research Unit’s key publications.

The Royal Society Enterprise Fund completes two further investments

10 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society Enterprise Fund (”the Enterprise Fund”) today announces that it has completed two further investments, having made its first investment in August last year. The Enterprise Fund has taken significant stakes in Base4Innovation Ltd. which is developing a new generation of ultra-fast DNA sequencing technology, and in ‘green’ air filtration company, Nano-Porous Solutions Ltd. (n-psl).

Incredible - The Brighton Science Festival

05 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Starting on 12th February, the Brighton Science Festival is a fortnight devoted to the incredible discoveries that followed the founding of the Royal Society.

Quick on the draw

04 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

It may seem an unlikely topic of research for one of the fathers of modern physics, but Neils Bohr (who, when he wasn’t pondering the structure of the atom, loved to watch a good Western) often wondered why the man who draws first in a shoot out is always the one who gets shot. Now, scientists based at the University of Birmingham have uncovered scientific evidence to suggest why this is the case, which may have surprising implications for the study of Parkinson’s disease.

Seven days in science - 4 February 2010

04 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

A new collection of science themed poems are on display in London’s Tube carriages to commemorate 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. The poets chosen were William Blake, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Anne Stevenson, David Morley, Miroslav Holub and Jamie McKendricks. For more details and full versions of the poems please go to royalsociety.org and tfl.gov.uk.

Giving small fry a helping hand

28 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists have discovered that some female fish make up for mating with puny males by giving their eggs an extra injection of proteins essential for growth and development. The research, published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, studied broad-nosed pipefish, which are unusual in the animal kingdom because females deposit eggs in males, who then care for the eggs until they hatch.

Is there anybody out there?

25 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

What will aliens look like if we find them? Will we be meeting life-forms incredibly similar to ourselves? Or will they be the frightful monsters of sci-fi films? How do you break news of alien discoveries to the world without creating wide-spread pandemonium? These are just some of the questions that will be discussed at a two-day conference starting today (Monday 25 January) at The Royal Society in London. The discussion meeting The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society is the first to take place in the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary year.

BBC launches year of science

19 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The BBC has today launched a year long series of programmes and activities celebrating science that coincides with the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary. TV and radio programmes along with online initiatives, roadshows and learning campaigns will look at contemporary science subjects as well as looking at the history of how science shaped the way we live.

Science central to reinvention of economy

18 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Science should be at the heart of a reinvention of the UK’s economy according to Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats. Speaking at the Royal Society today, he criticised a past overreliance on finance and consumer services which had left the economy ‘battered’ and urged a new focus on manufacturing and research.

Seven Days in Science 14 January 2010

14 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Seeing Further: The Story of Science and the Royal Society, which is edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, is now available in bookshops. An extract of the text is available at TimesOnline.

Science as a diplomatic tool

12 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has today published a report which investigates the valuable role that science can play in international policy making and diplomacy. Findings are based on evidence gathered at a two-day meeting on ‘New frontiers in science diplomacy’, hosted by the Royal Society in partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Miliband urges greater role for science in diplomacy

12 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Foreign Secretary David Miliband today called for a greater connection between the worlds of science and politics. He was speaking to top scientists from across the world, who have gathered for the InterAcademy Panel which is being hosted by the Royal Society as part of its 350th anniversary celebrations.

Seven days in science

06 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has been taking over the airwaves this week, as Radio 4 broadcaster Melvyn Bragg looks at the Royal Society’s leading role in modern science in a week-long series (4/1/2010 – 8/1/2010) called In Our Time: The Royal Society and British Science.

Inter-Academy Panel meets at the Royal Society

06 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

In January the Royal Society hosts one of the world’s largest scientific gatherings, the Inter-Academy Panel, the first time such a major international has gathered at the Society during its recent history.

Listen to mother(2)

06 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Some people might complain that the youth of today don’t pay enough attention to their elders, but scientists have discovered that monkeys respond more to older members of their group. The research, published today in Biology Letters, suggests that the old (human) advice to listen to your elders may be genetically rooted.

Dentists clear the air

23 Dec 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The use of air cleaners in dental clinics could make a significant difference to the health of dental workers, scientists claim. The research, published today in the Royal Society journal Interface, uses computational fluid dynamics to analyse the way that potentially infectious droplets from dental patients’ mouths circulate around clinics and infect staff. While similar research has previously been conducted in hospital settings, this is the first time such an analysis has been made in a dental clinic.

You can't fool bees

18 Dec 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Honeybees are cleverer than we previously assumed. Research published recently in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that the insects aren’t fooled by optical illusions meant to trick them into thinking that they are travelling further than they actually are.

UK cannot be complacent over chemical or biological incident response plans

16 Dec 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The UK is better prepared to respond to a chemical or biological incident than it was five years ago, but the relevant agencies cannot be complacent, scientists say in a review of the nation’s response capability published today by the Royal Society. The review evaluates progress made against recommendations published five years ago in a Royal Society report on improving the UK’s capability to respond to a chemical or biological incident.

Amphibian conservation crisis in Southeast Asia

09 Dec 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Enormous numbers of frogs, toads and other amphibians in Southeast Asia face extinction through habitat loss and over-harvesting researchers warn in an article published today in Biology Letters.

Royal Society: Past, Present and Future

30 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The gruesome account of an early blood transfusion in 1666, Isaac Newton’s landmark paper on light and colour, Watson and Crick’s description of the evidence for the structure of DNA, and Stephen Hawking’s early writing on black holes in space are just some of the highlights of a new interactive timeline launched today (Monday 30 November) to celebrate the 350th anniversary year of the Royal Society.

Climate science statement

24 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The UK is at the forefront of tackling dangerous climate change, underpinned by world class scientific expertise and advice. Crucial decisions will be taken soon in Copenhagen about limiting and reducing the impacts of climate change now and in the future. Climate scientists from the UK and across the world are in overwhelming agreement about the evidence of climate change, driven by the human input of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Royal Society comments on decision to include evolution in primary curriculum

19 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, has welcomed the decision to include evolution in the primary curriculum.

Saving Darwin's mockingbird

18 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

A very rare mockingbird could be reintroduced to the Galapagos Islands thanks to specimens collected by Charles Darwin, it is reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters today.

Royal Society announces Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships for 2009

12 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 10 new Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows (DHFs) for 2009.

Royal Society announces prestigious University Research Fellowships for 2009

12 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, has announced the appointment of 38 new University Research Fellows (URFs) for 2009. The scientists took up their new posts at institutions across the UK in October.

Microbubble study wins the EPSRC Journal of the Royal Society Interface Award

09 Nov 2009 09:30:00 GMT

A research paper on experimental methodology for the production of microbubbles - miniature gas bubbles that can remain suspended in liquid for an extended period of time - has won the EPSRC Journal of the Royal Society Interface Award.

African scientist wins award for HIV and TB co-infection research

28 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

A scientist who is helping to treat thousands of people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa was awarded the Royal Society Pfizer Award at a ceremony last night (27 October). Dr Linda-Gail Bekker's research looks at how TB epidemiology has changed in the HIV era. Researchers estimate that more than one in ten of all South Africans over 2 years old were living with HIV in 2008. South Africa has also seen a six fold increase in tuberculosis rates in the last 20 years.

Group culture protects from depression

28 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

£2 billion needed for science ’Grand Challenge’ to help feed the world

21 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, is calling for a £2 billion "Grand Challenge" research programme on global food security. A report[1] published today (21 October 2009) says that the UK should lead international research efforts if we are to achieve the massive increase in food crop production (at least 50 percent) that will be required by 2050 to meet global food demands without damaging the environment.

Tiny dinosaur species discovered

21 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The DNA Debate: The latest episode of Royal Society podcast R.Science now online

19 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

In the October episode we talk DNA with Sir Alec Jeffries on the 25th Anniversary of his discovery of DNA profiling. Director of Liberty, Shami Cakrabarti joins the conversation as we look at some of the ethical issues around this discovery.

Top researchers receive Royal Society 2010 Anniversary Professorships

16 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Six of the world's brightest scientific minds have been awarded Royal Society 2010 Anniversary Research Professorships this month, in celebration of the Society's 350th anniversary. The expertise of these new Professors covers areas as diverse as medical science, solid state physics, mathematics and climate change. Amongst these six are Professor Andre Geim and Sir Andrew Wiles.

Are birds smarter than chimps?

08 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

It's a fact that proud new parents might find hard to palate, but some birds can grasp concepts that human babies can't understand until they are more than half a year old.

Nobel hat-trick for Royal Society Fellows

08 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Fellows of the Royal Society have won prizes in all three science categories of the Nobel Prize.

Nobel Prizes go to Royal Society Fellows

06 Oct 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Two Fellows of the Royal Society have been honoured with Nobel Prizes this week.

Female orangutans stay in charge of reproduction

30 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Because female orangutans don't get to choose who they mate with, they have instead evolved more subtle strategies to select the father of their offspring, a study published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences reveals.

Female monarchs on the decline

23 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT

It's one of nature's most spectacular phenomena. Each autumn, millions of bright orange, Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the US to Mexico to sit out the cold winter months. But new research, published this week in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters, has revealed how this much studied species could now be in jeopardy.

Novel approach to treating human disease wins top international computational science prize

22 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Dr Peer Bork, a bioinformatician from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg (Germany), has won one of the largest international prizes in science, the Royal Society and Académie des sciences Microsoft Award, it was announced today (22 September 2009).

Work out with friends for a natural high

16 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Exercise classes or going for a run with a friend will make you feel better than working out alone, according to new research published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

The Age of Wonder wins Royal Society Prize for Science Books

15 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Richard Holmes' extraordinary account of how science inspired the romantic generation, has also inspired the judges of the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. He was announced the winner at the Royal Society today (Tuesday 15th September 2009).

Close race for the winner

09 Sep 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The odds for the winner of the 2009 Royal Society Prize for Science Books have been declared - and it's a close race to the finish.

Stop emitting CO2 or geoengineering could be our only hope

28 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The future of the Earth could rest on potentially dangerous and unproven geoengineering technologies unless emissions of carbon dioxide can be greatly reduced, the latest Royal Society report has found.

Royal Society response to GCSE results

27 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Commenting on the GCSE results, Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of Public Affairs at the Royal Society, said:

Space scientist wins Royal Society award for science communication

24 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Space scientist Dr Lucie Green from University College London (UCL) has been awarded the prestigious Royal Society Kohn award for her work engaging a diverse audience with science, it was announced today (24 August 2009).

Royal Society funding brings invisibility cloak a step closer

20 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Harry Potter's invisibility cloak could potentially become a reality thanks to over £100,000 funding from The Royal Society. Professor Ulf Leonhardt from the University of St Andrews has received the funding to develop his work on broadband invisibility and ultimately create the blueprint for a practical cloaking device.

Apply now for the people’s press conference

14 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

On 15 September 2009 at the Royal Society, the winner of the Royal Society Prizes for Science Books 2009 will be announced at a special people's press conference, where readers and journalists will be able to pose their questions to shortlisted authors and judges, before the award announcement is made.

Stowaway mosquitoes threat to Galapagos wildlife

12 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Mosquitoes hitching a ride aboard tourist aircraft flying into the Galapagos Islands pose a major threat to the local wildlife according to research published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The mosquitoes have the potential to carry diseases lethal to the many unique species of the Galapagos.

Royal Society Enterprise Fund announces first investment

06 Aug 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society response to Low Carbon Transition Plan

15 Jul 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Government today (15th July) published its Low Carbon Transition Plan, comprising elements from the Departments of Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Business, Innovation and Skills and Transport.

Impending skills shortage in agricultural science puts world food supply at risk

07 Apr 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Low numbers of UK students and researchers working in the agricultural sciences mean that we may not have the resources needed to ensure sufficient food-crop production across the globe in the near future. The warning comes from the Royal Society which is conducting a major study exploring how science can enhance global food-crop production

Royal Society to honour the unsung heroes of science

02 Apr 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, announced this week that it will recognise the unsung heroes of science, technology, engineering and maths for their work and commitment in these areas with a new award. The Royal Society Hauksbee Awards will celebrate the contribution made to the UK science base by the many individuals who support these disciplines.

Royal Society launches inquiry into the long-term prospects for UK science and innovation

01 Apr 2009 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has today embarked on an 11-month inquiry into the role that science will play in equipping Britain to meet the economic, social and environmental challenges of the next fifty years. The Fruits of Curiosity: science, innovation and future sources of wealth will look beyond the current 10-Year Investment Framework to assess the long-term direction of UK research policy and investment.

Scientist solves first day wobbles for Millennium Bridge

16 Dec 2008 09:30:00 GMT

On the day it opened in 2000, London's Millennium Bridge rocked and swayed so much that it had to be temporarily closed.

Guns, Germs and Steel on TV

15 Dec 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society statement regarding Professor Michael Reiss

16 Sep 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Some of Professor Michael Reiss's recent comments, on the issue of creationism in schools, while speaking as the Royal Society's Director of Education, were open to misinterpretation. While it was not his intention, this has led to damage to the Society's reputation. As a result, Professor Reiss and the Royal Society have agreed that, in the best interests of the Society, he will step down immediately as Director of Education a part time post he held on secondment. He is to return, full time, to his position as Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education.

Win sets of the General Prize shortlist

04 Sep 2008 09:30:00 GMT

’Breaking the Climate Deadlock’

27 Jun 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Winners Announced!

16 Jun 2008 09:30:00 GMT

William Hill odds announced for General Prize shortlist

03 Jun 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Prizes for Science Books General Prize shortlist announced

15 May 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society position statement on ’open access’

12 May 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Prizes for Science Books longlist announced

24 Apr 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Prizes for Science Books Junior Shortlist announced

10 Apr 2008 09:30:00 GMT

25 more groups of junior judges wanted – hurry!

07 Mar 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Celebrate World Book Day! Blog and win!

06 Mar 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Tomorrow’s world, today

24 Feb 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Turning milk bottles into petrol and a scanner that indicates which women with breast cancer will benefit from expensive treatments such as Herceptin are two of the ideas that the Royal Society believes will become successful products in the coming years. The two projects are among the winners of the Royal Society's Brian Mercer Awards for Feasibility which will be presented on Thursday 28th February.

Wanted: junior judges for Royal Society Prizes for Science Books

01 Feb 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Government needs to drive biofuels in right direction warns Royal Society

14 Jan 2008 09:30:00 GMT

What do scientists want for Christmas?

24 Dec 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Call for entries for 2008 Royal Society Prizes for Science Books

21 Nov 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Modelling the spread of disease

14 Nov 2007 09:30:00 GMT

’Responsible NanoCode’ for business to be developed

23 Jul 2007 09:30:00 GMT

An initiative to develop a Responsible NanoCode' for businesses working with nanotechnologies has been launched by the Royal Society, Insight Investment, the Nanotechnology Industries Association and the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network today.

Royal Society launches 350th anniversary campaign

03 Jul 2007 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has launched a £100 million fundraising campaign in the build up to celebrating its 350th anniversary in 2010.

A time for global action on global warming

16 May 2007 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society and leading scientists from around the world have demanded that governments put aside short-term squabbling to unite in action, including on energy policy, to help reduce the damage of climate change. This must combine investment to harness the power of science with regulation to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Royal Society Prizes for Science Books 2007 Longlist Announced

15 May 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Junior Prize: TopGear presenter uses ’the Force’

15 May 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Pursuit of happiness leads to top science book prize

15 May 2007 09:30:00 GMT

William Hill odds announced

08 May 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Shortlist announced for General Prize

27 Apr 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Royal Society Prizes for Science Books2007 Junior Shortlist

26 Mar 2007 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society's response to the documentary 'The Great Global Warming Swindle'

09 Mar 2007 09:30:00 GMT

In response to the documentary 'The Great Global Warming Swindle', screened on Channel 4 on Thursday 8 March, Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society, said: "Global temperature is increasing. This warming threatens the future health and well-being of many millions of people throughout the world."

Scientifically speaking, what makes a good read?

22 Jan 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Neurobiologist wins Royal Society award to promote women in science

20 Jul 2006 09:30:00 GMT

Dr Andrea Brand from the University of Cambridge has won the Royal Society's prestigious Rosalind Franklin Award, which recognises excellent scientific research and promotes women in science, engineering and technology, it was announced today (Thursday 20 July 2006).

Newton beats Einstein in polls of scientists and the public

23 Nov 2005 09:30:00 GMT

Isaac Newton is considered to have had a greater impact on both science and humankind than Albert Einstein, according to the results of two Royal Society polls announced today (Wednesday 23 November).

Who is the greater – Einstein or Newton?

07 Nov 2005 09:30:00 GMT

Seconds out, round one! The Royal Society has set out to establish who scientists and the public think is the greater scientific heavyweight, Einstein or Newton? Relatively speaking, of course...

Cuts in carbon dioxide emissions vital to stem rising acidity of oceans

30 Jun 2005 09:30:00 GMT

Clear science demands prompt action on climate change say G8 science academies

07 Jun 2005 09:30:00 GMT

Government must face difficult energy issues in this parliament

16 May 2005 09:30:00 GMT

Ahead of the Queens Speech tomorrow Sir David Wallace, Vice President of the Royal Society today (Monday 16 May) urged the Government to address, in the next parliamentary session, the difficult issue of how the UK can achieve an adequate supply of affordable energy while cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and warned that its current climate change policies are not working well enough.

Royal Society launches investigation into rising acidity of oceans

16 Aug 2004 09:30:00 GMT

Concern about the world’s oceans becoming increasingly acidic, due to pollution from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, has prompted the Royal Society to launch a study today (16 August, 2004) into the potentially catastrophic consequences for marine life.

Prince of Wales opens Royal Society’s refurbished building

07 Jul 2004 09:30:00 GMT

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales today (7 July 2004) officially re-opened the premises of the Royal Society, the UK national academy of science, after major refurbishment.

UK Government ignoring scientific concerns over Human Tissue Bill

26 Apr 2004 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society today (Monday 26 April 2004) warned the UK Government that continuing to ignore the concerns of the scientific community over the proposed Human Tissue Bill could cut off vital avenues of research into understanding disease.

Royal Society publishes guide backing animal research in UK

27 Feb 2004 09:30:00 GMT

People have benefited immensely from scientific research involving animals, with virtually every medical achievement in the past century reliant on the use of animals in some way, according to a guide published today (27 February 2004) by the Royal Society, the UK national academy of science today.

Nanotechnology offers benefits but risks must be assessed

10 Nov 2003 09:30:00 GMT

Scientists and engineers believe nanotechnology can be used to benefit human health now and in the future through applications such as better filters for improving water purification, more effective methods of delivering drugs in medicine and new ways of repairing damaged tissues and organs, according to a report published today (10 November 2003) of a workshop held by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Royal Society scientists take part in University Challenge

14 Apr 2003 09:30:00 GMT

A group of scientists funded by the Royal Society are among the teams taking part in a new BBC TV series University Challenge - The Professionals. The new spin-off series pits representatives from various professions against each other. Teams from the House of Commons, the TUC and the Cabinet Office are amongst others taking part.

Royal Society launches inquiry into diseases in livestock

09 Aug 2001 09:30:00 GMT

The Royal Society has been commissioned by the Government to carry out an independent inquiry into scientific aspects of the transmission, prevention and control of infectious diseases in livestock, it was announced today (9 August 2001).