51¶¯Âþ

space science

T8GENK Fresh new potatoes on wooden background. Solanum tuberosum

Life

England has just given the thumbs up to gene-edited plants. Hooray!

A UK parliamentary committee has greenlit gene-edited plants. This is great news, as it will boost food production and reduce waste, says Michael Le Page

Comment

Physics

Why physicists keep trying to get rid of space-time entirely

Comment

Fierce war on alien ruins, 3D illustration.; Shutterstock ID 2188388355; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Comment

The best new science fiction books of May 2025

Culture

Let's remember that extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence

Life

Let's remember that extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence

Leader

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Blue Origin/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock (15255350a) Texas, USA: New Shepard-31 Capsule Recovery with the crew : Katy Perry, American Singer, Aisha Bowe, American aerospace engineer, Lauren Sanchez, American presenter and companion of Jeff Bezos, Kerianne Flynn, American Producer, Gayle King, American journalist, and Amanda N. Nguyen (Amanda Nguyen), Activist. Suborbital launch system and landing mission. This suborbital flight, the 31st in the New Shepard program and the 11th crewed, will extend Blue Origin's initiative to democratize access to space, having already carried 52 people beyond the Karman line. USA. Blue Origin All-Women Crew Historic Space Launch, Texas, USA - 14 Apr 2025

Society

Does science have a future in the US?

Comment

Liquid Gold Anna Curran Department of Mathematics A lattice of bubbles inside a ring that has been dipped in soapy water. The bubbles hold their shape because of molecules in the dish soap called surfactants, which stabilise the interface. Surfactants are all around us - for example, they allow soap to break down dirt and bacteria, and they are given to premature babies to help them inflate their lungs. Conversely, they threaten the efficacy of various industrial applications such as self-cleaning surfaces and laptop cooling systems. My research focuses on mathematically modelling the effect of these molecules at a f luid interface, in order to gain a greater understanding of how to control their behaviour in these applications.

Physics

Photography contest spotlights the beauty of science in vivid detail

Regulars

Space

Claims of alien life are overhyped – and miss the real accomplishment

Comment

Space

Most accurate space clock to launch – and count down to destruction

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Ancient humans may have faced radiation risk 41,000 years ago

51¶¯Âþ

HavenGreen_EP3_NETFLIX USSCallister_Unit

Comment

Black Mirror returns full of delights and disappointments

Black Mirror's new season is a mixed bag, ranging from a sublimely plotted romp to one of the worst episodes to date. And it's still playing fast and loose with its sci-fi concepts, finds Bethan Ackerley

Culture

Technology

Inside the outlandish, futuristic dreams of the tech bros

Culture

Environment

Lab-grown chicken could be made chewier using artificial capillaries

51¶¯Âþ

Environment

Inside the mouth-watering race to master lab-grown chocolate

Features

Comment

Book Club: Readers admit they weren’t impressed with our latest novel

Culture

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop