51��

Skip to content

Did monkeys really sail the oceans on floating rafts of vegetation?

Life

Did monkeys really sail the oceans on floating rafts of vegetation?

The mystery of how some species colonised new continents is as old as the theory of evolution itself. Now, with fresh clues surfacing, the rafting hypothesis might finally sink or swim

Features

MN6GWA iridescence on the surface of some soap bubbles illuminated from below

Life

How the shimmering secrets of iridescence could keep us cool

Features

What doing magic tricks for birds is revealing about animal minds

Mind

What doing magic tricks for birds is revealing about animal minds

Features

Two senior woman in launderettes, laughing, portrait

Humans

The real reasons we laugh and what different types of laughter mean

Features

Occam’s razor: The medieval monk who saw the power of simplicity

Humans

Occam’s razor: The medieval monk who saw the power of simplicity

Features

S0J9ED Cascade hops fresh off of the vine.

Humans

How climate change is shaking up the hops that give beer its flavour

Features

This composite image of X-rays from Chandra (colored light blue) and optical data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (yellow, red, white, and blue) shows a beautiful new look at the compact group of galaxies known as Stephan???s Quintet. One galaxy is thought to be passing through the others at almost two million miles per hour. This generates a shock wave that heats the gas and creates the ridge of X-ray emission detected by Chandra.

Space

Milky Way shakes: The cosmic collisions that made our galaxy

Features

The secret life of cheese: How marvellous microbes create its flavour

Life

The secret life of cheese: How marvellous microbes create its flavour

Features

Six pointed snowflake

Humans

Kenneth Libbrecht interview: A grand unified theory of snowflakes

Features

The San Rafael waterfall, the biggest falls in Ecuador, located on the boundary of the Amazon with The Andes. San Rafael, Napo, Ecuador. February 2016

Environment

The Amazon is turning into savannah – we have 5 years to save it

We have been hearing warnings about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest for decades, but experts say a catastrophic tipping point is now just over the horizon. Are they right? And if so, what can we do to pull things back?

Features

Humans

Steven Pinker interview: Why humans aren't as irrational as they seem

Features

Space

3 of the most exciting space telescopes planned for launch by 2034

Features

Space

How the James Webb telescope will rewrite the story of the universe

Features

Earth

Why the myth of 'wilderness' harms both nature and humanity

Features