Science
Finding new ways to catch a thief—via intruders' airborne eDNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly being investigated by forensic scientists as a tool to help solve criminal cases that lack biological traces—and attention is also turning…
Beat light pollution with these six portable telescopes
Sick of skyglow spoiling your stargazing? These six telescopes are portable enough that you can easily pack them away and seek out darker skies.
Severe drought declared in six areas of England as public water supplies under threat
Some reservoirs in south-east and south-west at critically low levels as water companies call for non-essential user bans on businessesA severe drought has been declared in six ar…
Turning up the heat on chickpea yield
A University of Queensland study has outlined a practical pathway for accelerating the development of heat-adapted chickpeas using data from new 'omic' technologies. Ph.D. candida…
Scientists discover 'chemical starter kit' for life in planetary birthplaces
The discovery of surprising molecules of methanol and associated maser activity has expanded the inventory of the chemical starter kit that builds planets in young star systems.
Early growth differences help explain which beech trees survive forest competition
The fight for survival in the forest is fierce: light, water and nutrients are all limited. This is particularly true in "mast years"—times when trees and shrubs produce an unusua…
Cyril Hilsum obituary
Government physicist whose radar research paved the way for flat-panel TV and computer screens based on liquid crystalsCyril Hilsum’s research into stable liquid crystals and the …
Quantum sensor could measure how Earth drags spacetime
Einstein's theory of general relativity describes gravity as the bending of spacetime, a mathematical model that combines three-dimensional space and time into a single, four-dime…
SpaceX wants to launch Starship more than 450 times per year from South Texas
SpaceX has proposed increasing the number of allowed Starship launches from its Starbase site in South Texas from 25 per year to 456. The FAA is currently reviewing the request.
As Wildfires Intensify, Communities Have a Bigger Role to Play
On July 22, Aurélie Filleau and her husband were given 10 minutes to get their children and a few possessions into the car before evacuating their house in Le Porge, a town near B…
Texas Land Commissioner Treads Carefully as Trump Border Wall Advances on State Property
Border wall construction in the Big Bend region puts Republican Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham in a bind: back President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda or respond to g…
Regenerative Growers in Florida Aim to Improve Soil for Health of Food, Environment, Consumers and Workers
Blueberries, green beans, yellow squash, red onions, purple cabbage, oranges. At markets across Florida, colorful produce signals freshness and nutrition and attracts consumers. …
Group that plants fruit trees in vacant lots grows to cities nationwide
A Kansas City group set up to help volunteers plant fruit trees in vacant city lots has quickly branched out across the country with almost 850 orchards in 17 cities with more to …
Ascension Island: How a planting project created a lush cloud forest
In the middle of nowhere, a small island emerges in the Atlantic Ocean. This unique territory completely changed in the 19th century thanks to the efforts of two British scientist…
APOD: 2026 October 15 – The Milky Way over Manhattan
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 15 – The… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the …
Watch SpaceX deliver more than 6,000 pounds of cargo to the ISS today
SpaceX's CRS-35 cargo Dragon will rendezvous with the International Space Station today (Oct. 15) after a two-day chase. Here's how to watch it live.
Fires Arrive in the Amazon Rainforest
During El Niño, a cascade of fires across the tropics begins in equatorial Asia and continues in the central and eastern Amazon.
Is your boss watching you? The rise of AI surveillance at work – podcast
Workers have always been monitored by their bosses, first through output targets, and then via computer software labelled ‘bossware’. But AI is transforming the capabilities of th…
‘I am still a child, it cannot be good to be married’: how drought forces Afghan families to sell girls as brides
As climate breakdown pushes families to starvation, many feel forced to ‘sacrifice’ daughters to save siblings. Photographer Elise Blanchard travelled the country speaking to girl…
Consumers need clearer answers before they can trust precision fermentation, new report finds
Consumers may not fully understand precision fermentation yet, but many are curious enough to taste the results. New qualitative research from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, p…
Report identifies investment priorities for low-emissions agriculture
A new report by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has found a growing suite of promising options already available to reduce on-farm emissions, as well as further opport…
Now you see them: Researchers uncover patterns in vessels that vanish at sea
Across the waters of West Africa, commercial fishing vessels vanish along international boundary lines.
Scientists alarmed as super El Niño collides with 'strange uptick' in Galapagos iguana trafficking
The only lizard in the world that can live and forage at sea may now be in a fight for survival. International scientists warn black-market trafficking of Galapagos marine iguanas…
Green, pink and purple: Astronomers reveal the surprising true colors of white dwarf stars
University of Warwick astronomers have shown that white dwarf stars can glow in a range of colors, including the first star ever found that would appear green to the human eye.