Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Stored water can develop slimy bacterial films: Nanotechnology may be a solution
When drinking water is stored in containers, a thin layer of microorganisms can grow at the interface of the container and water. This thin layer is called a bi...
Raft of targeted conservation efforts may help boost leopard numbers in sub-Saharan Africa, study suggests
There could be fewer leopards living across sub-Saharan Africa than previously believed, according to a new study that has analyzed suitable habitat and conditi...
Hummingbirds speed up pineapple family's evolution
Hummingbirds make bromeliad plants split into new species twice as fast as other pollinators do, scientists at the University of Reading have found. The researc...
Heat waves: Expert tips on redesigning UK homes to cope with hotter temperatures
As the UK prepares for the third heat wave of 2026, most people will be hoping to keep cool at home. Building regulations to protect homes from overheating were...
Climate change means an earlier spring, which can be disorienting and threatening for migrating birds
Spring migration has taken flight, but with rising temperatures and shifting seasons, birds are adjusting when and how they migrate to keep up with a rapidly wa...
'Outed' by the algorithm—how social media is revealing queer identity ahead of self-disclosure
Social media algorithms are increasingly revealing users' sexual orientation or gender identity before they have consciously come out to themselves or others, a...
Africa's wildlife laws follow a colonial model that separates people and animals: Why it's not working
Africa is home to many iconic national parks and marine reserves, such as Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niokolo-Koba in Senegal, Kruger Natio...
Storms impact the architecture of webs and the survival of spiders
In the dense forests of the Ecuadorian Andes, the survival of a spider relies not only on its ability to prey on insects but also on its capacity to resist a th...
Bringing rice back to Hawaiʻi: Japanese cultivars yield high-quality grains in just three months
In a major step toward enhancing food security and exploring the potential to bring rice farming back to Hawaiʻi, an international research team has successfull...
Modeling reveals Sydney's 1789 smallpox outbreak killed as many as 220,000 indigenous Australians
Groundbreaking modeling has revealed that as many as 220,000 Indigenous Australians died in a devastating 1789 smallpox outbreak that originated in Sydney, trac...
A new net-membrane could clean up some tricky space debris
We've reported on all kinds of wacky ideas for capturing and deorbiting space debris safely. From electric tethers to lasers, engineers and scientists have been...
Atomic 'domino effect' found to drive phase changes in a two-dimensional crystal
Phase transformations—in which a material changes from one crystal structure to another, thereby acquiring dramatically different properties—are ubiquitous in n...