Many people in a coma seem to think about complex tasks when instructed, which suggests they are aware of what is going on around them ​Many people in a coma seem to think about complex tasks when instructed, which suggests they are aware of what is going on around them Many people in a coma seem …

1 in 5 people in a coma may be aware of their surroundings Read More »

Lab-reared German cockroaches are susceptible to consumer insecticide sprays, allowing manufacturers to pass US regulatory tests, but insects taken from real-world infestations are able to shrug off the products ​Lab-reared German cockroaches are susceptible to consumer insecticide sprays, allowing manufacturers to pass US regulatory tests, but insects taken from real-world infestations are able to shrug …

Consumer insecticides are useless for fighting cockroach infestations Read More »

The South American lungfish has a whopping 180 gigabases of DNA in each cell, compared with 6 gigabases in human cells ​The South American lungfish has a whopping 180 gigabases of DNA in each cell, compared with 6 gigabases in human cells The South American lungfish has a whopping 180 gigabases of DNA in each cell, …

Largest genome sequenced so far is 30 times bigger than a human’s Read More »

The nearest source of the altar stone at the centre of Stonehenge has finally been identified – and it is at least 750 kilometres away in north-east Scotland ​The nearest source of the altar stone at the centre of Stonehenge has finally been identified – and it is at least 750 kilometres away in north-east …

Stonehenge’s altar stone was brought all the way from Scotland Read More »

Invasive cane toads have decimated native freshwater crocodile populations in Northern Australia, as the predators don’t know they should avoid the toxic amphibians ​Invasive cane toads have decimated native freshwater crocodile populations in Northern Australia, as the predators don’t know they should avoid the toxic amphibians Invasive cane toads have decimated native freshwater crocodile populations in …

How crocodiles were taught to stop eating deadly toxic cane toads Read More »

This month we’re in an Italian cave with a bellissimo fossil. If I was giving a live talk, at this point I would ask for a show of hands: have you heard of Altamura Man? Since it was new to me, I’m going to guess that most of you will be unfamiliar with it. Which …

Why the amazing Altamura Man fossil remains a mystery Read More »

Young people’s mental health is declining, statistics suggest, but some have questioned whether this is just due to increased awareness of such conditions and reduced stigma around seeking help ​Young people’s mental health is declining, statistics suggest, but some have questioned whether this is just due to increased awareness of such conditions and reduced stigma …

Is youth mental health really worse today than it was decades ago? Read More »

The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected the psychedelic drug MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, leading many to wonder whether psychedelic therapies have a future in medicine ​The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected the psychedelic drug MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, leading many to wonder whether …

MDMA therapies hit a roadblock – what’s next? Read More »

Researchers recently found a possible reservoir of liquid water more than 11 kilometres below Mars’s surface – the latest in a long series of potential water spottings on the Red Planet, hinting at its temperate past ​Researchers recently found a possible reservoir of liquid water more than 11 kilometres below Mars’s surface – the latest …

We keep finding water on Mars – here are all the places it might be Read More »