The “skyglow” produced when light from cities bounces off clouds can help cyanobacteria and other aquatic microbes grow at night ​The “skyglow” produced when light from cities bounces off clouds can help cyanobacteria and other aquatic microbes grow at night The “skyglow” produced when light from cities bounces off clouds can help cyanobacteria and other aquatic …

Artificial light pollution could fuel growth of toxic algal blooms Read More »

Microbial communities feeding on geothermal methane seeps beneath the Antarctic ice sheet could resemble life-supporting environments on frozen worlds in our solar system and beyond ​Microbial communities feeding on geothermal methane seeps beneath the Antarctic ice sheet could resemble life-supporting environments on frozen worlds in our solar system and beyond Microbial communities feeding on geothermal methane …

Hot methane seeps could support life beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet Read More »

A network of Earth’s best clocks will be synchronised with the most accurate one ever sent into space. But the device has a short shelf life: it will burn up in the atmosphere at the end of the decade as the ISS deorbits ​A network of Earth’s best clocks will be synchronised with the most …

Most accurate space clock to launch – and count down to destruction Read More »

Water filters made from untreated wood can remove more than 99 per cent of particles, taking out many harmful bacteria and microplastics ​Water filters made from untreated wood can remove more than 99 per cent of particles, taking out many harmful bacteria and microplastics Water filters made from untreated wood can remove more than 99 per …

Slices of wood can filter bacteria and microplastics from water Read More »

When Roman Egypt came under attack from the Kushites in what is now Sudan, the Roman forces responded by destroying a Kushite city – or so we thought ​When Roman Egypt came under attack from the Kushites in what is now Sudan, the Roman forces responded by destroying a Kushite city – or so we …

Excavation in Sudan shows Roman Empire wasn’t as mighty as it claimed Read More »

The report of possible biosignatures on the exoplanet K2-18b is exciting, but we are a long way from establishing beyond doubt that there is life on such a distant world ​The report of possible biosignatures on the exoplanet K2-18b is exciting, but we are a long way from establishing beyond doubt that there is life …

Will we ever have confirmation of life outside our solar system? Read More »

New global rules will see a carbon levy applied to emissions from shipping for the first time, but analysts say the package falls short of what is needed ​New global rules will see a carbon levy applied to emissions from shipping for the first time, but analysts say the package falls short of what is …

Does the shipping industry’s plan for net zero add up? Read More »

Colossal Biosciences’s “de-extinction” news is just the latest in a slew of eyebrow-raising claims by privately funded researchers. Is the bar for belief lower when those making the claims have a lot of money, wonders Jonathan R. Goodman ​Colossal Biosciences’s “de-extinction” news is just the latest in a slew of eyebrow-raising claims by privately funded …

Why claims about “resurrecting” dire wolves are the tip of the iceberg Read More »