Positions ‘terminated, effective immediately’, says email to scientists sent on president’s behalf, in move labelled ‘dangerous attack’ on US innovation

The Trump administration has fired members of an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Members of the National Science Board received an email on Friday sent from the Presidential Personnel Office “on behalf...

Social media is awash with content about food intolerances and the symptoms to look out for. But figuring out whether you actually have one, and what’s triggering it, is surprisingly difficult. One avenue people are gravitating towards is at-home testing. Madeleine Finlay sits down with health and lifestyle journalist Rebecca Seal to unpick the science behind these tests. Rebecca explains how...

The solution to today’s puzzle

Earlier today I asked you this slippery question. Here it is again with the solution.

Snakes in a cage

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Experts say counterfeits lack UV filters, increasing the risk of eye damage, and urge shoppers to check for safety marks

While many will be enjoying the spring sunshine, experts have cautioned against wearing fake designer sunglasses, warning they could do more harm than good.

As the College of Optometrists notes, sunglasses not only protect the eyes against glare on sunny days, but can also...

It comes after months of scrutiny by Chinese regulators over deal struck with Facebook owner.

The horror of sports lessons put three in 10 of British 50 to 65-year-olds off exercise for life. I wish I’d known sooner that movement can feel so good

Surprising news: three in 10 50- to 65-year-olds in a recent Age UK survey said school sports memories had put them off exercise “for life”. Only three in 10? When it comes to exercise, there are surely two kinds of people – the handful...

This puzzle has bite

Did you hear about the snake that liked maths?

I’m sure you did – it’s one of the oldest jokes in the book.*

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Study finds monitoring and adjustment of medication where needed can help protect mothers’ heart health

New mothers who had hypertension in pregnancy could reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and potentially early death through daily blood pressure checks at home, research suggests.

Women who regularly monitored their blood pressure in the weeks after giving birth, and had doctors tailor...

Recognised since antiquity, the constellation has a rich mythological tradition

The northern hemisphere’s spring evenings are dominated by the unmistakable outline of Leo, one of the few constellations that resembles the creature it represents, the lion.

Leo is most easily identified by its distinctive “backwards” question mark, referred to by astronomers as the “sickle” asterism and...

Prendwick, Northumberland: On a crisp, cold walk, I’m reminded that winter still clings on, and that familiar constellations are far from alone

The red sun rising over the radar station on Alnwick Moor picks out the tall shape of a hare at our end of the meadow. It lopes forward a little way – forever appearing, as hares always do, to be on the brink of a forward roll – and then pauses,...

Inaudible infrasound from old pipes and ventilation systems may affect how people feel, research indicates

For believers in the paranormal, unsettling sensations brought on by old buildings can be a sinister hint of loitering spirits. But new research points to a more mundane explanation: inaudible sounds from aged pipes and boilers.

Scientists investigated the impact of infrasound on a group...

Clients no longer just describe their symptoms, they arrive with screenshots of dense articles, AI chatbot information and the phrase ‘I’ve done my research’

The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work

Ben* sat across from me, explaining how his low motivation, lethargy and trouble sleeping seemed like depression from content he had seen...

Understanding truffles is a ‘tricky proposition’ because most of the magic occurs underground

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Black truffles aren’t native to Australia, but since the first oaks and hazelnuts were planted in the 1990s, the local industry has flourished, becoming the largest producer outside Europe.

Now, scientists have identified the environmental...

Researchers find ‘alarming’ effect on fertility across global species from simultaneous exposures

Simultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change’s impacts likely generates an additive or synergistic effect that increases reproductive harm, and may contribute to the broad global drop in fertility, new peer-reviewed research finds.

The review of scientific literature considers how...

Discrepancy in forecasts raises questions over government planning for net zero

One vision of the UK’s future involves a decarbonised economy powered by clean, renewable energy. Another involves making the UK an AI superpower.

The government departments responsible for these two visions do not appear to have agreed on their numbers.

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The rival superpowers are ramping up preparations for a crewed lunar landing nearly six decades after the first moon walk

The world watched earlier this month as Nasa sent four astronauts around the moon – but to actually land on the surface the US is once again in a space race, this time with China. And China may well win.

Both countries plan to build inhabited lunar bases – the first...