SATURDAY, 17 JANUARY 2026, 11:25
These fungi boost plant growth and restore depleted ecosystems, but federal funding for a library housing them has been cut – and it may be forced to close
Inside a large greenhouse at the University of Kansas, Professor Liz Koziol and Dr Terra Lubin tend rows of sudan grass in individual plastic pots. The roots of each straggly plant harbor a specific strain of invisible soil fungus. The...
Texas governor among those to call for expanded access to ibogaine, said to help with treating veterans with PTSD
For half a century, psychedelics largely belonged to the cultural left: anti-war, anti-capitalist, suspicious of the church and state. Now, one of the most politically consequential psychedelic drugs in the US – ibogaine – is being championed by evangelical Christians,...
A tech C.E.O. explains why A.I. probably won’t cure diseases anytime soon. Hint: You still need humans.
Surgeon leading xenotransplantation trial aimed at solving shortage of human organs says edits can lessen risk of rejection
A leading surgeon behind a clinical trial of transplanting pig kidneys into living humans has said they could one day be superior to those from human donors.
Dr Robert Montgomery, the director of NYU Langone’s Transplant Institute, said the first transplant of the trial...
Wintering Well boxes to counter effects of low light on mental health are ‘super popular’, says island librarian
“Boxes of light” are being used to help people who struggle with low winter mood while living in one of Scotland’s darkest communities as part of a wider research initiative to support the million-plus sufferers of seasonal affective disorder across Britain.
Residents of the Orkney...
Our circadian cycle doesn’t just affect our sleeping and waking, but our motivations, mood, behaviour and alertness. Whether you are a lark or an owl, here’s how to recognise your own rhythm
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It’s easy to hate clocks. Their unstoppable forward churn wakes us up and shames us for running late. They are a constant reminder that every...
A non-Japanese-speaking first-time visitor used Apple’s new in-ear translation feature to connect with locals at bars, sushi classes and even a fire ritual.
Prominent business and government figures spread rumors about the attack on Brown University’s campus this month, reigniting questions about accountability in online discourse.
We can share images and sounds, so why not smells? Dr Kate McLean-MacKenzie hopes her new atlas will make scents
Christmas may be associated with the aromas of oranges and mince pies but our towns and cities also boast special scents during the rest of the year. Now, one researcher is publishing an atlas attempting to capture these quirky “smellscapes”.
Dr Kate McLean-MacKenzie, a designer and...
Exclusive: Scientists find a way to forecast hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which affects millions worldwide
Scientists are developing a simple blood test to predict who is most at risk from the world’s most common inherited heart condition.
Millions of people worldwide have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a disease of the heart muscle where the wall of the heart becomes thickened. It is...
Sarah Harper says society must create new ways of living and working amid potential ‘silver economy’
Concerns over an ageing population are overblown and society should learn to celebrate and capitalise on its “massive cohort of healthy, active, older, creative adults”, a leading population expert has said.
While pundits and pressure groups have raised concerns over falling fertility rates,...
Shares of Tesla have hit new highs on optimism about the company’s self-driving taxis. But experts say Tesla is far behind Waymo, which has a big head start.
Psychologists have typically believed that we become less curious as we age, but recent research has shown curiosity actually becomes more targeted and specific in our later years. In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Mary Whatley, an assistant professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, and Dr Matthias Gruber of Cardiff University’s Brain Research...
Flame retardants commonly used in furniture are linked to serious health issues, including cancer and thyroid disease
Removing old furniture made with flame retardants from people’s homes can significantly reduce the amount of the toxic chemicals in blood, a new 10-year, peer-reviewed study by California regulators and public health groups has found.
The drop that researchers found was a...
The Trump administration said five regulators and researchers who work to tackle disinformation and abuse on the internet had been barred from entering the United States.
The administration has downplayed concerns — from mass job losses, to a potential financial bubble — as President Trump cheers soaring stock prices and faster growth.
Try these useful shortcuts for sharing your Wi-Fi with guests, wrangling your to-do list or deciding what to do with family and friends.
Larry and David Ellison didn’t always have a close relationship. Now they’re one of the most intriguing partnerships in business.
Researchers share the easy ways to uncover moments of festive discovery, proving you don’t need a lab coat to experiment this Christmas
Christmas may seem like a time for switching off and suspending disbelief but there are plenty of ways to introduce a little science into the celebrations.
We asked experts for their top home experiments to challenge friends and family.
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Richard Fishacre used his knowledge of light and colour to argue against ‘fifth element’ theories of the day
About 800 years ago, Richard Fishacre, a Dominican friar at the University of Oxford, challenged the scientific thinking of the day, using his understanding of the behaviour of light to show that stars and planets are made of the same elements as found on Earth. Though he faced heavy...
Scientists working for government breed biological control agents in lab to take on species choking native wildlife
Crayfish, weevils and fungi are being released into the environment in order to tackle invasive species across Britain.
Scientists working for the government have been breeding species in labs to set them loose into the wild to take on Japanese knotweed, signal crayfish and...