Latest Stories
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Coral crisis for Great Barrier Reef
Can we save the reef before it is too late? The Great Barrier Reef is dying: experts have found that over half of its corals have been lost. To save the rest, they say, we have to act fast.
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The robot dolphins that could transform zoos
Are robot animals a good idea? A company in the USA has created electronic dolphins that can swim and move like the real thing. Some think they should replace wild creatures in zoos.
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After 3,000 years Tasmanian devils are back!
Should there be more wild animals in the world? Tasmanian devils once roamed the mainland of Australia. Now, after thousands of years on a neighbouring island, they are being reintroduced.
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This is a Golden Age of dinosaur discovery!
Can we learn anything useful from studying dinosaurs? Using new technology, scientists have learnt about them in the last 50 years than ever before. But some say it’s pointless research.
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Lockdown brings on love of the outdoors
Should we spend more time outside? After months of lockdown, we have a new appreciation of the outdoors. Research shows that learning to love nature could improve life in unexpected ways.
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Rescue workers battle wildfires in the US
Is climate change to blame? Search and rescue operations are underway to help people affected by huge wildfires in the western states of America. Many say global warming is mainly to blame.
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Scientists find possible life on Venus
Is there life on our neighbouring planet? A gas floating through the clouds high above the surface of Venus could be a sign of life – but aliens might not look exactly the way we usually imagine...
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‘A million species in danger’, say experts
Is it too late to prevent a sixth mass extinction? A new report from the World Wildlife Fund has warned that humans are destroying nature at a rate that has never been seen before.
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Scientists plan oxygen factory on the Moon
The European Space Agency is working on a scheme to support human settlements on the Moon. It aims to build an oxygen plant to make rocket fuel and breathable air.
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Trees can help predict famines and wars
Scientists are finding that tree ring patterns are a time-map of rainfall and drought, accurately going back thousands of years. These might help us predict future famine and conflict.
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The smart speakers that know if you’re sick
Would you trust Alexa to diagnose you when you’re sick? Experts predict that, within 10 years, smart speakers will be able to detect illnesses by listening to our behaviour. But what about our...
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‘Smart skin’ makes virtual touch a reality
Should touch become digital? A new thin, wireless skin could allow us to reach through a computer and touch what is on the other side. Is it wonderful or disturbing?
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The living robot! Part-frog, part-machine
Using the cells of a frog and artificial intelligence, scientists have made a creature small enough to travel inside a human body. Half-machine, half-animal, it is an entirely new life form.
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Optical illusions reveal secrets of the brain
Do our brains create an alternative reality? Optical illusions are designed to trick our minds, but a group of scientists has proved that the brain could “see things wrong” for a reason.
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Soapy bubbles pop pollen on to fruit trees
Are bees replaceable? As numbers of the insects drop worldwide, a team has been searching for alternative approaches to pollination. Now, they have succeeded with the help of a bubble gun.