BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

Why scientists hope seabed mud could reveal Antarctic Ocean secrets

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 23:21:37 GMT

How long tubes of mud - drilled out of the Antarctic seafloor - could reveal how the frozen continent is changing.

Russian volcano erupts for first time in more than 500 years

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:05:37 GMT

The eruption of a volcano in Russia's Kamchatka peninsula may be linked to a massive earthquake last week, experts say.

New climate assessment for Jackdaw gas field

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:08:09 GMT

Oil giant Shell had to review its assessment after a judge ruled the Jackdaw field was permitted unlawfully.

Planes are having their GPS hacked. Could new clocks keep them safe?

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:39:34 GMT

How a new atomic clock might be the way to tackle attacks on plane GPS systems

The fate of the Sycamore Gap tree has shed light on a deeper concern

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:04:28 GMT

The felling has prompted calls for stricter legal protections for other trees and drawn attention to wider issues

Nasa Apollo missions: Stories of the last Moon men

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 21:31:57 GMT

Of the 24 Nasa astronauts who travelled to the Moon in the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, just five remain.

The Druids Oak is 800 years old - can it help save tomorrow's forests?

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:10:56 GMT

Scientists are decoding the DNA of Britain’s ancient oaks to crack the secrets of their superpowers.

Nasa to put nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 - US media

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:36:24 GMT

The reactor would provide power for humans on the Moon but there are questions about feasibility.

Recent droughts are 'slow-moving global catastrophe' - UN report

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:31:51 GMT

It says drought has compounded poverty, hunger, and energy insecurity worldwide.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The evidence on whether high caffeine energy drinks affect our health.

Mystery of dancing spiders' DNA could explain how they develop into new species

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 23:00:20 GMT

There are many more species of peacock spider than other animals, scientists think they may know why.

Water firm bans tankers from transporting water for billionaire's lake

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:24:43 GMT

Tankers taking water for US billionaire Stephen Schwarzman have been told to stop by Southern Water.

Scientists make 'superfood' that could save honeybees

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:03:02 GMT

We rely on honeybees to pollinate our crops and a new food could protect them from growing threats.

This burger was made from cow cells in a lab. Should it really be served in restaurants?

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 23:02:55 GMT

Lab-grown beef, chicken and even quail are served in restaurants in some countries around the world - and now some cultivated meats could soon be sold in the UK too

Tories pledge to get all oil and gas out of North Sea

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:32:17 GMT

The government warns Kemi Badenoch's plans would "only accelerate the worsening climate crisis".

Southern European butterfly spotted in UK for first time

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 01:06:28 GMT

Experts have tracked the Southern Small White's expansion northwards through Europe over decades.

SpaceX Starship test fails after Texas launch

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 02:27:56 GMT

Officials at Elon Musk's company said the upper stage was lost, minutes after it launched.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:00:12 GMT

Flights are getting bumpier, thanks in part to climate change. But new studies are looking into innovative potential ways to turbulence-proof wings - using AI and owls

Why scientists are counting tiny marine creatures, from Space

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 01:59:32 GMT

Differences in seawater colour could reveal how tiny Antarctic creatures are faring in a warming world.

Ancient Egyptian history may be rewritten by DNA bone test

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:01:49 GMT

A DNA bone test on a man who lived 4,500 years ago sheds new light on the rise of Ancient Egypt.

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 astronaut, dies aged 97

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:01:11 GMT

The commander of Apollo 13 famously rescued his men from near certain death in space.

US energy chief tells BBC nuclear fusion will soon power the world

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:02:49 GMT

AI will soon enable harnessing of the energy that powers the sun and stars, says Chris Wright

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:00:00 GMT

What’s the evidence behind rat infestation warnings? And farewell to wet wipe island

Mission begins to save snails threatened by own beauty

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:46:34 GMT

Researchers in Cuba and the UK are working together to reveal the biological secrets of the beautiful but endangered Polymita snail.

Unique 1.5m year-old ice to be melted to unlock mystery

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:18:22 GMT

BBC News went inside -23C freezers to see the ice that could "revolutionise" our knowledge of climate change.

Protect Arctic from 'dangerous' climate engineering, scientists warn

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:41:07 GMT

Controversial approaches to cooling the planet are unlikely to work, according to dozens of polar scientists.

Incinerator broke air pollution limits 916 times

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:48:19 GMT

The Environment Agency are currently considering enforcement action against the operator, Viridor.

SpaceX pulls off Starship rocket launch in much-needed comeback

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:00:47 GMT

The Starship rocket is critical to the company's hopes of one day carrying people to the Moon and Mars.

Astronauts Butch and Suni finally back on Earth

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:14:48 GMT

Dolphins circled their capsule after it landed off the coast of Florida.

Life on Mars? 'Leopard-spot' rocks could be biggest clue yet

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:16 GMT

Unusual mudstones found on the Red Planet are potentially associated with ancient Martian microbes.

New checks to stop waste tyres being sent to furnaces

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 05:04:49 GMT

Campaigners warn the move will not close all the recycling loopholes being exploited by criminals.

Hot, dry summers bring new 'firewave' risk to UK cities, scientists warn

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:04:14 GMT

Rising temperatures are increasing the chances of multiple wildfires at the same time, researchers say.

Rocket launch challenges Elon Musk's space dominance

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:12:27 GMT

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's space company blasts its first rocket into orbit in a challenge to Elon Musk.

Life on Mars? 'Leopard-spot' rocks could be biggest clue yet

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:16 GMT

Unusual mudstones found on the Red Planet are potentially associated with ancient Martian microbes.

Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:07:12 GMT

Bennu contains minerals and thousands of organic molecules, including the chemical components that make up DNA.

Thousands of river pollution tests cancelled because of staff shortages

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 03:12:14 GMT

Testing programmes affected include those monitoring the impact of drought.

New dinosaur named after record-breaking sailor

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:45:09 GMT

The medium-sized herbivore once roamed the floodplains of what is now the Island's south-west coast.

Oceangate's Titan whistleblower: 'People were sold a lie'

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 05:35:42 GMT

A former Oceangate employee says he told US authorities about safety concerns with the sub before it imploded.

What are the risks of bombing Iran's nuclear sites?

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 09:49:16 GMT

Destroying Iran's stores of enriched uranium would bring danger for people nearby but not trigger another Chernobyl.

US energy chief tells BBC nuclear fusion will soon power the world

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:02:49 GMT

AI will soon enable harnessing of the energy that powers the sun and stars, says Chris Wright

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Results from Nasa's Perseverance rover may show signs left in rocks by living organisms.

Future of space travel: Could robots really replace human astronauts?

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 01:46:51 GMT

Advances in technology raise questions about the need to send people to space - and the risks and cost

The Druids Oak is 800 years old - can it help save tomorrow's forests?

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:10:56 GMT

Scientists are decoding the DNA of Britain’s ancient oaks to crack the secrets of their superpowers.

Captain Scott’s famous polar shipwreck as never seen before

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 23:21:27 GMT

The Terra Nova carried Captain Scott and his men on their doomed expedition to the South Pole.

Water firm bans tankers from transporting water for billionaire's lake

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:24:43 GMT

Tankers taking water for US billionaire Stephen Schwarzman have been told to stop by Southern Water.

The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:11:47 GMT

Could discoveries of alien life ever change the human psyche in how we view ourselves and each other?

Global plastic talks collapse as countries remain deeply divided

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 11:57:06 GMT

The latest round of UN-led talks have ended in deadlock, with disputes over plastic production and recycling.

Melting glaciers threaten to wipe out European villages - is the steep cost to protect them worth it?

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 23:06:56 GMT

Switzerland spends almost $500m a year on protective structures. Is it worth it - or, as some suggest, should people move away from the mountain villages at risk?

Tories pledge to get all oil and gas out of North Sea

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:32:17 GMT

The government warns Kemi Badenoch's plans would "only accelerate the worsening climate crisis".

Rising seas will threaten 1.5 million Australians by 2050 - report

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 05:34:24 GMT

Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment predicts more frequent and severe climate hazards.

Tiny creatures gorge, get fat, and help fight global warming

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 23:10:52 GMT

Scientists find out how the epic deep sea migration of a tiny animal is storing planet-warming carbon.

Kew Gardens' Palm House will close for five years for major makeover

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 23:01:44 GMT

The 175-year-old glass house will begin a £50m renovation in 2027.

Protect Arctic from 'dangerous' climate engineering, scientists warn

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:41:07 GMT

Controversial approaches to cooling the planet are unlikely to work, according to dozens of polar scientists.

New study on moons of Uranus raises chance of life

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:00:05 GMT

The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the sterile worlds scientists have long thought.

Why did Russian mega earthquake not cause more tsunami damage?

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:09:03 GMT

The earthquake was one of the strongest ever recorded, but its tsunami was not as bad as feared.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The science of extraterrestrial solar panels and whether they can power our energy needs.

UK and US unveil nuclear energy deal ahead of Trump visit

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:20:33 GMT

Key among the plans is a proposal to build up to 12 advanced modular nuclear reactors in Hartlepool.

'Communities' of strange, extreme life seen for first time in deep ocean

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:02:31 GMT

A Chinese-led research team captures pictures of life at depths of more than 9km in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

Military drills spark hundreds of wildfires in UK

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:55:53 GMT

Live explosives on army training sites in the UK countryside mean many wildfires cannot be tackled.

Vaccine to curb chlamydia epidemic devastating koalas approved

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 03:22:07 GMT

Thousands of koalas have died from the disease, with some estimates suggesting only 50,000 remain in the wild.

Soviet-era spacecraft 'likely' to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere

Sat, 10 May 2025 15:32:19 GMT

The spacecraft, which launched in 1972 on a mission to Venus, circled Earth for over five decades.