BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

The debate about whether the NHS should use magic mushrooms to treat depression

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:47:15 GMT

Many clinical trials to test the use of psychedelic medicines for conditions such as depression have been underway since 2022 - with surprising results

Sewage and agricultural pollution having 'alarming' impact on UK's underwater forests

Sat, 02 May 2026 10:46:54 GMT

Scientists found seagrass meadows affected by sewage had far fewer small invertebrates, like crabs.

The science of soulmates: Is there someone out there exactly right for you?

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:01:47 GMT

For many, the idea of soulmates still shapes how love is understood.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

What was learnt from the Chernobyl disaster and how has it shaped UK energy production?

Ban 'forever chemicals' in uniforms and frying pans, MPs urge

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:11:24 GMT

School uniforms and non-stick pans are some of the everyday products that should stop using chemicals called PFAS, MPs say.

How to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower

Mon, 04 May 2026 12:11:23 GMT

How to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower

£20m mystery gift buys London Zoo new hospital where you can watch vets work

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:20:26 GMT

Visitors will be able to watch live veterinary procedures inside a state-of-the-art new animal hospital.

The Interview

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Rebecca Morelle speaks to astronaut Jeremy Hansen ahead of the Artemis II Moon mission.

The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:02:53 GMT

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon they will experience a moment of silence and solitude as communication with the Earth is blocked.

Butterfly numbers are dropping but here are five species you may see more of

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:14:24 GMT

A warming climate has helped some to flourish, researchers say, but the outlook is troubling.

Why cheap power could matter more than clean power in the push for net zero

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:20:22 GMT

The question of how important making our electricity clean is to going green is coming under increasing scrutiny

Student uses space cosmic rays to make photographs

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:23:12 GMT

Blank negative photographic film sealed in a bag is sent to edge of space using a helium balloon.

Is this actually what Anne Boleyn looked like?

Fri, 01 May 2026 14:44:02 GMT

An algorithm has suggested images of what were thought to be Anne Boleyn might not be.

A 17th Century 'supercomputer' once owned by Indian royalty sells for record in auction

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:19:12 GMT

The astrolabe - or astronomical computer - is possibly the largest in existence and had never been exhibited before.

Artemis II crew: 'We left as friends - we came back as best friends'

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:49:38 GMT

The four crew members gave their first press conference since they splashed down nearly a week ago, and emphasised hope and unity.

'We're living in a shed because of river pollution'

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:20:08 GMT

Jane and Tony Coyle spent seven years waiting for planning permission due to River Lugg pollution.

Golden eagles' return to English skies gets government backing

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:19:46 GMT

The birds could be reintroduced as early as next year following a £1m injection from the government.

'Mournes could take centuries to recover from wildfires'

Sun, 03 May 2026 05:23:06 GMT

One conservation expert says repeated fires in The Mournes are like "death by a thousand cuts".

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

We explore the mechanisms causing Europe's warming twice as fast as the global average.

Global forest loss slows but El Niño fires could threaten progress

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:26:08 GMT

The loss of tropical rainforests eased last year, according to new analysis, but scientists warn they are still disappearing rapidly.

Higgs boson breakthrough was UK triumph, but British physics faces 'catastrophic' cuts

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:40:16 GMT

Britain is preparing to cancel its contribution to one of the Large Hadron Collider's next major upgrades.

UK's biggest ever environmental pollution claim reaches High Court

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:01:47 GMT

One of the UK's largest chicken producers and a water company accused of polluting three rivers including the River Wye

No ban on over-the-counter pet flea treatments in Jersey

Sun, 03 May 2026 06:15:12 GMT

It comes as the UK looks to restrict the products to vet visits.

Electricity bills targeted in planned shakeup to energy pricing

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:53:27 GMT

The war in the Middle East has brought renewed attention to Britain's vulnerability to energy price shocks.

Artemis II: Nasa targets early April for Moon mission

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:21:11 GMT

Nasa says technical problems that have delayed the rocket are fixed and it is ready for launch.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

What have we learnt from Artemis II?

Astronaut takes photo of his university from orbit

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:34:53 GMT

Jack Hathaway tells Cranfield University he had to wait for a break in the British weather.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Creating and manufacturing a novel vaccine capable of combatting bird flu.

Nature haven 'trashed' after four-year wait for protection decision

Sun, 03 May 2026 08:14:19 GMT

Activists claim developers are damaging the area while NatureScot considers whether or not to designate it a protected site.

First stop, the Moon. Next stop, Mars? Why Nasa's mission matters

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:50:21 GMT

Lunar discoveries and a space race with China is seeing the US invest time and money to get to the Moon - and beyond.

From blast off to splashdown: My days following Nasa's historic mission to the Moon

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:17:07 GMT

BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle reflects on how it felt to watch history being made.

First ever talks to ditch fossil fuels as UN deadlock deepens

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:42:44 GMT

Some 60 countries are meeting in Colombia as frustration grows with lack of progress in tackling climate change

Global forest loss slows but El Niño fires could threaten progress

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:26:08 GMT

The loss of tropical rainforests eased last year, according to new analysis, but scientists warn they are still disappearing rapidly.

How a hurricane created a 'precious saltmarsh'

Mon, 04 May 2026 10:54:41 GMT

This year marks 30 years since a storm breached sea defenses in Porlock.

Is this the real face of Anne Boleyn?

Fri, 01 May 2026 23:01:44 GMT

A computer science team believes they have discovered a previously unknown sketch of King Henry VIII's second wife - but not everyone is convinced.

UK's biggest ever environmental pollution claim reaches High Court

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:01:47 GMT

One of the UK's largest chicken producers and a water company accused of polluting three rivers including the River Wye

Your snaps of changing skies from meteors to rays

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:10:42 GMT

BBC Weather Watchers capture the ever-changing April conditions.

Pine marten kit receives round-the-clock care after siblings died

Mon, 04 May 2026 06:13:01 GMT

The kit was rescued from a bin in Wales and is now being looked after at Vale Wildlife Hospital.

Meet the 19-metre octopus that prowled the ancient seas

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:04:39 GMT

Giant octopuses may have ruled the oceans 100 million years ago, according to fossil evidence.

'Only so much' voters can worry about - are attitudes to net zero changing?

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:46:26 GMT

Recent studies show a decline in the public's sense of urgency around reaching net zero.

How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:16:41 GMT

Tuna populations around the Pacific Islands could move away as ocean temperatures increase.

COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:09:19 GMT

The US president is notably absent from these UN climate talks, as are other world leaders, all of which prompts questions about the purpose of COP today.