Science
Why is a peat fire so bad? BBC is in Indonesia to find out
The BBC's Liza Tambunan is in central Kalimantan, to explain what peat is and why Indonesia is facing its worst wildfire season in a decade.
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Giant tunnel proposed to clean up Windermere's sewage problem
The plan would eliminate sewage spills into Windermere, blamed for turning the water green.
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New AI tool can predict cancer survival by a single patient selfie, study suggests
<p>System can estimate a person’s biological age and predict chances of cancer survival from a single photograph</p><p>Doctors have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict a cancer patient’s chances of survival from a single photograph of…
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Moment giant fin whale's huge mouth engulfs thousands of gallons of water
Videographer Rhys Morgan captured footage of the worlds second largest whale lunge feeding on his drone.
Science
Tesla beats earnings projections after Musk floats SpaceX merger plan
<p>Musk says ‘there’s a lot of merit’ to potential merger that would require approval of 50% of all Tesla shareholders, but he declined to elaborate </p><p>Investors were paying close attention to Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday afternoon, …
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Storm Austen to bring severe gales to UK as weather warning issued
The first named storm of the season - Austen - will bring damaging winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK on Friday.
Science
Orangutans prefer food associated with sounds of laughter, study suggests
<p>Apes in study more likely to choose treats linked to sound of peers having fun, suggesting emotions influence learning</p><p>Orangutans base their food choices on whether others appear to be having a good time, research suggests.</p><p>Scientists studyin…
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Northern Ireland needs 'courage and leadership' to tackle climate change
The new chair of the Climate Change Committee is spending two days in Northern Ireland on a fact-finding mission.
Science
Do people become less creative as they get older? Research makes surprising discovery
<p>Study pitting preschoolers against adults mostly in their 20s finds fear of failure and anxiety hamper the grownups</p><p>Ask a five-year-old to paint a picture and they will almost instinctively reach for the brush, but ask an adult to do the same and t…
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Five ways El Niño is affecting the weather around the world
As the strongest El Niño on record continues to intensify, what impacts on weather patterns are already being felt across the globe? Sarah Keith-Lucas looks at the evidence.
Science
More than 1 million mice used in Australian research annually, ‘overdue’ study finds
<p>Advocates say having national data about numbers of rats and mice used in research can help boost public trust in science</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https:/…
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Mission blasts off for Mars to grab a piece of its moon
A spacecraft is set to launch on an ambitious mission to bring 10g of Martian moon dust back to Earth.
Science
The Guardian view on plague in Russia: what is most worrying is the lack of information | Editorial
<p>In the three weeks since a health worker’s death in Siberia, officials have stonewalled the WHO – setting a worrying precedent for future pandemics</p><p>Is there a plague outbreak in Russia? If the answer were a clear yes, there shouldn’t be much reason…
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As a scientist, here's what worries me about the suspected Russian plague victim | Devi Sridhar
<p>Russia’s silence over the death of a lab worker underlines that pandemic preparedness amounts to nothing if information on threats is withheld</p><p>In <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36289377/">pandemic preparedness work</a>, scientists like to…
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New lab to become centre for investigating uplands
The research facility in Penrith will also help train the next generation of environmental scientists.
Science
You have a higher chance of getting cancer at a younger age than your parents. So what went wrong? | Devi Sridhar
<p>Some change in our lifestyles and environments over a generation has caused this increased risk. What, exactly, is a mystery</p><ul><li><p>Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh</p></li></ul><p>In the field of g…
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British households would be £5,000 richer if we were more innovative. Let’s unleash our talents | Gordon Brown
<p>We have a deep reservoir of assets, but struggle to turn small companies into global success stories. Innovation needs to be at the heart of government policy</p><ul><li><p>Gordon Brown was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010</p></li></ul><p>The coming 1…
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Can a giant tunnel save Windermere?
A £3.6bn proposal to stop sewage being discharged into Windermere, England's largest lake, has been unveiled.
Science
Is your boss watching you? The rise of AI surveillance at work – podcast
<p>Workers have always been monitored by their bosses, first through output targets, and then via computer software labelled ‘bossware’. But AI is transforming the capabilities of these systems, processing huge volumes of data to provide minute-by-minute ac…
Science
The surprising psychology of morbid curiosity – podcast
<p>US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State Unive…
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Why is Elon Musk plotting a mega-merger of SpaceX and Tesla?
Musk says there's "a lot to be gained" by combining the firms in what would be the biggest merger in history.
Science
All the news and science from the 2026 Nobel prizes – podcast
<p>This year’s Nobel prizes in chemistry, physics and physiology or medicine have celebrated work that has been used to develop countless drugs and transform modern medicine, allowed physicists to observe one of the most mysterious particles, and provided a…
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Norman McCubbin obituary
<p>My brother Norman McCubbin, who has died aged 77, was a scientist who worked at the forefront of experimental particle physics.</p><p>A leading light in experiments that took place on the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest and most powerful parti…
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Astronaut surprise video leaves pupils starstruck
The surprise came after a teacher's father met Peake while working on a cruise ship.
Science
Could AI ‘change the stakes’ in the development of bioweapons?
<p>Experts say the technology could help terrorists and nation states with production but that significant hurdles remain</p><p>In his annual speech on threats to the nation, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK’s intelligence service, MI5, warned that AI h…
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Elon Musk confirms he is considering merging Tesla and SpaceX
Musk says special committees within both companies have been formed to look at a possible mega-merger.
Science
‘Once-in-a-lifetime chance’: Japan launches historic mission to collect rocks from Mars’s moon Phobos
<p>Scientists hope Martian material collected will shed light on the origins of the solar system and life on Earth</p><p>Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft on an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/18/japan-mission-mars-moon-phob…
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Jonathan the giant tortoise, 194, offers up insight into secrets of longevity
<p>DNA analysis of oldest living land animal reveal patterns on genes that appear to protect functioning of mitochondria</p><p>The ancient quest to extend human lifespan has received a boost after scientists analysed the genetic code of the world’s oldest l…
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Burnham defends Jackdaw decision as Badenoch urges PM to overturn ban on new oil and gas licences
The UK government says the field, which is opposed by environmental campaigners, could be producing gas by the end of this month.
Science
Did you solve it? The treacherous puzzle of the round table
<p>The solutions to today’s puzzles</p><p>Earlier today I set you these six puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.</p><p><strong>The round table</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/12/did-you-solve-it-the-treacherous-puz…
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How Jackdaw ignites row over climate and costs
How Jackdaw ignites arguments over climate and costs
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Can you solve it? The treacherous riddle of the round table
<p>A puzzle for the ages</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/12/did-you-solve-it-the-treacherous-puzzle-of-the-round-table">UPDATE: Solution can be read here</a></p><p>It’s made of wood, it’s in the shape of a circle, and it is the f…
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Did you solve it? Isaac Newton’s tower drop puzzle
<p>The solution to the seventeenth century stumper</p><p>Earlier today I set you a puzzle that Isaac Newton posed in 1679 in a latter to Robert Hooke. I mentioned that the answer is counter-intuitive, and also gave you the hint that it might have something …
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Severe drought declared and hosepipe bans in force - is your area affected?
Parts of southern England have entered "severe drought", while about 30 million people are under hosepipe ban.
Science
Can you solve it? Isaac Newton’s tower drop puzzle
<p>The problem that changed the world</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/sep/28/did-you-solve-it-isaac-newtons-tower-drop-puzzle">UPDATE: Solution is now up</a></p><p>Today’s puzzle played a pivotal role in the birth of classical physic…
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BBC Inside Science
How can we to compete against a natural force with the power of 25 atomic bombs?
Science
Is your boss watching you? The rise of AI surveillance at work - video
<p>Workers have always been monitored by their bosses, first through output targets, and then via computer software labelled ‘bossware’. But AI is transforming the capabilities of these systems, processing huge volumes of data to provide minute-by-minute ac…
Science
The surprising psychology of morbid curiosity - video
<p>US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State Unive…
Science
BBC Inside Science
What are the next steps for the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator?
Science
Why you've probably been thinking about narcolepsy all wrong
<p><strong>The sleep disorder has been the butt of jokes and a comedic plot point, but the reality of living with narcolepsy is anything but funny. Things could be about to change for people with the condition though, after the US Food and Drug Administrati…
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BBC Inside Science
How do we measure time accurately and why is the rotation of the Earth causing problems?
Science
World's oldest shipwreck found off coast of Turkey
Archaeologists say the wreck is up to 4,700 years old, dating to the Early Bronze Age.
Science
How to move 1,300 plants for Kew's Palm House mega makeover
The world-famous Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London is about to undergo a massive makeover.
Science
First dinosaur bone from Antarctica found in a drawer
The fossil, collected in Antarctica in 1985, is part of the tail of a beast called a Titanosaur.
Science
Fossil identified as first dinosaur ever found in Antarctica
Argentinian geologist Eduardo Olivero became the first scientist to find the remains of a dinosaur in Antarctica in 1986.
Science
How cleaning up the air is speeding up global warming - and revealing a bigger problem
A curious online row over this summer's heatwaves points to a wider - and worrying - shift in climate science.
Science
How the UK's extreme heat is shifting the conversation about air-con
Should we embrace air conditioning despite its costs and consequences?
Science
The hidden cost of the night shift and how to sleep it off
More than three million people in the UK work night shifts, which can greatly impact their health. What can be done to help them?