This is how we are used to seeing Uranus and Neptune, respectively. But the colours aren't accurate. NASA/ JPL/ PlanetS In many images of the two outer gas giants of the Solar System, Neptune typically looks rich blue while Uranus comes across as pale green. But now our new study,Continue Reading
Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock When the cold and dark winter is setting in, some of us envy animals that can hibernate. This long, deep rest is an example of how nature develops clever solution to difficult problems. In this case, how to survive a long, cold and dark period without much foodContinue Reading
Spiders often act passively in response to humans. Jimmy_Chan/Shutterstock Spiders have evolved creative strategies to allow them to thrive in habitats across the globe. The one thing that seems to elude them though, is the ability to charm the humans that they encounter. But what about the spider’s perspective ofContinue Reading
Microsoft recently launched a new version of all of its software with the addition of an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that can do a variety of tasks for you. Copilot can summarise verbal conversations on Teams online meetings, present arguments for or against a particular point based on verbal discussionsContinue Reading
Mikhail Leonov/Shutterstock I once restored a 1950s timepiece for a customer who waxed lyrical about the intricacies of my work – all the while refusing to pay. They baulked when I presented them with the bill we’d previously agreed. Then they garbled on about the philosophical nature of time, stillContinue Reading
Nasa It’s going to be a bumper time for space missions in 2024 – especially to the Moon, our nearest neighbour. And that’s following on from an already epic 2023. I’m a laboratory scientist, so I always like to have a “proper” sample to analyse. Rather than peering through telescopesContinue Reading
Nasa/wikipedia During the pandemic, a third of people in the UK reported that their trust in science had increased, we recently discovered. But 7% said that it had decreased. Why is there such variety of responses? For many years, it was thought that the main reason some people reject scienceContinue Reading
Amur tigers are evolved for winter weather Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock The temperature has dropped, the nights have drawn in. The winter holidays have started, families are gathered – so where can you go to fuel the imagination and get some fresh air? A zoo might not be your first thought –Continue Reading
Rattana/Shutterstock All human beings age. It is part of our biology and limits our lifespan to slightly over 120 years. Not all animals experience ageing during their lives. Some animals’ bodies do not gradually degenerate as they get older the way our bodies do. But for humans once they reachContinue Reading
Wandering albatrosses can cover huge distances in a single trip. MZPhoto.cz/Shutterstock Animals cover astonishing distances when they are looking for food. While caribou, reindeer and wolves clock up impressive mileage on land, seabirds are unrivalled in their travelling distances. Arctic terns travel from the Arctic to Antarctica and back asContinue Reading
