Science | The Guardian
Articles about Science | The Guardian
Trill seekers: can scientists use AI and tutors to help birds remember lost songs?
When populations fall, fledglings can struggle to learn the right notes to attract mates. But research on how birds communicate offers hope for species’ survival
Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’
Cambridge University study suggests stark gender divide in misdiagnosis, with women also waiting longer for treatment Women with autoimmune conditions are up to 74% more likely than men to be told their symptoms are psychological or psychosomatic, and face much longer waits for a diagnosis and treatment, a study suggests. Hundreds of millions of people – about one in 10 globally – are affected by autoimmune conditions, which can cause a range of health issues including fatigue, muscle pain and rashes. Continue reading
As a scientist, here’s what worries me about the suspected Russian plague victim | Devi Sridhar
Russia’s silence over the death of a lab worker underlines that pandemic preparedness amounts to nothing if information on threats is withheld, says public health expert Devi Sridhar
Roman fort found in Wales could prove myth of emperor’s camp is real
Exclusive: Finds suggest account in medieval folklore of a camp near Frenni Fawr hill was rooted in reality Magnus Maximus, the Roman emperor who ruled Britain in the fourth century, led his troops against the Picts and Scots, but a theory that he also established a military camp near Frenni Fawr hill in Wales has so far been based on folklore. Now fourth-century coins, among other finds at a newly identified Roman fort in Pembrokeshire, suggest the medieval tale was rooted in reality, to the excitement of archaeologists. Continue reading
Can you solve it? The treacherous riddle of the round table
A puzzle for the ages It’s made of wood, it’s in the shape of a circle, and it is the forum for many an important gathering. It is also the setting for today’s puzzle. Continue reading
Starwatch: Mars signposts the beautiful Beehive cluster
From a dark location, the Beehive – or Praesepe – will appear as a faint, misty patch very close to the red planet
‘A living hell’: how Los Angeles got taken over by mosquitoes
Heat and humidity have led to one of the worst mosquito years in recent history, with West Nile virus at a decade high
Skies across the UK illuminated by the northern lights
Though mostly visible near the Arctic Circle, the natural phenomenon dazzled sky-gazers as far south Devon, Hampshire and Kent The northern lights illuminated the skies across the UK on Friday and Saturday evening. Sky-gazers as far south as Devon, Hampshire and Kent were treated to the dazzling natural phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis. Continue reading
Why you’ve probably been thinking about narcolepsy all wrong
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 Administration (FDA) approved the first ever drug to treat narcolepsy itself, rather than just its symptoms.
You have a higher chance of getting cancer at a younger age than your parents. So what went wrong? | Devi Sridhar
Some change in our lifestyles and environments over a generation has caused this increased risk. What, exactly, is a mystery, says chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Devi Sridhar
British households would be £5,000 richer if we were more innovative. Let’s unleash our talents | Gordon Brown
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, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brown
Covid, Brexit and Liz Truss mini-budget led to lasting decline in mental health, study finds
Researchers found five events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, caused serious damage to mental wellbeing across UK Brexit, Liz Truss’s mini-budget and other “shocks” over the last 10 years have led to a serious and lasting deterioration in the UK population’s mental health, research has found. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the first and second Covid lockdowns also triggered big rises in psychological distress, as measured by the number of people with depression and anxiety. Continue reading
Teenager becomes first person to have testicular tissue transplant in UK
Operation on 19-year-old who had no sperm after chemotherapy offers hope of preserving children’s fertility after cancer treatment
Margaret Hamilton, trailblazer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon landing, dies aged 90
MIT computer scientist led development of software for moon mission and earned Presidential Medal of Freedom Margaret Hamilton, the computer pioneer whose software powered the first moon landing, has died, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced on Wednesday. She was 90. In an era before titles such as software engineer and computer scientist became mainstream, Hamilton, who died on 30 September, learned to program under the tutelage of a renowned MIT meteorologist. Continue reading
All the news and science from the 2026 Nobel prizes – podcast
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 tool that could act as an on/off switch for brain cells. To find out more, Madeleine Finlay talks to our science editor, Ian Sample, and correspondents Nicola Davis and Linda Geddes
This is what the 2026 Nobel prize for chemistry is all about
The Nobel prize in chemistry 2026 has been awarded to two scientists, Henri B Kagan at Paris-Sud University in France and Kensō Soai at Tokyo University of Science in Japan. Their discoveries showed how chemical reactions can produce an overwhelming excess of one of two mirror image forms of a molecule. Science journalist Linda Geddes tells Madeleine Finlay how this has become an important tool in drug development, allowing a greater understanding of how medicines work in the body Continue reading
Nobel prize in physics 2026: high energy cosmic neutrinos
Second up for the 2026 Nobel Prizes was the award for physics. And this year it went to just one scientist, Francis Halzen. The Belgian physicist won the prize based on his work on the IceCube detector that observes ghostly particles called neutrinos. Science editor Ian Sample tells host Madeleine Finlay how Halzen came up with the brilliant idea to use sensors buried in the ice to detect these extraterrestrial particles. Continue reading
Today in Focus: Should we be worried about a plague outbreak? – podcast
Several hospitals in eastern Russia are under quarantine after a lab worker fell ill at a plague research centre following a reported accident and died. Russia’s health watchdog has said Darya Shipilova, 28, died of ‘pneumonia of unknown aetiology’, but there is speculation about a possible plague infection. Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay tells Lucy Hough, the host of Today in Focus: The Latest, how concerned we should be Continue reading
Narcolepsy: why you’ve been thinking about it all wrong – podcast
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 Administration (FDA) approved the first ever drug to treat narcolepsy itself, rather than just its symptoms.
Do humans really have a ‘lizard brain’ lurking beneath our rational minds?
It’s a powerful analogy that captured the popular imagination, but the biological reality is quite different
The incredible science of memory manipulation – podcast
Madeleine Finlay hears from Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, whose book How to Change a Memory was shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society Trivedi science book prize. He explains how scientists have been able to locate memories in the brains of rodents, trigger them artificially and even remove them, and reveals what the practical applications of this science could one day be for humans.
‘Explosion of melt rates’: 20% of Swiss glaciers lost in five years
Alpine regions in Europe experiencing extreme glacier collapse due to heat-trapping effects of fossil fuel pollution
Things are changing behind the scenes, so you must decide: do you want human civil servants or AI bots? | The civil servant
Rapidly expanding AI use within the government is numbing departments to its profound threats. And try arguing with a faceless digital bureaucrat, warns a British civil servant
Are household cleaning products damaging our health? – podcast
Our use of cleaning products has increased since the pandemic, but do we understand what they could be doing to our health? The journalist Rebecca Seal recently wrote for the Guardian about the potential impacts of the many chemicals we now use in our homes. She tells Madeleine Finlay how social media has also played a role in transforming our cleaning habits, why the impact of indoor air pollution is so hard to study, and what the current evidence is that cleaning products may be causing harm
Did you solve it? Isaac Newton’s tower drop puzzle
The solution to the seventeenth century stumper 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 to do with figure skating. Here’s the problem again, with its solution. The tower drop slightly to the west slightly to the east exactly at the bottom Continue reading
Can you solve it? Isaac Newton’s tower drop puzzle
The problem that changed the world Today’s puzzle played a pivotal role in the birth of classical phyics. The tower drop slightly to the west slightly to the east exactly at the bottom Continue reading
Are baby girls more sociable? Super El Niño, meningitis outbreak explained – podcast
Madeleine Finlay sits down with her co-host and Guardian science editor, Ian Sample, to discuss three science stories from the week, including a study that offers a clue in the age-old debate about whether sex differences are present from birth or a product of socialisation. Also on the agenda is the super El Niño, which is predicted to lead to 450,000 deaths in the next six months, and an answer to why the UK’s meningitis outbreak earlier this year was so big.
From paleo to intermittent fasting: are any diets actually good for us? - podcast
As diet trends proliferate on social media, it can be hard to work out which are backed by science and which should be ignored. From paleo to keto, raw food to intermittent fasting, each attracts a tribe of ardent followers. Now Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological sciences at Harvard University, has written a book to try to cut through the noise. In Fed Up, he uses his background as an evolutionary anthropologist to scrutinise the evidence, turning himself into a guinea pig in the process and trying various diets.
The Guardian view on AI v mathematicians: humans are still vital to the field, but tech firms refuse to see that | Editorial
Editorial: OpenAI claims its agents have solved the Navier-Stokes problem. But questions remain about how useful and independent its work really is
The week that changed maths for ever – podcast
In early September, OpenAI announced it had solved a major mathematics problem that has stumped humans for nearly a century. The news left mathematicians reeling, and many expressed concern over what will be left for humans as AI becomes ever more adept at unravelling complex problems. Now 25 recipients of the Fields medal – often called the Nobel prize for maths – have signed an open letter expressing their fears of a ‘severe misalignment’ between AI companies and their field.
Did you solve it? Do you have the brain of an engineer?
The answers to today’s puzzles Earlier today I set four engineering puzzles. Here they are again with solutions. (Do check out the hundreds of great comments posted below the line in the original story.) The cranberries Continue reading
Can you solve it? Do you have the brain of an engineer?
Hacks from the hidden world of test engineering UPDATE: Read the answers here Today’s puzzles test your engineering smarts. The cranberries Continue reading
Live episode: how AI is reshaping our minds – podcast
In this episode of Science Weekly, recorded in front of an audience at the London podcast festival on 3 September, Ian Sample hears from Michael Safi, the host of the Guardian’s chart-topping podcast about artificial intelligence, Black Box. In series two, Black Box: the chatbots, Michael meets people who have become convinced they have made scientific breakthroughs, cured diseases or invented new technologies using AI chatbots.