From making wine to managing mine waste, clay is important for many industries

May 03, 2021 02:47 am UTC| Science

The discovery and use of clays dates back to 30,000 years ago, making clays one of the oldest materials used in society. Clays are naturally occurring materials that were first used to make pottery and are now used...

One incredible ocean crossing may have made human evolution possible

Apr 30, 2021 07:51 am UTC| Science

Humans evolved in Africa, along with chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys. But primates themselves appear to have evolved elsewhere likely in Asia before colonising Africa. At the time, around 50 million years ago, Africa...

Inside the world of tiny phytoplankton – microscopic algae that provide most of our oxygen

Apr 30, 2021 07:50 am UTC| Science

Phytoplankton are microscopic algae living throughout the oceans surface waters. They cant swim and are at the mercy of the currents and tides. Despite their small size, phytoplankton enable life in the oceans and...

First human-monkey embryos created – a small step towards a huge ethical problem

Apr 23, 2021 12:07 pm UTC| Science Insights & Views

Scientists have created the worlds first monkey embryos containing human cells in an attempt to investigate how the two types of cell develop alongside each other. The embryos, which were derived from a macaque and then...

Lab–grown embryos and human–monkey hybrids: Medical marvels or ethical missteps?

Apr 23, 2021 11:52 am UTC| Science

In Aldous Huxleys 1932 novel Brave New World, people arent born from a mothers womb. Instead, embryos are grown in artificial wombs until they are brought into the world, a process called ectogenesis. In the novel,...

Antimatter: scientists find way to trap elusive material by blasting it with lasers

Apr 23, 2021 11:46 am UTC| Science

Antimatter is believed to play a huge part in the story of our universe. Its the counterpart to matter: identical in every way with protons, neutrons and electrons but with an opposite electric charge. According to our...

Shifting toward 'open peer review'

Apr 22, 2021 05:42 am UTC| Science

Twenty years ago, it was difficult to find information about local restaurants, except from the restaurants themselves. Now, thanks to the Internet, independent evaluations are easy to find. Its past time we make that the...