
The gym can be full of germs – here’s how to protect yourself
Exercise is good for you but the gym might not be. Dumbbells, barbells and every machine in between can act as reservoirs for a wide variety of transmissible bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens such as impegito, flu...

Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he would end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. This is, of course, unlikely. Even a quick negotiated end to a conflict between Ukraine and Russia would hinge on Ukrainian and Russian...

The UK education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, is planning to cut some of the freedoms academy schools currently enjoy in England to refocus on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Critics say academies are hugely...

Do aliens exist? We studied what scientists really think
News stories about the likely existence of extraterrestrial life, and our chances of detecting it, tend to be positive. We are often told that we might discover it any time now. Finding life beyond Earth is only a matter...

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects. Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis ...

A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today
The only constitutionally mandated event on Inauguration Day is for the president-elect to take the oath of office. But on the first Inauguration Day, in 1789, George Washington did something else. He gave a speech. Every...