More than 1,000 new exoplanets discovered – but still no Earth twin
May 12, 2016 04:34 am UTC| Science
NASA astronomers working with data from the Kepler space observatory have presented the largest single crop of newly discovered exoplanets to date. Its impressive 1,284 new planets have been announced, including around...
What forensic science can teach people about healthy scepticism
May 09, 2016 12:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science
Scepticism has a bad reputation. Sceptics are considered to be a grumpy bunch who automatically distrust anything and everything. But as any forensic scientist can tell you, its a very valuable approach to everyday...

Can we save the algae biofuel industry?
May 09, 2016 11:55 am UTC| Science
Algal biofuels are in trouble. This alternative fuel source could help reduce overall carbon emissions without taking land from food production, like many crop-based biofuels do. But several major companies including Shell...

Mercury: 'first rock from the sun' in transit
May 05, 2016 16:44 pm UTC| Science
The solar systems smallest and most remarkable planet, Mercury, will cross the face of the sun on May 9 offering a great opportunity for people in many places across the world to see it. Mercury is a dark and enigmatic...

Code-a-cola: how to hide secret messages using fizzy drinks
May 04, 2016 04:34 am UTC| Science
Next time you see someone spilling a drink in a bar, you could actually be witnessing a spy secretly decoding an encrypted message. This might sound like something from a Bond movie. But a team from Israel has used some...
Small and bright: what nanophotonics means for you
May 03, 2016 23:19 pm UTC| Science
Twenty fifteen was UNESCOs International Year of Light and Light based Technologies. It was a celebration of past milestones in optics and photonics and a look forward into its future. We celebrated 1,000 years of...

Scientists need to engage more with the public to secure funding
May 02, 2016 01:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Science
We live in an age when society is crying out for scientific solutions to global problems. Just a few of the many considerable challenges we face include the urgent need to transition to a carbon-free economy, the need for...