Scientists discover the largest known bacteria on record
Measuring roughly the length of an eyelash, Thiomargarita magnifica is 50 times larger than any bacteria we’ve previously discovered. This challenges long held basics about our understanding of bacterial cells. Germaphobes, get ready to squirm. ‘We’re going to need a bigger dish.’ Government scientists have discovered the first form of bacteria...
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UK government announces plan to drive space sustainability
The UK has just unveiled a raft of new measures to ensure the sustainable use of space in the years ahead. Already a leader of green initiatives on Earth, the nation is now looking to lead into the great beyond. Speaking at the Space Sustainability Summit, UK science minister George...
Europe’s first psychedelic drug trial firm opens in London
Clerkenwell Health aims to establish the UK as the heart of the commercial psychedelic research ecosystem, working closely with experts and drug developers around the world to tackle some of the most complex mental health conditions. After decades of demonisation and criminalisation, psychedelic drugs are being proved to have...
AI is being taught to monitor coral reef health through its ‘songs’
Who’s making the hardest beats under the sea these days? We’ll soon find out, because British scientists have trained AI to track the sounds of coral reefs to monitor their health. It’s not all Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo narratives down there, but regardless, the ocean is a noisy place...
Grizzlies and polar bears are breeding thanks to climate change
Rising temperatures are simultaneously driving grizzly bears north and polar bears south, prompting interbreeding between both species. Conservationists are weighing up the possibility of controlling genetic adaption to help animals of the future cope with climate change. From time to time, it’s good to remind ourselves that climate change isn’t...
Scientific breakthrough cures memory loss in mice
Researchers at Stanford University are reversing symptoms of Alzheimer’s in mice using a strange tactic - they’re infusing elderly mice with spinal fluid from younger ones. Many medical breakthroughs that benefit humans are discovered by conducting trials on mice. Though we look nothing alike, almost all the genes found in mice...
Scientists make woman’s skin cells act thirty years younger
A breakthrough in medicine, skin-care, and anti-ageing research could be on the horizon: 53-year-old woman’s skin cells have been altered to look and behave like those of a 23-year-old. Scientists in Cambridge have stunned the medical community by altering the skin cells of a 53-year-old woman to the equivalent of someone almost half her age. Their strategy was developed from the cloning technique used to create Dolly the sheep...
Why the future of energy is sun-powered
As the world turns away from Russian gas, the EU is determined to build up its solar industry. Nations and engineers are already making crucial moves to ensure this happens. Everybody loves the sunshine, as Roy Ayers once said. And why wouldn’t we, when it could be our forever solution to relying on environmentally damaging, non-renewable resources for energy? Following warnings of impending doom from thousands of environmental researchers - just check...
New research suggests fungi may be communicating with ‘words’
As if they weren’t magical enough, scientists have discovered that mushrooms are potentially talking to each other using a bountiful vocabulary which bears a striking structural similarity to human speech. If you aren’t a stranger to my writing, by now I’m sure you’re well aware of my deep-rooted obsession with all thing’s mycelium, my fascination towards which recently peaked after seeing the incredible Fantastic Fungi documentary on...
Could the pill for men balance the contraceptive burden?
Scientists have developed a male contraceptive that doesn’t target testosterone, avoiding unwanted side effects like weight gain and depression. After proving 99% effective at preventing pregnancy in mice, the drug is set for human trials. It looks as though birth control options for men may soon expand beyond condoms and vasectomies because scientists in the US have developed a male contraceptive pill that’s so far proven safe and effective...