Nature or nurture: can genes make us behave ‘badly’?
How much do our genes determine about our lives, and could they influence traits like risk-taking, antisocial behaviour or even violence? Ian Sample t...
Extreme heat: is the UK becoming a 40C country?
Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is...
The audacious plan to refreeze the Arctic
Sea ice is melting fast and worsening the climate crisis. But what if there were a way to thicken it again? Madeleine Finlay is joined by environment ...
Should we ban social media for under-16s?
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has announced a social media ban for under-16s, as part of an online safety drive that aims to go even further th...
‘The undruggable became druggable’: a gamechanging treatment for the world’s deadliest cancer
A daily pill can double survival time in patients with the world’s deadliest cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial that experts are say...
The dinosaurs who survived the asteroid
While many dinosaurs were wiped out when a colossal asteroid struck Earth 66m years ago, one group survived: birds. Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontolo...
Heatstroke, sports washing and VAR psychology: the science of the World Cup
It’s just a week until the first whistle of the 2026 World Cup. To mark the occasion, Madeleine Finlay talks to Ian Sample about the science behind th...
The incredible science of the sleeping brain
Humans have been wondering why we sleep for thousands of years. Is sleep’s purpose rest and relaxation, memory consolidation or maybe cognitive proces...
Are robots nearing their ChatGPT moment?
Last month at Beijing’s half marathon, a robot named Lightning beat the human world record by nearly seven minutes. It’s the latest in a string of AI-...
Red-light masks: can they really slow ageing?
Home red-light therapy devices have exploded in popularity as masks, body wraps and mittens promise to reduce wrinkles, redness and even acne. But do ...