Putting raindrops to work is an unusual ideaDerek Croucher / Alamy A generator that harvests the pitter-patter of raindrops can produce enough electricity to power LED lights, though it is unclear how practical it might be. Yonghui Zhang and colleagues...
A strain of bird flu has been circulating in dairy cows for almost five monthsLauren Justice/Bloomberg via Getty Images US health officials are struggling to monitor people who have been exposed to a bird flu virus circulating in dairy cows....
Drug overdose deaths have soared in North America over the past two decadesVictor Moussa / Alamy A pacemaker-like device that is implanted under the skin and automatically releases an antidote when it detects an opioid overdose could save lives,...
Pluto is a dwarf planetNASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute A mathematical formula to determine whether objects in space should be classed as a planet could make it easier to identify objects around other stars – but it...
Puwadol Jaturawutthichai/Alamy Some 450 kilometres north of Helsinki, Finland, lies a decommissioned mine. Despite its remote location, it is being keenly watched because it looks set to play a role in revolutionising our energy systems – though not for the...
The north polar region of Titan, imaged using radar signals from the Cassini probe, with hydrocarbon seas coloured blueNASA / JPL-Caltech / Agenzia Spaziale Italiana / USGS Our most detailed look yet at the strange lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan...
The 2023 Perseid meteor shower seen over grasslands in ChinaCynthia Lee/Alamy The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best opportunities to see hundreds of shooting stars, and this year it peaks around 12 and 13 August. The shower is...
Hurricane Beryl over Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula on 5 JulyAssociated Press / Alamy Before slamming into islands in Grenada this month, Hurricane Beryl strengthened from a tropical cyclone to a major hurricane in less than a day. The storm – the...
Diamond has excellent semiconductor propertiesRichard Kail/Science Photo Library As the US power grid struggles with a historic rise in electricity demand, diamond semiconductors could greatly improve the energy efficiency of AI data centres and electric vehicles, as well as smaller...
Sea slugs attack their brown anemone prey togetherKate Otter A slow slaughter beneath the waves is surprisingly social: one species of sea slug attacks its anemone prey in teams. The finding highlights how predatory collaboration isn’t limited to more complex...
