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...
Next year, I will be celebrating the big 4-0. It seems a little absurd. I feel barely any older than I did when I enjoyed my 20th birthday. I have hardly recovered from the ups and downs of adolescence, and...
CoulombFly, a prototype miniature solar-powered droneWei Shen, Jinzhe Peng and Mingjing Qi A drone weighing just 4 grams is the smallest solar-powered aerial vehicle to fly yet, thanks to its unusual electrostatic motor and tiny solar panels that produce extremely...
An inflammatory molecule (in green) is visible in liver tissue from an older mouseAnissa A. Widjaja et al. 2024 Blocking an inflammatory molecule known as interleukin-11 (IL-11) extends the lifespan of mice, suggesting that drugs inhibiting IL-11 may have anti-ageing...
