Why the UK government’s attack on nature cannot be allowed to succeed
The UK government’s bid to slash environmental protections is an onslaught on nature and the laws that protect it. We are angry, and we are not alone, says RSPB chief…
Two eye-opening new books delve into the world of animal communication
Tom Mustill’s How to Speak Whale and Karen Bakker’s The Sounds of Life explore what we know about the way life on Earth communicates, from whales to coral reefs. They…
The Universe Is Not Locally Real, and the Physics Nobel Prize Winners Proved It
One of the more unsettling discoveries in the past half century is that the universe is not locally real. “Real,” meaning that objects have definite properties independent of observation—an apple…
‘Absolutely No Doubt’ That Climate Intensified Current Drought
Severe drought choked much of the Northern Hemisphere this summer, from China to Europe to the western United States. Scientists say climate change is at least partly to blame. Climate…
Detroit Has a Large Population of Ring-Necked Pheasants, and They Are Striking
TRANSCRIPT Natalie Cypher: They can be very elusive and quiet and secretive until they’re not. I think it’s neat that Detroit is, as far as I know, as far as…
NASA’s Saturn V Rocket, the Moon Rock Box and the Woman Who Made Them Work Properly
What did Yvonne Y. Clark, or Y.Y., actually do as a mechanical engineer? This episode is about the work itself—specifically, the work Y.Y. did at NASA on the Saturn V…
US pardons people convicted for marijuana possession under federal law
US president Joe Biden announced a pardon for thousands of people convicted for possession of marijuana under federal law Society 6 October 2022 By Tiffany O’Callaghan A rally to legalise…
Can Britain avoid winter blackouts amid the European energy crisis?
If the electricity supply from the continent ceases, households in England, Scotland and Wales may need to ration their own power use at peak times to keep the lights on…
Space adverts are now economically viable but potentially dangerous
Falling launch costs for satellites mean space advertising may now make commercial sense, according to a feasibility study, but the idea remains controversial Space 6 October 2022 By Alex Wilkins…
Metal-enriched silkworm silk is one of the strongest materials ever
Standard silkworm silk has been made stronger than spider’s silk, one of the toughest materials known, by bathing it with metals and respinning it Technology 6 October 2022 By Alex…