Science

Mangrove forests rank among the world’s most valuable coastal ecosystems, shielding communities from storms, storing vast amounts of carbon and providing nurseries for countless marine species. For decades, scientists warned that these unique forests were disappearing faster than many tropical rainforests because of coastal development, aquaculture and pollution. Now, new satellite observations from Nasa present…

When roads, railways or new buildings are planned, centuries-old trees are often among the first casualties of development. In Japan, however, some of the country’s most valuable trees are given a second chance. Rather than cutting them down, arborists and horticultural experts sometimes relocate them using a painstaking process that can take months or even…

From luxury truffles to everyday chocolate bars, foil has long been one of the most recognisable forms of chocolate packaging. While its glossy metallic appearance adds a premium feel, its purpose goes far beyond aesthetics. Chocolate is highly sensitive to heat, moisture, oxygen and strong odours, all of which can affect its texture, flavour and…

For years, the idea that Mars once held vast amounts of water has remained one of planetary science’s most persistent questions. Dry river valleys, mineral deposits, and ancient lake basins have all hinted that the planet looked very different billions of years ago, but proving the existence of a true ocean has been far more…

Scientists Invented a Disease to Test Whether A.I. Knew It Was Fake. Then, Chatbots Started Saying It Was Real A made-up eye disease has exposed a real problem with artificial intelligence.Researchers in Sweden deliberately invented a condition called bixonimania to see whether popular AI chatbots could recognise false medical information. Instead, several large language models…

Joseph Weizenbaum realized that programs like his Eliza chatbot could “induce powerful delusional thinking in quite normal people” Joseph Weizenbaum set out to prove that computers could imitate conversation. Instead, his experiment convinced him that people could become emotionally attached to machines far more easily than he had imagined. That discovery changed the course of…

“Gus” the T. rex—discovered on a cattle ranch in South Dakota—goes up for auction this summer, July 14, 2026. (Credit: Matthew Sherman / Sotheby’s) Owning one of the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons could soon become a reality. But there is a huge “if” factor to it. The buyer must having and willing to spend…

How Shrimp Shells Are Being Turned Into ‘Carbon Negative’ Fuel, Food and Construction Materials Discarded shrimp shells could soon become more than kitchen waste. Scientists in Singapore have developed a process that converts organic rubbish into hydrogen fuel, protein for aquaculture feed and calcium carbonate, a material used in products such as cement and antacids.The…

A 187-foot-tall dipterocarp tree For decades, scientists believed that the tallest trees faced one of nature’s toughest challenges: Getting water from their roots to leaves hundreds of feet above the ground. Now, a study of towering trees in Southeast Asia suggests some of the world’s tallest flowering plants have evolved specialised systems to overcome that…

Albert Einstein (Image: Wikipedia) Albert Einstein wrote, “Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.” The line is a straightforward claim about where genuinely original work actually comes from. Not from committees, not from rigid instruction, and not from people working under constant supervision, but from…