Science and Nature news
BBC News
Brazil's Amazon rainforest at risk as key protection under threat
Brazilian farmers want to end a ban on planting soya on cleared land, which critics say would spur deforestation.
Move over açaí - the Amazon has more 'superfoods' to offer
Açaí is everywhere, but Brazil hopes more of its fruits rich in antioxidants and fibre will soon be enjoyed around the world.
Our dogs' diversity can be traced back to the Stone Age
A new study suggests their physical transformation began much earlier than we previously thought.
UK's first small nuclear power station to be built in north Wales
Three small modular reactors are confirmed for the site, with the potential for up to eight.
Government sets out plan to phase out animal experiments
The plan follows up on a manifesto promise to work towards the phasing out the practice.
James Watson: Controversial discoverer of 'the secret of life'
James Watson, the godfather of DNA who discovered the "secrets of life" has died aged 97.
Trump U-turns to renominate billionaire for Nasa chief
Jared Isaacman's initial nomination was withdrawn by the president in May during his high-profile feud with Elon Musk.
Move over açaí - the Amazon has more 'superfoods' to offer
Açaí is everywhere, but Brazil hopes more of its fruits rich in antioxidants and fibre will soon be enjoyed around the world.
Thousands take to streets of Glasgow to highlight 'climate emergency'
Demonstrators marched through the city centre on a day of global action to coincide with the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
Thousands march outside COP30 summit in call for action
This is the first time since 2021 that protesters have been allowed to demonstrate outside the UN talks.
Thousands take to streets to highlight 'climate emergency'
Demonstrators marched through Glasgow city centre on a day of global action to coincide with the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
Fossil fuel emissions rise again - but renewables boom offers hope for climate
Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are forecast to reach a new high in 2025 but could soon peak.
Landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions in tatters after US pressure
President Trump intervened in the talks calling the deal a "green scam".
Australia's rainforests are releasing more carbon than they absorb, warn scientists
Australia's rainforests are the first in the world to make the "concerning" switch, say scientists.
Pictured: Winning entries for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025
South African photographer Wim van den Heever takes the main prize for his shot
Red Tractor ad banned for misleading environmental claims
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint by environment charity River Action.
Foul skies, fading light: How air pollution is stealing India's sunshine
India’s sunshine hours have fallen over the past 30 years due to clouds, aerosols and local weather.
Floods trap people in cars in Spain's Catalonia region
The highest red alert is declared in one coastal province, as residents are urged to stay indoors.
Green turtle bounces back from brink in conservation 'win'
Once endangered due to hunting, it is making a strong recovery thanks to global conservation efforts.
'How growing a sunflower helped me fight anorexia'
'Green social prescribing' schemes are being used by NHS doctors to improve patients' mental health.
Naked mole rats' DNA could hold key to long life
The bald, subterranean rats are the world's longest-lived rodent.
Physics Nobel awarded to three scientists for work on quantum computing
The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.
The before and after images showing glaciers vanishing before our eyes
They are melting like never seen before, changing landscapes around the world beyond recognition.
Environment prize nominees 'heroes of our time', says William
Fifteen projects are shortlisted for a chance of winning the top £1m prizes at next month's environmental awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
Dame Jane Goodall revolutionised our understanding of our closest primate cousins
The conservationist, who died aged 91 on Wednesday, challenged how we relate to the natural world.
SpaceX pulls off Starship rocket launch in much-needed comeback
The Starship rocket is critical to the company's hopes of one day carrying people to the Moon and Mars.
Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 astronaut, dies aged 97
The commander of Apollo 13 famously rescued his men from near certain death in space.
Nasa Apollo missions: Stories of the last Moon men
Of the 24 Nasa astronauts who travelled to the Moon in the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, just five remain.
Nasa to put nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 - US media
The reactor would provide power for humans on the Moon but there are questions about feasibility.
Soviet-era spacecraft 'likely' to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere
The spacecraft, which launched in 1972 on a mission to Venus, circled Earth for over five decades.
The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans
Could discoveries of alien life ever change the human psyche in how we view ourselves and each other?
Astronauts Butch and Suni finally back on Earth
Dolphins circled their capsule after it landed off the coast of Florida.
Why scientists are counting tiny marine creatures, from Space
Differences in seawater colour could reveal how tiny Antarctic creatures are faring in a warming world.
Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists
Bennu contains minerals and thousands of organic molecules, including the chemical components that make up DNA.
SpaceX Starship test fails after Texas launch
Officials at Elon Musk's company said the upper stage was lost, minutes after it launched.
Rocket launch challenges Elon Musk's space dominance
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's space company blasts its first rocket into orbit in a challenge to Elon Musk.
Future of space travel: Could robots really replace human astronauts?
Advances in technology raise questions about the need to send people to space - and the risks and cost
New study on moons of Uranus raises chance of life
The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the sterile worlds scientists have long thought.
Brazil's Amazon rainforest at risk as key protection under threat
Brazilian farmers want to end a ban on planting soya on cleared land, which critics say would spur deforestation.
Move over açaí - the Amazon has more 'superfoods' to offer
Açaí is everywhere, but Brazil hopes more of its fruits rich in antioxidants and fibre will soon be enjoyed around the world.
Thousands march outside COP30 summit in call for action
This is the first time since 2021 that protesters have been allowed to demonstrate outside the UN talks.
Fossil fuel emissions rise again - but renewables boom offers hope for climate
Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are forecast to reach a new high in 2025 but could soon peak.
COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point?
The US president is notably absent from these UN climate talks, as are other world leaders, all of which prompts questions about the purpose of COP today.
Antarctic glacier's rapid retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit'
A new study suggests that changes to Hektoria Glacier are unprecedented - but not all scientists agree.
Most countries fail to submit new climate pledges ahead of summit
The UN's review of national climate plans shows the world is well off track to limit warming
Bats are seeking sanctuary in churches - but they're making an unholy mess
A new study estimates that about half of all churches in England have bats living in them.
'It's harder to be a parent than a space shuttle commander', trailblazing Nasa pilot tells BBC
The BBC speaks to astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a Nasa spacecraft.
From Hollywood to horticulture: Cate Blanchett on a mission to save seeds
The Hollywood actor teams up with Kew’s Millenium Seed Bank as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Inside the lab analysing the world's oldest ice
The BBC's Science Editor Rebecca Morelle goes behind the scenes with the team discovering what the melting of ice from over a million years ago can tell us.
Life on Mars? 'Leopard-spot' rocks could be biggest clue yet
Unusual mudstones found on the Red Planet are potentially associated with ancient Martian microbes.
COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point?
The US president is notably absent from these UN climate talks, as are other world leaders, all of which prompts questions about the purpose of COP today.
Britain's energy bills problem - and why firms are paid huge sums to stop producing power
Could the government's radical plan to change the way the UK distributes electricity really bring down bills - or just lead to a postcode lottery?
These robots can clean, exercise - and care for you in old age. Would you trust them to?
It sounds like something from a sci-fi film - but some scientists believe this clever new tech could help alleviate strains on the UK care system
Ratmageddon: Why rats are overrunning our cities
Rats are multiplying at speed in urban areas. So, what's really behind the boom - and is it now unstoppable?
Switzerland spends almost $500m a year on protective structures. Is it worth it - or, as some suggest, should people move away from the mountain villages at risk?
The UK government plans to phase out animal experiments. What are the alternatives?
New evidence that the expansion of the universe is slowing. And the Godfather of AI
The science of what makes hurricanes so deadly.
The bionic microchip implant which allows registered blind people to see again.
Source: BBC News