Pure Science

The Guardian

Exclusive: Identifying teenagers at risk could help prevent organ damage, strokes and heart attacks in early adulthood, doctors say Leading doctors have called for a national UK programme to monitor schoolchildren for high blood pressure...

The Guardian

While GLP-1 drugs promise an easy fix, our bodies still need what they have always needed: healthy food and regular exercise Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh If there has been a hot topic in...

The Guardian

The bioscience startup has attracted billions in investment – and a flurry of criticism, but founder tells the Guardian plans to bring back the woolly mammoth will not be derailed Death and taxes are supposed to be the things we can depend...

The Guardian

Next head of Cern backs massive replacement for world’s largest machine to investigate mysteries of the universe Mark Thomson, a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Cambridge, has landed one of the most coveted...

The Guardian

Analysis shows obscure and barely-used choices, drawn from online slang, do not stand the test of time If you have seen a news story declaring 2025’s chosen “word of the year” in recent weeks, you might be forgiven for asking yourself:...

The Guardian

In a statement shared on Instagram, Nguyen says she faced a ‘tsunami of harassment’ after the all-female spaceflight Amanda Nguyen, the Vietnamese-American astronaut who was part of the all-female Blue Origin spaceflight, has opened up...

The Guardian

More of us are turning to products containing mushroom extracts, with the medicinal fungi market worth billions of pounds. Promises of mental and physical health benefits have seen its popularity spill over from wellness influencers to the...

The Guardian

Exclusive: Scientists uncovered biological strands using artificial intelligence and hope discovery will revolutionise treatment Scientists have discovered two new subtypes of multiple sclerosis with the aid of artificial intelligence,...

The Guardian

Our magic bullets are increasingly rare and ineffective. The golden age of discovery is over and the way we develop and use drugs needs to change During her tenure as director general of the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan used...

The Guardian

With limited access on NHS and a hefty price tag, black market is booming and counterfeit drugs are on sale Losing weight may be a common new year resolution but health experts have warned against buying medications for such purposes from...

The Guardian

One of the zodiac’s subtler constellations comes into view on winter evenings, with the moon helping to point the way You can track down one of the zodiac’s fainter constellations this week. Aries, the ram, lies between Taurus to the east...

The Guardian

Western Highlands and southern Wales among most active regions, according to British Geological Survey More than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the UK this year, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS). Among the most...

The Guardian

Forecasting tool predicts when demand will be highest, allowing NHS trusts to better plan staffing and bed space Hospitals in England are using articificial intelligence to help cut waiting times in emergency departments this winter. The...

The Guardian

Space junkyards | Additions to signs | No-joke planning reforms | Chris Rea | Last-ditch attempt | ‘Trump class’ | Moving obituary I do hope countries agree to use the Jules Verne crater on the far side of the moon as a spacecraft...

The Guardian

Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look skyward, where a new lunar contest mirrors humanity’s struggle to live within planetary limits During the cold war’s space race, the...

The Guardian

Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at how the struggle to adapt to a dangerously warming world has become a test of global justice The record-breaking 252mph winds of...

The Guardian

These fungi boost plant growth and restore depleted ecosystems, but federal funding for a library housing them has been cut – and it may be forced to close Inside a large greenhouse at the University of Kansas, Professor Liz Koziol and Dr...

The Guardian

Wintering Well boxes to counter effects of low light on mental health are ‘super popular’, says island librarian “Boxes of light” are being used to help people who struggle with low winter mood while living in one of Scotland’s darkest...

The Guardian

Texas governor among those to call for expanded access to ibogaine, said to help with treating veterans with PTSD For half a century, psychedelics largely belonged to the cultural left: anti-war, anti-capitalist, suspicious of the church...

The Guardian

Surgeon leading xenotransplantation trial aimed at solving shortage of human organs says edits can lessen risk of rejection A leading surgeon behind a clinical trial of transplanting pig kidneys into living humans has said they could one...

The Guardian

Our circadian cycle doesn’t just affect our sleeping and waking, but our motivations, mood, behaviour and alertness. Whether you are a lark or an owl, here’s how to recognise your own rhythm • Sign up here to get the whole series straight...

The Guardian

We can share images and sounds, so why not smells? Dr Kate McLean-MacKenzie hopes her new atlas will make scents Christmas may be associated with the aromas of oranges and mince pies but our towns and cities also boast special scents...

The Guardian

Exclusive: Scientists find a way to forecast hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which affects millions worldwide Scientists are developing a simple blood test to predict who is most at risk from the world’s most common inherited heart condition....

The Guardian

Sarah Harper says society must create new ways of living and working amid potential ‘silver economy’ Concerns over an ageing population are overblown and society should learn to celebrate and capitalise on its “massive cohort of healthy,...

The Guardian

Psychologists have typically believed that we become less curious as we age, but recent research has shown curiosity actually becomes more targeted and specific in our later years. In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay hears...

The Guardian

Flame retardants commonly used in furniture are linked to serious health issues, including cancer and thyroid disease Removing old furniture made with flame retardants from people’s homes can significantly reduce the amount of the toxic...

The Guardian

Researchers share the easy ways to uncover moments of festive discovery, proving you don’t need a lab coat to experiment this Christmas Christmas may seem like a time for switching off and suspending disbelief but there are plenty of ways...

The Guardian

Richard Fishacre used his knowledge of light and colour to argue against ‘fifth element’ theories of the day About 800 years ago, Richard Fishacre, a Dominican friar at the University of Oxford, challenged the scientific thinking of the...

The Guardian

Scientists working for government breed biological control agents in lab to take on species choking native wildlife Crayfish, weevils and fungi are being released into the environment in order to tackle invasive species across Britain....

The Guardian

Studying chemical chatter as tiny balls of cells embed could shine a light on early pregnancy and glitches that lead to miscarriage Researchers have created the lining of a womb in a dish, which promises to shed light on the mysterious...

The Guardian

Scientists are beginning to understand that ageing is not simply a linear process and we age, according to recent research, in three accelerated bursts: at about 40, 60 and 80 years old. In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to...

The Guardian

Our 20 favourite pieces of in-depth reporting, essays and profiles from the year Victor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country,...

The Guardian

Biologist says monotreme a Victorian fisher has nicknamed Pinky is ‘unusual but not exceptional’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Cody Stylianou thought he...

The Guardian

The answers to today’s problems Earlier today I set you the following set of numerical challenges to celebrate the arrival of 2026. Auld lang signs Five 9s Six 8s. Six 7s. Six 6s. Four 5s. Six 4s. Four 3s. Four 2s. a partridge in a pair...

The Guardian

As number of lunar satellites soars, sites will be marked out where defunct hardware can be crash-landed Patches of the moon are destined to become spacecraft graveyards where dead lunar satellites and other defunct hardware can be crashed...

The Guardian

South coast most likely to see snowflakes, though a full festive blanketing has been unlikely for decades now While ongoing showers might suggest this Christmas will be a washout, experts say a wintry snap is on its way and some areas of...

The Guardian

Researchers have realised the records are a ‘goldmine’ to study changes in environmental conditions Yangang Xing had never heard of organ-tuning books, but his colleague Andrew Knight often played the pipe organ at churches as a teenager....

The Guardian

From HIV to TB, scientists and doctors made breakthroughs in treatment and prevention of some of the world’s deadliest diseases With humanitarian funding slashed by the US and other countries, including the UK, this year’s global health...

The Guardian

This is the latest in the relentless purge of climate researchers who refuse to be co-opted by the fossil fuel industry The Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin would no doubt have understood and even appreciated the latest attack by the Trump...

The Guardian

The year ahead in numbers As we say goodbye to 2025, let’s delight in its numerical charms one final time. The year was unique this century as being a square number. 442 = 1936 452 = 2025 462 = 2116 Five 9s Six 8s. Six 7s. Six 6s. Four 5s....

The Guardian

Patient watchers should wrap up warm to witness one of nature’s subtler events on night of 22 to 23 December If the Geminids whetted your appetite for meteor showers, then you are in luck. This week it is the turn of the Ursids....

The Guardian

Survey adds to experts’ concern about addiction risk and highlights support for plan to ban sales to under-18s One in eight teenagers aged 14 to 17 have used nicotine pouches, a survey has found, adding to health experts’ concern about...

The Guardian

Cutting-edge therapies exist, but the market cannot deliver them cheaply. Britain must build NHS capacity so that cures become collective goods, not expensive products Just a small fraction of our 20,000 genes can cause disease when...

The Guardian

The commercialisation of the cosmos is already underway, and our current laws aren’t fit for purpose If there is one thing we can rely on in this world, it is human hubris, and space and astronomy are no exception. The ancients believed...

The Guardian

Michaela Benthaus from Germany soared 65 miles above the Earth’s surface in 10-minute Blue Origin flight A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers on Saturday, leaving her...

The Guardian

UN body to study possibility of integrating centuries-old practices into mainstream healthcare From herbalists in Africa gathering plants to use as poultices to acupuncturists in China using needles to cure migraines, or Indian yogis...

The Guardian

Researchers at Keele University find swearing can help people feel focused and confident and frees them to ‘go for it’ It may not be in keeping with the festive spirit, but if you find yourself dropping the F-word while wrestling a...

The Guardian

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist and science educator who has worked on a number of instruments that are revolutionising our view of the cosmos, including the James Webb Space Telescope. This year she will be giving the Royal...

The Guardian

Vote on Isaacman, private astronaut and Mars missions advocate, passes 67-30 for him to be agency’s 15th leader The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to become Donald Trump’s Nasa administrator....

The Guardian

The unusual phenomenon is caused by sunlight passing through layers of fog The skies over parts of Britain turned a soft shade of pink on Wednesday morning as the low sun shone through layers of widespread fog to produce the rare...