Science & Environment

The science of extraterrestrial solar panels and whether they can power our energy needs. Source link

Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent Gwyndaf Hughes/BBC Scientists have developed a honeybee “superfood” that could protect the animals against the threats of climate change and habitat loss. Bee colonies that ate the supplement during trials had up to 15 times more baby bees that grew to adulthood. Honeybees are a vital part of food production and contribute to pollinating …

The UK Space Agency will cease to exist as an independent entity to cut the cost of bureaucracy, the government said on Wednesday. It will be absorbed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in April 2026. The government says this will save money, cut duplication and ensure ministerial oversight. But one leading space scientist said the move …

Victoria Gill, Kate Stephens and Gwyndaf Hughes BBC News Science team Elisenda Balleste The researchers worked from a vessel at a number of locations around the Antarctic Peninsula Why would anyone brave hand-numbing cold, icy winds and rough seas – sometimes working through the night – to dig up mud from the Antarctic seabed? That is what an international team …

Malcolm Prior and Jenny Kumah BBC News rural affairs team BBC/Malcolm Prior Some farmers in the driest parts of the UK are finding their broccoli yields are down more than half Farmers in the driest parts of the UK are facing some of their worst ever harvests as the heatwave continues to hit crop and vegetable yields. Broccoli growers are …

Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent Tim Dodd/BBC Puppies have enjoyed the leaf fall in Cardiff in August It’s still hot in many parts of the UK, but some tree leaves are turning yellow and blackberries are so ripe in hedges that they’re tasting alcoholic. Councils in London have issued “do not sit under trees” warnings because of the dangers …

Global talks to develop a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution have once again failed. The UN negotiations, the sixth round of talks in just under three years, were due to end on Thursday but countries continued to negotiate into the night in the hopes of breaking a deadlock. There remained a split between a group of more than 100 …

Fashion meets science. An expert panel discuss the clothing of the future. Source link

Shooting stars from the annual Perseids meteor shower have been lighting up night skies across the UK and around the world over the past few nights. The bright meteors are formed when dust particles fall from the Swift-Tuttle comet and burn up on entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Astronomers at Astro Dog, a small Scarborough-based astronomy company, captured the event from …

Getty Images A firefighter tackling a fire in east London on Tuesday Cities across the UK are facing a growing threat from an emerging phenomenon called “firewaves” as temperatures rise due to climate change, scientists have warned. The term, coined by researchers at Imperial College London, describes multiple urban wildfires triggered by extended periods of hot, dry weather. The warning …