Latest Science news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice
The solution to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you a new twist on the Monty Hall problem, which is (according to AI) the most discussed recreational maths puzzle in history. The standard Monty Hall problem is as follows: Continue reading...
Strain of virus with no vaccine has potential to overrun response impeded by conflict and misinformation Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are losing their battle to contain the country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak . DRC’s health ministry declared an outbreak in Ituri province on 15 May, though sequencing shows it had begun in February. It has since spread to five other…
Harvard study finds traffic fatalities increase by 15% on release dates compared with similar days either side The release of a new album by Taylor Swift might be a cause for celebration among her fans, but such events have also been linked to a more sombre phenomenon: an increase in fatal car crashes. The team behind a new study say it sheds light on the impact of distracted driving. “You can’t…
Hi-tech cameras orbiting Earth and on the ground, along with AI, help firefighters extinguish blazes before they spread The fires in Spokane, Washington , this summer are the latest reminder that when a wildfire is detected can be just as important as where it starts. A blaze found within minutes can often be contained before it spreads. Wait too long, and a small spark can become a major…
Take this puzzle by the horns Today’s puzzle is a new twist on The Monty Hall problem, arguably the greatest maths puzzle of all time. (According to Gemini, who trawled the internet for me, it is the most discussed and debated recreational maths puzzle of all time.) Continue reading...
Lyra, the lyre, represents the harp played by the Greek poet Orpheus We turn our attention this week to one of the sky’s smallest constellations. High overhead from the UK after darkness falls, Lyra, the lyre, is easy to find thanks to the brilliant white star of Vega. The chart shows the view facing south and looking up towards the zenith from London at 22:30 BST on 17 August. Continue reading...
Sale of one of UK’s top collections overseas prompts call new rules to help keep items in country One of UK’s best fossil collections sold in ‘loss to the nation’ An MP has called on ministers to change export controls so that significant fossils can be classed as national treasures after one of the UK’s best collections, unearthed on Dorset beaches, was sold overseas. Last week, a Guardian…
Paper mill activity has exploded in recent years, polluting the scientific ecosystem with falsified data and compromising medical research Dr Reese Richardson’s phone constantly buzzes with notifications. The scientific research integrity specialist has been tracking shadowy organisations known as “paper mills”, which turn a profit by offering fraudulent academic authorship of scientific papers,…
Despite the recent hearings in Congress, we seem to be even further from the goal of understanding Covid-19’s origin’s than we have ever been As a microbiologist and infectious disease clinician, it has been tough to watch the recent devolution of public discourse on Covid-19 origins. It has been especially difficult for me to read the comments of Anthony Fauci about the origins debate in his…
Users need discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to make savings on their grocery spend after paying £1,200 for GLP-1s, analysis finds The high cost of weight-loss medication is a “regressive tax on being thin” because the outlay outweighs any saving on food costs for all but the highest earners. Someone needs to have discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to actually save money…
UK team seeking to put suitcase-sized satellite in orbit around moon in search for 21cm line radio frequency signal Little is known about what was happening shortly after the big bang, but now researchers are hoping to shed fresh light on the matter by harnessing the far side of the moon. Scientists plan to put a suitcase-sized satellite into orbit around the moon, using the data it collects as it…
Attending a Nick Jonas show with my kids was an invitation to ‘collective effervescence’. We need these shared experiences now more than ever Three years ago, I agreed to accompany my children to a Nick Jonas concert. The appeal of the Jonas Brothers, and in this case only one of them, was unfamiliar territory. The concert happened to land on a particularly inconvenient day. As I sprinted out of…
Wildfire smoke and ash can reshape aquatic ecosystems long after the flames have been extinguished Wildfires are an increasing problem in Europe and elsewhere. While their immediate effect on air quality is obvious, they can also trigger less visible but significant environmental effects, including algal blooms. An algal bloom is the rapid growth of algae and other plant-like microorganisms. These…
Wednesday’s eerie spectacle united crowds beneath the sky, continuing a human fascination that stretches from ancient myth to modern physics “I’d describe it as a magical eeriness.” Lisa Redfern’s description to the Guardian conveys the combination of beauty and wrongness that accompanied Wednesday’s partial solar eclipse in Britain. Crowds across the country assembled as the sun’s power seemed to…
Each year the Guardian runs a competition to find the invertebrate of the year. To find out more about the 2026 nominees, science editor Ian Sample hears from climate reporter Petra Stock, environment reporter Oliver Milman and Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay. They each nominate an incredible invertebrate that you might never have heard of, and argue why their choice should come top. Vote…
Readers recall the breathtaking sight and community spirit of the rare celestial treat – and the handmade contraptions they saw it through On Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse . We asked some of them to share their photographs and experiences of this celestial treat. Here are some of their responses. Continue reading...
Each year the Guardian runs a competition to find the invertebrate of the year. To find out more about the 2026 nominees science editor Ian Sample hears from climate reporter Petra Stock, environment reporter Oliver Milman and Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay. They each nominate an incredible invertebrate that you might never have heard of, and argue why their choice should be crowned the…
Eclipse witnessed by tens of millions across western Europe as enthusiasts gather along path of totality Solar eclipse 2026 across Europe: in pictures Cruise ships, quiet towns and an all-day festival: millions flock to eclipse viewing spots across Europe in Land’s End, Cornwall The roads and car parks of west and north Cornwall are clogged as people gather to watch the solar eclipse. Continue…
People gathered to watch a partial solar eclipse in central London. The eclipse, which reached more than 90% coverage in the UK, was western Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years Continue reading...
Reykjavík, Iceland, falls into complete darkness as the solar eclipse reaches totality on 12 August Continue reading...
When I was younger, female biology was seen as something to be overcome. Now we can talk about the reality of living in our bodies Have you got the “ luteal uglies ”? I’m not trying to insult you, merely deploying the latest hormonal buzz phrase on social media, which refers to the phase in a woman’s cycle, two or so weeks between ovulation and menstruation, when she apparently feels at her lowest…
Books have never been trendier , but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on. To find out why declining literacy could affect everything from memory to IQ, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s science editor, Ian…
On August 12, the moon will pass in front of the sun, completely obscuring it in a solar eclipse. According to Nasa, parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and Portugal will experience a total solar eclipse. In the UK, there will be a partial eclipse, with up to 96% of the sun covered, the deepest eclipse the country has seen since 1999. But no matter where you’re hoping to watch from, it’s…
Books have never been trendier , but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on. To find out why declining literacy could affect everything from memory to IQ, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s science editor, Ian…
At 14, Max’s heart stopped during a basketball game. Five years after her son's death, Fiona Connolly recalls pleading with hospital staff to save her son. 'I said, "This is Max. His name is Max, and I really need you to to do what you do really well, and please just get him back to life.”' Research suggests one person under 35 experiences a sudden cardiac arrest every day in Australia, and…
The hit TV show confirms that sports lore is rife with powerful hexes. But there’s really nothing mystical about the dread and self-doubt they can induce As the new season of Ted Lasso started, I was reminded of one of the show’s stranger storylines. When Dani “Football is life!” Rojas gets injured, his teammates blame the incident on a curse said to haunt the treatment room. Absurd? Perhaps. But…
Madeleine Finlay is joined by Ian Sample, Guardian science editor, to discuss three eye-catching science stories including an investigation that has identified four distinct types of thinker. Also on the agenda is the unprecedented cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US which has now been linked to two fatalities, and the funding cuts that threaten the iconic Jodrell Bank world heritage site, home to…
The solution to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you the following puzzle, suggested by Briton Alex Chui, the most successful ever candidate at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Last month Alex, who is a pupil at Tonbridge School in Kent, became the first person to win a medal at the olympiad for seven years in a row. Bravo! Continue reading...
A genius puzzle from a teenage genius UPDATE: Read the solution here. Last month, British student Alex Chui became the all-time most successful contestant at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Chui, a year 13 student at Tonbridge School in Kent, scored 100 per cent in this year’s event, held in Shanghai, winning him a gold medal, and bringing his tally of medals to seven, five of them golds.…
