Exactly 99 years after Einstein's theory of general relativity was proven right in our own solar system, scientists show that it also holds true for entire galaxies.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
It is just as much for our own sake, as for the sake of robots, that we should begin recognising the rights of intelligent machines.
Far from setting us free, autonomous vehicles are set to enable new forms of surveillance and oppression.
Sleep paralysis and exploding head syndrome can help explain things that go bump in the night.
Up to half of insect sex can involve two males but our study suggests it's probably less design and more a case of mistaken identity.
A team of astronomers captured the moment when a wayward star was pulled into the mouth of a supermassive black hole.
US firm HeatGenie is hoping to revive a technology that has surprising origins in World War II and beyond.
A year on what do we know about how the Grenfell fire spread? And what changes need to happen to make sure there is never a repeat?
Our genes are important when it comes to aptitude for sleeping soundly.
Cyber vulnerabilities in shipping show how far the industry has to go. But proper cyber security of ships is more complex than you might initially think.
New research shows just how different male and female sharks can be.
Compounds in your breath could help AI detect illnesses, including different cancers.
Following NASA's latest discovery of organic matter on the red planet, new findings in a salt lake in California could point to where to look for alien life.
The government said 64, journalists said 4,645. What went wrong?
Automation could transform our working world. Here's what we can do to ensure it is a more gender equal one.
New research suggests that a football team's rendition of its national anthem says a lot about its level of togetherness.
All the cyber threats that fans and footballers face at the World Cup...and tips for remaining safe.
Jurassic Park's dinosaur DNA premise is not so simple in real life
A revamped Atari is hoping to capitalise on its legacy with a fresh take on classic games.
Researcher suggests obese dogs are more sensitive to rewards but there could be another explanation.
Ethical decisions deliver less emotional impact when presented in a second language, study finds.
New research on parallel universes forces cosmologists to come to an uncomfortable conclusion.
From human 'gills' to reproducing rock, evidence hasn't always pointed scientists in the right direction.
Cities are expanding upwards and downwards, as well as outwards. With urban density also increasing, moving people efficiently around the city, often using ageing infrastructure, is quite a challenge.
Images from New Horizons spacecraft provide more evidence about the surface of Pluto.
The world's biggest diamond company is to sell synthetic gemstones for the first time.
US diplomats in Cuba and China have shown symptoms of brain injuries.
Nanotechnology isn't science fiction – you can find it in the latest TV screens, solar cells and tennis rackets.
We recorded the first scientific evidence that having a baby affects women's voices.
Facebook and Google already face a legal complaint in the wake of the new data protection law, but the most precious data still isn't covered.
Will GDPR usher in a fresh start for the internet? A look at the four main foundation elements and how they affect you.
Genetics is influencing more and more of our decisions, but we can't make the right choices if we don't understand it.
Discovery of many icy worlds helps unravel the solar system's history.
The dangers of AI solutionism need to be addressed.
New research shows that ground-dwelling birds were more likely to survive the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.
New research has rubbished perceptions of Roman Britain as a region inhabited solely by white Europeans.
Information extracted from copyrighted material should not be seen as an infringement. Such analytical use is good for society.
The large human brain has been thought to result from social demands. But new research challenges this idea.
Many people feel conflicted about the use of animals in scientific research. But what is actually involved?
After Brexit, politicians hope that technology can help us avoid a hard border in Ireland.
For a full picture of any given situation, we must be able to read it, understand it and anticipate what could happen next.
Shaped light enables deeper imaging of biological samples under the microscope and avoids damage to the tissue.
At Kīlauea in Hawai'i, a recent volcanic eruption has created some of the most spectacular sights in nature. But also danger for those around it.
Aphids often appear in swarms around May and June but what risk do they pose to plants?
The data you create when using the internet can actually be used to discriminate against you.
Synaesthesia – a rare experience where the senses merge – comes in many different forms.
Facebook has released the first batch of data about how many abusive or violent posts it has removed.
Amazon, Google and Apple's attempts to understand the tone of human voices can reflect human biases.
Conspiracy theorists have an à la carte attitude to data and trust, so what can scientists do about it?
Small charities aren't like small companies, and the way they operate may pose greater risks under GDPR than for others.
Studies in psychology cannot be replicated in the same way as in other fields. But technology could change that.
British space firms would get a shot in the arm from building a new GPS-style system if the UK is shut out of the EU's programme.
Astronomers have indirectly spotted some of the first stars in the universe by making their most distant detection of oxygen in a galaxy that existed just 500m years after the Big Bang.
New research shows green-blooded skinks have evolved multiple times, which could help lead to explanation as to why.
How Roko's Basilisk, a 'terrifying' thought experiment, went to the Met Gala.
Shipping is becoming greener, but this brings new safety challenges.
Not great at thinking in pictures? Try drawing, talking or using equations.
Organisations are on the losing side, especially those that rely on leveraging personal data to compete. But there will be a net benefit to consumers – and that's a good thing.
It's time to stop the witch hunt on intuition.
The science behind the famous World War II attack masterminded by Barnes Wallis.
The aliens of A Quiet Place track their prey by hearing something outside the norm.
We could find evidence of life on Europa within a couple of decades.
A 20-year-old experiment is testing whether filling the Arctic tundra with animals could keep carbon trapped in the ground.
Earthquakes can shape political decisions so understanding them is crucial.
Virtual reality, augmented reality and serious games can help train people to respond to terrorism and kidnappings.
Consciousness final frontier of science?
When it comes to death, children's imagination can sometimes be scarier than reality.
Migrating to Europe changed the immune systems of birds who no longer needed to worry about African diseases.
Spoiler: NetzDG does not cover all hate speech and probably won't have a 'chilling effect' on users.
We may not live in an infinite 'multiverse' of parallel universes after all.
The right diet, combined with moderate low-impact exercise, can benefit people with osteoarthritis.
Men who take risks are more likely to eat in response to unpleasant emotions.
Figurative art may derive from Neanderthal hand prints and the hunter's keen eye for perceiving animals.
Do you want to live forever? If so, you might want to think again.
Most of our genes descend directly from the last common ancestor of animals.
The first step to mining an asteroid is finding a suitable candidate. Scientists estimate there should be some ten nearby targets.
Elon Musk 's Tesla has serious production problems.
Synthetic biology allows us to engineer biological cells. This could help us tackle cancer in remarkable ways.
A theory is not meant to be a final statement of how things are, but just the latest stage of ongoing research and new discoveries.
NASA and ESA have signed a letter of intent to collect samples from Mars and return them to Earth.
CC BY-ND21.1 MB (download)
This is the audio version of an in depth article from The Conversation, which explores the ethics of transhumanism.
From eye-scanners to 3D printers, technology in humanitarian crises can be a positive force for disenfranchised people.
Meta-analysis studies have made it possible to sort through apparently contradictory research by looking at the bigger picture.
As incidents of food-borne illnesses increase, virtual reality could help better train food hygiene
Research is increasingly proving fingerprints can be used for much more than identifying people.
When it comes to neuroscience, there's no such thing as an 'average' teenager.
Experiment produces thousands of entangled atoms, raising hopes that we can soon create real quantum computers.
Developments in technology mean that we can use automation to reduce accidents on oil rigs.
How we discovered ancient footprints of early human hunters and their megafauna prey.
Raising U-3523 wouldn't be worth the incredible cost.
Video may not kill the radio star, but podcasting and the lack of a single digital standard might.
Detailed images of the anti-ageing enzyme telomerase are a drug designer's dream
Detailed information about stars in our galaxy could help us discover new exoplanets.
It's 65 years since the structure of DNA was first published, but the woman who made that possible remains unknown to many people.
Personalisation has made decisions easier and quicker – but it is still large corporations, rather than individual users, who benefit most.
Cities are adapting to the needs of driverless cars. Here's how.
Research and News
Mathematical software designed to predict multiple outcomes could have helped reduce severe rail disruption.
Interactive cinema and the arts are at the forefront of research into brain-computer interaction.
Gravitational waves
The discovery of tiny ripples in space from the violent collision of dense stars could help solve many mysteries – including where the gold in our jewellery comes from.
If you understand how a trampoline works, you'll be able to understand what gravitational waves are.
All it took was a single email alert to send the world's astronomers searching for the source of the latest gravitational wave detected.
Farewell Cassini
As Cassini’s titanic mission comes to an end, we need to start thinking ahead. A combined mission to explore Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus would be a good place to start.
Cassini may be gone but the data it left behind could help reveal how long Saturn's day is and how its magnetic field is generated.
Humour and laughter
Laughing at inappropriate moments could be an early sign of dementia, while injury to the front part of the brain could make you lose your sense of sarcasm.
CC BY-ND26.5 MB (download)
In this episode of the podcast, we take in the history of Victorian humour, why kids find poo so hilarious and whether academics should try and be funny.
Scientists at work
Wild chimpanzees are hard to find, but their DNA – left-behind genetic traces – are opening up a new way of studying them.
Killing insects, as the Big Wasp Survey asked people to do, contributed to many vital advances in science.
Podcast
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Hawking wasn't able to give his students a gentle introduction, but he did provide a lot of inspiration and support.
Research shows that the Y chromosome may be able to protect itself from extinction in the short term. But what about in a future where we all reproduce artificially?
We can see at a finer resolution than the spacing between individual photo-receptors in the eye – and it's all down to our brains.
We no longer perform surgery on babies without drugs, but a new study shows that we may be underestimating how much pain babies feel when they are under stress.
Private companies are increasingly challenging national space agencies in a new space race, which comes with great opportunities but also huge risks.
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) could help unravel the mysteries of antimatter and complete scientists' next model of the universe.
A new study can't rule out the possibility that human ancestors lived on Crete at the same time as they evolved in Africa.
Rational arguments and myth busting often won't help you change the mind of a conspiracy theorist. But there are other ways.
On the trail of the men of Britain's Royal Aircraft Factory, who gave their lives to help create the world's first air force.
A group of lizards in Brazil have evolved bigger heads in just 15 years thanks to their new environment.
Scientists discover rare molecules on Titan which suggests it's creating the building blocks of life.
Events
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ALBERT WOLTERS PUBLIC LECTURE WITH PROFESSOR ELIZABETH LOFTUS — University of Reading
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InnoConf18: New Trends in Language Teaching and Learning at University — University of Liverpool
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