Animals not only tune in to alarm cries or ‘all-clear’ signals from other speciesSquirrels eavesdrop on the chatter of songbirds to work out whether the appearance of a predator is cause for alarm, researchers have found.Animals including squirrels have previously been found to tune in to cries of alarm from other creatures, while some take note of “all-clear” signals from another species...

Plastic pollution has entered the fossil record, research showsPlastic pollution is being deposited into the fossil record, research has found, with contamination increasing exponentially since 1945.Scientists suggest the plastic layers could be used to mark the start of the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch in which human activities have come to dominate the planet. They say after the...

Users of Zao can now add themselves into the scenes of their favourite movies. But is our desire to insert ourselves into everything putting our privacy at risk?‘You oughta be in pictures,” goes the 1934 Rudy Vallée song. And, as of last week, pretty much anyone can be. The entry requirements for being a star fell dramatically thanks to the launch, in China, of a face-swapping app that can...

A sculpture that smells of breast milk among 50 exhibits to go on display in London Some say it smells of modelling clay. Others that it has the vague aroma of talcum powder mixed with vanilla. Or perhaps a freshly painted room.Members of the public will be able to decide for themselves when they rub a scented sculpture designed to evoke the smell of human breast milk. The bronze artwork, which...

Factory farming sucks up money and pollutes rural communities in swing states like IowaNot since the Rev Jesse Jackson’s candidacy for the Democratic nomination in 1988 have we seen presidential hopefuls so fiercely and consistently bring the issues facing family farmers into the national conversation. This year, five candidates for the Democratic nomination say they support a ban on factory...