‘It’s right up in our face’ – close proximity of stellar nursery to our solar system stuns scientists Astronomers have discovered a gigantic, undulating wave of dust and gas where newborn stars are forged over a 50 million billion mile stretch of the Milky Way.The gaseous structure, which holds more mass than 3m suns, runs directly behind our solar system as viewed from the heart of the...

A scientific expedition to Thwaites glacier aims to provide vital information about the dangers of melting Antarctic ice Thwaites glacier, a vast river of ice the size of Great Britain, holds enough frozen water that were it to collapse, the world’s oceans would rise by more than 60cm. Part of the West Antarctic ice sheet, it is one of the most unstable glaciers on the continent. Since the...

Exclusive: solicitors call for UK ban of textured variety associated with lymphomaAt least 61 women in the UK have been diagnosed with a potentially fatal cancer linked to breast implants, but the type they received continues to be used, with no plans by the regulator to follow France and Australia in banning them.Lawyers for more than 40 of the women, who are bringing legal action against the...

Biochemist who built on the work of Hans Krebs to make key discoveries concerning metabolic cyclesHans Kornberg became a biochemist just at the point, in the mid-20th century, when methods became available to explore how organisms convert food and oxygen into energy and tissue – the combustion engine of life. He was one of the pioneers who identified key participants in such metabolic reactions...

Pneumonia-like illness in Wuhan is unclear in origin, with officials racing to contain outbreak before people travel for new yearChina has been battling what may be a new strain of pneumonia after 59 people contracted a mysterious respiratory illness in central China, prompting fears of another Sars outbreak.Health officials are worried about the upcoming Spring Festival in late January, when...