Findings could help explain how planets in our own solar system move around the sunSix planets that orbit their star in a coordinated dance have been discovered by scientists, who say the finding could help shed light on why planets in our own solar system move to their own beat.The newly discovered planets orbit a star that sits about 100 light years away in the constellation Coma Berenices, with...

Lead author says study led by University of Sydney is longest ever to have looked at relationship between the two drugsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastCannabis should not be considered an effective long-term strategy for reducing opioid use, according to a new study released amid the global shift towards...

The astrophysicist and professor likes to ruffle feathers – and says his critics are merely jealous. He discusses UFOs, interstellar objects and the risks of his all-consuming searchAvi Loeb has a chip on his shoulder. For years, the Harvard astrophysicist has been trying to find aliens. He’s in the middle of trying to record the entire sky with an international network of telescopes and...

The natural world is caught in a vicious cycle – extreme weather is destroying natural habitats and wildlife, yet these are crucial to fighting the climate crisisNature loss and the climate crisis are locked in a vicious cycle. These two issues are separate yet inextricably linked. As the climate crisis escalates, natural habitats are being destroyed. This in turn exacerbates the climate crisis...

The climate crisis, invasive species, overexploitation of resources and pollution could break down crucial ecosystems. We asked experts to lay out the risks and offer some solutionsThe continued destruction of nature across the planet will result in major shocks to food supplies and safe water, the disappearance of unique species and the loss of landscapes central to human culture and leisure by...

Until now it was unclear what walking speed was needed to reduce risk of type 2 diabetesWalking faster is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the first global study of its kind.Type 2 diabetes is one of the world’s major health threats, with its prevalence rising sharply in the last three decades, according to the World Health Organization. Continue...

Psychologist who pioneered the treatment of children after such disasters as the Zeebrugge ferry sinking and the King’s Cross fireOn 6 March 1987, the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry set sail from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge heading for Dover. The bow doors were not shut and within seconds it flooded with seawater. It capsized and 193 passengers and crew died.Bill (William) Yule, who has died...

Science Weekly brings you episode one of a new mini-series from Full Story.Pioneering Australian scientists Graeme Pearman, Lesley Hughes and Ove Hoegh-Guldberg saw the climate crisis coming. Pearman predicted the increase of carbon dioxide levels, Hughes foresaw the alarming number of species extinctions and Hoegh-Guldberg forecast the mass coral bleaching events we’re seeing today. All three...

Cancer Research says Britain is lagging behind other comparable countries in terms of survival ratesThousands of people are dying needlessly from cancer because the UK lags behind comparable countries when it comes to survival rates, a damning report says.Big strides forward have been made in treating the disease over the past 50 years, according to the study by Cancer Research UK, but slow and...

Natural History Museum prepares to study pristine material gathered in Nasa’s Osiris-Rex missionA teaspoon’s worth of dark dust and granules scooped from an asteroid 200m miles from Earth has arrived at the Natural History Museum in London, where scientists are preparing to unlock its secrets.Researchers at the museum received 100mg of the pristine material, which at 4.6bn years old dates back...

Injecting stem cells into patients’ brains found to be safe and could stop further damage from the diseaseDoctors are cautiously hopeful about a new multiple sclerosis therapy after finding that injecting stem cells into patients’ brains was safe and potentially protective against further damage from the disease.The small, early stage trial was only able to assess whether injecting cells...

The answers to today’s power-hungry philosophers’ puzzleEarlier today I set you this puzzle by one of the world’s leading logicians about a group of five power-hungry philosophers. Here it is again with the solution.The philosopher’s ruling council1 philosopher:proposed council 12: proposal rejected3: 3 24: 2 4 15: 5 1 3 Continue...

One person found to be infected with H1N2 strain, of which 50 cases have been reported globally since 2005UK detects its first human case of swine flu strainThe UK has detected its first human case of H1N2, a swine flu strain that has been reported in 50 people worldwide since 2005. Continue...

The idea of a friend who helps you commit to your goals is growing in popularity – whether you want to get fit, write a novel or build your businessWhen news emerged that new US Speaker Mike Johnson and his teenage son monitored each other’s pornography intake, the concept of an “accountability partner” was probably unfamiliar to many people. Certainly, the Republican politician hasn’t...

Individual who contracted H1N2 experienced mild symptoms and has fully recovered, UKHSA saysThe UK’s first human case of flu strain H1N2, which has been circulating in pigs, has been detected, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.The individual who contracted the illness experienced mild symptoms and had fully recovered, the UKHSA added. Continue...

Reflections on the pioneering astronomer find an unexpected contemporary relevanceLosing GalileoI like to imagine Galileo,His heart swinging likea chandelier, watching Continue reading...

The ruthless pursuit of powerToday’s puzzle concerns a group of five power-hungry schemers who are all desperate to become the top boss. Your task will be to work out how the person of lowest status can triumph above all the others.The puzzle is a new variant of what are often called “pirate-division” problems, and was written by Joel David Hamkins, who is currently the O’Hara Professor of...

Make a note of Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, which means ‘eye of the bull’ in ArabicSearch out one of the very oldest recognised constellations this week. Taurus – the bull of heaven – was first recorded by the Babylonians in about 1000BC but other cultures may have associated this grouping of stars with a bull much earlier. At the Lascaux network of caves, in France,...

Results challenge assumption we eat highly processed foods because they are more desirable, says study’s authorUltra-processed foods are viewed as no more appealing than less processed foods, research has found.A University of Bristol study compared the taste perception of different food types to test the theory that calories and level of processing are key factors influencing how much we like...

A23a split from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, but it became stuck to the ocean floor and had remained for many years in the Weddell SeaOne of the world’s largest icebergs is drifting beyond Antarctic waters, after being grounded for more than three decades, according to the British Antarctic Survey.The iceberg, known as A23a, split from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in...

The US reproductive health expert on being sued for $1m, and winning a top prize for her fight for free speech in the public interestDr Chelsea Polis is a reproductive health scientist based in New York City. She was sued for $1m by a medical device company after speaking out about misleading marketing claims it had made about the use of its digital fertility tracker as a contraceptive method....

I stood out as different in Llandudno but by learning about its past and mine, it became the home I loveLooking back, a good deal of my younger years seemed to be perched somewhere between if only and my fate. If only my hair was straight, if only my bum was flatter, if only our house was ordinary, if only mum didn’t speak Welsh, if only dad could settle in Wales, if only I lived somewhere else,...

The European Space Agency’s plan to build a cargo vessel that can convert to a crew ship is one giant step in its ambitions to compete with rival lunar exploration programmesAs space exploration announcements go, a recent speech at a European Space Agency (Esa) summit could hardly rival President John F Kennedy’s oration at Rice University in Houston, Texas, in 1962, when he emphatically...

US students are relearning how to chitchat after lockdown damaged social skills. Maybe Rishi Sunak could take a courseAre you having a lovely weekend? Nice jumper, is it new? Did you see Doctor Who last night? You see, it’s not difficult. Yet the younger generation seems to be struggling with the ancient art of small talk. Speaking about nothing but doing it pleasantly is an essential social...