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Aerial view of a road cutting through a forest

A third of animals are vanishing as roads spread through forests

1 November 2017

The world’s forests are being criss-crossed by roads and clearings, and as a result many backboned animals are becoming less abundant


Bird of prey

People who illegally kill birds of prey are getting away with it

1 November 2017

There were 81 confirmed cases of protected birds of prey being attacked or killed in Britain in 2016, yet the authorities didn’t take a single person to court


Sharks now protected no matter whose waters they swim in

Sharks now protected no matter whose waters they swim in

31 October 2017

126 countries have signed up to cross-border protection measures to conserve whale sharks and many other endangered migratory species


Alzheimer’s may be able to spread through blood transfusions

Alzheimer’s may be able to spread through blood transfusions

31 October 2017

A protein might be capable of spreading Alzheimer’s through blood transfusions and surgical equipment, but we don’t know yet how much of a risk this is


A young child crying

Climate change will kill millions but you knew that already

30 October 2017

It’s no surprise, but an analysis has predicted deadly heatwaves, more deaths from starvation, and a boom in mosquito-borne diseases thanks to climate change


Donor organs created by dissolving and rebuilding pig livers

Donor organs created by dissolving and rebuilding pig livers

30 October 2017

A liver grown in a lab by dissolving cells in a pig organ and then reinfusing it with new ones offers hope that we could create transplant organs on demand


Part-flooded cemetary

We have four years fewer to slash carbon emissions than thought

30 October 2017

Soils in cold regions may release far more carbon than expected as world warms, and that means our carbon budget is smaller than we thought it is


A legal trade in rhino horn could be twice as big as illegal one

A legal trade in rhino horn could be twice as big as illegal one

30 October 2017

Legalising the trade in rhino horn from South Africa could match black market supply and maybe even double it, with the aim of driving poachers out of business


artist's impression of an exoplanet

We may have found 20 habitable worlds hiding in plain sight

30 October 2017

After taking another look at data from the Kepler space telescope’s original mission we have spotted 20 possible Earth-like worlds that could host life


Kitchen counter bio-lab lets you make edible gloop from cells

Kitchen counter bio-lab lets you make edible gloop from cells

30 October 2017

A coffee machine pod-like system can synthesise food from packaged pods of plant cells. The system could let us make our own jam from weird and exotic plants


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