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Plastic in Space

Salvaged plastics imitate bizarre and beautiful sea life

16 May 2018

This deceptive artwork was created by photographing just a few of the 5 trillion bits of plastic that pollute our oceans and shorelines


Whale swimming past plastic

Plastic waste is a problem – but some solutions are even worse

16 May 2018

Plastics have done wonders for hygiene and human health. We need to fix the waste problem – but don’t throw out the baby with the bath tub


Trump

Trump’s Iran U-turn could restart the global nuclear arms race

16 May 2018

The US has demonstrated that it cannot be trusted to stick to its word on arms control deals. The result may be a return to the dark days of growing nuclear arsenals


plastic bags

Fixing planet plastic: How we'll really solve our waste problem

16 May 2018

From bag bans to bacterial mulchers, many solutions are touted for the plastic waste crisis. Find out which work – and which don't – in our definitive guide


Rich nations restore their own forests but trash those elsewhere

Rich nations restore their own forests but trash those elsewhere

14 May 2018

As countries get richer, they start replanting their forests – but this is not a big environmental gain because they “export” the deforestation to poor countries


Still from The Good Place

Trolley problem tested in real life for first time with mice

11 May 2018

Would you kill someone to save five others? The first lab enactment of this classic thought experiment raises issues for how we programme self-driving cars


Stem cells may reveal how Neanderthal DNA works in modern humans

Stem cells may reveal how Neanderthal DNA works in modern humans

11 May 2018

Many of us carry DNA inherited from Neanderthals, but we can’t be sure how it affects us. Stem cells with Neanderthal DNA could tell us


Eye scanner can tell if you've mastered a foreign language

Eye scanner can tell if you've mastered a foreign language

10 May 2018

By monitoring unconscious eye movements while reading, an algorithm can predict the proficiency of someone learning English as a second language


A shorter man talking to a taller man

Napoleon Complex: Are smaller men really more aggressive?

10 May 2018

A study investigating short-man syndrome suggests that smaller men may behave more aggressively than others, providing there are no likely repercussions


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