16 December 2020
Pattern-seeking artificial intelligence promises a new way to decode animal languages from dog to whale. Our relationship with our furry and flippered friends may never be the same
16 December 2020
Coprolites, or fossilised faeces, have always been slippery customers. But now we can use X-rays to see inside them, they are yielding fresh insights into ancient ecosystems
16 December 2020
The finest whiskies are left to mature, sometimes for decades, but several companies claim to be creating similarly delicious drams in the lab in just a few hours. We put one to the test
16 December 2020
Roaming chunks of code, pre-programmed to perform all manner of tasks, shape the web and our experience of it. What are they up to? And as they get smarter, how can we regain control?
16 December 2020
Watching TV and staring at flickering flames produce similar physiological effects, offering intriguing clues to the enduring power of entertainment – and the origins of sociability
16 December 2020
Creepy-crawlies can provide unique insights into how exercise benefits humans – but how do you get a fruit fly to drop and give you 20 or a nematode to run a marathon?
16 December 2020
Fuzzy moss balls that colonise glaciers and move in perfect unison have puzzled scientists for decades. Now, thanks to some painstaking surveillance, they are finally giving up their secrets
16 December 2020
Once a popular ingredient, blackcurrants were ruthlessly eradicated from the US landscape after unwittingly assisting a crime against pine trees. Here’s the juicy backstory
16 December 2020
Any idea what an Aa is? How about frass? This is your chance to show off your knowledge of (or just have a good snigger at) some of the more arcane and delightful words used by scientists
16 December 2020
Children are savvier than we thought, so why do so many of them believe in Father Christmas? Answering that question reveals a lot about child psychology, and even more about adults
