Vipers evolved either nose or eye horns depending on their habitat
2 November 2021
The horns on vipers’ eyes could help camouflage their head in rocky areas or trees, while those with nose horns may blend in better on forest floors
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Scotch whisky-makers rely on peat smoke – but it's a climate concern
2 November 2021
The UK’s peatlands store vast amounts of carbon and need protecting – but is that compatible with the traditional use of peat smoke as a flavouring in whisky-making?
Brain implants boost ability to think flexibly and shake anxiety
1 November 2021
Electrically stimulating a region within the centre of the brain helped people with pre-existing brain implants to adapt to changing goals and improve their well-being, pointing to a method for personalised treatment
Barn owls make mental maps of their surroundings while they are flying
1 November 2021
Neurons that help humans make mental maps, called place cells, have now been seen in flying birds for the first time
Smart scheduling for big computing tasks cuts emissions up to a third
1 November 2021
We could slash emissions from database backups or long machine-learning tasks by waiting to run them until renewable energy makes up the largest part of the energy mix
EU drones could drop life rafts to migrants in the Mediterranean Sea
29 October 2021
The European Maritime Safety Agency has contracted drone company Tekever to use uncrewed aircraft for search-and-rescue missions
Tardigrades could survive interstellar travel in extreme hibernation
29 October 2021
The microscopic organisms have previously survived exposure to the vacuum of space and are able to hibernate using just 0.01 per cent of their normal energy
YouTube policy change limited spread of harmful videos across the web
28 October 2021
In 2019, YouTube altered its recommendation algorithm to stop promoting videos the company deemed harmful, which limited how much they were viewed even on other social media platforms
Australia has had zero measles in 2021 due to covid-19 border closure
27 October 2021
Many countries have seen sharp falls in the number of measles cases as a result of covid-19 controls, but the pandemic has also interrupted immunisation programmes
Genetically engineered bacteria could heal us from inside our cells
27 October 2021
Billions of years ago, bacteria began living inside other cells and carrying out essential functions. Genetic engineering could create new types of these ‘endosymbionts’
