To sell water and make his living, Steve relied completely on his donkeys. They pulled him in his cart loaded with its 20 jerry cans to all his customers. When Steve’s donkeys were stolen for their skins, he could no longer work. That day started like most others. In the morning, he left his home…
Some polar bears face starvation as the Arctic sea ice melts because they are unable to adapt their diets to living on land, scientists have found. The iconic Arctic species normally feed on ringed seals that they catch on ice floes offshore. But as the ice disappears in a warming world, many bears are spending…
A powerful bird known as the pirate of the seas has declined dramatically because of avian flu, the RSPB says. Great Skuas soar around the UK’s coasts stealing other birds’ food but their numbers in 2023 were down by 76%, the charity says in a report. Populations of Gannets and Roseate Terns were also seriously…
This week, Iceland woke up to yet another day of fire, as towering fountains of lava lit up the dark morning sky. This time the evacuated town of Grindavik was spared, but the molten rock still wrought havoc – engulfing a pipe that provides heat and hot water to thousands living in the area and…
A new world record for energy generated by nuclear fusion – the process that powers the stars – has been set at the UK-based JET laboratory. Nuclear fusion is considered the holy grail of energy as it could potentially produce vast amounts of clean power. European scientists working at the site said “we have achieved…
For the first time, global warming has exceeded 1.5C across an entire year, according to the EU’s climate service. World leaders promised in 2015 to try to limit the long-term temperature rise to 1.5C, which is seen as crucial to help avoid the most damaging impacts. This first year-long breach doesn’t break that landmark ‘Paris…
A unique species of flying reptile, or pterosaur, that lived 168-166 million years ago has been discovered on the Isle of Skye. Its wings, shoulders, legs and backbone were found in a rock on a beach, but the fossil’s skull was missing. Scientists were surprised to find a pterosaur from this period off Scotland’s west…
Researchers at the world’s biggest particle accelerator in Switzerland have submitted proposals for a new, much larger, supercollider. Its aim is to discover new particles that would revolutionise physics and lead to a more complete understanding of how the Universe works. If approved, it will be three times larger than the current giant machine. But…
A team of scientists and engineers have landed in Antarctica to test a drone that will help experts forecast the impacts of climate change. The autonomous plane will map areas of the continent that have been out of bounds to researchers. It has been put to the test in extreme weather around Wales’ highest peaks….
As the Japanese Space Agency put it: “Operations resumed!” After the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) re-established contact with its Moon lander on Sunday night, the craft started to study its surroundings in detail and transmit new images to Earth. The lander is carrying out analysis that could inform future, much longer missions to the…