Forests may grow more slowly than expected as CO2 levels rise
Rising CO2 levels will spur the growth of forests, which store carbon, but an experiment suggests this effect could be restricted by the availability of phosphorus in the soil ⌘ Read more

Eczema may sometimes be caused by eating too much salt
People with eczema have higher levels of sodium in their urine than those without the skin condition, with every additional 1 gram linked to an 11 per cent increase in the risk of a diagnosis ⌘ Read more

Tiny brain sensor implanted without surgery dissolves after weeks
In animal tests, a cube of hydrogel the length of a rice grain was implanted in the brain with a needle to monitor temperature or pressure, and then dissolved away after a few weeks ⌘ Read more

How to easily satisfy your salt cravings without damaging your health
Could potassium fortification be the answer we’re looking for when it comes to battling our unhealthy addiction to salt? ⌘ Read more

May 2024 is the twelfth month in a row to break heat records
The global average temperature during May was highest for any May on record, reaching 1.52°C above the 1850 to 1900 average ⌘ Read more

Earth’s atmosphere is trapping twice as much heat as it did in 1993
Earth’s energy imbalance, a key measure of global warming, has doubled in the past 20 years, raising concerns about how much heat the oceans are absorbing ⌘ Read more

Mathematicians can’t agree what ‘equals’ means, and that’s a problem
What does “equals” mean? For mathematicians, this simple question has more than one answer, which is causing issues when it comes to using computers to check proofs. The solution might be to tear up the foundations of maths ⌘ Read more

Starship launch 4: What time is the SpaceX flight tomorrow?
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its massive Starship rocket tomorrow and we have all the details on the mission ⌘ Read more

Why excessive positivity is bad for your health and mental well-being
There are real benefits to a positive mindset, but the idea that we should always look on the bright side has gone too far. Research into toxic positivity can help restore balance ⌘ Read more

Starship launch 4: What time is the SpaceX flight tomorrow?
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its massive Starship rocket tomorrow and we have all the details on the mission ⌘ Read more

China is sending giant pandas to US zoos for the first time in decades
In recent years, China recalled pandas from three out of four US zoos that had the bears, signalling diplomatic tensions between the two countries – but this year China has offered two new pairs of giant pandas ⌘ Read more

Diet-monitoring AI tracks your each and every spoonful
An AI that watches you while you eat can estimate how much you’re consuming, and could help people track their calorie intake ⌘ Read more

Ancient snake drawings are among the largest known rock art worldwide
Rock art along the Orinoco river in South America is made up of some of the largest etchings we know of and could date back 2000 years ⌘ Read more

Morning exercise may be optimal for improving bone health
Mice that exercised soon after waking up had stronger and longer bones than those that exercised later in the day ⌘ Read more

Endangered giant pangolin spotted in Senegal after nearly 24 years
A rare sighting of a giant pangolin revives hopes for the species’ survival in West Africa, despite threats from poaching and deforestation ⌘ Read more

How materials that rewind light can test physics’ most extreme ideas
Strange solids called temporal metamaterials finally make it possible to investigate the controversial idea of quantum friction – and push special relativity to its limits ⌘ Read more

Ancient geese stood 3 metres tall and weighed as much as a cow
A rare fossil skull provides strong evidence that the Dromornithidae, an extinct group of Australian flightless birds, were related to geese and ducks ⌘ Read more

Periods are starting younger and we’re struggling to pin down why
Menstruation is occurring earlier and earlier in life for younger generations in the Western world, but researchers are puzzled as to why ⌘ Read more

China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft begins sampling on far side of the moon
The Chang’e 6 moon lander touched down on 2 June and began collecting lunar rock for China’s second sample-return mission ⌘ Read more

Snares are wiping out South-East Asian wildlife – what can be done?
Efforts to remove animal traps and discourage poaching in Vietnamese protected areas have been partly effective, but conservationists say other approaches are needed to safeguard threatened species ⌘ Read more