BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

The debate about whether the NHS should use magic mushrooms to treat depression

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:47:15 GMT

Many clinical trials to test the use of psychedelic medicines for conditions such as depression have been underway since 2022 - with surprising results

Britain's energy bills problem - and why firms are paid huge sums to stop producing power

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:14:11 GMT

Could the government's radical plan to change the way the UK distributes electricity really bring down bills - or just lead to a postcode lottery?

Spectacular images reveal unique sea creatures and corals off Caribbean islands

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:38:45 GMT

Scientists discover underwater mountain ranges, golden towers of coral, and never-before-seen sea creatures.

Nasa announces change to its Moon landing plans

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:37:11 GMT

It is adding an extra mission to its Artemis programme before landing astronauts on the Moon.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Molecular biologists find tiny self-replicating molecules which may be key to life origins

These robots can clean, exercise - and care for you in old age. Would you trust them to?

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:04:09 GMT

It sounds like something from a sci-fi film - but some scientists believe this clever new tech could help alleviate strains on the UK care system

Why scientists fear Emperor penguins' annual moult may be killing them

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:01:53 GMT

Each year the birds must stay on floating ice long enough to replace their weather-beaten feathers.

University joins UK's £17bn space sector

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:10:41 GMT

The Southampton Space Institute will use expertise and facilities for education and jobs creation.

Toxic pet flea treatment chemicals found at 'damaging' levels in rivers

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:48:00 GMT

Scientists have found further evidence that pet flea treatments are widespread in rivers across the UK.

Why the price of oil matters more than you might think

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:04:16 GMT

A shock to oil supplies is rattling financial markets, driving up prices at the pump and raising fears of a bigger economic hit.

In pictures: Worm Moon captured over Northern Ireland

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:22:36 GMT

The first full Moon of the spring, a Worm Moon, was visible on Monday and Tuesday across Northern Ireland.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:00:00 GMT

And how can future civilisations remember where we put it?

Air strikes cause black rain and 'unprecedented' pollution in Tehran, scientists say

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 19:39:58 GMT

Air strikes have damaged at least four oil facilities since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began last month.

Targets and watchdog for nature as Senedd passes new law

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:00:35 GMT

A new law designed to better protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife in Wales is passed.

COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:09:19 GMT

The US president is notably absent from these UN climate talks, as are other world leaders, all of which prompts questions about the purpose of COP today.

The climate change course for people with learning disabilities

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 06:48:24 GMT

A training course on climate change has been specially developed for people with learning disabilities

Nasa's mega Moon rocket arrives at launch pad for Artemis II mission

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 01:22:46 GMT

Final preparations now get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.

Waitrose to suspend mackerel sales due to overfishing concerns

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:52:25 GMT

The supermarket chain says it will stop sourcing fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel by 29 April.

Prioritising AI data centres could block new homes, builders warn

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:11:12 GMT

The government plans to give data centres priority access to the electricity grid to speed up development.

It's nearly moving day for these sand martins

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:59:43 GMT

Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve in Hampshire is set to welcome its first residents later this month.

Campaigners push to better protect chalk streams

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:56:33 GMT

Campaigners say the eco-system rarity does not have enough legal protection.

Earth's heat to power 10,000 homes in renewable energy first for UK

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:51:40 GMT

Water super-heated by rocks will also provide the UK's first domestic supply of the critical mineral lithium.

The Global Story

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Nasa's Artemis II launch this spring marks the beginning of a new space race.

A 1,300-pound Nasa spacecraft to re-enter Earth's atmosphere

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:55:55 GMT

Much of the Van Allen Probe is expected to burn up in the atmosphere though Nasa says there is "low" risk of people being struck by surviving components.

Being an Essex girl never held me back, says spacecraft engineer

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:40:35 GMT

"I don't think stereotypes like that have ever bothered me," says 36-year-old Sian Cleaver.

UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:26:41 GMT

A factory in space has been switched on and has reached temperatures of about 1,000C.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The science of barbecue recorded at Abergavenny Food Festival 2025.

Nasa announces change to its Moon landing plans

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:37:11 GMT

It is adding an extra mission to its Artemis programme before landing astronauts on the Moon.

Intriguing finds could solve mystery of women in medieval cemetery

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:34:29 GMT

There is growing evidence that the women were part of an early female religious community.

The science of soulmates: Is there someone out there exactly right for you?

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:01:47 GMT

For many, the idea of soulmates still shapes how love is understood.

Tim Peake leaves scouts starry-eyed at hut opening

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:23:08 GMT

Peake was the first Briton to set foot on the International Space Station.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Space warfare, space manufacturing and satellite data at Space Comm Expo

Secret of hedgehog hearing discovered at far beyond human range

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:24:19 GMT

Researchers played a sountrack to hedgehogs to identify the frequency of sounds they can hear

Sheep are disappearing from our hills - and our dinner plates

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:57:15 GMT

Have we have passed "peak sheep" in the UK?

'Extinct' butterfly found across southern England

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:27:56 GMT

There has been a flurry of early sightings of the large tortoiseshell butterfly, a charity says.