BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

Rare wolf spider rediscovered after 40 years

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 06:09:35 GMT

The team that found the tiny orange-legged arachnid have named it the white-knuckled wolf spider.

William announces Earthshot Prize 2025 winners in Rio

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:06:45 GMT

Winners include a project for making the Atlantic Forest financially viable and a global ocean treaty initiative.

Physics Nobel awarded to three scientists for work on quantum computing

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:59:52 GMT

The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The science of what makes hurricanes so deadly.

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?

Nasa to put nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 - US media

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:36:24 GMT

The reactor would provide power for humans on the Moon but there are questions about feasibility.

Firms ordered to reduce forever chemicals in drinking water sources for 6 million people

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:35:23 GMT

The persistent pollutants which build up in the environment have been linked to serious illnesses.

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 astronaut, dies aged 97

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:01:11 GMT

The commander of Apollo 13 famously rescued his men from near certain death in space.

The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:11:47 GMT

Could discoveries of alien life ever change the human psyche in how we view ourselves and each other?

Trump U-turns to renominate billionaire for Nasa chief

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:11:16 GMT

Jared Isaacman's initial nomination was withdrawn by the president in May during his high-profile feud with Elon Musk.

Naked mole rats' DNA could hold key to long life

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 18:06:04 GMT

The bald, subterranean rats are the world's longest-lived rodent.

Inside the lab analysing the world's oldest ice

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:58:34 GMT

The BBC's Science Editor Rebecca Morelle goes behind the scenes with the team discovering what the melting of ice from over a million years ago can tell us.

Floods trap people in cars in Spain's Catalonia region

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:27:27 GMT

The highest red alert is declared in one coastal province, as residents are urged to stay indoors.

Future of space travel: Could robots really replace human astronauts?

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 01:46:51 GMT

Advances in technology raise questions about the need to send people to space - and the risks and cost

Why scientists are counting tiny marine creatures, from Space

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 01:59:32 GMT

Differences in seawater colour could reveal how tiny Antarctic creatures are faring in a warming world.

Astronauts Butch and Suni finally back on Earth

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:14:48 GMT

Dolphins circled their capsule after it landed off the coast of Florida.

How do hurricanes or typhoons form and are they getting stronger?

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:37:40 GMT

These powerful tropical storms are generally becoming more intense as the world warms.

SpaceX Starship test fails after Texas launch

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 02:27:56 GMT

Officials at Elon Musk's company said the upper stage was lost, minutes after it launched.

'It's harder to be a parent than a space shuttle commander', trailblazing Nasa pilot tells BBC

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 02:34:44 GMT

The BBC speaks to astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a Nasa spacecraft.

Green turtle bounces back from brink in conservation 'win'

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:01:28 GMT

Once endangered due to hunting, it is making a strong recovery thanks to global conservation efforts.

Antarctic glacier's rapid retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit'

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:00:06 GMT

A new study suggests that changes to Hektoria Glacier are unprecedented - but not all scientists agree.

Life on Mars? 'Leopard-spot' rocks could be biggest clue yet

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:16 GMT

Unusual mudstones found on the Red Planet are potentially associated with ancient Martian microbes.

Bats are seeking sanctuary in churches - but they're making an unholy mess

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:34:03 GMT

A new study estimates that about half of all churches in England have bats living in them.

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

Soviet-era spacecraft 'likely' to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere

Sat, 10 May 2025 15:32:19 GMT

The spacecraft, which launched in 1972 on a mission to Venus, circled Earth for over five decades.

Rocket launch challenges Elon Musk's space dominance

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:12:27 GMT

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's space company blasts its first rocket into orbit in a challenge to Elon Musk.

Bats are seeking sanctuary in churches - but they're making an unholy mess

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:34:03 GMT

A new study estimates that about half of all churches in England have bats living in them.

Landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions in tatters after US pressure

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:31:07 GMT

President Trump intervened in the talks calling the deal a "green scam".

Ratmageddon: Why rats are overrunning our cities

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:55:02 GMT

Rats are multiplying at speed in urban areas. So, what's really behind the boom - and is it now unstoppable?

'How growing a sunflower helped me fight anorexia'

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 05:04:46 GMT

'Green social prescribing' schemes are being used by NHS doctors to improve patients' mental health.

Antarctic glacier's rapid retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit'

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:00:06 GMT

A new study suggests that changes to Hektoria Glacier are unprecedented - but not all scientists agree.

SpaceX pulls off Starship rocket launch in much-needed comeback

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:00:47 GMT

The Starship rocket is critical to the company's hopes of one day carrying people to the Moon and Mars.

Pictured: Winning entries for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 23:04:11 GMT

South African photographer Wim van den Heever takes the main prize for his shot

From Hollywood to horticulture: Cate Blanchett on a mission to save seeds

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 23:42:05 GMT

The Hollywood actor teams up with Kew’s Millenium Seed Bank as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The before and after images showing glaciers vanishing before our eyes

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:28:17 GMT

They are melting like never seen before, changing landscapes around the world beyond recognition.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:00:00 GMT

New evidence that the expansion of the universe is slowing. And the Godfather of AI

COP30: World leaders take aim at Trump for climate inaction

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:33:59 GMT

World leaders address COP30 climate summit in Belém and take aim at Trump record on climate change.

Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:07:12 GMT

Bennu contains minerals and thousands of organic molecules, including the chemical components that make up DNA.

Stone tool discovery suggests very first humans were inventors

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:01:47 GMT

The find shows that the technology was passed down through thousands of generations.

Dame Jane Goodall revolutionised our understanding of our closest primate cousins

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:53:35 GMT

The conservationist, who died aged 91 on Wednesday, challenged how we relate to the natural world.

Foul skies, fading light: How air pollution is stealing India's sunshine

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 23:06:44 GMT

India’s sunshine hours have fallen over the past 30 years due to clouds, aerosols and local weather.

South Korea's fishermen keep dying. Is climate change to blame?

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 22:10:11 GMT

An increase in deadly incidents has been partly caused by climate change, an inquiry found.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:00:12 GMT

Flights are getting bumpier, thanks in part to climate change. But new studies are looking into innovative potential ways to turbulence-proof wings - using AI and owls

Australia's rainforests are releasing more carbon than they absorb, warn scientists

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:28:19 GMT

Australia's rainforests are the first in the world to make the "concerning" switch, say scientists.

New study on moons of Uranus raises chance of life

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:00:05 GMT

The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the sterile worlds scientists have long thought.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The bionic microchip implant which allows registered blind people to see again.

Melting glaciers threaten to wipe out European villages - is the steep cost to protect them worth it?

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 23:06:56 GMT

Switzerland spends almost $500m a year on protective structures. Is it worth it - or, as some suggest, should people move away from the mountain villages at risk?

Nasa Apollo missions: Stories of the last Moon men

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 21:31:57 GMT

Of the 24 Nasa astronauts who travelled to the Moon in the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, just five remain.

Hedgerows and mob grazing: Can farming fix its carbon black hole?

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:12:45 GMT

Scottish ministers are putting the finishing touches to a plan aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions.

Bird flu virus spreading in UK could be worst yet, expert warns farmers

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:07:36 GMT

A top virology expert tells the BBC that the "super-infectious" avian influenza virus could mutate.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The science and maths of playing The Traitors recorded at Green Man Festival.

Environment prize nominees 'heroes of our time', says William

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 21:04:44 GMT

Fifteen projects are shortlisted for a chance of winning the top £1m prizes at next month's environmental awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

Most countries fail to submit new climate pledges ahead of summit

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:08:57 GMT

The UN's review of national climate plans shows the world is well off track to limit warming

Red Tractor ad banned for misleading environmental claims

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 02:40:44 GMT

The Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint by environment charity River Action.