Science

Explosive volcanic eruptions often come with intense electrical activity, known as volcanogenic lightning. The team analysed 16 eruptions with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 4 or above between 2010 and 2024. They used detections from the World-Wide Lightning Location Network and precipitation estimates from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission. According to the study published…

Polyethylene, one of the most widely produced plastics in the world, may have implications for liver health, according to new research from Texas A&M University. The study, published in October 2026 and highlighted by the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, found that exposure to polyethylene microplastics was associated with signs of fatty…

One of the new meanders created as part of the restoration project. Image Credit: Tommy Wilkinson/UK Government A major river restoration project in Northumberland has brought the River Breamish closer to its natural form by recovering a stretch of channel lost through centuries of agricultural changes. At Harehope Estate, south of Wooler, conservation teams used…

Everglades Alligator Farm – Florida City, Florida, USA. Image Credit: Wikipedia Seasonal drops in water levels trouble the Everglades in Florida, drying out the shallow marshes little by little. As the wetlands shrink there is less room and less places for fish and other aquatic creatures to go and more pressure to find water that…

Representative Image of a hippo grazing on grasslands at night and transferring silicon to a river through its dung ( AI Generrated Image) Hippos spend their nights grazing on grass and their days resting in rivers. This daily routine also moves silicon from land into water, where it can influence the organisms that form the…

Deep in the Sahara Desert, where rain is rare and plants struggle to spread, an unlikely desert gardener may be at work. Researchers who sifted through hundreds of carnivore droppings found intact seeds from eight different plant species, suggesting that wolves and foxes may help desert vegetation spread across the landscape. If you have ever…

Archaeological excavations on Scotland’s island of Lismore have revealed a medieval cemetery. (Photo: Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre) The residents of Lismore, a tiny Scottish island with around 190 inhabitants, have helped uncover an extraordinary chapter of its early Christian history by raising funds to investigate its monastic past. Excavations led by a professional archaeologist revealed…

Published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the research adds to scientists’ understanding of the ecosystems that existed in Gondwana, the ancient southern supercontinent that included much of modern-day Africa. Sometimes a major scientific discovery starts with something barely visible. Researchers studying Moroccan fossils found tiny black circles along a long bone. Under a microscope,…

Amy Xiao. Image Credit: Society for Science 18-year-old New York student Amy Xiao has used computational modelling and lab experiments to investigate whether a protein called citrin could offer a new route towards cancer treatment. Her research examined how changes in the gene responsible for producing the protein may be linked to better survival outcomes…

For Puri, the Davidson Fellowship marked recognition of a project that connected engineering with a cause she cared deeply about. Her work demonstrates how looking at a familiar problem differently can open up new technological possibilities. For Puri, the Davidson Fellowship marked recognition of a project that connected engineering with a cause she cared deeply…