Science

Essays and videos exploring physics, evolution, cosmology and other frontiers in science

Astronomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Complexity Computing and artificial intelligence Cosmology Deep time Earth science and climate Ecology and environmental sciences Engineering Evolution Genetics History of science Human evolution Human reproduction Illness and disease Mathematics Medicine Oceans and water Palaeontology Physics Quantum theory Space exploration

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Photo of a truck on a narrow bridge with people balancing and pushing it under a clear sky.

essayHuman evolution

How selfish are we?

An age-old debate about human nature is being energised with new findings on the tightrope of cooperation and competition

Jonathan R Goodman

Photo of abstract light trails in yellow and white on a dark background, creating a swirling, dynamic pattern.

videoPhysics

Our Universe has light not by chance but by necessity

59 minutes

A baseball with red stitching on a black background partially lit from the top left corner.

essayPhysics

Playing in flatland

Physicists believe a third class of particles – anyons – could exist, but only in 2D. What kind of existence is that?

Elay Shech

Photo of two silhouettes walking by fountains with bokeh effect in the foreground, Arc de Triomphe in the background.

essayComputing and artificial intelligence

Computers can’t surprise

As AI’s endless clichés continue to encroach on human art, the true uniqueness of our creativity is becoming ever clearer

Richard Beard

Black-and-white photo of a man viewing framed artworks on a wall in an exhibition setting.

essayHistory of science

A light from the periphery

The life of Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose illuminates how scientific genius can emerge from the most unexpected quarters

Somaditya (Soma) Banerjee

Photo of a snow leopard looking up with a mountainous background and some foliage in the foreground.

videoAnimals and humans

There’s a gentle artistry to a museum taxidermist’s craft

8 minutes

essayHistory of ideas

The shape of time

In the 19th century, the linear idea of time became dominant, forever changing how those in the West experience the world

Emily Thomas

Photo of a person with glasses holding a clarinet, finger to lips in a shushing gesture, blue sky background.

videoNature and landscape

A breezy ode to wind ponders its power, beauty and utility

10 minutes

People lowering a wicker coffin into a grave in a green landscape with hills and a river in the background.

essayDeath

How to become a tree

Many people today want to commit their remains to rejuvenating the planet. But are these green deaths just greenwashing?

Hannah Gould & Georgina Robinson

A humanoid robot holding a water bottle in front of parked cars under a partly cloudy sky.

essayAutomation and robotics

The synthetic self

In order to better understand our human nature, we must attempt to build a robot capable of robust subjective experiences

Tony J Prescott

Photo of seven scuba divers exploring an underwater rocky area with bubbles rising in a clear blue ocean setting.

essayOceans and water

Red tape on a blue planet

Do the laws and rules that once protected coral reefs now stand in the way of radical interventions that could save them?

Irus Braverman

3D rendering of a DNA strand with proteins interacting, featuring colourful molecular structures on a dark background.

videoBiology

Groundbreaking visuals capture how our bodies repair damaged DNA

4 minutes

essayIllness and disease

The spiral of suffering

For people with chronic illnesses, the relief and recognition of online communities can set up a toxic psychological trap

Siddhant Ritwick & Tomi Koljonen

Digital illustration of a human skeleton scan on a futuristic medical interface, showing data and analysis metrics.

essayMedicine

Are doctors replaceable?

Medical error kills hundreds of thousands yearly. If AI is sophisticated enough to help, doctors must not stand in the way

Charlotte Blease

Photo of hornbill perched on a tree trunk with vibrant beak, surrounded by green leaves under a clear sky.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

How a beautiful bird helps Southeast Asia’s rainforests flourish

16 minutes

Coloured scanning electron micrograph of yellow bacteria surrounded by dark grey particulate matter.

essayDeep time

Long live the aeonophiles!

The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life

Karen G Lloyd

Photo of an old computer monitor discarded in nature, surrounded by grass and twigs under a cloudy sky.

essayEthics

Can machines suffer?

We once denied the suffering of animals in pain. As AIs grow more complex, we run the danger of making the same mistake

Conor Purcell

Photo of moths flying around a bright light against a dark background at night.

videoBiology

Do we finally understand why winged insects seem drawn to light?

7 minutes

A herd of elephants walking through a dusty landscape with a blurred background of trees and bushes.

essayBiology

Desert survivors

Elephant families are matriarchal, inclusive and caring. But when environmental scarcity hits, everything changes

Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell

A black hole, showing a glowing orange-red ring surrounded by darkness, captured by a telescope.

essayCosmology

Cosmic imposters

We know that black holes are strange, but they could be hiding something even weirder beyond their horizons

Gideon Koekoek

Photo of rugged limestone formations at sunset with a partly cloudy sky and sea visible in the background.

essayEarth science and climate

Our phosphorescent world

This life-giving element, stored in rock and organic material, moves around Earth in an ancient cycle we have just broken

Jack Lohmann

Abstract digital artwork with smooth gradients of red and orange hues creating a warm, flowing appearance.

essayIllness and disease

The inflammation age

Acute inflammation helps the body heal. But chronic inflammation is different and could provoke a medical paradigm shift

Amy K McLennan

Artwork of a large brown planet and a smaller blue one in space with stars in the background.

videoAstronomy

Why exomoons could be astronomy’s next big breakthrough

35 minutes

Photo of a lone bench facing turbulent ocean waves under a cloudy sky. The area is partially flooded by the sea.

essayEarth science and climate

The model of catastrophe

The immense complexity of the climate makes it impossible to model accurately. Instead we must use uncertainty to our advantage

David Stainforth