快猫短视频

2GME5J3 Plane leaving trail of chemicals to fight wildfire. Dramatic red smoke against setting sun

Environment

One of Earth鈥檚 most vital carbon sinks is faltering. Can we save it?

Health

What鈥檚 my Alzheimer鈥檚 risk, and can I really do anything to change it?

Leaders

Comment

Commercial health tests promise peace of mind, but do they deliver?

Elective tests and whole-body health check-ups are increasingly popular among those who can afford them. But the practice isn't as risk-free as it might appear

Comment

快猫短视频

Perched on a narrow passage, ESA astronaut Marco Sieber stops for a moment to admire the heart of the cave he is set to explore. His journey into the deep is part of ESA?s CAVES training that prepares astronauts for the challenges of spaceflight both as individuals and as a team. Just like in space, the cave imposes isolation, confinement and limited supplies. For four days, an international crew of astronauts descended underground to live and work together, cut off from the outside world. Marco shared the expedition with NASA?s Jasmin ?Jaws? Moghbeli, Makoto Suwa from Japan?s space agency JAXA and Mohammad Al Mulla from MBRSC, the Emirati space agency. Marco?s role for the first two days and nights was to scout the 3.5 km long cave in the Italian Apennines, staying focused for hours on end under real exploration conditions. He was the first one into the unknown. The use of artificial light in constant darkness alters the perception of time and of colour. Beyond his skills as a medical doctor, his fellow explorers describe him as adventurous and humble, always curious to learn new things. Together with Jasmin, he was in charge of mapping the cave, choosing the best path and reporting their progress to the ground. All roles were swapped halfway through the expedition. The team of ?cavenauts? navigated sloping and uneven terrain, keeping situational awareness at all times. They overcame vertical drops of 20 metres using newly acquired rope climbing skills and organised the campsite that became their home. Over four dark days, they discovered a new world and new things about themselves and each other.

Space

See an astronaut prepare for spaceflight by journeying through a cave

Marco Sieber is part of an international team of astronauts who spent four days living and working in a cave for a European Space Agency training programme

Environment

Antarctica may have crossed a tipping point that leads to rising seas

Space

NASA’s asteroid deflection test had unexpected and puzzling outcome

Health

Egg cells made with DNA from human skin fertilised in the lab

Mind

Your happiness in life may not be U-shaped – here’s how it could vary

Life

20 bird species can understand each other鈥檚 anti-cuckoo call

Earth

Shackleton knew his doomed ship wasn鈥檛 the strongest before sailing

Health

Cannabis extract found to be effective for lower back pain

Space

Rogue planet gains 6 billion tonnes per second in record growth spurt

Mind

Autism may have subtypes that are genetically distinct from each other

Life

Evolution may explain why women live longer than men

Chemistry

The mystery of highly reactive oxygen has finally been solved

Health

We now know why a belly button becomes an ‘innie’

Humans

Ancient artists created giant camel engravings in the Arabian desert

Mind

How playing a musical instrument helps children learn to read

Physics

We may finally know what causes will-o鈥�-the-wisps

Space

Astronomers captured an incredible view of M87鈥檚 black hole jet

Mind

Our brain ‘swivels’ to focus on sounds from different directions

Analysis

Technology

Should we worry AI will create deadly bioweapons? Not yet, but one day

AI tools are being used to design proteins and even viruses, leading to fears these could eventually be used to evade bioweapon controls

Life

How Jane Goodall changed the way we see animals 鈥� and the world

Aperture

Hui Yu photographed this imposing portrait of a tropical flat-faced longhorn beetle on a family photography trip to a tropical rainforest at Gunung Jerai in Malaysia. A light bulb in a mosquito net attracted local invertebrates during the night, and in the morning there were lots of them to look at. Hui Yu is keen on macro-photography and chose the most colourful animal to take a portrait of. 'It had a strange look, like an alien, but it wasn't angry. It sat still on the branch all the time,' she says. 'I want people to know that all creatures, even small ones, count. So don't destroy the forest.'

Life

Stunning images highlight fight to save Earth鈥檚 rich biodiversity聽

From an alien-looking flat-faced longhorn beetle to an abandoned baby rhino, images at London鈥檚 Natural History Museum show what we stand to lose from the decimation of global biodiversity

Regulars

Features

Health

What鈥檚 my Alzheimer鈥檚 risk, and can I really do anything to change it?

Can you escape your genetic inheritance, and do lifestyle changes actually make a difference? Daniel Cossins set out to understand what the evidence on Alzheimer鈥檚 really means for him

Environment

One of Earth鈥檚 most vital carbon sinks is faltering. Can we save it?

Health

Why everything you thought you knew about your immune system is wrong

Culture

FKE16F Ladram Bay. Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Devon. UK.

Earth

The Whispers of Rock is a personal journey through aeons of geology

In her new book, earth scientist Anjana Khatwa writes a love letter to Earth's rocks and mountains, offering a passionate blend of science and spirituality

Environment

Hannah Ritchie’s new book on net zero is a breath of fresh air

Life

快猫短视频 recommends Horizon: Secrets of the brain

Space

Blue Planet Red is wrong about Mars 鈥� but it’s surprisingly poignant