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91av. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Life

Neuron-like machinery helps anemones decide when to sting

Anemones have special cells that shoot stinging barbs for protection or to hunt prey – decisions about when to release them and where to aim is based on the activity of calcium ion channels similar to those in human neurons

News

Chemistry

Chemical reaction used in cooking may have helped complex life evolve

News

The centre of the galaxy

Space

Essential molecule for life spotted floating in space for first time

News

Why do so many people believe aliens have visited Earth?

Space

Why do so many people believe aliens have visited Earth?

Comment

Life

Shortage of male turtles could be solved by splash of cold seawater

News

Greg Rouse, Scripps Oceanography The Osedax body is visible inside the root of the tooth on the left and the piece emerging from the lower left is the gelatinous tube of the Osedax worm. The worm can retract inside when disturbed so we can see it properly in the picture.

Life

Zombie worms devour shark teeth that fall to the ocean floor

News

Why have orcas been damaging and sinking so many boats?

Life

Why have orcas been damaging and sinking so many boats?

News

How a radical redefinition of life could help us find aliens

Life

How a radical redefinition of life could help us find aliens

Features

Environment

UK and Ireland suffer one of the most severe marine heatwaves on Earth

News

Humans could bring microbes into space

Space

Space germs: How can we avoid contaminating other worlds?

Headlines about alien flu from outer space exaggerate the risk of extraterrestrial microbes but we still need to be careful about taking our own germs off-planet, says astrophysicist Erika Nesvold

News

Life

1.6-billion-year-old steroids may be traces of earliest complex life

News

Space

Fake alien message sent to Earth to prepare us for first contact

News

Space

Why sending messages to extraterrestrials is controversial

Comment

Life

The hunt for the South Island kōkako, New Zealand’s long-lost bird

News