NOIRLab researchers say it’s the first-ever discovery of a close companion orbiting a supergiant star For millennia, since the time of ancient Egypt, people around the world have marvelled at Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Now, astronomers have discovered that this red supergiant, known to many as the hunter’s shoulder…
Some people are trading chemical sunscreens in favour of mineral versions because of fears over toxicity, pollution and effectiveness. Is there actually any difference? Mineral sunscreen is having a moment. Amid concerns that so-called “chemical” sunscreens may be bad for our bodies, brains, and even coral reefs, mineral-based formulations have become the fastest-growing share of the…
Scientists say they can study our bodies as we age in greater detail than ever before, thanks to more than a billion scans of UK volunteers. The world’s biggest human imaging project says it has now hit its target of scanning the brains, hearts and other organs of 100,000 people – the culmination of an…
On the day I visit Octopus Energy’s heat pump factory in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, temperatures in London reached 29C. Some of the staff meeting me, who are usually based in the south of England, are beaming. It’s wonderful to escape the heat, they say. And who can blame them. Climate change is making the UK hotter. In…
The US state of Virginia saw some 50% of the nation’s Civil War casualties. Now, mass construction of AI data centres is encroaching on historic lands, the environment and local communities. As the gunner of the Bull Run Legion lifts the explosive charge from its container and carries it up to the cannon, dozens of…
They look like an ordinary pair of glasses – but these are tech-packed specs. On a Zoom call, Niko Eiden, chief executive and co-founder of Finnish eyewear firm IXI, holds up the frames with lenses containing liquid crystals, meaning their vision-correcting properties can change on the fly. This one pair could correct the vision of…
I’m led through a series of concrete corridors at Vilnius University, Lithuania; the murals give a Soviet-era vibe, and it seems an unlikely location for a high-tech lab working on a laser communication system. But that’s where you’ll find the headquarters of Astrolight, a six-year-old Lithuanian space-tech start-up that has just raised €2.8m ($2.3m; £2.4m)…
Scientists have discovered a new species of pterosaur – a flying reptile that soared above the dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago. The jawbone of the ancient reptile was unearthed in Arizona back in 2011, but modern scanning techniques have now revealed details showing that it belongs to a species new to science. The…
The government will prioritise easier access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and struggling businesses. Islamabad, July 5, 2025: In a significant development, the government has approved a 10-year long-term industrial policy, marking a major achievement for the business and industrial sectors in Pakistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan directed the Ministry of Industries…
Honey is a natural sweetener, and bacteria loves to feast on sugar. But honey is remarkably resistant to spoilage. What’s behind its ability to beat the bugs? Most jarred delights have a limited shelf life – they’re just one mucky spoon dip away from growing a luscious crop of mould or a thriving colony of…
