Nilima Marshall

An artist’s impression of the EarthCARE satellite (ESA/ATG medialab)
UK
5m

Satellite that aims to study how clouds affect Earth’s climate set for launch

EarthCARE will study how aerosols such as dust and smoke play a role in cloud formation.
28 May 2024
Too little sleep raises risk of type 2 diabetes, scientists say (Peter Byrne/PA)
Science

Getting less than six hours of sleep may raise type 2 diabetes risk – study

Researchers say healthy eating cannot compensate for chronic sleep deprivation.
5 Mar 2024
An artist’s impression of Khinjaria acuta (Andrey Atuchin/University of Bath)
Science

‘Nightmarish’ sea lizard with dagger-like teeth ‘ruled oceans 66m years ago’

‘This was an incredibly dangerous time to be a fish, a sea turtle, or even a marine reptile,’ said Dr Nick Longrich, from the University of Bath.
5 Mar 2024
In the UK, the Government recommends adults should have no more than 30g of sugar a day – roughly equivalent to seven sugar cubes (Anthony Devlin/PA)
UK

Sweetened drinks linked to increased risk of irregular heartbeat – scientists

Drinking beverages with artificial sweeteners was associated with a 20% higher risk of atrial fibrillation.
5 Mar 2024
Gentle tap to the hive can reveal health of honeybee colonies – study suggests (Lewis Whyld/PA)
Environment

The simple test to check whether a beehive is healthy, according to scientists

Tapping gently on a hive elicits a collective buzzing response from bees, researchers say.
3 Mar 2024
Data showed that globally, obesity rates among adults more than doubled from 1990 to 2022 (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)
Science

More than a billion people in the world living with obesity – analysis

It is now the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, researchers say.
29 Feb 2024
Menu calorie labelling may reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease in England, a study suggests (Steven Paston/PA)
Science

Calories on menus ‘may prevent 9,000 heart disease deaths if implemented widely’

Scientists said their results emphasise the need for the Government to consider extending mandatory calorie labelling to all food businesses.
29 Feb 2024
Researchers have been studying Covid’s long-term effect on people’s brains (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
Science

Covid-19 may have small but lasting impact on brain function, study suggests

Researchers said monitoring the long-term clinical and cognitive consequences of the pandemic is important.
28 Feb 2024
The £200 million vaccine manufacturing and innovation centre was set up in 2017 (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Science

‘Mothballing’ Oxfordshire vaccine centre a mistake, former adviser says

The vaccine manufacturing and innovation centre was sold to US drugs firm Catelant in 2022.
28 Feb 2024
The UK needs a ‘flexible capacity’ for manufacturing and testing vaccines in order to be a global leader in pandemic preparedness, a former vaccines taskforce boss has said (Peter Byrne/PA)
Science

UK needs ‘flexible’ vaccine capacity ‘to lead globally in pandemic preparedness’

The recommendations by Dr Clive Dix also include the creation of a National Vaccines Agency.
28 Feb 2024
Big cats in captivity tend to live longer than their wilder counterparts (Liam McBurney/PA)
UK

Common shellfish supplement ‘could ease age-related joint pain in big cats’

Captive felines are vulnerable to musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease, researchers say.
24 Feb 2024
<p>The Odysseus spacecraft entered orbit around the Moon on Wednesday</p>
World

Odysseus becomes first private spacecraft to land on the Moon

The lunar lander touched down on the Moon’s south pole region at 23.23pm UK time on Thursday

23 Feb 2024
<p></p>
Science

Odysseus spacecraft hours away from attempting Moon landing

The privately owned lander, built by Intuitive Machines, blasted off last week from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
22 Feb 2024
This composite image shows a pattern of stars that resemble beads on a string at the centre of two merging galaxies (Nasa/PA)
Science

Cosmic ‘necklace’ of stars may have formed after powerful black hole outburst

The intergalactic bling was first discovered in 2014 using Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope.
21 Feb 2024
<p></p>
Science

Scientists discover secret to how baleen whales sing under water

The creatures cannot escape the noise humans make in the oceans, and better regulation is needed, researchers warn.
21 Feb 2024
Women may realise health benefits of regular exercise more than men, scientists say (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
Science

Women benefit more from regular exercise than men – research

Even when both get the same amount of physical activity, the risk of premature death is lower for women, scientists say.
19 Feb 2024
<p></p>
UK

Remains of ancient reptile found in Italian alps are mostly fake, scientists say

The material thought to be well-preserved, ancient soft tissue is, in fact, just black paint, the researchers said.
16 Feb 2024
<p></p>
Science

Soil microbes may hold the secret to a better-tasting cup of tea, scientists say

Researchers in China say the secret to brewing a delicious pot of tea may lie in a collection of microbes found on the roots of tea plants.
15 Feb 2024
A red squirrel foraging for food in the woodlands (Liam McBurney/PA)
UK

Secret to why grey squirrels outcompete reds may lie in gut bacteria – study

The findings could also explain their destructive bark stripping behaviour, researchers say.
15 Feb 2024
Emojis are differently interpreted depending on gender, culture, and age of viewer, researchers say (Ben Birchall/PA)
Science

Women interpret emojis differently to men, research suggests

Age and culture also play a role in how emojis are perceived.
14 Feb 2024
Scientists have grown beef cells in rice grains for the first time, resulting in what they describe as a ‘nutritious and flavourful hybrid food’ (Yonsei University/PA)
Science

Scientists grow beef cells in rice for first time

The cultured beef rice provides animal nutrients with eight times less greenhouse gas emissions compared to beef, according to researchers.
14 Feb 2024