BBC News

Prof Stephen Hawking has called for Britain to stay in the EU, saying that a Brexit would be a "disaster for UK science".

Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a pine tree, dating back 140 million years to a time when wildfires raged across the land.

Is the exclusion zone worse than the radiation itself?

US researchers study how snakes move on sand, using aerated tanks, high-speed X-ray cameras - and robots.

The number of African rhinos killed by poachers has increased for the sixth year in a row.

The mass slaughter of rhinos increases for a sixth consecutive year, despite a drive to fight poachers by various means.

In the first of five games between the world champion of Go and Google's artificial intelligence (AI), machine beat man by a narrow margin.

Researchers have found new clues about the deadly white-nose syndrome, a disease that has wiped out millions of bats in North America.

Millions of people across Indonesia and the Pacific have experienced a total solar eclipse, with parts of the region falling into complete darkness.

An Omura's whale and its calf has been spotted off the coast of Madagascar

A dramatic shift in the Earth's climate killed off marine reptiles that swam at the time of the dinosaurs, according to a new study.

Search firm's AI team battles the world Go champion

The planet Mercury may once have been encased in an outer shell of graphite, the same material used as pencil lead.

Researchers produce a timetable for the "transformations" needed to minimise the impact of climate change on African agriculture and food security.

Two seal pups born on a Norfolk beach are the first wild grey seal twins to ever be recorded.

There are growing concerns about cheap biodiesel imports from Poland that are alleged to be damaging the European market in biofuels.

Spectacular displays of the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, were spotted in parts of the UK last night.

From multicoloured scans of the human body, to vivid photos of creatures up close - the finalists of the annual Wellcome Image Awards.

Russian explorers claim they have set a new record for the world's deepest under-ice dive.

Scientists say a translucent, "ghost-like" octopod discovered in ocean depths near Hawaii is "almost certainly" a new species.

Scott Kelly is back in the United States after spending 340 days in space, aboard the International Space Station.

US astronaut Scott Kelly has been talking about his epic journey in space - and the effects that it has had on his body.

Commercial space company SpaceX has successfully launched a satellite into space, but failed in an attempt to land a rocket booster on a platform at sea in order to re-use it.

SpaceX has at last managed to launch its latest mission - for Luxembourg satellite operator SES - after a series of frustrating delays.

Where an early morning jog attracts scary companions

Researchers in the United States say they may have found the first evidence that the Zika virus does cause birth defects in babies.

Scientists from South Korea and Russia want to clone an extinct cave lion from its DNA.

Lizards locked in amber for 99 million years give a glimpse of how chameleons and geckos evolved, scientists say.

There are more Sumatran orangutans in the wild than previously believed, according to a new survey.

Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly talks about his year in space at a post-landing news conference.

Sentinel-3a, the EU's latest Earth observer, uses its altimeter for the first time to gather information about ocean height.

How much pollution am I breathing in?

The biggest floating solar panel farm in Europe is being constructed on a reservoir.

Chilling at the UK's funky Antarctic research station

The government's infrastructure advisers say the UK could save up to £8bn a year by using electricity better.

A rare albino whale has been filmed off Mexico's Pacific coast - apparently gliding through the waters with its calf.

The number of elephants being killed for their tusks has stabilised but overall species numbers have continued to decline.

A study that tests the method of geographical profiling on the artist Banksy is published after a delay caused by legal discussions.

Keeping a space eye on the world's fastest race track

Environmentalists say they are worried about the emergence of Facebook as an online marketplace for trade in endangered species.

Sudden cuts to UK renewables subsidies have spooked investors and may lead to higher energy bills, say MPs.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of western Indonesia, the US Geological Survey reports, with local tsunami alerts now lifted.

A Nasa astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut return to earth after spending nearly a year on board the International Space Station.

Sentinel-3a, the EU's latest Earth observer, returns its first pictures of the planet, featuring a collection of ocean and land margins.

Oil giant Shell is being sued in London for the second time in five years over spills in the Niger Delta but Shell says it is reviewing the claims and the case should be heard in Nigeria.

The fossil of a microscopic fungus that dates back 440 million years is thought to be the oldest of its kind - and the earliest fossil evidence of land dwellers.

US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko touch down safely in Kazakhstan after almost a year in space.

Seeds of exotic plants illegally collected in the Himalayas are being sold in the UK, a BBC investigation has found.

Millions of images of the moon taken from space

Three British researchers win a one million-euro prize for their work on how memories are stored inside the brain.