Starlings and house sparrow numbers dwindling as survey reveals long-term downward trend despite overall boost to populations due to a warm winter and bumper harvests Continue reading...

The mission in 2020 would cost more than $1.25bn and involve grabbing a boulder from an asteroid and having humans inspect it in space Continue reading...

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Latest genetic tests reveal another break in the male line, potentially undermining the legitimacy of the entire House of PlantagenetWhen scientists revealed last year that an adulterous affair had apparently broken the male line in Richard III’s family tree, they vowed to investigate further.But rather than clear up the mystery, their latest genetic tests have uncovered evidence of another royal sex scandal. This time, the indiscretion could potentially undermine the legitimacy of the entire House of Plantagenet.

Ultrasounds show fetuses covering their face and touching their mouth more often if their mothers smoke while pregnant, medical journal study saysFetuses whose mothers smoke during the pregnancy cover their faces and touch their mouths more frequently, a pilot ultrasound study published in medical journal Acta Paediatrica revealed this week.

Results of largest ever genetics study of a single population could also help refine dates for major events during human evolutionHumans are evolving more rapidly than previously thought, according to the largest ever genetics study of a single population.Scientists reached the conclusion after showing that almost every man alive can trace his origins to one common male ancestor who lived about 250,000 years ago. The discovery that so-called “genetic Adam”, lived about 100,000 years more recently than previously understood suggests that humans must have been genetically diverging at a more rapid rate than thought. Continue reading...

On screen you never see them doing the 750 daily crunches needed to get those stomachs – and that’s the dishonest part Continue reading...

Scientists have hailed the emergence of heat-tolerant beans, but there are fears corporate interests in Africa’s seed sector will wrest control from local farmers Continue reading...

With Britain’s personality types now charted on a map, our panel of writers from Lincolnshire, Newport, Orkney and London consider whether they match up to their birthplace Continue reading...

Director of the charitable trust, Jeremy Farrar, says retaining fossil fuel shares gives more influence over such companies – but they would not rule out divesting in the future, should engagement prove ineffective Continue reading...

Owners of Highland Wildlife Park hope Victoria, 18, will get chummy with male Arktos during her stay in the Cairngorms

New research by Cambridge scientists analyses the way different personalities cluster across Great BritainThe finding may be no surprise to those outside the M25, but Londoners rank among the least welcoming and most lazy people in the country, according to a survey of personalities in Great Britain.

A new survey has provided a snapshot of the country’s psychological landscape Continue reading...

Zoos belonging to World Association of Zoos and Aquariums filmed allowing shocking mistreatment of elephants, dolphins, lions, bears, penguins and whalesDozens of examples of harrowing cruelty towards animals in zoos have been overlooked by the world’s top zoo organisation, animal welfare groups have alleged.Zoos belonging to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Waza) have been filmed over the past five years making animals perform dangerous tricks, confining them to inadequate premises and beating them, contrary to Waza’s code of ethics, which demands the “highest standard of animal welfare”.Related: World's top zoo organisation accused of links to Taiji dolphin slaughter in Japan Continue reading...

Faced with unreliable screening, many women with a high lifetime risk of cancer opt for preventative surgery, just as Jolie did. But the timing can be crucialAs an A-list Hollywood film-maker, Jolie has few financial constraints on her medical care. Yet, the medical choice she was presented with and the trajectory of her treatment will be familiar to many women treated in NHS clinics. In Britain, those with at least two first-degree relatives who have had breast or ovarian cancer are eligible for genetic screening. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes affect only about one in 500 women, but have a dramatic impact on the risk of developing ovarian cancer.Related: Angelina Jolie reveals she had ovaries removed after cancer scare Continue reading...

Researchers are developing new method of wireless deep brain stimulation. Continue reading...

Pioneer of radical and feminist psychotherapy Continue reading...

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko will spend a year together on the International Space Station and conduct research into the feasibility of a manned Mars missionTheir respective countries may be going through one of the worst periods of hostility since the end of the cold war, but this week an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut will fly up to the International Space Station to spend a year on board together.Despite the enmities of the cold war and the frigid relations of their governments today, scientists and astronauts from Nasa and its Russian equivalent, Roscosmos, have a fruitful and friendly history of recent cooperation. As the US government has cut space program funding, for instance, Nasa has turned to its Russian counterpart to assist with mission logistics such as sharing a launch pad. Continue reading...

Study commissioned by the chief scientist, Ian Chubb, also found that advanced physical sciences and maths employ 760,000 people Continue reading...

Climate change is a moral challenge threatening the rights of the world’s poorest people and those who deny it are not using God’s gift of knowledge, says presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts SchoriThe highest ranking woman in the Anglican communion has said climate denial is a “blind” and immoral position which rejects God’s gift of knowledge.It’s hard work when you have a climate denier who will not see the reality of scientific truth.Related: World Council of Churches rules out fossil fuel investments Continue reading...

For the next month the telescope will be free for Guardian readers to remotely observe the moon, nebulae, constellations and other objects in the night skyThe Bradford Robotic Telescope sits more than a mile above sea level on the rim of an old volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The telescope, part of the Teide Observatory, captures stunning images of the night sky from one of the best sites for astronomy in the world.

Carnivorous amphibian Metoposaurus algarvensis grew to the size of a small car and dates back to the Late Triassic PeriodFossil hunters have found the remains of a giant carnivorous amphibian that patrolled ancient lakes and rivers at the dawn of the age of the dinosaurs.The salamander-like predator grew to the size of a small car and feasted on the fish that thrived in the waterways of the Late Triassic Period, more than 200m years ago.

Arup SoundLab aims to win over opponents of third runway by simulating future noise levels. Gwyn Topham tests the noiseHeathrow airport has a new hi-tech weapon in its battle to win over public support for its long-desired third runway.A small sound laboratory has been set up in central London offering a simulated taste of what a future expanded airport would sound like. Continue reading...

Shortening of spring each year is due to the way Earth’s axis wobbles as it moves – but most of us won’t notice the difference in our lifetimeEvery year spring is getting shorter by about 30 seconds, according to researchers.This is mainly to do with how the Earth’s axis wobbles – very slowly – as it moves, or as LiveScience explains, “like a wobbling top, in a type of motion called precession”. Continue reading...

Geologist suggests extracting precious metals from human waste would keep harmful substances out of the ground – and recover valuable objectsFortunes could be saved from going down the drain by extracting gold and precious metals from human excrement, scientists suggest.Sewage sludge contains traces of gold, silver and platinum at levels that would be seen as commercially viable by traditional prospectors. “The gold we found was at the level of a minimal mineral deposit,” said Kathleen Smith, of the US Geological Survey. Continue reading...

Behind-the-scenes looks at the science that goes into art conservation so we all can (potentially) experience the original work for ourselves rather than looking at a digitised scan, a poster-sized print or an encyclopaedia thumbnail Continue reading...

As part of the the celebrations for British Science Week, some of Britain's finest scientific minds gathered for an evening at the Science Museum. From 'Carl Sagan or Brian Cox?' to 'what is the single greatest threat to science?' we took the opportunity to ask them a selection of the most pressing questions facing scientists today Continue reading...

Brett and Naghmeh King, who were jailed after taking their five-year-old son abroad for treatment, say he has made ‘miracle’ recoveryThe parents of five-year-old Ashya King, who were briefly jailed after taking him from a British hospital and fleeing abroad to seek treatment, have said he is now cancer-free.Brett and Naghmeh King, who prompted an international police hunt in August when they took Ashya from a Southampton hospital against doctors’ wishes, said their son has made a “miracle” recovery from brain cancer.

Today is the first day of Twitter’s international Museum Week, which celebrates our many museums, galleries and cultural institutions that make valuable contributions to science, the arts, history and culture around the world Continue reading...

Senator Jim Inhofe, who opposes climate change regulation, has received $10,000 from PAC funded by donations from US staff at oil group Continue reading...

We use so much militaristic language to describe cancer. It might be doing more harm than good

For “Caturday”, I share a lovely video created by one of my birding pals that captures a mother hummingbird as she raises her son from hatching to fledging Continue reading...

Experts cautiously welcome results of trial of antibody known as aducanumab, which appears to show benefit in patients given it in very earliest stage of disease

Every now and then an eclipse comes around, and this time the northern Atlantic Faroe Islands and Arctic archipelago Svalbard were the only places where a total eclipse could be seen. Svalbard residents had clear skies for a perfect view as the moon passed over the sun, but in the Faroe Islands, cloudy weather marred the experience Continue reading...

A specially chartered plane left the northern Russian city of Murmansk on Friday and flew to the Arctic so its passengers could get an unobstructed view of the solar eclipse. The plane flew to an area where a total eclipse could be seen, while other parts of the world were only able to witness a partial eclipse Continue reading...

Astronomers and scientists joined tourists, commuters and schoolchildren to witness what was billed as the most impressive solar eclipse since 1999The sun also eclipses, to misquote Ernest Hemingway. After hours of near-despairing reports insisting the clouds were too thick, sky-gazers at Newquay in Cornwall – positioned to be among the first in the UK to glimpse a phenomenon that has thrilled and terrified human beings for millennia – excitedly reported a hazy nibble out of a misty pale orange ball was visible just before 8.30am – narrowly beaten by a much sharper image from Madrid.

A European Space Agency mini-satellite captures the moment the moon passes in front of the sun in Friday's solar eclipse. The ESA's sun-watching Proba-2 monitors turbulence on the sun's surface using ultraviolet wavelengths. As well as being seen from space, the partial eclipse was visible across Europe, Russia and parts of the Middle East, Asia and north Africa Continue reading...

A breathtaking solar eclipse was witnessed by millions of people across Europe this morning. But on the roof of the Guardian HQ in north London, the view was ... underwhelming. A typically cloudy haze had obscured the sun completely before the moon had a chance to eclipse it. Skywatchers had been advised not to look directly at the sun, but on the roof of the Guardian, there was no danger of burnt retinas Continue reading...

While the sun’s disappearing act might have been disappointing, the crowd watching it was fascinating Continue reading...

The solar eclipse is captured in timelapse video footage from across Europe on Friday. Despite grey skies in many parts of the UK and northern Europe, areas such as Bristol and Plymouth were cloudless enough for sky-gazers to catch a glimpse of the rare phenomenon. The Faroe Islands and Svalbard were briefly plunged into darkness as the only regions to experience a full eclipse Continue reading...

The solar eclipse might have only been partial in Britain this morning, but a lot of you still managed to capture it beautifully around the UK. Here are some of our favourites Continue reading...

This week, I share my thoughts about a travel-adventure story about a quest to see one of the world’s last surviving “unicorns” (the saola); a paperback about the natural history of Ebola and a second by the same author about the origins of HIV/AIDS, and a book that examines the strange behaviour of numbers Continue reading...