One in six UK species threatened with extinction – here’s what we could lose (plus how to save them): Water voles are endangered mammals in the British Isles. Ben Andrew/RSPB The UK is considered one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. This is not surprising given its history of early industrialisation and agricultural …
World’s biggest bat colony gathers in Zambia every year: we used artificial intelligence to count them: Straw-coloured fruit bats at Kasanka National Park, Zambia. Fabian von Poser/Getty Images Everybody who visits Kasanka National Park in Zambia during “bat season” agrees that the evening emergence of African straw-coloured fruit bats from their roost site is one …
Bones play an important role in our health – here’s how to keep them strong: Weight lifting helps keep the bones strong. Liderina/ Shutterstock Just as our muscles lose strength as we get older, so do our bones. This can have a serious effect on our lifestyle, and boosts risk of fractures – which are linked …
How ducks, geese and swans see the world – and why this puts them at risk in a changing environment: The blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) is a species endemic to New Zealand. Graham Martin, CC BY-NC-SA Each year, millions of birds fly into power lines, wind turbines and the other man-made structures that litter the …
Professionals in Sweden are pushing back hard against a rightwing plan to make them snitch on undocumented migrants: Workers in the welfare sector are currently giving Sweden’s government a significant headache in a dispute about upholding professional ethics. They are opposing a planned law that would require them to “snitch” on undocumented migrants. And since …
South Africa’s destructive storm surges: geoscientist reveals the 3 factors that drove them: Tidal surges can cause enormous damage. Martha van der Westhuizen/500px A series of powerful tidal surges battered coastal areas in South Africa’s Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces over the weekend of 16 September. One person died; cars, homes and businesses …
Violence against workers increased during the pandemic – our research shows how it affected them: pixfly/Shutterstock For weeks of lockdown in the UK and beyond, people took part in nightly applause for healthcare staff and carers. Many expressed gratitude for other frontline workers: waste management workers, bus drivers, retail employees and others performing services that …
Wild animals leave DNA on plants, making them easier to track – here’s what scientists found in a Ugandan rainforest: The world is losing animals at an alarming rate due to habitat degradation, climate change and illegal human activities in the wildlife protected areas. In fact, it is estimated that, by 2100, more than half …
Resistance to antibiotics in northern Nigeria: what bacteria are prevalent, and which drugs work against them: It's challenging for hospitals in Nigeria to optimally use antibiotics. Getty Images Antimicrobial resistance – the ability of microorganisms to resist drugs that have been developed to control them – is a severe problem in African countries. The continent …
Morocco’s earthquake wasn’t unexpected – building codes must plan for them: More than 2,000 people died when a powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco on 8 September. The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh. Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked José A. Peláez, a professor in geophysics …
Africa’s vast underground water resources are under pressure from climate change – how to manage them: All countries have a variety of water resources – some are on the surface, like rivers, and some are beneath the ground. This groundwater provides almost 50% of all global domestic use and 43% of all the water used …
World’s beaches are changing because of climate change – green thinking is needed to save them: Coastlines – the interface between land and sea – lie at the frontline in the battle against climate change impacts. Globally, almost 1 billion people now live within 10km of a coastline and the same number live in areas …
Many GCSE students still aren’t taking modern foreign languages – how to motivate them to consider it: Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock Figures for GCSEs taken in 2023 show that entries for GCSEs in languages have increased slightly from last year. Despite this, the number of pupils taking a modern foreign language stands at less than 60% of …
Europe’s wild bird species are on the brink – but there are ways to bring them back: A flock of puffins on a cliff in Northumberland, England. Riska Parakeet/Shutterstock Almost two out of every five species of wild bird are of conservation concern across Europe, according to an updated and comprehensive assessment of their population …
How ChatGPT might be able to help the world’s poorest and the organisations that work with them: shutterstock ChatGPT has been touted as a tool that is going to revolutionise the workplace and home. AI systems like it have the potential to enhance productivity but could also displace jobs. The ChatGPT website received 1.5 billion visits …
Interest rates: the case for cutting them permanently to zero: shutterstock In 1937 the English economist Joan Robinson proposed that “when capitalism is rightly understood, the rate of interest will be set at zero and the major evils of capitalism will disappear”. John Maynard Keynes, who had taught Robinson, suggested something similar a year earlier …
Pedestrians in Ghana are risking their lives – we studied what’s distracting them while walking: Walking is a popular mode of transportation in Ghana Wikimedia Commons/Linda Fletcher Dabo Walking has health and environmental benefits – but it’s not always a person’s choice for getting around. And it does come with hazards. One fifth of the …
We’ve discovered how diamonds make their way to the surface and it may tell us where to find them: Bjoern Wylezich / Shutterstock “A diamond is forever.” That iconic slogan, coined for a highly successful advertising campaign in the 1940s, sold the gemstones as a symbol of eternal commitment and unity. But our new research, …