Astronomers discover a possible ‘black hole star’ in the early Universe, with a supermassive black hole hidden inside dense gas

Astronomers discover a possible ‘black hole star’ in the early Universe, with a supermassive black hole hidden inside dense gas (PC: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT) Astronomers have identified an unusual object from the early Universe that may represent a possible early stage of a supermassive black hole. It is called MoM-BH*-1, and was observed using Nasa’s…

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London river was declared ‘biologically dead’ in 1957; decades later it is filled with sharks and seals

In 1957, parts of London’s famous River Thames were in such bad shape that scientists declared them ‘biologically dead’. The water had been starved of oxygen and decades of sewage and industrial pollution had made it extremely difficult for aquatic life to survive. About 70 years later, the waters are now brimming with sharks, seals,…

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Quote of the day by Pythagoras: “The soul of man is divided into three parts: intelligence, reason, and..”

Quote of the day by Pythagoras: “The soul of man is divided into three parts: intelligence, reason, and..” (Image: AI Generated) Human beings are driven by a complicated mix of thoughts, desires and emotions. We can reason through difficult problems, become passionate about something we love and still experience impulses that are difficult to explain….

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In 2001, scientists tested 4 beluga whales at a New York aquarium; 98 sessions later, it was found the Arctic whales may recognise themselves

In the quiet pools of the New York Aquarium, a groundbreaking experiment was unfolding. It was 2001, and a team of scientists was about to test a question that had long fascinated researchers: could beluga whales, the white Arctic cetaceans known for their expressive faces and complex social lives, recognise themselves in a mirror?Over the…

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A stark warning for today’s climate

Fossils from Wyoming are revealing how forests responded when Earth experienced one of its most intense episodes of global warming around 56 million years ago. A new study, published in the journal Science on August 13, 2026, reconstructs the structure of forests during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM, and finds that their canopies became…

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In 2025, coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef’s northern region fell to 30% after its largest annual decline on record; a year later, surveys of 192 reefs found it had risen to 35.1% despite another bleaching event

A variety of corals form an outcrop on Flynn Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Credits – WIkimedia Commons The last two years have been a tale of two extremes for the Great Barrier Reef.” In 2025, the northern region of the reef experienced its biggest annual decline in coral…

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A robot explored the waters beneath 5 Scottish wind turbines and found 121 types of marine life, including possible young deep-water corals

A robotic submersible descended beneath 5 giant floating wind turbines off Scotland, moving around steel structures, cables and anchors that sit as much as 80 metres below the surface. Its high-definition camera recorded a surprisingly busy underwater community at the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, about 25 kilometres east of Peterhead. Across 41 structures and associated…

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German startup Voodin replaced fibreglass with laminated veneer lumber in 19.3-metre turbine blades; its new EU-backed factory targets fully recyclable blades at commercial scale

When you look at wind turbines the blades look larger than life. Like permanent, monumental objects that will turn forever above the same field, long after you are gone and someone else is looking up at them similarly. In reality, most wind turbine blades last only 20 to 25 years and when they stop spinning,…

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Dog parents, you were right all along! Scientists finally find dogs can tell when you’re sad, scared, or angry – here’s why they want you to smile

Dog parents, this is your ‘told you’ moment! All those times you felt your dog sensed your mood before you even said a word, that wasn’t nothing. The time when you were crying your heart out and your baby just rested on your lap? That was him reading you. Not guessing. Not just picking up…

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