There’s growing evidence of possible life on other planets – here’s why you should still be sceptical

The recent detection of a gas in a distant plant has been linked to life forms has sparked debate among scientists.

Maria Di Paolo, PhD Candidate, School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics, University of East Anglia • conversation
May 15, 2025 • ~8 min

How a toxic seaweed choking Caribbean beaches could become a valuable resource

The sargassum problem is just one of many creeping slow onset events that is being exacerbated by climate change.

Emma Tompkins, Professor of Geography, Environment & Development, University of Southampton • conversation
May 15, 2025 • ~7 min

Algebra is more than alphabet soup – it’s the language of algorithms and relationships

What do Sudoku, AI, Rubik’s cubes, clocks and molecules have in common? They can all be reimagined as algebraic equations.

Courtney Gibbons, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Hamilton College • conversation
May 15, 2025 • ~10 min

US safety net helps protect children from abuse and neglect, and some of those programs are threatened by proposed budget cuts

Society as a whole can benefit from programs that protect kids because the harms experienced in childhood can last a lifetime.

Rebeccah Sokol, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Michigan • conversation
May 15, 2025 • ~7 min

Hurricane disaster planning with aging parents should start now, before the storm: 5 tips

As climate-related disasters grow more frequent and intense, one group remains dangerously underprepared: older adults. Planning should involve the entire family.

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, Clinical Assistant Professor of Education, Health and Behavior Studies, University of North Dakota • conversation
May 15, 2025 • ~7 min

Unprecedented cuts to the National Science Foundation endanger research that improves economic growth, national security and your life

The Trump administrations has canceled more than 1,400 federal grants that support engineering, biology, geology, computer science, STEM education and much more.

Paul Bierman, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont • conversation
May 15, 2025 • ~10 min

Forget chatbots: research suggests reading can help combat loneliness and boost the brain

People who read report a deeper understanding of others’ experiences and beliefs.

Christelle Langley, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge • conversation
May 14, 2025 • ~7 min

Why spring 2025 is so dry

Despite the familiar saying, April 2025 was significantly short on showers.

Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition • conversation
May 14, 2025 • ~7 min

M&S cyberattacks used a little-known but dangerous technique – and anyone could be vulnerable

Sim-swap fraud is becoming increasingly prevalent.

Hossein Abroshan, Senior Lecturer, School of Computing and Information Science, Anglia Ruskin University • conversation
May 14, 2025 • ~6 min

How your genes interact with your environment changes your disease risk − new research counts the ways

Environmental factors such as lifestyle and the medications you take influence the effects your genes have on your body − and can clarify how diseases develop.

Arun Durvasula, Assistant Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California • conversation
May 14, 2025 • ~10 min

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