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"Edge of Armageddon: Why does one of the world's top thinkers believe we're nearing nuclear apocalypse?"
Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 25 June 2026, 2212 UTC.
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencemonitor.blogspot.com).
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Yesterday
by Stuart Jeffries / 18h
In a chilling new book, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli says we’re back on the brink – and this time, leaders chronically lack the nous of Kennedy and Khrushchev. So why is he against rearming? Should European members of Nato be rearming in the face of the Russian threat? And if not, I ask Carlo Rovelli, why not? The Italian theoretical physicist seems a good person to answer these questions
by Presented by Ian Sample, sound design by Ross Burns, the executive producer was Ellie Bury / 18h
How much do our genes determine about our lives, and could they influence traits like risk-taking, antisocial behaviour or even violence? Ian Sample talks to Kathryn Paige Harden, a behavioural geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin who studies how genetic factors shape human behaviour. In her book Original Sin she explores how nature and nurture combine to in
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Jenny Kleeman; produced by Casey Magloire, Tom Glasser and Ross Burns; executive producer Eli Block / 20h
Jenny Kleeman investigates ‘Biotech Barbie’ Cathy Tie, the controversial entrepreneur hoping to revolutionise human reproduction by letting parents edit their embryos Meet Cathy Tie: serial entrepreneur, self-described “Biotech Barbie”, and the woman aiming to revolutionise reproduction by using Crispr to edit human embryos. Beneath the tech-startup polish lies a provocative mission: to take the
The company has just a few hundred satellites in low Earth orbit but has state backing and is already reportedly negotiating with dozens of countries Elon Musk’s Starlink has long dominated the satellite internet industry, but a Chinese government-backed project is aiming to challenge its position. SpaceSail has just a few hundred satellites in low Earth orbit compared with Starlink’s 10,000-plus
Perseverance identifies organic carbon molecules in rocks on riverbed that carried water billions of years ago Nasa’s Perseverance rover has detected complex carbon molecules in Martian rocks that are already in the spotlight for bearing potential signatures of ancient microbial life. Measurements taken by the rover’s Sherloc instrument identified organic carbon in mudstones from the Bright Angel
by Ian Sample Science editor / 1d
Previously hidden text revealed without unrolling scroll discusses stoic philosophy on ethics, art and human behaviour The surviving part of an ancient scroll that was burnt to a crisp when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago has been virtually unwrapped and read with help from artificial intelligence. Researchers uncovered 20 columns of previously hidden text covering more than a metre
by Sarah Hopkins / 1d
Kent Kiehl convinced the US legal system he can find violence in prisoners’ brains. His theories have been since used by defense lawyers – with grave consequences for prisoners Continue reading...
The glittering image, taken by the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope, heralds a new age of planetary discovery The dazzling sight of more than 60m stars at the heart of Earth’s galaxy has been captured by a space telescope designed to reveal the mysterious dark forces that shape the universe. Astronomers used the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope to capture the largest, most detaile
Jun 23, 2026
by Kate Ravilious / 1d
Researchers assessed likelihood gas was produced during creation of Alps, Pyrenees and Baetic mountains Hydrogen gas is anticipated to play a central role in phasing out fossil fuels, particularly in industries that are proving more challenging to decarbonise, such as chemical production, shipping and steelmaking. But producing hydrogen synthetically is energy intensive and costly. In order for t
Curtin University researchers use innovative techniques to date three-billion-year-old impact crater in Western Australia’s Pilbara region A meteorite that struck Earth three billion years ago left behind a “smoking gun” – evidence of the world’s oldest impact crater in a remote part of Australia. Ancient rocks in Western Australia’s Pilbara region record the event, which occurred during the Arch
Matriarchal groups in east and west exhibit distinct click patterns, used to form social structures From “Howdy” to “G’day”, English – like other languages – is rich in dialects. Now researchers have found sperm whales on different sides of the Mediterranean show similar variations in their vocalisations. Sperm whales communicate vocally using sequences of short clicks called codas. However, the
Jun 22, 2026
by Devi Sridhar / 2d
Everyone these days wants to optimise their workouts, but when a study seems too good to be true, it usually is Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh We live in an increasingly polarised world – and I’m not talking about politics, I’m talking about exercise. There’s a fitness community obsessed with constant optimisation and hacks : how can you get from
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by Presented by Ian Sample, with Ajit Niranjan, produced by Madeleine Finlay, sound design by Ross Burns, the executive producer was Ellie Bury / 2d
Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is also dealing with a debilitating heatwave, with schools closed, trains cancelled and France even restricting the consumption of alcohol outdoors to take pressure off the emergency services. The high temperatures coincide with the coming El Niño, wh
by Alex Bellos / 2d
The solutions to today’s puzzles – and the winner of the Anguish Languish contest Earlier today I set these three puzzles about deception. Here they are again with solutions. 1. Super syllabus Continue reading...
by Alex Bellos / 2d
When numbers and sounds are not what they seem Today’s puzzles – and prize draw! – are about different types of deception. 1. Super syllabus Continue reading...
Observations suggest comet spent billions of years on ‘vast unimaginable trajectories’ around our galaxy An interstellar comet that blazed past the sun last year could be nearly three times older than our solar system and is unlike anything ever before seen in our cosmic back yard, astronomers said on Monday. The comet 3I/Atlas is just the third visitor from beyond our solar system that humanity
Jun 21, 2026
by Kate Lloyd / 3d
People assume that those with facial hair are more likely to harbour bacteria on their faces than the clean-shaven – but the truth is more tangled The idea that beards are dirtier than clean-shaven faces has been floating around for decades, says John Tregoning, professor of vaccine immunology at Imperial College London. There is even research that shows people perceive bearded men as less hygien
by Joanna Partridge / 4d
Maps created as part of Defra-funded Slimers project allowed test growers to halve amount of slug pellets used Farmers believe they have a new weapon in their age-old battle against the slugs that destroy their crops: modern technology. Slug prediction maps, which have been created by computer models as part of a research project, are now helping growers to better target the use of pesticides, sa
Jun 20, 2026
by Jonathan Barrett / 5d
Sudden cardiac arrest is statistically rare but among the leading causes of death for children and young people. And families often have no idea of the risk until it’s too late Before Alexandra Thoms goes to sleep, she puts together a flat-pack dining table with her father, Gordon. She needs the table for her otherwise sparse two-bedroom Melbourne apartment which she has moved into just weeks ear
Kennedy overrides CDC order saying American who came into contact with hantavirus can self-quarantine The Trump administration is employing “authoritarian” and “unconstitutional” quarantine measures for at least one person who came into contact with a hantavirus patient, health law experts say. The mandatory quarantine, reimposed without an offering scientific evidence, reveals how the US might a
The reconstruction of the vaquita, whose numbers barely reach double figures in the wild, is designed to help research and conservation efforts Scientists have created a digital reconstruction of the world’s most endangered marine mammal, preserving its anatomy in three dimensions to aid research and conservation efforts as the species teeters on the brink of extinction. The project digitised the
Jun 19, 2026
by Pippa Neill Environment reporter / 6d
Experts cast doubt on conclusion of government-funded study of factory emitting forever chemicals near Blackpool Questions have been raised about the conclusions drawn by a government-funded study into kidney cancer rates near a factory linked to forever chemicals near Blackpool. Pfoa, a known carcinogenic forever chemical that was banned globally in 2020, was emitted from the AGC Chemicals Europ
Study suggests exposure to ‘forever chemicals’ may be a main driver of disease, formerly called PCOS, authors say New research for the first time links prenatal exposure to Pfas “forever chemicals” with the development of polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) later in life. PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is estimated to impact about 13% of women. Many cases ar
Stand Up for Science founder says proposal to control how grants are spent would ‘dismantle US science ecosystem’ While waiting to board her flight home at Ronald Reagan Washington national airport recently, Colette Delawalla was reviewing a list of possible impacts from a proposed Trump administration rule on controlling federal money, including grants for research. Delawalla, the founder of the
by Raymond Pierrehumbert, Julia Slingo, Michael Mann and Valerie Masson-Delmotte / 6d
Do we really want to play dice with our planet? A series in the Guardian recently declared “it’s time to talk about geoengineering.” So let’s talk about it. And let us start with some simple truths about this cluster of techno-optimistic “quick fixes” which purport to somehow offset our slow progress towards zeroing out planet-warming carbon emissions. Solar geoengineering proposals – reducing su
Jun 18, 2026
by Damian Carrington / 6d
In this week’s newsletter: The melting of the Arctic’s summer sea ice is the most visible upshot of the climate crisis. Refreezing it might be a long shot – but do drastic times call for drastic measures? • Don’t
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