BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

'We're living in a shed because of river pollution'

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:20:08 GMT

Jane and Tony Coyle spent seven years waiting for planning permission due to River Lugg pollution.

Rare plant makes comeback from brink of extinction

Sat, 16 May 2026 06:18:48 GMT

The Kentish milkwort has seen a seven-fold increase since conservation efforts in 2013.

Is it safe to swim at England's bathing sites?

Fri, 15 May 2026 15:41:17 GMT

Signs warning people not to swim are in place at almost all of England's official inland river bathing sites due to concerns the water could be unsafe

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 14 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

What do we know about the disease following its outbreak on a cruise ship this month?

Is this the real face of Anne Boleyn?

Fri, 01 May 2026 23:01:44 GMT

A computer science team believes they have discovered a previously unknown sketch of King Henry VIII's second wife - but not everyone is convinced.

US firm set to buy satellite station in £37m deal

Fri, 15 May 2026 11:03:06 GMT

A Texas-based company wants to expand its deep space communitcations network.

Why cheap power could matter more than clean power in the push for net zero

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:20:22 GMT

The question of how important making our electricity clean is to going green is coming under increasing scrutiny

Hovering objects and flashing lights: what we learned from UFO documents released by the Pentagon

Fri, 08 May 2026 22:04:55 GMT

The US has published transcripts, video clips and audio recordings about unidentified flying objects.

The debate about whether the NHS should use magic mushrooms to treat depression

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:47:15 GMT

Many clinical trials to test the use of psychedelic medicines for conditions such as depression have been underway since 2022 - with surprising results

The Interview

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Rebecca Morelle speaks to astronaut Jeremy Hansen ahead of the Artemis II Moon mission.

Higgs boson breakthrough was UK triumph, but British physics faces 'catastrophic' cuts

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:40:16 GMT

Britain is preparing to cancel its contribution to one of the Large Hadron Collider's next major upgrades.

Is this actually what Anne Boleyn looked like?

Fri, 01 May 2026 14:44:02 GMT

An algorithm has suggested images of what were thought to be Anne Boleyn might not be.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Creating and manufacturing a novel vaccine capable of combatting bird flu.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

We explore the mechanisms causing Europe's warming twice as fast as the global average.

The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:02:53 GMT

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon they will experience a moment of silence and solitude as communication with the Earth is blocked.

Renewable energy hub planned for Scottish coal museum

Tue, 12 May 2026 05:22:22 GMT

There are plans to install solar panels on the roofs of buildings at Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange.

UK's biggest ever environmental pollution claim reaches High Court

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:01:47 GMT

One of the UK's largest chicken producers and a water company accused of polluting three rivers including the River Wye

White-tailed eagles to be released in Exmoor despite farmer warnings

Wed, 13 May 2026 05:00:08 GMT

Some farmers fear the reintroduction of the UK's biggest bird of prey will threaten their livestock.

First ever talks to ditch fossil fuels as UN deadlock deepens

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:42:44 GMT

Some 60 countries are meeting in Colombia as frustration grows with lack of progress in tackling climate change

Award for scientist who brought space to millions

Sun, 10 May 2026 06:27:25 GMT

James O'Donoghue, from the University of Reading, is awarded the 2026 Carl Sagan medal.

A woolly solution to NI's peatland problems?

Fri, 15 May 2026 05:40:37 GMT

Could locally-sourced wool restore peatlands and reduce the carbon cost of conservation?

How sunburn inspired a new way to store energy

Sat, 09 May 2026 08:28:23 GMT

Molecules that can capture heat could be a useful technology to decarbonise heating.

Why is NI facing a growing threat from wildfires?

Wed, 06 May 2026 05:18:27 GMT

Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather".

Global forest loss slows but El Niño fires could threaten progress

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:26:08 GMT

The loss of tropical rainforests eased last year, according to new analysis, but scientists warn they are still disappearing rapidly.

'Don't swim' at 12 of 14 river bathing sites, as more locations announced

Fri, 15 May 2026 04:13:45 GMT

Too much bacteria linked to faeces found at almost all England's designated river bathing sites

How to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower

Mon, 04 May 2026 12:11:23 GMT

How to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower

First stop, the Moon. Next stop, Mars? Why Nasa's mission matters

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:50:21 GMT

Lunar discoveries and a space race with China is seeing the US invest time and money to get to the Moon - and beyond.

Canada's Mark Carney speaks with Artemis II crew on Earth

Wed, 13 May 2026 17:02:45 GMT

The prime minister met Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and other crew members in Ottawa.

The science of soulmates: Is there someone out there exactly right for you?

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:01:47 GMT

For many, the idea of soulmates still shapes how love is understood.

Meet the 19-metre octopus that prowled the ancient seas

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:04:39 GMT

Giant octopuses may have ruled the oceans 100 million years ago, according to fossil evidence.

From blast off to splashdown: My days following Nasa's historic mission to the Moon

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:17:07 GMT

BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle reflects on how it felt to watch history being made.

Artemis II: Nasa targets early April for Moon mission

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:21:11 GMT

Nasa says technical problems that have delayed the rocket are fixed and it is ready for launch.

'Don't swim' at 12 of 14 river bathing sites, as more locations announced

Fri, 15 May 2026 04:13:45 GMT

Too much bacteria linked to faeces found at almost all England's designated river bathing sites

£20m mystery gift buys London Zoo new hospital where you can watch vets work

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:20:26 GMT

Visitors will be able to watch live veterinary procedures inside a state-of-the-art new animal hospital.

Ban 'forever chemicals' in uniforms and frying pans, MPs urge

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:11:24 GMT

School uniforms and non-stick pans are some of the everyday products that should stop using chemicals called PFAS, MPs say.

City's historic Assembly Rooms to be repaired

Thu, 14 May 2026 07:14:28 GMT

York Conservation Trust says the Grade I-listed building needs work to its roof and portico.

Is it safe to swim at England's bathing sites?

Fri, 15 May 2026 15:41:17 GMT

Signs warning people not to swim are in place at almost all of England's official inland river bathing sites due to concerns the water could be unsafe

Massive Alaska megatsunami was second largest ever recorded

Wed, 06 May 2026 12:00:25 GMT

New research suggests glacier melt driven by climate change is increasing the risk of giant waves.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 07 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

We explore whether Pluto should regain its title as the solar system’s ninth planet

Massive Alaska megatsunami was second largest ever recorded

Wed, 06 May 2026 12:00:25 GMT

New research suggests glacier melt driven by climate change is increasing the risk of giant waves.

Sewage and agricultural pollution having 'alarming' impact on UK's underwater forests

Sat, 02 May 2026 10:46:54 GMT

Scientists found seagrass meadows affected by sewage had far fewer small invertebrates, like crabs.

COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:09:19 GMT

The US president is notably absent from these UN climate talks, as are other world leaders, all of which prompts questions about the purpose of COP today.