When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry.
The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts
as with creating images.

— Niels Bohr

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Updated: 8 hours 7 min ago

Chernobyl cooling systems have lost power but meltdown risk is low

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 11:25am
An electrical outage at Chernobyl nuclear power plant risks dangerous fuel overheating, but experts say that the chances are extremely slim due to the age of the reactors, which were shut down over two decades ago
Categories: Astronomy

Satellites could use magnetic fields to avoid collisions

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 11:00am
Two or more satellites could communicate and manoeuvre around one another using magnetic fields, although getting the technique to work at scale in space might be tricky
Categories: Astronomy

The 3 best ways to tackle anxiety, according to a leading expert

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 10:00am
It is impossible to get rid of anxiety because it exists to help us, says cognitive psychotherapist Owen O'Kane. Instead, he suggests three ways to reframe your relationship with anxiety in order to take back control
Categories: Astronomy

Mars once had a vast sea the size of the Arctic Ocean

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 7:00am
Spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet have helped researchers map out an ancient coastline that surrounded a large ocean billions of years ago
Categories: Astronomy

Sunscreens made from ground-up wood reach an SPF of over 180

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 5:00am
Concerns around common sunscreen chemicals have prompted the search for natural alternatives, with lignin from wood being one of the most promising candidates
Categories: Astronomy

Embracing quantum spookiness: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
The strange principle of quantum entanglement baffled Albert Einstein. Yet finally putting quantum weirdness to the ultimate test, and embracing the results, turned out to be a revolutionary idea
Categories: Astronomy

Pinning extreme weather on climate change: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
It never used to be possible to attribute individual weather events to climate change and map their full consequences. Thanks to the work of two pioneering climate scientists, it is now
Categories: Astronomy

Filming the universe’s biggest dramas: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Astronomers used to rely on chance to catch a glimpse of fleeting explosions in space. A fresh approach to watching these flashes has completely transformed astronomy
Categories: Astronomy

The invention of net zero: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Net zero wasn’t always the target – the consensus used to be that we could continue releasing greenhouse gases and maintain global temperatures. How did that change?
Categories: Astronomy

A revolution in how we do chemistry: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
From finding new antibiotic candidates to studying the insides of cells, snapping molecules together "like Lego" has completely overhauled chemistry, and biology too
Categories: Astronomy

Why a tool-using cow could change how we see farm animals

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
A pet cow has learned to scratch herself with a broom, showing creative problem-solving skills that make it harder to ignore the fact that these animals have minds, says Marta Halina
Categories: Astronomy

There’s no such thing as a normal brain: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Neurodiversity research has reshaped how we think about autism and ADHD, revealing that a “normal” brain doesn’t exist – and that unusual brains also come with unique strengths
Categories: Astronomy

The one innovation that supercharged AI: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
The most powerful artificial intelligence tools all have one thing in common. Whether they are writing poetry or predicting protein structures, they rely on the "transformer" architecture
Categories: Astronomy

The one diet that’s good for everything: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Time and time again, scientists have found that one diet beats all others when it comes to our health. Fortunately, it's delicious – and also good for the planet
Categories: Astronomy

The immense interconnectivity of the brain: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
How discovering that different parts of the brain work together as networks has transformed our understanding of everything from daydreaming and emotions to planning and memory
Categories: Astronomy

The hidden power of epigenetics: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Following the surprising discovery that our genetic blueprint is much simpler than expected, we’ve rapidly learned that we have epigenetics to thank for our extraordinary complexity
Categories: Astronomy

End-to-end encryption: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
How end-to-end encryption is the wall that keeps our digital secrets safe – and why modern life would be unimaginable without it
Categories: Astronomy

Revealing the epic story of ancient humans: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Since the turn of the millennium, our understanding of our ancestors and extended cousins has shifted dramatically, thanks to a swathe of surprising archaeological discoveries
Categories: Astronomy

The totemic 1.5°C climate target: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Although we’re on course to cross 1.5°C of warming, the alliance of small island nations that revised our goal down from the 2°C threshold transformed global climate policy
Categories: Astronomy

How fear drastically shapes ecosystems: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
Understanding the “landscape of fear” that predators create in their environments has helped us uncover just how drastically humans have upended the natural world
Categories: Astronomy