British weekly scientific journal; multidisciplinary, London-based
A global assessment finds UNESCO-designated sites are under mounting climate pressures including heat, drought and extreme weather, with 2,260 sites covering 13 million sq km and supporting nearly 900 million people. While wildlife within sites remains relatively stable, the report warns of potential irreversible damage without stronger policy and investment. Kenya faces direct risks to Mount Kenya, Lake Turkana and Mount Elgon, where livelihoods depend on tourism, water resources and forests.
A 75-year-old industrial landfill near Dunoon has been identified as a developing temperate rainforest, with ancient woodland indicators and a thriving seagrass meadow along Holy Loch. The finding follows a three-year survey, suggesting post-industrial landscapes can host diverse ecosystems and accelerate natural recovery.
Fires have burned record extents this year, El Niño is strengthening global heat and drought patterns, and inequality is linked to higher temperature-related deaths in Europe, with warnings of worsening extremes in coming months.
New data shows the Atlantic forest and Amazon have recorded lower deforestation in 2025, but forest degradation and legislative risks threaten potential gains amid El Niño and political pressure on enforcement.
A global study shows obesity has continued to rise in many countries since 1980, but several high‑income nations have seen a slower increase, plateau, or slight decline by 2024. Trends vary by country, sex, and age, with low‑ and middle‑income countries still reporting rising rates. Experts urge unpacking country‑specific drivers and considering policy responses and medicines.
A persistent heat dome has driven unprecedented May temperatures across western Europe this week, with the UK and France having broken May records (Kew Gardens provisionally 35.1°C). Ambulance services have reported record call volumes, amber heat-health alerts have been issued, thunderstorms and fires have followed the heat, and officials are urging caution around open water.
A new study links bee pollination to more than 20% of residents’ vitamin intake and 44% of farming income in 10 Jumla villages, highlighting pollinators’ vital role in food security amid isolation and poverty.
The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory has started collecting data, producing some of the most precise measurements yet of how neutrinos switch flavors. Initial results test the detector’s capabilities and set the stage for cross-checks with Hyper-Kamiokande and DUNE.
Researchers reveal a vast whale graveyard in the southeastern Indian Ocean, extending to depths of 7,000 metres and spanning hundreds of kilometres. The site hosts hundreds of fossil skeletons and five modern whale falls, highlighting a thriving deep-sea ecosystem that feeds on whale carcasses. The findings, published in Nature, deepen understanding of deep-sea life and whale evolution.
Scientists have analysed teeth from hunter-gatherers around Lake Baikal and found plague DNA in 18 individuals, showing two distinct outbreaks about 5,500 years ago and earlier emergence of Yersinia pestis at least 5,700 years ago. The findings challenge the idea that plague began with farming.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has begun the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, a 10-year program that will image the entire southern sky every few nights. The facility will collect data on billions of stars, galaxies and transient events, producing the largest time-lapse sky survey and enabling new discoveries about dark matter, dark energy and small bodies in the solar system.
The Verge reports Donut Lab is facing scrutiny over battery claims; a science YouTuber has challenged the company’s assertion about solid-state batteries, suggesting the tested cell is lithium-ion. Electrek highlights inconsistencies in production-vehicle claims and CT Coatings’ supplier history.
Developments in quantum computing have intensified scrutiny over Majorana claims as critics urge stricter validation. Microsoft defends its work while independent researchers call for more transparency, in a field where practical quantum utility remains on the horizon.