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Woman in a cream dress gently holding the fabric in a sunlit workshop with wooden boards and sewing tools.

How the Hahtiperä shipwreck became two seamless knitted dresses with Ioncell

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A wooden vessel that lay buried beneath the Finnish city of Oulu for more than 300 years has re-emerged in...

Man analysing cracked dry soil with a tablet in an orchard under a clear sky, near a water tower and survey equipment.

Study Finds Sacramento Valley Aquifer Has Permanently Lost Water Storage Capacity

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Parched soil fissures are a stark but surface-level indication of drought. To grasp the full consequences of persistent droughts intensified...

Cross-section illustration of a blood vessel showing red blood cells and platelets with a microscope in the background.

Microplastics Have Been Found in Human Arteries

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Microplastics - plastic particles measuring under 5 mm - have been detected in several areas of the human body, including...

Scientist collecting water sample from rusty-coloured stream flowing from a drainage pipe in rocky terrain.

Metal Mining’s Carbon Footprint May Be More Than Ten Times Larger Than Current Estimates

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A new study suggests that metal mining’s carbon footprint could be over ten times higher than existing estimates indicate. The...

Two dolphins in water near a boat with two people collecting samples and taking notes at sunrise.

Bottlenose Dolphins Exhale Microplastic Fibres in Florida and Louisiana Bays

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida, and Barataria Bay, Louisiana, are breathing out microplastic fibres, according to our research, published...

Scientist in a white coat testing solar panel and hydrogen production setup outdoors in a green field.

German Solar Hydrogen Device Reaches 31.3 Percent Efficiency Outdoors

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Scientists in Germany have created a compact device that, in outdoor trials, turned as much as 31.3 percent of incoming...

Mealworms on white foam balls inside a clear petri dish in a laboratory setting with a microscope in the background.

Kenyan lesser mealworms can consume polystyrene

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A promising development in the battle against plastic pollution has emerged: mealworm larvae can consume polystyrene. They are among a...

Young man interacting with a holographic Earth next to a dam with mountains in the background at sunset.

How Dams Shift Earth’s Rotation and Ocean Levels

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Large-scale human construction projects can alter the planet’s physical balance in unexpected ways. Storing enormous quantities of water changes the...

Person kneeling on beach sorting colourful plastic pellets with a sieve, container, and cargo ship in the background.

Scientists Urge IMO to Classify Plastic Pellets as a Marine Pollution Hazard

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Small enough to rest on a fingertip, plastic pellets can nevertheless inflict disproportionate harm when they reach the ocean. Following...

Scientist in lab coat reaches out to a large glowing circular machine with data displayed on nearby monitors.

EAST Tokamak Breaks the Plasma Density Limit in China

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A Chinese fusion experiment has maintained a hot plasma in a stable state while loading it with considerably more fuel...

Person in orange jacket examining an ice core sample on a snowy landscape with scientific equipment nearby.

CFC substitute gases linked to forever chemical in rain and Arctic ice

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A new study has connected CFC substitute gases with most of the forever chemical deposited in rainfall and Arctic ice....

Woman mounting a shelf on a wall in a modern living room with framed pictures and a coffee table.

Magnetic Cement: A Practical Future for Functional Walls

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Organising spaces without damaging surface structures is a constant challenge for residents and professionals. Creating a versatile coating makes it...

Man with yellow bike checking map on sunny urban street with tram, cars, pedestrians and modern buildings.

Why Less Travel Beats Cleaner Construction for Future Transport Infrastructure

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

The world’s transport networks are on the verge of one of the largest construction expansions ever seen. Rising populations and...

Scientist in white coat testing water quality in a dry, cracked riverbed near an urban area.

UN Report Warns of Global Water Bankruptcy and Growing Water Shortages

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A new United Nations report warns that humanity has moved into what researchers describe as an era of “water bankruptcy.”...

Person examining a computer graphics card with recycling symbols and wind turbine models on a desk.

Generative AI Could Create Millions of Tonnes of E-Waste by 2030

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly adept at copying its human creators. Generative AI can now conduct persuasive conversations, create artwork,...

Scientist in a lab coat holding a clear water sample container with two beakers and a petri dish on the table.

Modified carbon filter reduces arsenic in contaminated water below safety limit

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A modified carbon filter material has been shown in laboratory tests to cut arsenic in contaminated water to below the...

Small octopus with curled tentacles on a sandy seabed scattered with shells and marine debris underwater.

Oleamide From Plastic May Disrupt Marine Animal Behaviour

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

A seemingly harmless piece of plastic could alter how marine animals hunt, conceal themselves and stay alive. Scientists are increasingly...

Scientist in white coat stands behind table with globe, model reactor, and glowing atom in cityscape with wind turbines.

Nuclear power: how fission and fusion work

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Worldwide, nuclear power supplies about 10 percent of generated electricity. In certain nations, including France, its share approaches 70 percent....

Person standing barefoot in a sunlit modern room with architectural plans and a digital thermometer on a wooden table.

How Buildings Can Keep Us Safe in Extreme Weather

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

We rarely think of buildings as systems that sustain life. Yet that is precisely their role. We sleep, work and...

Scientist in lab coat examining a model of a blood vessel with coloured spheres representing blood components.

Microplastics in Arterial Plaques Linked to Higher Heart Risks

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

Plastics have become ubiquitous, and minute particles have been detected in several of the body’s principal organs, including the placenta....

Young man with shocked expression holding phone and petrol pump at fuel station with price display in background

Fuel Prices: No More Rubbish

Gareth Whitcombe • October 1, 2026

I have the hiccups. Yet instead of the usual “hic”, I am making a sound remarkably like the word “rubbish”....