Science news
Chance of mega earthquake hitting California now at a 'historic high', experts warn
The faults beneath Los Angeles are at their highest stress in 1,000 years – and overdue a release

Weird signals keep reaching Earth from across the Galaxy – and we may finally have the key to reading them
A mysterious "stellar Rosetta Stone" may crack a code that's puzzled scientists for years

It’s time to rethink your five-a-day, according to major new Harvard study
It’s not about how much fruit and veg you eat – but whether or not they contain a specific micronutrient

Part of Earth’s core has switched directions. And nobody really knows why
The event could be part of a natural cycle in iron flows that give Earth its protect magnetic field
Future technology

Why Silicon Valley is betting big on data centres in space
Space data centres could be a new frontier for humanity, but can the promise live up to the hype?

I went inside the fake Moon base where astronauts prepare for real lunar missions
Our writer was lucky enough to step inside a project that recreates the lunar surface in as much detail as possible

The $50m time-travelling gamble to save the Amazon rainforest
An ambitious project about to get underway intends to see how the trees will respond to the CO2 levels of the future

7 ways we're trusting AI too much – and already paying for it
For the past four years, AI has been reshaping how we work and live. But its failures are proving just as transformative as its triumphs
Instant Genius Podcast
From the creators of BBC Science Focus, Instant Genius is a bite-sized masterclass in podcast form. With each episode, a different world-leading expert will help you understand the latest ideas and research in the world of science and tech. We want to make you an expert in everything.
Instant Genius Podcast | Do you have synaesthesia? Why some of us can taste words
Do you experience sounds or music visually as certain shapes? Or 'hear' colours?
Instant Genius Podcast | Why you’re not actually addicted to your phone
Not all social media is unhealthy – here's how to rethink your relationship to it.
Instant Genius Podcast | How personalised medicine is about to change healthcare forever
The new power of precision treatments, explained.
Your questions answered
Our team of scientists, doctors and experts answer your burning questions - send yours to questions@sciencefocus.com
What are some ways to overcome the intermediate plateau when learning a skill?
Struggling to make that next step? Psychology tells us how to break through that pesky plateau

What's the best way to stop being carsick?
There are many different advisories on how to stop travel sickness but one method might actually work

The world’s weirdest cat keeps turning up where nobody expects
Meet the black serval, a long-legged wild cat native to Africa

What speed am I travelling, right now?
Turns out, it is much more difficult than you might imagine to accurately assess how quickly you're moving through space

What's the world's oldest cheese?
The oldest cheese samples that survive today were found in the necks of Bronze Age mummies in China

What's the best way to measure an earthquake?
It revolutionised how we measure earthquakes in 1935 – so why have seismologists almost entirely abandoned it?
Science photo galleries

Top 18 fastest cars in the world: land speed record breakers
Here are the drivers and cars that have broken the world land speed record throughout history

From 83 to 15,000 years old: The longest living animals on Earth
From mole rats to Greenland sharks, here are the creatures with unusually large lifespans.

10 of the world's worst-ever inventions
From the electric tricycle to parachute coat, these are some of the most poorly received devices developed around the globe.

The 10 best optical illusions that will blow your mind
Optical illusions are fun and intriguing, and we don't always know why they happen. Here are some of our favourites.

The top 22 most ugly animals in the world
Not all creatures can be beautiful, but they all have interesting stories to tell

30 astonishing close-up images that make the smallest things look epic
Life in stunning detail
