Science news
Extreme close-ups: Can you work out what everyday objects these 20 photos show?
The winners of this year’s Nikon Small World competition reveal the strange, beautiful detail hidden in the tiniest things
'Escalating threat': A deadly fungus no standard drug can treat could be spreading undetected, warn experts
Scientists have found a fungus no standard drug can treat – and there are likely more cases out there
We may finally know exactly when this Van Gogh masterpiece was painted, say astronomers
Was The Starry Night painted a month later than first believed? Experts are divided
Scientists have found a weird physical sign that someone is interested in you romantically
How Beyoncé helped researchers make a fascinating discovery
Future technology
The world's 9 weirdest real-life cyborg insects
Forget humanoid robots, insects could offer a cheaper, smaller and surprisingly capable way to build machines that can go where robots can’t
Can you beat a lie detector test?
No, it's not just 'don't lie'
'It's truly staggering': There's a bigger problem with data centres than water or power, warn experts
The real story isn't what these giant facilities consume. It's what's holding them up
‘Oh my god!’: 1,206 AIs built their own secret chatroom – and the weirdest conspiracy emerged
AI models are no longer just getting facts wrong. They’re starting to convincingly lie on purpose
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
Can you make light without electricity?
Meet the dinoflagellates, the sea creatures that are positively glowing
How unlikely is our Universe?
Physics suggests the Universe should be filled with random, floating ‘brains’ – and there’s a chance you’re one of them
Cats v dogs: who's better when I'm stressed?
Dogs and cats both make us happier, but only one may make stressful moments worse
Why are most people right-handed?
Scientists have several theories about why most of us favour our right hand
Could someone across the cosmos pick up old radio programmes?
Could our earliest radio broadcasts have been heard by alien worlds? Researchers suggest the waves have travelled over 100 light-years by now
Could there be a time particle?
It's all wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey stuff
Science photo galleries
These might be the nine best science photos from the past 30 years
The Wellcome Trust celebrates 30 years of awe-inspiring images at the forefront of science and health
The 10 most powerful (and deadly) volcanic eruptions in recorded history
Nothing is more terrifying than a huge volcanic eruption filling the sky.
15 of the world's weirdest-ever inventions
From the V-shaped bed designed by an exercise legend, to a robot that feeds you tomatoes
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.
*Koch Institute Image Awards 2026*
From glowing neurons to intricate tissue structures, these award-winning images reveal the hidden beauty driving breakthroughs in modern biomedical research.
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.
