The Earth
Our world, also known as planet Earth, is the only known planet to harbour life. It is third planet from the Sun, the densest in our Solar System and was formed around 4.54 billion years ago. The Earth spins at a staggering 1,040 mph and moves around the Sun at an incredible 30 kilometres per second. Seventy per cent of the Earth's surface is covered in water, but with the rising threat of global warming and sea level rise, this could increase.
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 best way to measure an earthquake?
It revolutionised how we measure earthquakes in 1935 – so why have seismologists almost entirely abandoned it?
If an advanced civilisation lived on Earth millions of years ago, would we be able to tell?
If an advanced civilisation lived on Earth millions of years ago, would we be able to tell?
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We've found a tiny particle that could erase the Universe at any moment
A supercollider may one day help us predict the fate of the Universe. Scientists will use it to find a hidden instability built into the fabric of existence… one that could destroy everything.
A global food crisis is nearing – and the warning signs are buried beneath your feet
The world's soils are degrading fast, and until now we've had almost no way of knowing what's happening underground
What's the worst thing you can do for the planet online?
Before blaming chatbots for everything, here’s what really dominates your online carbon footprint
What are the Gates of Hell, and why do they keep burning?
Why do the 'Gates of Hell' in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert keep burning?
Earth’s magnetic field is overdue a flip. Should we be worried?
From time to time, the Earth's magnetic poles flip, leaving us without a protective magnetic field for up to centuries
Inside the bizarre race to secure Earth’s nuclear tombs
With nuclear energy production increasing globally, the problem of what to do with the waste demands a solution. But where do you store something that stays dangerous for thousands of years?
A mysterious Amazonian soil is making trees grow six times taller – and nobody knows why
The mysterious, nutrient-rich soil of the Amazons might hold the secret to fight climate change
Scientists have found what sounds eerily like Atlantis off Australia’s coast
Over half a million people may have lived in the lost landscapes north of Australia... before they were consumed by the ocean
Some experts now think fungi are conscious. Here's what convinced them
New research on fungi suggests they could be demonstrating some form of intelligence
What is a skyquake?
Skyquakes are very real. What causes them, however, is shrouded in mystery.
A bizarre 'dead zone' above Earth keeps frying satellites – and it's slowly getting bigger
Above Earth, there is a void, a no-go zone that spacecraft enter at their own peril
Top 10 most dangerous roads in the world 2026
Fasten your seatbelts and hang on for dear life
Something very strange is happening to tornadoes across the US. And scientists are baffled
After another explosive start to tornado season, twisters are cropping up in unexpected places – and the big picture isn’t looking any clearer
What’s behind Siberia’s mysterious exploding craters?
Climate change might make these bizarre explosions more common
One of Earth's oldest mysteries keeps getting weirder
Despite centuries of research, one of Earth’s most awe-inspiring phenomena is still not fully understood.
The 7 most expensive substances ever found on planet Earth
Silver, gold, platinum… palladium? Pah! When it comes to the really precious materials, you’d be surprised by what fetches the highest prices
We could soon solve the world’s biggest archaeological puzzle
Artificial intelligence is helping archaeologists unlock Earth’s oldest secrets.
A strange leak in Earth’s core may be pushing ancient gold upward
Precious metals may be escaping from the planet’s core. This hotly debated subject could help us understand Earth’s evolution and determine whether life exists elsewhere in the Universe
The 7 biggest ocean mysteries scientists can't explain
Weird noises, mysterious constructions and strange disappearances have left scientists scratching their heads. Here are seven phenomena we still can’t explain.
Why are there marine fossils at the top of Mount Everest?
Explorers keep finding marine life fossils at the top of Mount Everest. As weird as that sounds, there's a perfectly good reason why
The world's biggest 'doomsday vault' has now been opened. Here's what's inside
Scientists are racing to protect the world’s seeds from natural disasters and war. But what happens when those disasters come early?
