Science in 2019

So-called ‘environmental DNA’ is helping conservationists keep track of marine species

In 2019, the world’s first commercial deep-sea mine is due to open. But are regulations in place to protect the sea floor?

China is the future of global conservation, according to Sir Tim Smit, the maverick businessman and environmentalist who created the Eden Project

This year we had an epiphany: our lives and the planet are literally filling up with plastic. Now that we’re starting to get a grip on the scale of the problem, what can we do about it?

The physicist and BBC presenter reveals why we shouldn’t be afraid of artificial intelligence.

After ongoing allegations of Russian interference in America’s presidential elections, it’s worth remembering that the US has long acquired, used and misused information on enemies and allies. Indeed, many countries dabble in a bit of cyber-surveillance – and it looks set to continue in 2019

NASA is preparing for a new mission to search for signs of life below the surface of one of Jupiter’s frozen moons

Will artificial intelligence spell armageddon for the jobs market – or actually boost it?

Astronomers are constructing a telescope spanning two continents that will reveal the Universe in unprecedented detail

5G is set to launch next year to bring you more data at faster speeds

Over the coming years, a new generation of space telescopes will seek out distant planets in the hope of unlocking the secrets of the Universe

Virtual reality and machine learning are being used to spot the signs that someone might want to end their life

In China, ‘good’ behaviour wins you Brownie points, ‘bad’ behaviour gets the thumbs down. But is the technology in place to keep tabs on citizens?

Acts of terrorism always come as a shocking surprise. But mathematicians are spotting patterns in terrorist atrocities and behaviour that may help to counter the threat

Practising smashing a satellite into a large space rock could one day save Planet Earth

CRISPR looks set to be the future of gene editing. But experts are cautioning that this revolutionary technique needs to be developed carefully. So what do the next few years hold?

The government is trying to tackle the rise in the number of lonely people, while scientists are investigating how to stop loneliness making us ill.

Widespread dietary changes are needed if we’re to combat the range of health problems associated with obesity and the environmental damage caused by industrial farming. Switching to a vegan diet is a potential solution, but selling the idea to the meat-eaters around the world is a tricky proposition.

NASA is sending another rover to search for signs of life.

Next year is all about testing the technology and writing the rules that will set up our skies for fleets of unmanned aircraft.

A clever device that scans biometric data could help patients that are on the spectrum.

The deadline for global action on protecting the oceans is fast approaching. Will we hit the 2020 target?

Failing to find a black hole event horizon in an image taken by the Event Horizon Telescope could mean a re-think for General Relativity.