Science/Nature

[ad_1] 7 minutes agoBy Victoria Gill, @vic_gill, Science correspondentA humpback whale shows its 'acrobatic' skill as it creates a bubble net to trap krillFootage of humpback whales captured by drones has revealed how the animals manoeuvre their whole bodies when they feed.As BBC News filmed with scientists in the Antarctic Peninsula, one whale used its four-metre-long fin to sweep a net of bubbles around its prey and trap them, known as "bubble-netting"."The flick

[ad_1] Just nowBy Esme Stallard, Jonah Fisher and Sophie Woodcock, BBC News Climate and Science • Becky Dale and Libby Rogers, BBC News data journalism teamGetty ImagesSewage is discharged from overflow points across EnglandEvery major English water company has reported data suggesting they’ve discharged raw sewage when the weather is dry – a practice which is potentially illegal.BBC News has analysed spills data from nine firms, which suggests sewage may have been discharged nearly 6,000

[ad_1] Just nowBy Jonathan Amos, @BBCAmos, Science correspondentRCGSA sonar image of the sunken vesselWreck hunters have found the ship on which the famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton made his final voyage.The vessel, called "Quest", has been located on the seafloor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.Shackleton suffered a fatal heart attack on board on 5 January 1922 while trying to reach the Antarctic.And although Quest continued in service until it sank in 1962,

[ad_1] Getty ImagesWe’re in the midst of a Moon rush. A growing number of countries and companies have the lunar surface in their sights in a race for resources and space dominance. So are we ready for this new era of lunar exploration?This week, images were beamed back to Earth of China’s flag unfurled on the Moon. It’s the country’s fourth landing there - and the first ever mission to

[ad_1] Getty ImagesApollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, who snapped one of the most famous photographs taken in outer space, has died at the age of 90.Officials say a small plane he was flying crashed into the water north of Seattle, Washington.Anders' son Greg confirmed that his father was flying the small plane, and that his body was recovered on Friday afternoon."The family is devastated. He was a great pilot. He

[ad_1] 5 days agoBy Victoria Gill, Science correspondent, BBC News, @vic_gill • Kate Stephens, Senior science producerWhy scientists are using a crossbow to study whalesInside the bodies of humpback whales are clues about how climate change is transforming Antarctica. Our BBC science team crossed the Southern Ocean, with the researchers, on a mission to follow and study the giant whales of this remote, frozen wilderness. At 03:00 in the morning there is an almighty crash. Every

[ad_1] 34 minutes agoMalcolm Prior,BBC News, rural affairs correspondentGetty ImagesWater voles are among those species under threat in the UK thanks to habitat lossA coalition of more than 80 nature conservation groups is launching a legal bid to force whichever party is in power next month to improve government targets on tackling wildlife decline in England.One in six UK species are currently at risk of extinction and a legally-binding target

[ad_1] 16 minutes agoJonathan Amos,Science correspondent, @BBCAmosREUTERSIt was the fourth time Starship had launchedElon Musk's mammoth new rocket system has returned to Earth in a groundbreaking fourth test flight that culminated in a first-ever soft ocean landing for the Starship craft.The aim was to get the rocket's upper section - the Ship - to make a controlled return into the atmosphere and then to ditch in the Indian Ocean.But the

[ad_1] 30 minutes agoJonathan Amos,Science correspondent, @BBCAmosReutersThe Atlas, with Starliner on top, climbed out over the Atlantic Ocean from FloridaThe American Boeing company has launched its Starliner capsule towards the International Space Station (ISS) with two Nasa astronauts aboard.It's the first time the vehicle has been entrusted to carry people after coming through a long and tortuous development programme.Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be testing the capsule on a

[ad_1] 33 minutes agoEsme Stallard,Climate and science reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe UK is at risk of "uncontrolled chemicals" which could harm people and the environment, say experts.The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has called for the establishment of a Chemicals Agency to take charge of the regulation of chemicals in the UK.It said the rise in the use of pollutants often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ is an example of