Space Science Series

Some scientific explanations for alien abduction that aren't so out of this world

Jan 28, 2017 06:37 am UTC| Science

Accounts of mysterious flashing lights in the sky, spacecrafts and encounters with real aliens reflect high levels of public interest in UFOs and the belief that there is something out there. However, many psychologists...

Space Science Series

The Outer Space Treaty has been remarkably successful -- but is it fit for the modern age?

Jan 28, 2017 06:12 am UTC| Science Economy Law

Space exploration is governed by a complex series of international treaties and agreements which have been in place for years. The first and probably most important of them celebrates its 50th anniversary on January 27 ...

To tackle the post-truth world, science must reform itself

Jan 27, 2017 10:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Before Brexit and the US elections, Nature magazine columnist Colin Macilwain set out a challenge: If Donald Trump were to trigger a crisis in Western democracy, scientists would need to look at their part in its...

Space Science Series

Why the Earth's magnetic poles could be about to swap places – and how it would affect us

Jan 27, 2017 10:43 am UTC| Science

The Earths magnetic field surrounds our planet like an invisible force field protecting life from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles away. Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing....

From flask to field: How tiny microbes are revolutionizing big agriculture

Jan 26, 2017 07:20 am UTC| Science

Walk into your typical U.S. or U.K. grocery store and feast your eyes on an amazing bounty of fresh and processed foods. In most industrialized countries, its hard to imagine that food production is one of the greatest...

Scientists may have proven women are better at multitasking than men

Jan 26, 2017 05:58 am UTC| Science

Women are less affected by interference when carrying out certain tasks than men, and hormones may play a part in this discrepancy. Our recent experiment found that the walking pattern of men - who typically have low...

Biosocial science: The murky history of the nature and nurture debate

Jan 24, 2017 15:52 pm UTC| Science

Self-righteousness, gratitude, sympathy, sincerity, and guilt what if these social behaviours are biologically influenced, encoded within our genes and shaped by the forces of evolution to promote the survival of the...