Science

Scientists have uncovered what makes chocolate so popular, as they advised confectioners how to keep its beloved texture while making it healthier. The researchers decoded the physical process that takes place in the mouth as a piece of chocolate melts from a solid into a smooth emulsion. They claim that a fatty film coating the

The largest discovery of rare earth metals in European history has sparked hopes of countering Chinese dominance in the sector. Swedish mining company LKAB said it found more than one million tonnes of the rare resources used to make smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines and speakers in the nation’s Arctic region. EU leaders hope the

Dolphins shout at each other over increasing levels of underwater noise pollution, new research suggests. Sounds generated by humans may force the animals to make louder and less effective whistles, according to experts from the University of Bristol. Dolphins rely on echolocation to hunt and reproduce, meaning activities like drilling and shipping could affect the

A British investor said to have lost £1m in the collapse of cryptocurrency trading platform FTX is among 13 people to have made fraud reports to UK police. FTX filed for bankruptcy on 11 November after it was alleged the then chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried, 30, had illegally diverted massive sums of customer money from

Coinbase, the cryptocurrency exchange platform, is to cut 950 jobs, about 20% of its global workforce. The company has announced the third round of layoffs in a year as part of a restructuring plan. The move follows the sharp downfall in the value of cryptocurrency and has been blamed on that as well as the

Shares in Virgin Orbit, the company behind the failed first UK space launch fell by more than a quarter at the market open in the US, greater than the 20% drop seen in pre-market trading. Stocks fell in value from $2.01 (£1.65) at the close of trading on Monday night, to $1.50 (£1.23) when US

“Space is hard” – a mantra often repeated by Virgin Orbit and those in charge of Spaceport Cornwall in the last few months leading up to this mission – and last night proved that point. As an American Virgin Orbit presenter announced something had gone wrong on the big screen at the airport, an electric

Piers Morgan has apologised to Ed Sheeran after hackers took control of his Twitter account and used it to send abusive Tweets. The media personality, 57, was temporarily locked out his account at the end of last month after being targeted by the hackers. His official account shared a series of posts containing false information,

There’s a “bubbling of excitement” in the team preparing for the UK’s first orbital rocket launch but they are “laser sharp” as final checks are carried out, says the mission’s boss. The Start Me Up mission sets out from Spaceport Cornwall at Newquay Airport, with the launch window now starting around 9.40pm on Monday. It

Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA rating has hit its lowest level in 16 years. As if an early World Cup exit and public fallout with Manchester United wasn’t bad enough, the 37-year-old footballer’s score in the popular video game has dropped to 88. That’s the lowest it’s been since FIFA 07, when developer EA Sports put his

Away from novelties like a smart bird feeder and camera-equipped oven, one corner of the world’s biggest technology event is inviting attendees to meet their virtual twin. Set up in the Las Vegas Convention Center at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the ambitious “living heart” and “living brain” initiatives are the work of French software

Patients in the UK will get early access to clinical trials for new cancer treatments under a government deal with German pharmaceutical company BioNTech. BioNTech developed an mRNA vaccine with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Its partnership with the UK government aims to deliver personalised treatments to 10,000 patients by

WhatsApp is introducing a new feature designed to help users bypass government-enforced internet shutdowns. The update lets people connect to the messaging platform via proxy servers – an alternate route for those whose direct access is blocked. Rather than connecting directly to the desired website or service, a user connects to a proxy, which essentially

Plant-eating dinosaurs had a “surprising variation” in how they ate their food despite having a similar diet, research suggests. By analysing skull specimens of herbivores such as the Jurassic-era Heterodontosaurus and Leothosaurus, British scientists determined that their eating styles changed based on their jaw muscles and biting actions. It represents another sign of “how innovative

Scientists are developing a vaccine that can simultaneously kill and prevent brain cancer by repurposing living tumour cells. The prospect of a vaccine for cancer has become one of the legacies of the COVID pandemic, with companies which developed those jabs having pivoted towards one of humanity’s biggest killers. US biotech giant Moderna is working

In a stark contrast to the start of 2022, Apple began this year with $1trn (£829bn) wiped off its market value as tech companies face strong headwinds from higher interest rates, production problems and global economic concerns. As a result of investors selling off shares, the tech giant’s market value fellow below $2tn (£1.65trn), when