Science

A “treasured” keepsake box that once belonged to Charles Darwin’s daughters has been donated to English Heritage and will go on show later this year. The Victorian red leather box contains shells gathered by Darwin on his famous Beagle voyage, where his observations fostered the ideas that led him to develop his theory of evolution.

Spotify, Apple and Amazon bosses have defended their music streaming models to a government inquiry investigating how revenue is distributed – but agreed they would potentially be willing to “get together” as an industry to explore options. The trio appeared virtually before MPs at the department for digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee’s latest

Facebook will lift a block on news pages in Australia following a week-long standoff between the social media giant and the government.  The site had removed access to all news content in the country on its platform and also prevented people around the world from posting links to Australian publications after the government considered legislation

A 29-year-old bone cancer survivor is set to become the youngest American in space when she joins SpaceX’s first all-civilian flight.  Hayley Arceneaux – who beat cancer as a child – will be one of four crew members on Inspiration 4, an unprecedented spaceflight composed entirely of members of the public. She will be joined

The first black hole that humanity ever discovered is much more massive than previously thought, according to new research. The galactic X-ray source, later named Cygnus X-1, was discovered in 1965, when a pair of Geiger counters were carried on board a sub-orbital rocket launched from New Mexico. It was the focus of a famous

Dolphins have developed a number of similar personality traits to humans and primates, such as curiosity and sociability, a study has found. The project, which studied 134 bottlenose dolphins from around the world, has helped researchers understand how certain human traits have evolved independently of immediate environments. Lead author Dr Blake Morton said it was

The number of coronavirus contact tracers in England is set to be slashed – just as the prime minister prepares to announce a loosening of lockdown, according to leaked messages obtained by Sky News. Test and Trace staff have been told that the workforce would be reduced “as a result of the decreasing levels of

The government is pushing ahead with the launch of a new £800m “high-risk, high-reward” scientific agency to provide rapid funding for UK inventors and researchers. The Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA), said to be the brainchild of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings, will support inventors to turn their ideas into

Facebook has blocked Australians from viewing and sharing news on the platform in the latest dispute between digital firms, journalism, and governments. Australians woke up on Thursday to find they could not share or view Australian and international news content, a move confirmed by the US-based Facebook in a blog post. It is in response

Two wide-scale COVID-19 surveys have found that cases are falling in England, confirming that lockdown is working to suppress the virus. Imperial College London’s REACT study – one of the largest and most authoritative on coronavirus – found that infections had fallen by more than two-thirds since the last time it reported in mid-January. Public

Like masks and lockdowns, lateral flow tests have become a point of contention during the pandemic. A debate has raged about how and when they should be used. At the same time, as more evidence has been put forward to illustrate their strengths and weaknesses, an outline of a scientific consensus has gradually emerged. Lateral

Organised crime groups have developed a new phishing lure to fool people into handing over their financial details by claiming they have been selected to receive a treatment, exploiting the UK’s successful vaccination rollout. Unlike many COVID-19 phishing email campaigns, the new criminal effort is linking through to websites convincingly designed to resemble official government

In just two days, NASA’s Perseverance rover will complete its seven-month journey to Mars and begin the shortest and by far the most intense stage of its mission: landing. Live on Sky News at 7.15pm UK time on Thursday, and in a maximum of seven minutes (although it could take less if something goes wrong),

A hotel in Johannesburg has introduced robot staff and says they could be used to serve customers with COVID symptoms. Robots Lexi, Micah and Ariel have been introduced at Hotel Sky in Johannesburg’s wealthy Sandton district. The trio can deliver room service, provide travel information and can drag up to 300kg of luggage from the

Scientists have stumbled upon sea life far beneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic – in a discovery which shows how creatures have “amazingly adapted” to a frozen world, according to a study. Marine organisms were found on a boulder on the sea floor underneath the ice in what scientists say “raises so many more

English football bodies have come together to send an open letter to Facebook and Twitter demanding action amid increased levels of abuse aimed at footballers and officials on social media. ‘The Premier League, FA, EFL, WSL, Women’s Championship, PFA, LMA, PGMOL and Kick It Out have all co-signed the letter to Twitter chief executive Jack