Story archive

All Articles

Page 4

Every published story from across the site, arranged for browsing rather than scanning a feed.

Guardian children’s quiz puts five science and big-picture questions to readers

The Guardian has published a children’s multiple-choice quiz built around five questions submitted by young readers. It covers why sloths hang upside down, what time is, whether counting has a largest number, why Earth has seasons and what gamma rays are. The feature invites children to submit their own questions for later quizzes and notes that its host, Molly Oldfield, also hosts the Everything Under the Sun podcast.

children's quizscience educationcuriosity

August 8, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceHobart, Australia

Australian crew completes midwinter medical evacuation from Antarctica

An Australian Skytraders crew flew a medical evacuation from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to Christchurch after an urgent request from the US Antarctic Program. The Airbus A319 landed in reported -43C conditions and total darkness after weather delayed the mission; the patient was transferred for treatment and is reported to be recovering well.

antarcticamedical evacuationaviation rescue

August 7, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureCanada

Canadian fossils place complex animal traits earlier in the Ediacaran

Researchers report more than 100 Ediacaran fossils from Canada’s Mackenzie Mountains, including specimens about 567 million years old. The site is described as North America’s first recorded White Sea assemblage and includes six groups not previously found on the continent. The team says the fossils could move evidence for animal movement and sexual reproduction back by 5–10 million years and support study of early animal life in deeper marine settings.

ediacaranfossilsanimal evolution

August 6, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceUnited States

Cat-training study links shared lessons to stronger child–cat relationships

A study of 36 children aged 8–17 with developmental disabilities and their family cats found that a six-session cat-training program was associated with higher reported cat-care responsibility than in a control group. Participants also reported more teaching and walking of their cats after training, while researchers observed changes in cats’ sociability and attachment classifications. The findings were published in Animals.

cat trainingdevelopmental disabilitiesanimal-assisted intervention

August 4, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceTaiwan

Taiwan surveys document East Asia’s tallest known tree and dense old-growth fir stands

A research team surveying remote forests in Taiwan has documented an 84.1-metre Taiwania fir, reported as the tallest known tree in East Asia. Using airborne LiDAR, field expeditions and citizen review of map profiles, the project mapped 941 trees above 65 metres and identified dense old-growth stands. A separate valley survey reported very high forest carbon density, although its estimate excluded root systems.

taiwan forestsgiant treeslidar mapping

August 4, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureUnited Kingdom

Greenwich and Kent university group set to launch in September

The University of Greenwich and University of Kent are due to launch the London and South East University Group on 7 September 2026. The group will cover more than 50,000 students across four campuses in London, Medway and Kent, while the two universities retain their names and separate academic divisions. The arrangement follows Department for Education approval and is being introduced as English higher education faces acute financial pressure.

higher educationuniversity mergeruk universities

August 3, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureKampala, Uganda

Uganda reports no current Ebola patients after rapid containment response

Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases and two deaths after infections were identified in May, and its health minister said the last patient had left hospital two weeks before the BBC report. Officials and health workers cited ready-to-use treatment capacity, rapid identification of patients, quarantine of more than 6,000 contacts and border measures as elements of the response. Uganda has announced it is Ebola-free, but it continues screening and public education while Ebola spreads in neighbouring DR Congo.

ebolaugandapublic health

August 1, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureBerlin, Germany

Berlin supporters seek permits to preserve Treehouse at the Wall

Supporters of Berlin’s Treehouse at the Wall are pressing to preserve the informal structure built by Turkish migrant worker Osman Kalin on former borderland in Kreuzberg. A district councillor says officials are working with Kalin’s son and the Turkish community on necessary permits, while structural safety, planning permission and ownership remain unresolved.

berlinheritage preservationturkish migration

August 1, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceBerkeley, United States

Researchers directly observe a two-step route from CO₂ to solid carbon

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley and Estonia's National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics observed carbon dioxide becoming solid carbon during molten-salt electrolysis. Their real-time measurements at 500°C identified an unexpected two-step reaction and found that the basic pathway remained consistent when electrode and salt materials changed. The work may help researchers tailor carbon products, including toward battery-grade graphite, but industrial production has not been demonstrated.

carbon dioxidegraphiteelectrochemistry

July 31, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

EnvironmentGlobal

Open-source RIME-X tool expands regional climate-risk scenarios

Researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and partners have developed RIME-X, an open-source statistical emulator for regional climate-risk assessment. The tool combines simple-model warming projections with regional multi-model climate and impact information to generate scenario- and time-dependent probability distributions. In withheld-simulation tests, it closely reproduced ensemble distributions across several indicators, while the authors stress that it complements rather than replaces full climate models.

climate riskrime-xclimate modeling

July 30, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CommunityNew Zealand

University of Canterbury team reports 3D crop scans that model fruit hidden by foliage

University of Canterbury's UC Vision team has developed AI and computer-vision systems that digitally remove foliage from camera images to build 3D models of individual orchard and vineyard plants. The models can identify hidden apples, cherries and grapes, link them to branches or canes, measure them and track growth across repeat scans. The team reports fruit counts within about 2% to 3% of the correct figure in testing and is working toward reliable commercial tools through HoloCrop.

precision agriculturecomputer visionhorticultural robotics

July 29, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceUnited Kingdom

NICE backs four-year NHS evaluation of donated-lung perfusion system

NICE has issued draft guidance recommending a four-year NHS evaluation of the XVIVO perfusion system for donated lungs. The system keeps lungs functioning outside the body so teams can monitor them and, in some cases, treat infection, remove fluid or reinflate collapsed areas before deciding on transplantation. NICE estimates it could help recover four in five donated lungs that are currently unused, though the estimate and value for money require evaluation.

lung transplantorgan donationnhs

July 27, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

Page 4 of 13