Science & Earth

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a wearable AI collar called Revoice that uses throat vibration sensors, pulse signals and an embedded large language model to reconstruct speech; a small trial of five patients with dysarthria reported a 2.9% sentence error rate.

Cameras placed in 415 volunteer gardens across Cheshire detected hedgehogs in 57% of sites, and gardens that provided hedgehog food had higher detection rates (78%). Researchers report that supplementary feeding strongly influenced visits but may carry health and behavioural risks that need further study.

An Austrian Brown Swiss cow named Veronika was observed using a broom to scratch different body areas, and researchers recorded 76 instances of purposeful tool use during field trials reported in Current Biology.

Volunteers have been removing thousands of bags of chips that washed ashore near Eastbourne after shipping containers carrying food and packaging came ashore, and officials warned the debris and plastics could harm wildlife and water quality.

The Inishkea Islands are two uninhabited islands off County Mayo, roughly 3 km from the mainland, with preserved stone buildings and early Christian sites. They host coastal wildlife such as puffins, seals, whales and dolphins, and are reachable by boat while camping has been banned since 2023.

Officials say a young male elephant in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, has killed 22 people and remains at large; forest officers have deployed to locate and tranquillise it.

NASA moved the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B on Saturday; a pad fueling test is planned in early February and will determine the path to a possible launch later that month.

Nasa is preparing to roll out the Space Launch System for Artemis II, a crewed circumnavigation of the moon that could launch as early as 6 February. The flight would carry four astronauts on a roughly 685,000-mile round trip and return with a Pacific Ocean splashdown about 10 days later.

A powerful summer storm prompted evacuation orders on Sydney's northern beaches and was reported to have killed one woman; emergency services have carried out multiple rescues and responded to widespread flooding and damage.

Researchers combining nine models estimate Antarctic ice shelves have lost about 843 billion tonnes a year from melting underneath in recent decades, and scientists say the ice sheets will continue losing mass while the pace and total future loss remain uncertain.

The Met Office's long-range forecast for January 20–29 says milder Atlantic air is expected early, with an increased chance of colder conditions and snow across parts of the UK later in the period.

Forecast charts show a band of snow moving across the UK on Jan 29–30, with London and other cities expected to see snowfall and the eastern Highlands forecast to receive up to 51 cm (20 inches).

Bill McKibben installed new plug-in solar panels and said rising U.S. electricity prices linked to federal energy policy could shape the 2026 election; the national average cost per kilowatt-hour rose about 12.8% over ten months and some offshore wind projects were temporarily frozen then partly allowed to resume.

The High Seas Treaty, the first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters, entered into force after reaching the required ratifications. It creates a framework for Marine Protected Areas and requires environmental assessments and sharing of certain research.

The High Seas Treaty, the first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters, entered into force after it reached the required ratifications; 83 countries have ratified and a first Conference of Parties is expected within a year.

WXCharts maps for 26 January indicate snow across 45 UK counties, with heaviest falls in northern England and southern Scotland. The Met Office said Atlantic systems and eastern high pressure are both influencing conditions.

The study reports that 55–58% of biodiversity hotspots in the western United States overlap predicted low-severity burn areas described as refugia, while 24–30% overlap predicted high-severity burn areas described as areas of concern.

High-definition footage claimed by American conservationist Paul Rosalie shows spear-armed hunters from an uncontacted Amazon group approaching Western explorers; Rosalie withheld the location and said the group lacks immunity to common diseases. A Survival International report warns rising incursions by influencers and extractive industries threaten many of the roughly 196 uncontacted Indigenous groups worldwide.

Heavy rain and flooding have killed more than 100 people across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with Mozambique reporting over 200,000 people affected and authorities warning of further severe weather and alerts.

Scientists published the most detailed map yet of Antarctica’s subglacial landscape using high-resolution satellite data and an ice‑flow perturbation method, and identified more than 30,000 previously uncharted hills.

Organisers unveiled the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ routes, including stages from Edinburgh to Carlisle, Keswick to Liverpool and Welshpool to Cardiff, while the women's race will run across the Pennines. Director Christian Prudhomme said the event will focus on creating a lasting legacy, with particular emphasis on children and encouraging more walking, running and cycling.

Two new grey food waste bins are being delivered across Bedford ahead of weekly collections starting on 30 March; the council says collected food waste will be processed into renewable energy and fertiliser.

The article reports cold, damp weather in the UK is causing window condensation that can lead to mould, and it says a 65p item can help prevent fog and mould on windows.

Four Crew-11 members undocked from the International Space Station and are returning to Earth after a medical issue prompted an early end to their mission; NASA says the affected crewmember is in stable condition and the SpaceX Dragon capsule is scheduled to splash down off California at about 0840 GMT on Thursday.

A secret report identifies an accumulation of fats, oils and grease in an inaccessible chamber of the Malabar deepwater outfall as the likely origin of debris balls that washed up on Sydney beaches in late 2024 and early 2025.

Water supplies have been restored to the majority of homes in Kent and Sussex after outages linked to Storm Goretti, though around 320 properties remain affected and bottled water sites are open; Ofwat has launched an investigation into South East Water's response.

Some studies have reported microplastics in human tissues and possible links to health, while analytical chemists have raised methodological concerns about contamination and misidentification; researchers are calling for interlaboratory studies and international, multidisciplinary collaboration to improve methods and reduce uncertainty.

A Cold War–era nuclear bunker on Tunstall beach in East Yorkshire is now sitting at the cliff edge and is reported to be only days away from falling into the sea; East Riding Council has warned people to keep away and says the structure is on private land with no active intervention.

The article lists nine cruise options that connect travellers with natural and cultural highlights, from transatlantic crossings and Galapagos expeditions to world voyages, Amazon and Mekong river trips, northern lights sailings, Alaskan glacier routes, Antarctic voyages and Nile cruises.

A new study of 17 tyrannosaur specimens used imaging and an algorithm to count hidden growth rings and found Tyrannosaurus rex reached full size over roughly 40 years, extending previous estimates of about 25 years.