BBC Innovation | Science

Explore investigations into the natural world with BBC Science. See cutting-edge research, studies, and investigative stories from around the planet.

Science

SpaceX logo and Starship rocket in background (Credit: Getty Images)

The environmental cost when rockets go wrong

Space launches are increasing and the rockets are getting bigger. But there can be some major environmental consequences when things don’t go to plan.See more

We can now track animal panic from space – and it’s bad news for poachers

Why temperature records are being not only broken but smashed

Nasa unveils next steps to build permanent Moon base

How an ecological blunder led to a national health crisis in Japan

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A split screen with Rich Preston on the left wearing a grey shirt, and a ship in the ocean on the right.

‘Bingo! It’s a match’: Franklin expedition sailor’s DNA links to BBC reporter

Researchers at the University of Waterloo found remains of Rich Preston’s great-great-great-uncle John Bridgens.

13 May 2026Share

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A solar eclipse seen from the dark side of the moon

Artemis II’s historic lunar flyby… in 90 seconds

Catatumbo lightning

Earth’s spectacular and remote ‘capital’ of lightning

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Inventor reveals one-ball successor to viral bike

A giant tortoise being released on the Galu00e1pagos island of Floreana

Giant tortoises return to Galápagos island after nearly 200 years

Fascinating reads

A collage of a woman smiling at a mirror, the reflection shows an older woman looking back at her (Credit: Serenity Strull/ BBC)

How defying ageism can help you live longer

Research shows a positive attitude towards ageing can make people feel younger and live longer.

International Space Station (ISS) in orbit (Credit: Nasa)

How to evacuate a doomed space station – quickly

Astronauts orbiting the Earth are drilled to deal with the worst possible scenarios. That includes having to leave their space station on short notice.

Panels and cables of the Large Hadron Collder at Cern (Credit: Alamy)

The ultra-cold temperatures needed for epic nuclear science

One of the world’s most sophisticated scientific facilities is turning to jaw-droppingly low temperatures to try and unravel the secrets of the Universe.

Carlos Alcaraz jumps to return a ball with his tennis racket (Credit: Getty Images)

What are your chances of beating top tennis stars?

An unusual tennis competition that pits amateurs against professionals in one-point matches is launching at the Australian Open.

A footballer wearing a yellow jersey with a dark stripe, stretches to head a ball

The unseen damage from heading a ball in sport

Why sports stars who head the ball are much more likely to die of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.

A black-and-white image of Mercury partly in shadow captured by the Messenger spacecraft (Credit: Nasa)

The planet that shouldn’t exist

Mercury has long baffled astronomers because it defies much of what we know about planet formation. A new space mission arriving in 2026 might solve the mystery.

More science

22 May 2026Matthew Wells, olympic medalist, floats as he rows on a parabolic flight.

The space race to create gym equipment for future astronauts

Scientists are attempting to build exercise equipment to be used on future space flights.

22 May 202616 May 2026A researcher at the indoor research facility at the University of Tennessee inspects grass under a row of LED lights elevated just a few inches off the ground (Credit: Steven Bridges/University of Tennessee)

The hidden science beneath the 2026 World Cup

The grass on which the World Cup’s 104 matches will be played has a vital but often overlooked role. Two scientists have spent decades getting it right.

16 May 202614 May 2026An white orchid with a purple cross

Inside the secret labs creating the world’s most prized orchids

It can take a decade to bring a new orchid to market, so breeders keep their hi-tech processes secret.

14 May 202612 May 2026An autonomous inspection robot at one end of a long sewer pipe with water running along the bottom section (Credit: Pipeon project)

Colossal ‘fatbergs’ clot sewers around the world. Can scientists stop them?

Reeking coagulations of grease and debris are clotting city sewers on a colossal scale. New technologies are being used to control this modern menace.

12 May 202614 May 2026Artist reconstruction of the Nagatitan, a dark blue long-necked dinosaur eating leaves from a tree.

Giant new dinosaur identified from fossils in Thailand

The nagatitan is the largest dinosaur found in South-East Asia and weighs as much as nine elephants.

14 May 20269 May 2026Grace Han at work in her lab

How sunburn inspired a new way to store energy

Scientists are developing molecules that can store heat for months and release it when needed – a potential step towards cleaner energy for heating.

9 May 20265 May 2026A collage showing a woman wearing a t-shirt with a map of Cincinnati on it, holding her hand to her ear while another person's mouth appears to speak to her (Credit: Serenity Strull/ BBC/ Getty Images)

The skills that make you good at imitating accents, according to science

Some people can pick up new accents instantly. How do they do it?

5 May 202610 May 2026A complete fossil skeleton in the Dinosaur Isle visitor tourist attraction exhibition of an Iguanadon, a plant eating dinosaur with pointed thumbs.

Why are these UK beaches so rich in fossils?

New and exciting fossils emerge into the light of day on the Isle of Wight and the Jurassic Coast.

10 May 202626 Apr 2026A large fishing vessel in Kiribati's Exclusive Economic Zone

How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific

Tuna populations around the Pacific Islands could move away as ocean temperatures increase.

26 Apr 2026

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