The Planet (on, and off)

The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter has captured the first-ever images of the sun’s poles by tilting its orbit out of the ecliptic plane. The captured images of the solar south pole were taken between March 16 and 17, 2025, with the Solar Orbiter’s Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI), Extreme Read more…

South Asia has warmed far more slowly than the rest of the world over the past four decades with temperatures rising just 0.09C per decade compared to 0.30C elsewhere on land. Scientists believe this “warming hole” results from two factors that have masked the true impact of global warming: heavy Read more…

The world’s oceans are in worse health than realised, scientists have said today, as they warn that a key measurement shows we are “running out of time” to protect marine ecosystems. From a report: Ocean acidification, often called the “evil twin” of the climate crisis, is caused when carbon dioxide Read more…

“In recent years, scientists have devised powerful genetic tools that may be able to eradicate mosquitoes and other pests once and for all. But along with the ability to fight malaria, dengue, West Nile virus and other serious diseases, the development of this technology also raises a profound ethical question: Read more…

Britain is moving toward major nuclear power commitments after years of delays, as government officials acknowledge they can no longer postpone critical energy infrastructure decisions. The U.K. Treasury has exhausted options for delaying nuclear power choices, Politico reported this week, citing sources within Whitehall and the nuclear industry. The urgency Read more…