Tom Ward
Rats took over this Pacific island. Now drones are leading the fightback
Rats have colonised remote islands to the detriment of pretty much everything else in the ecosystem, but bait-slinging drones could spell their demise
The fight for quiet in a world full of noise pollution
Quiet Parks International wants to protect natural environments from manmade noise
Film
Godzilla and Kong keep growing. But they’re no match for physics
Both monsters have grown in size over the years, and they reach new heights in Godzilla vs. Kong. But could they ever exist in real life?
Film
This physicist keeps the science in Marvel’s movies accurate (ish)
When Marvel filmmakers need science to save the day, they call British theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson
TV
The Walking Dead’s timeline shows the wild science of zombie decay
"Ten years in to the zombie apocalypse, we want it to look like if you grabbed a zombie your hand could sink through its chest and slide right into its liquified organs”
Environment
Science has a new tool in the fight against climate change: good data
A European network of carbon monitoring stations is using new approach to data capture that may be the key to reversing the climate crisis
Long Reads
Inside the daring mission to reach the bottom of all Earth’s oceans
Victor Vescovo wanted to be the first person to reach the deepest points of all five oceans – but first he had to build a submarine that was up to it
Long Reads
A mysterious death, a genetic clue and the lifelong quest for answers
For patients in the grip of rare and potentially life-ending conditions that mystify one doctor after another, there is new hope: the collaborative sleuthing of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network
Long Reads
Inside the endless fight to kill the $1 trillion match-fixing industry
Illegal sports betting is big business for match-fixing gangs. Until recently, the police were powerless to stop them. But now sports analysts are fighting back. Their weapon? Data
Long Reads
The mind behind Minority Report is giving PowerPoint a sci-fi overhaul
John Underkoffler made a career out of dreaming up wild human-computer interfaces for Hollywood movies – until real-world businesses asked if he could actually build them
Long Reads
Inside the film studio bringing Earth's extremes to virtual reality
Anthony Geffen has brought viewers inside Stephen Hawking's mind and is a veteran of David Attenborough documentaries. His next project is going to Earth's deepest points and Netflix, Apple and Amazon are interested
Long Reads
Inside the slimy underground hunt for humanity's antibiotic saviour
Faced with an onslaught of new, drug-resistant superbugs, determined scientists are venturing into the depths of the Earth in search of rare and unusual bacteria that may form the basis of tomorrow’s antibiotics
Environment
The smell of dead sharks is helping to keep surfers safe from attack
Humans kill around 11,417 sharks every hour. An artificial scent that keeps the animals away from people is saving the lives of both species