Rock layers show our sun has been in same cycle for 700 million years
Our star gets more and less active in a repeating cycle that lasts 11 years, and ancient rocks suggest it behaved the same way over 700 million years ago
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is on its way to the sun, via Venus
After a false start on Saturday, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe blasted off on Sunday to begin a mission to enter the sun’s scorching atmosphere
More than 90 people killed in massive earthquake on island of Lombok
Rescuers still have not reached some devastated parts of the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok after a powerful earthquake flattened houses and toppled bridges
Radio jammers saved Venezuela’s president from deadly drone attack
Radio jamming systems apparently thwarted an attempted presidential assassination with improvised drone bombs in Venezuela
The truth about the suspected link between social media and self-harm
Is social media really to blame for rises in self-harming? The evidence isn’t clear, but some social media use may even be good for teenagers, says Tom Chivers
Explosive facelift left star looking much younger than its true age
A faraway star surrounded by a strange cloud of dust and gas had an explosive rebirth, spitting out debris and dimming by a factor of 10,000 in less than 50 years
A weird Pacific cycle could make the Arctic warm up even faster
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is cyclical, switching from warm to cold phases every 20 years or so. When it switches again it could speed up Arctic warming
Did we really evolve domestic violence? We don’t know yet
A study suggests men in some societies who are violent to their partners may have more children – but that doesn’t mean that evolution favours domestic violence
Deaths caused by the opioid fentanyl are rising in the UK
Drug data reveals that deaths from fentanyl, carfentanyl and cocaine are on the rise in England and Wales, but heroin and morphine deaths have declined slightly
It may be impossible to evolve a large brain if you hibernate
Mammals that hibernate have smaller brains than those that don’t, suggesting that hibernation limits brain size by reducing annual food intake