Earth’s composition might be unusual for a planet with life
Solar systems with habitable planets seem to be made of different stuff to our sun, meaning alien worlds probably aren't like Earth, a new study suggests
Will new Australian PM help improve nation’s policy on climate?
Australia has a new Prime Minister. But will he strengthen the country's weak climate change policies?
Speed dating shows arranged bird marriages lead to bad parenting
Zebra finches who raised chicks with their mate of choice proved to be better parents than those that had an arranged partnership
Bees win as US court rules against neonicotinoid pesticide
The US ruling says pesticide use was approved on the basis of "flawed and limited" data, which some campaigners hope will turn the tide against neonicotinoids
Jeremy Corbyn: Where he stands on science and medicine
The new leader of the Labour Party supports action on climate change, and has created a shadow minister for mental health – but he fails on some issues
Sierra Nevada’s 500-year snowpack low deepens California drought
Snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains, whose melt supplies a third of California's water reservoirs, has hit a 500-year low
Did global warming play a role in Japan’s devastating floods?
A freak set of weather events led to tropical storm Etau dumping record amounts of rainfall, but climate change may have played a part too
Global warming slowdown could be over as temperatures soar
Huge events this year, such as the El Niño and changes to ocean currents are set to alter our weather far into the future, making 2015 pivotal for our climate
Can red wine and chocolate really stave off Alzheimer’s disease?
Resveratrol, found in red wine and dark chocolate, may stabilise Alzheimer's disease – but at doses equivalent to 1000 bottles a day
Moonquakes unearthed in data from 1970s Apollo mission
An algorithm based on speech recognition software has dug up hundreds of tremors on the moon missed by earlier searches – and could help find quakes on Mars
