Oceans given boost as nations agree to protect a third worldwide
But the deal is not legally binding, and opposition from some big countries to the idea could make it largely symbolic
North Korea’s largest nuclear test still lacks missile capacity
The nation's fifth atomic test has been revealed by a magnitude 5 earthquake, the strongest to date, but the country may still be far from the ability to mount a strike
Climate Change and the Terrible, No-Good Odds of Bad Weather
Entrancing Infrared GIFs Show Where Groundwater Burbles to the Surface
Ocean warming is already spreading diseases and killing corals
It is one of our greatest hidden challenges – and we are completely unprepared, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Without oxygen from ancient moss you wouldn’t be alive today
The earliest terrestrial plants, such as moss, made a surprising contribution to the levels of oxygen in the atmosphere some 400 million years ago
Lead in Australia’s drinking water is leaching from brass taps
Tap water in samples from across New South Wales can contain unsafe lead levels, probably down to brass tap fittings
First Americans must have arrived by sea, not via Alaska
A study of prehistoric DNA has challenged the established theory that says people first reached the Americas via a land bridge in the Arctic
Genius crow’s tool-bending behaviour may be natural to its kind
Betty the crow astounded scientists with its ability to bend a piece of garden wire into a neat hook back in 2002. Now it looks like wild crows do it all the time
Dog sperm quality decline is blamed on pet food chemicals
Sperm quality in dogs is falling rapidly, a trend now linked to environmental pollutants, which could help explain the purported decline in human fertility