The elevator pitch made this trip sound very glamorous, but it’s nearing 43ºC and I’ve been stooping around in the desert for over an hour, eyes fixed on the arid earth. We’re in the Turkana Basin in

Holidaymakers have one major thing in common with scientists who are on the hunt for alien life: their plans are often thwarted by clouds. The clouds on alien worlds are such a long-standing issue – o

Amazing answers to your curious questions

Soils are the world’s most pervasive ecosystems, and arguably its most complex and important. They’re home to more than half the planet’s species. But they’re also one of the ecosystems we know the le

The latest book releases for curious minds

On a summer’s day, your garden is full of activity, with hoverflies, butterflies and bees flying from flower to flower. But that is only one slice of the action on your plot. In the ground beneath you