The Latest Breaking News from Royal Society

Royal Society exhibition revives 18th-century debate about shape of the Earth

Argument about a lemon or an orange-shaped planet highlights importance of international competition in science, curator says

The Guardian - UK · Jun 26, 2024

‘Infectious enthusiasm’: Jonathan Yeo’s green portrait of David Attenborough unveiled

Painting of 98-year-old broadcaster, commissioned by Royal Society, goes on public display 2 July

The Guardian - UK · Jun 25, 2024

‘Facebook probably knows I sell drugs’ – how young people’s digital footprints can threaten their future prospects

Social media and messaging apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Messenger are increasingly used to buy and sell drugs in many countries. New Zealand is no exception.

The Conversation · May 22, 2024

Five major outcomes from the latest UN climate summit

The latest UN climate summit, COP28, was always going to be controversial. It was held in a state whose economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas – the United Arab Emirates. The summit president, Sultan Al Jaber, remains head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and recently declared…

The Conversation · Dec 14, 2023

Prize-winning macro photo takes us into the Martian-like world of plasmodial slime mold

Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2023 announces winners, showing exceptional scientific photography

Digital Camera World · Dec 14, 2023

Why are people still flying to climate conferences by private jet?

Rishi Sunak, David Cameron and King Charles are just three of the more than 70,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries at the latest UN climate summit in Dubai, COP28. But they are among hundreds who will have travelled there by private jet. In fact, the UK prime minister, foreign secretary…

The Conversation · Dec 1, 2023

Is Virgin Atlantic ‘Flight100’ the key to sustainable aviation?

What is ‘SAF’ and is it really the key to zero-emission flight?

The Independent UK · Nov 28, 2023

‘They give us better options for preserving nature’: Ed Yong on revealing the hidden lives of animals

The Pulitzer-winning author, who has just won the Royal Society science book prize for An Immense World, reveals how radical empathy uncovers the forces that have driven evolution and teaches us new ways to engage

The Guardian - UK · Nov 24, 2023

Climate change could lead to food-related civil unrest in UK within 50 years, say experts

The emptying of supermarket shelves during the COVID pandemic demonstrated the chaos that disruption to the UK’s food supply can provoke. Could this type of disruption have a different cause in the future? And what might the impact on society be?

The Conversation · Oct 12, 2023

Wednesday briefing: Why Britain needs more black science professors

In today’s newsletter: Black professors make up less than 1% of science academics – will a new Royal Society scheme address the imbalance?

The Guardian - UK · Sep 20, 2023