It's been quite a week for Britain's first official astronaut. Meeting the prime minister, a press scrum at the Science Museum; and an agonising interview with Jeremy Paxman. How did he cope?There is something about human space flight that simultaneously feels both entirely futuristic and of the past; a future written into stories and dreams…
A great blue wave has spread across the country in one of our greatest natural spectacles, as carpets of bluebells have come into flower. But the bluebells were some four or five weeks later this spring than last year, and the cold spring made their appearance more patchy than usual. Britain has around half the…
Renegotiation of contract with Chinese company mean more time for dig at former Buddhist settlementThe forts and temples of the ancient Buddhist town at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan throng with the biggest crowds they have seen in more than 14 centuries. Nearby, rows of sheet metal housing built for Chinese miners are almost empty.Hundreds of…
Quest for copper riches in Mes Aynak develops as battle between culture and commerceThe ruins of Mes Aynak straddle a copper deposit so rich that many of the rocks are brilliant green with oxidised ore from a seam of metal first exploited 5,000 years ago.The remaining copper cannot be extracted without destroying not just the…
Tim Radford (Lost in space, G2, 21 May) repeats the story that the astronomer royal, Sir Richard Woolley, had described space travel as "utter bilge", implying a lack of vision on behalf of the British establishment. I met Woolley when he came to talk to Liverpool University's Astronomical Society soon after the Apollo moon missions…
Light from TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones may disrupt sleep and raise risk of obesity, heart disease and depressionWatching TV or using computers, tablets or smartphones after dark may cause sleep loss and resultant health problems, a leading doctor has warned.Peering at brightly lit screens at night disrupts the body's natural rhythms and raises the…
The new British space race (To boldly go, G2, 21 May) has the potential to inspire young people and boost our economy. Space travel captures the imagination of budding young inventors and engineers – it is the stuff of childhood dreams. But there are other British industries at the forefront of technology that can inspire…
Daniel Dennett, a cheerleader for Darwin and atheism, attracts fierce criticism for his views on free will. He talks about his new book and explains why philosophers have to walk a tightropeBig thinkers make for big targets and they don't come much bigger, physically and intellectually, than Daniel Dennett. The tall, 71-year-old philosopher looks every…
Readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsI'd have thought that with common ancestors, the eyes would have evolved in similar ways.Carole Atkinson, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria• Post questions and answers below or email them to nq@guardian.co.uk. Please include name, address and phone numberCatsZoologyBiologyAnimalsPetsguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News…
The unprecedented analysis shows that many animals, birds, insects, fish and plants are in trouble• UK wildlife winners and losers - in picturesAn unprecedented stocktake of UK wildlife has revealed that most species are struggling and that one in three have halved in number in the past half century. The unique report, based on scientific…
