GENIUS COCKATOOS USE TOOLSETS TO COMPLETE TASKS LIKE LITTLE, FEATHERY HANDYPEOPLE

It is as yet unclear how many sugars they take in their tea

A FOURTH 'WHITE' TRAFFIC LIGHT WOULD HELP DRIVERLESS CARS TO EASE CONGESTION, SCIENCE SAYS

The extra light would indicate that autonomous vehicles had taken over control of the traffic flow at busy junctions

WORLD FACING IRREVERSIBLE AND CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES IF NET ZERO CARBON NOT REACHED BY 2060

Computer models show melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica could cause 100cm of sea level rise in the next 130 years

NEANDERTHAL GOURMETS REGULARLY FEASTED ON ROASTED CRAB

The discovery of cooked crab shells in a Lisbon cave is further evidence that the early hominids had a sophisticated culture

ENDANGERED MALE QUOLLS ARE CHOOSING SEX OVER SLEEP-AND IT MAY BE KILLING THEM

The finding could explain why males usually only survive for one mating season, while females can live through several

THE JWST HAS UNEARTHED EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT GALAXIES THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST

The presence of such massive galaxies lurking in the early Universe contradicts current cosmological models

Is hyperspace travel possible?

When will we be zipping round the cosmos like Baby Yoda and co?

THE AMAZON

THE WORLD'S BIGGEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL, AND MOST BIODIVERSE RAINFOREST

HOW PROCESSED FOOD HARMS YOUR MOOD

Mental health problems are on the rise. Yet there is growing evidence that the food we eat may be a vital ingredient to help us feel better

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SLIME

Runny noses, slippery sea creatures and that impossible-to-clean bit behind your sink all have one thing in common: slime. While it might make us cringe, life on Earth would be very different without it

THE MYSTERY OF THE BIGGEST BLACK HOLE IN THE UNIVERSE

Black holes are big. Very big. But physics makes it almost impossible for them to grow. Here's how one black hole defied the odds to swell to gargantuan proportions

Could we become cold, ruthless Cybermen?

We assess the likelihood of humanity turning into cyborgs, like Doctor Who's infamous foe

FUNGI: THE EXPLAINER

THIS DIVERSE KINGDOM INCLUDES YEASTS, MOULDS, MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS

THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB MAN

MEN ARE LOSING FRIENDS AND STRUGGLING TO MAKE NEW ONES- AND MISSING OUT ON POWERFUL HEALTH BENEFITS IN THE PROCESS. BUDDY, WHAT'S GOING ON?

FIRST CONTACT

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE EVER DETECT A SIGNAL FROM EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE?

NATURE'S REAL-LIFE VAMPIRES

Count Dracula... Lestat de Lioncourt... Laszlo... all these vampires have got oodles of charisma, natty dress sense and an intriguing backstory. But the problem is, they're fictional. We reckon the animal kingdom can do a lot better. Suck on this...

Ideas we like...

Our pick of the month's smartest tech

The five best camera gimbals

An essential bit of kit for smoother video and better selfies, says photographer James Abbott

In the right hands, wearables could revolutionise healthcare

We spoke to Prof Amitava Banerjee, a cardiologist and clinical data scientist, to better understand how smartwatches and fitness trackers could change medicine

GRIEF: WHY DO WE MOURN PUBLIC FIGURES?

Few people knew her personally, and yet many of us felt some sense of loss for the Queen

SEWAGE: WHY IS RAW WASTE PUMPED INTO OUR SEAS AND CAN WE FIX IT?

The UK's ageing infrastructure is struggling to cope with increased rainfall and a growing population, and this means sewage is being discharged into our seas and rivers. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water...

YOUR INNER CHILD: WHAT IS IT, WHAT'S UP WITH IT AND DOES IT NEED HEALING?

Recent online articles have listed the signs that reveal your inner child is wounded, or that your inner child needs healing. But is there any real psychology behind this?

GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE (DARK) MATTER

We've mapped it, but the exact nature of dark matter remains elusive. And for most astronomers that's okay

BABY, YOU CAN DRIVE MY SELF-DRIVING CAR

Human drivers should not be held responsible for accidents caused by autonomous vehicles

THINKING POSITIVELY CAN BE GOOD FOR YOUR BODY, NOT JUST YOUR BRAIN

Looking for an upside in any given situation can improve everything from the immune system to heart health

HOW NASA DEFLECTED AN ASTEROID BY CRASHING A SPACECRAFT INTO IT

NASA'S DART spacecraft made impact with its asteroid target on 27 September. Dr Tim Gregory tells us about this first-of-its-kind mission

DISCOVERIES

Perseverance has discovered the largest cache of organic material ever found on the Red Planet.

DE-EXTINCTION GENETICISTS AIM TO RESURRECT THE TASMANIAN TIGER

The marsupial, also known as a thylacine, could be brought back from extinction within the next decade

Are elves' long lives realistic?

What's the biology behind the elves' extended lifespans in The Lord Of The Rings?

It's time to rethink our relationship with fat

We've all moaned about a bit of podge on our thighs or tummies, but that fat is not an inert lump of lard - it has an important job to do. And now, scientists are starting to find out even more about its hidden powers