US life expectancy is falling dramatically due to drug overdoses, alcohol and suicide
In 1960, the US had the highest life expectancy in the world, however, it is now 1.5 years shorter than the OECD average.
Jedek: The previously unknown language discovered by researchers in south east Asia
Jedek has no words to denote ownership but a rich vocabulary to describe sharing, reflecting the communal lifestyles of its hunter-gatherer speakers.
Heterosexual women aroused by both male and female erotica, brain scans show
This is in contrast to men, whose arousal tends to correspond strongly with their sexual orientation.
Chinese company reveals incredible test flight footage of the world's first passenger drone
In tests, the autonomous drone was able to function effectively in a variety of different weather conditions, including heavy fog and a Category 7 typhoon with gale-force winds.
'Astonishing' number of viruses are falling from the sky
Research may explain why genetically identical viruses are often found in very different environments around the globe.
Superionic ice: Scientists create new form of matter - water that's solid and liquid at the same time
Superionic ice does not exist naturally anywhere on Earth although it may be plentiful on planets such as Uranus and Neptune.
Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are affecting our ability to feel empathy
Studies show that these pain medications can reduce our sensitivity to emotionally painful experiences, among other effects.
Tiangong-1: Out-of-control space station will crash to Earth between March and April
The space agency also predicts that the spacecraft will re-enter somewhere between the 43rd north and south parallels.
Spain's spies finally crack King Ferdinand's secret coded letters after 500 years
The code, which consists of more than 200 special characters, has mystified historians for centuries.
TRAPPIST-1 planets are Earth-like, rocky worlds 'rich in water', boosting hopes for finding life
Trappist-1 planetary system contains seven Earth-sized worlds which may be able to support life, say scientists.
Extraordinary ancient 'spider with a tail' discovered in 100-million-year-old amber
Four tiny specimens of the new species have been found, measuring around 2.5 millimetres in body length.
Researchers discover 3,750-year-old camp where Stonehenge's architects may have stayed
The site is located close to the monument at Larkhill and is thought to have been a meeting place or centre of commerce.
Are experts about to make 'discovery of the century'? King Tut's tomb scanned for hidden chambers
In 2015, Nicholas Reeves controversially suggested that the mummy of the legendary Queen Nefertiti may be hiding behind the northern and western walls of the tomb.
Stunning discovery reveals lost Mayan megalopolis hidden beneath Guatemalan jungle
Sprawling system of interconnected ancient cities was far more complex, and home to millions more people, than previously thought.
Midlands mass grave was burial site for Viking 'Great Heathen Army' war dead, new study reveals
The military force was a powerful coalition of Norse warriors who came together under a unified command to invade the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that constituted England in 865 AD.
This AI computer can read your mind
Scientists use Magnetic Resonance machine and machine-learning technology to probe deep into brain to identify song subjects are listening to.
Leftists are just as likely to be dogmatic authoritarians as right-wingers - US study claims
Most psychologists have thought that authoritarianism in North America may be a uniquely right-wing phenomenon.
Breakthrough 'vaccine' set for use in human trials after eliminating 'all traces' of cancer in mice
Revolutionary treatment completely cured 87 out of 90 mice with multiple lymphoma tumours, according to scientists.
Scientists have found the source of anxiety in the brain - and how to turn it off
While anxiety is a useful emotion in some contexts, many find it hard to manage their worries, which can result in crippling anxiety disorders.
One of the most energetic phenomena in the universe is heading towards Earth
Blazars produce vast, hyper-fast jets of incredibly intense radiation and material, which can stretch for hundreds of thousands of light years.
America celebrates 60 years in space: This is our pick of Nasa's greatest triumphs
Sixty years ago, the US launched its first satellite - Explorer I - into space, kick-starting decades of scientific discovery.
Dark nebula: Spectacular image shows vast interstellar dust cloud that sucks in all light
Lupus 3, is located 600 light years from Earth within the constellation Scorpius, near the centre of the Milky Way.
Naked mole rats are already one of nature's weirdest animals - now scientists say they don't age
Naked mole rats are bizarre, practically hairless rodents, which feel very little pain and are resistant to cancer.
World's most colourful millipede has enough cyanide in its body to kill 18 adult birds
Apheloria polychroma was discovered in the southeastern US and can be found in a wide variety of colour patterns.
Chinese scientists grow new ears for children with genetic defect
The children all have a condition known as microtia which impairs the development of the ear and, in the worst cases, can lead to its total absence.
Earth's magnetic poles could be about to flip - with serious consequences for humanity
Earth's magnetic field is crucial to the survival of life on our planet as it deflects damaging cosmic rays and solar winds.
Scientists have discovered the origins of the most mysterious particles in the universe
These so-called "cosmic messenger particles" are some of the highest energy particles known to science.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is actually lopsided thanks to a 4,500-year-old construction error
The pyramid was built as a tomb, probably around 2560 BC, during Pharoah Khufu's reign - widely known as Cheops.
150-million-year-old fossil is oldest example of key transition species between dinosaurs and birds
Archaeopteryx is an important group of bird-like dinosaurs which marks the evolutionary transition between reptilian dinosaurs and birds.
Particles one-thousandth the width of a human hair are causing large and powerful storms
These particles, known as aerosols, are the result of urban and industrial pollution, wildfires and other sources.