The latest stories from the Science & Environment section of the BBC News web site.
A study showing how ants tunnel their way through confined spaces could aid the design of search and rescue robots, say scientists.
A vaccine to protect sheep and cattle from a livestock virus spread by midges has been approved by government vets.
The underwater prowess of the penguin may have cost the bird its ability to fly, scientists believe.
Scientists have used plant samples collected in the 19th Century to identify the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine.
UK astronaut Tim Peake is to fly to the International Space Station, launching on a Soyuz rocket in November or December 2015.
Strengthening biosecurity at UK borders and a plant health risk register would help protect the nation's trees from pests and diseases, a report concludes.
Global temperature rises will be slower in the coming decades say researchers but the long term picture is consistent.
The prospect of a deep sea "gold rush" opening a controversial new frontier for mining on the ocean floor has moved a step closer.
GPS data could provide faster and more accurate early warning systems for tsunamis, a German team of scientists suggest.
A tree expert says the biggest threat facing UK trees is likely to come from a disease currently unknown to science.
Scientists get their hands dirty as they attempt to unravel the mystery of giant Ice Age beasts like the sabretooth cat.
An Asian insect is destroying native species around the world by unleashing a lethal biological cocktail.
A nesting crane lays the first egg laid by that breed of bird in southern Britain in more than 400 years.
The trend for barefoot running could lead to injuries in some runners, a small study suggests.
A $15m computer that uses "quantum physics" effects to boost its speed is to be installed at a Nasa facility.
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield says he could not resist sharing his life in space on social media, in his first public appearance since landing.
Human cloning is used to produce early embryos, marking a "significant step" for medicine, say US scientists.
Researchers spot particles called neutrinos coming from outside our Solar System for the first time, a find that could spark a new era in astronomy.
Scientists say 1.5-billion-year-old water drilled from rock in a North American mine is the most ancient yet found on Earth.
A UK-based firm says it has stopped selling a drug to Arkansas because the US state had planned to use it to execute prisoners on death row.
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The UK's spring butterflies are being welcomed by enthusiasts, but weeks later than they usually arrive.
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For the first time scientists have developed a map that shows the world's unique and endangered species.
Protesters take to the streets of Kunming in China for the second time this month over plans for a chemical plant.
The UK says it has agreed new laws with the European Union which include banning the dumping of unwanted fish, such as mackerel and herring.
India's tigers face extinction due to a collapse in the variety of their mating partners, say Cardiff University researchers.