Europe’s newest space telescope, Cheops, has begun to ramp up its space operations. Launched in December, Cheops is due to study and characterise planets outside of our solar system. And now, it’s ready to fulfil its mission. Find out more >> 

The Sony World Photography Award winners for 2020 have been announced. There are 10 category winners, and over 100 shortlisted photographers. Find out more >>

A new study of galaxy clusters suggests that we might live in a lopsided universe. The research points to some galaxies being closer or further away than predicted, which could be a sign that the universe is expanding faster in some regions than others. Find out more >> 

Scientists have begun trialing cloud brightening equipment to shade and cool the Great Barrier Reef. The experimental equipment uses a modified turbine to spray trillions of cooling nano-sized salt crystals into the air from a barge. Find out more >> 

Researchers in Japan have moved a step closer to understanding how the universe evolved into the matter-dominated universe of today. Their results shed light on the difference in the way matter and antimatter behave. Find out more >>

Singer-songwriter Imogen Heap has been working with an AI researcher to push the boundaries of music creativity. There’s even talk of an AI Eurovision song contest. Find out more >>

Astronomers think they’ve managed to capture an exoplanet orbiting the star nearest the sun on camera for the first time. The image hasn’t yet been confirmed – and it’s quite blurry – but if it holds up, it would mean that the scientists in question managed to image an exoplanet just weeks after their colleagues theorised it existed in the first place. Find out more >> 

Neuroscientists have constructed a model of the human brain on psilocybin – the active compound in magic mushrooms. The model demonstrates a dynamic which enables the brain to tap into otherwise inaccessible states, and underscores why it has potential for treatments including depression. Find out more >> 

MIT is currently developing the closest thing we’ve got to the robot skeletons of Terminator. Instead of synthetic muscle tissue, these artificial musicals are made by using liquid-filled balloons heated by fine-tuned magnetic fields. Find out more >>

Researchers have discovered that tiny proteins in the brain called tubulin play a critical role in orchestrating depression. The study suggests that tubulin could be a diagnostic marker of depressing, and a potential target for antidepressant treatment. Find out more >>