Ben Turner is a U.K. based writer and editor at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, tech and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys reading literature, playing the guitar and embarrassing himself with chess.
-
Groundbreaking atomic clock is off by less than 1 second every 100 million yearsThe National Institute of Standards and Technology's new cesium fountain clock is one of the most precise atomic clocks ever created.
By Ben Turner Published
physics-mathematics -
Kids born today are going to grow up in a hellscape, grim climate study findsExposure to extreme climate events will increase two to seven times more for those born in 2020 compared with those in 1960, a new study warns.
By Ben Turner Published
2 Commentsclimate-change -
Doomed Soviet spacecraft tumbling toward Earth may already have its parachute ouNewly published images suggest that an unknown structure is trailing behind the Kosmos 482 probe on its descent to Earth. It could be the doomed craft's parachute.
By Ben Turner Published
15 Commentsspace-exploration -
AI researchers ran a secret experiment on Reddit users — and the results are creepyUniversity of Zurich researchers secretly unleashed an army of manipulative chatbots on the r/changemyview subreddit — and they were more persuasive than humans at getting people to change their minds.
By Ben Turner Published
13 Commentsartificial-intelligence -
Doomed Soviet satellite from 1972 will tumble uncontrollably to Earth next week — and it could land almost anywhereThe lander section of the Kosmos 482 probe was launched in 1972 and designed to survive on Venus. Now it's due a fiery reentry to Earth.
By Ben Turner Published
24 Commentsspace-exploration -
Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire, unusual rocks in Iceland suggestRocks from Greenland found on Iceland's west coast could link the late Roman Empire's fall to a spell of sudden climate change. But historians say that the real story is likely much more complicated.
By Ben Turner Published
2 Commentsromans -
Scientists create ultra-tough copper alloy that is stronger than steel and can withstand temperatures of 1500 FThe new super-strong copper alloy can be used to build better airplanes and spacecraft.
By Ben Turner Published
2 Commentschemistry -
'Beauty' particle discovered at world's largest atom smasher could unlock new physicsWhy matter dominates over antimatter in our universe has long been a major cosmic mystery to physicists. A new finding by the world's largest particle collider has revealed a clue.
By Ben Turner Published
5 Commentsparticle-physics -
'Secrets of the Penguins' will take penguin observations 'to another level,' executive producer James CameronA three-part documentary on penguins' hidden lives will reveal a number of never-before-seen moments. Here's what executive producer James Cameron said about what to expect.
By Ben Turner Published
birds -
Curiosity rover finds largest carbon chains on Mars from 3.7 billion-year-old rockNASA's Curiosity Rover has discovered long carbon chains on Mars. On Earth, molecules like these are overwhelmingly produced by biological processes.
By Jess Thomson Published
mars -
NASA rover reveals signs of crucial life-sustaining process on MarsSamples drilled by the Curiosity rover on Mars have revealed abundant signs of a carbon cycle that remained hidden from orbital scans, alongside clues of how life may have been wiped out on the planet.
By Ben Turner Published
3 Commentsmars -
Inequality isn't inevitable in civilizations, 10,000 years of archaeological evidence revealsA study of 50,000 houses from the late Pleistocene to the onset of European colonialism has revealed that social inequality isn't inevitable, but rather a consequence of political choices.
By Ben Turner Published
16 Commentsarchaeology -
Elusive neutrinos' mass just got halved — and it could mean physicists are close to solving a major cosmic mysteryPhysicists have set a new upper limit on the mass of neutrinos. And the finding could poke a big hole in the Standard Model of particle physics.
By Ben Turner Published
particle-physics -
Astronomers are shocked to find our galaxy's nearest neighbor is being torn to shredsAn analysis of star movements from the Gaia spacecraft reveals that the Small Magellanic Cloud — a satellite galaxy bound to the Milky Way — is being torn apart by its larger neighbor.
By Ben Turner Published
astronomy -
Physicists create hottest Schrödinger's cat ever in quantum breakthroughPhysicists have replicated the famous Schrödinger's cat experiment at hotter temperatures than ever before. The breakthrough is a small but significant step toward quantum computers that can work at normal temperatures.
By Ben Turner Published
2 Commentsquantum -
Quantum computing breakthrough could make 'noise' — forces that disrupt calculations — a thing of the pastUseful quantum networks are hobbled by the problem of decoherence from environmental "noise." But a new breakthrough could change that.
By Ben Turner Published
quantum -
Using AI reduces your critical thinking skills, Microsoft study warnsA survey of workers who use AI has revealed the tools could be slowly impairing our critical thinking skills.
By Ben Turner Published
artificial-intelligence -
NASA's SPHEREx telescope 'opens its eyes on the universe', taking stunning debut image of 100,000 galaxies and starsSPHEREx's first images — containing roughly 100,000 points of light stars, galaxies and nebulae — have confirmed that the telescope is working according to its design.
By Ben Turner Published
space-exploration -
'We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem': Hidden world of life discovered beneath Antarctic icebergThe newfound ecosystem is filled with sea crabs, octopuses and gigantic sponges, suggesting it may have been thriving for centuries.
By Ben Turner Published
aquatic-animals -
Watch eerie video of humanoid robot 'army' marching naturally, thanks to a major AI upgradeFigure 02's human-like gait is the product of the company's simulated reinforcement learning system, and is just the beginning of its plans to make its robots perform physical tasks more naturally.
By Ben Turner Published
2 Commentsrobotics -
Current AI models a 'dead end' for human-level intelligence, scientists agreeIn a new survey, 76% of scientists said that scaling large language models was "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to achieve AGI.
By Ben Turner Published
3 Commentsartificial-intelligence -
China's superfast charging technology is twice as fast as Tesla's — fully recharging EVs in just 6 minutesBYD's e-platform charges twice as fast as Tesla's superchargers, meaning its cars can travel up to 250 miles on a five-minute charge
By Ben Turner Published
6 Commentselectric-vehicles -
Scientists break down cheap plastic using the air — and turn it into something far more valuableScientists developed a new method for breaking down one of the most common plastics to a byproduct that can be upcycled into more valuable materials.
By Ben Turner Published
3 Commentschemistry -
'I was astonished': Ancient galaxy discovered by James Webb telescope contains the oldest oxygen scientists have ever seenScientists have made the record-breaking detection of oxygen in an ancient galaxy that existed just 300 million years after the Big Bang. The detection is prompting astronomers to rethink how quickly stars and galaxies formed in the young universe.
By Ben Turner Published
2 Commentscosmology

