Articles by Ben Turner, Staff Writer

Ben Turner is a U.K. based staff writer at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, among other topics like 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.

Articles by: Ben Turner

Svante Paabo in Leipzig, Germany, April 27, 2010

Nobel prize in medicine awarded to geneticist who sequenced Neanderthal genome

By Ben Turner published 3 October 22

Pääbo's work focused on extracting DNA from ancient pieces of bone

The footage of the collision as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

DART asteroid collision captured by Hubble and James Webb telescopes

By Ben Turner published 29 September 22

This is the very first time humans have ever intentionally collided a spacecraft with an asteroid

James Webb telescope reveals the 'bones' of a distant galaxy in stunning new image

By Ben Turner published 29 September 22

The new image will be compared to an older one captured by Hubble to help scientists learn more about the structure and composition of spiral galaxies

DART's final moments before it crashed into Dimorphos's surface.

Watch NASA's DART spacecraft hit 'bullseye' by smashing into an asteroid

By Ben Turner published 27 September 22

This is the first ever test of the Earth's planetary defence system

An artist's depiction of the DART spacecraft approaching Dimorphos, with the larger Didymos in the background.

NASA just redirected an asteroid by smashing a spacecraft into it

By Ben Turner last updated 27 September 22

The test will help scientists learn how to stop catastrophic asteroid impacts.

Full moon shines on Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft

NASA calls off Artemis 1 launch as Hurricane Ian threatens Florida

By Ben Turner published 26 September 22

The rocket has been plagued by technical and weather problems since its wet dress rehearsal in April.

Illustration of NASA's DART spacecraft prior to impact with the Didymos binary system.

NASA will smash its DART spacecraft into an asteroid on Monday. Here's how to watch.

By Ben Turner published 22 September 22

The test will provide vital information on how to stop catastrophic asteroid impacts.

Scientists think the eggs belong to a new species.

Crystal-stuffed dinosaur eggs the size of cannonballs discovered in China

By Ben Turner published 21 September 22

East China’s volcanic terrain is ideal for fossil hunters, who discovered the unusual eggs

A solar flare captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory in extreme ultraviolet light. Here we see a fiery orange and black orb and at one point a white-hot explosion taking place.

Whip-cracking burst of energy from sun could explain solar wind

By Ben Turner published 16 September 22

Scientists have long hypothesized about this phenomenon, but this is the first time it’s been directly observed.

The rollout began on Thursday (March 17) at 5:47 p.m. EDT.

NASA announces third launch attempt date for its 'mega moon rocket'

By Ben Turner published 15 September 22

The Artemis 1 mission will be a crucial test of NASA's next generation rocket

A Russian soldier guarding a checkpoint at the Zaporizhzhia plant.

Giant nuclear power plant in Ukraine is at risk of 'unlimited release' of nuclear materials unless a safety zone is established, UN warns

By Ben Turner last updated 7 September 22

The plant has been occupied by Russian forces since March 4.

illustration of several coronavirus particles

China approves world-first inhaled COVID-19 vaccine

By Ben Turner published 6 September 22

The needle-free vaccine is the first of over 100 oral or nasal vaccines currently in development around the world

The rollout traveled at a cruising speed of just under 1 mph (1.6 km/h).

Launch of NASA's 'mega moon rocket' delayed by more than a month

By Ben Turner last updated 5 September 22

The rocket has been plagued by technical problems since its wet dress rehearsal in April.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket awaits launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mighty rocket is key to NASA's Artemis program.

NASA scrubs second Artemis 1 launch attempt

By Ben Turner published 3 September 22

The rocket has been plagued with technical problems since its wet dress rehearsal in April.

The 'Man of the Hole's' face glimpsed in the footage of Vincent Carelli's 2009 documentary Corumbiara..

'Man of the hole', the last member of an uncontacted tribe, dies in the Amazon

By Ben Turner last updated 3 September 22

Experts don’t know the man’s language or ethnicity, as he refused to make contact with outsiders.

The Space Launch System (SLS) is the most powerful rocket ever built

NASA will try to launch Artemis again on Saturday, Sept. 3

By Ben Turner published 31 August 22

Engine problems scuppered the first attempt on Monday, but NASA scientists say they have found a fix.

The sunrise casts a warm glow around the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 21.

NASA's Artemis 1 mission will blast off Monday (Aug. 29). Here's how to watch.

By Ben Turner published 27 August 22

The spacecraft will zip around the moon and back before landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Photographs of four unrelated lookalike pairs included in the study.

Your doppelgänger doesn’t just look like you — they behave like you too

By Ben Turner published 26 August 22

Scientists recruited 32 look-alike pairs and discovered that doppelgängers share more than just appearances.

A nuclear bomb test in Mururoa atoll, French Polynesia, in 1971

'Nuclear winter' from a US-Russia conflict would wipe out 63% of the world's population

By Ben Turner published 19 August 22

Even a small-scale nuclear conflict would have a giant impact.

'Cannibal' coronal mass ejection from 'dark plasma plume' will slam into Earth tomorrow (Aug. 18)

By Ben Turner last updated 15 September 22

The sun's activity has been ramping as it approaches its 11 year peak

To test how important imaginary numbers were in describing reality, the researchers used an updated version of the Bell test, an experiment which relies on quantum entanglement.

Scientists blast atoms with Fibonacci laser to make an 'extra' dimension of time

By Ben Turner last updated 17 August 22

The new phase was made by firing lasers at 10 ytterbium ions inside a quantum computer.

Scientists think that shrews are a natural reservoir for the virus.

Newly-discovered Langya virus infected 35 people in China

By Ben Turner published 10 August 22

A newly-identified virus has sickened people in China after spilling over from animals.

3D illustration of an asteroid in space.

A 'potentially hazardous' blue-whale-size asteroid will zip through Earth's orbit on Friday

By Ben Turner last updated 10 August 22

The asteroid is being tracked by NASA and isn’t a danger to Earth.

The 10 foot seared spike was found standing upright in a sheep farm.

SpaceX space junk crash lands in Australian sheep farm

By Ben Turner published 4 August 22

Researchers say there is a 10% risk that someone will die being hit by space debris in the next 10 years.

A stream of supercharged partciles from the sun recently crashed into Earth with no prior warning.

Solar storm from hole in the sun will hit Earth on Wednesday (Aug. 3)

By Ben Turner last updated 15 September 22

Holes in the sun can beam out solar material at 500 miles per second.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
View Archive

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: