Ben Turner
Ben Turner is a U.K. based staff writer at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, among other topics like weird animals 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.
Latest articles by Ben Turner
Wobbling muon experiment could reveal a 5th force of nature — if the results hold up
By Ben Turner published
The discovery promises to spark a revolution in physics, but more results are needed to know for sure.
Indian Ocean gravity hole was caused by extinct ancient sea, scientists say
By Ben Turner published
Scientists have puzzled over the origins of a gravity hole in the Indian Ocean for years. Now, researchers think the sunken floor of an extinct ocean could be the cause.
Catastrophic climate 'doom loops' could start in just 15 years, new study warns
By Ben Turner published
Climate "tipping points," such as the loss of the Amazon rainforest or the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet, could come within a human lifetime, scientists have said.
Cosmic-ray 'GPS' system that tracks underground movement could change the way we respond to disasters
By Ben Turner published
A new system that uses subatomic particles produced high in Earth's atmosphere could provide a view inside volcanoes and help locate people trapped beneath rubble.
Europe's most dangerous 'supervolcano' could be creeping toward eruption, scientists warn
By Ben Turner published
Italy's Campi Flegrei is showing some troubling early warning signs, but scientists caution that its eruption is far from certain.
Stephen Hawking's most famous prediction could mean that everything in the universe is doomed to evaporate, new study says
By Ben Turner published
A new theory has radically revised Stephen Hawking's 1974 theory of black holes to predict that all objects with mass may eventually disappear.
Scientists may be able to put Mars-bound astronauts into 'suspended animation' using sound waves, mouse study suggests
By Ben Turner published
Firing ultrasound signals into rodent brains puts them in a torpor-like state. Scientists are wondering if it could be used on humans.
Climate change could trigger gigantic deadly tsunamis from Antarctica, new study warns
By Ben Turner published
Slippages in sediment beneath the Antarctic seabed could spawn gigantic tsunamis as oceans warm.
Solar 'superflares' millions of times stronger than anything today may have sparked life on Earth
By Ben Turner published
Intense solar storms may have delivered Earth its earliest building blocks of life, new research suggests.
Global warming will likely cross dangerous 1.5 C threshold within 5 years, UN report warns
By Ben Turner published
The U.N. weather agency has warned that El Niño and human-caused climate change will likely push temperatures into "uncharted territory."
Meet 'Scary Barbie,' a black hole slaughtering a star in the brightest way possible
By Ben Turner published
Astronomers detected one of the brightest and most energetic cosmic objects ever observed in the form of a star being torn to shreds by a supermassive black hole.
NASA satellite crash not source of mysterious flash of light above Ukraine capital, agency claims
By Ben Turner published
A blinding flash of light set off air raid alerts across Ukraine’s capital city. Officials at first thought it was a falling NASA satellite, but the space agency has said it isn’t.
SpaceX Starship launch under FAA investigation after raining potentially hazardous debris on homes and beaches
By Ben Turner published
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the April 20 launch of SpaceX’s Starship amid claims the launch smashed windows and rained ash on the habitats of endangered animals.
James Webb Space Telescope discovers oldest black hole in the universe — a cosmic monster 10 million times heavier than the sun
By Ben Turner published
The James Webb Space Telescope detected what may be the oldest known black hole in the universe by deconstructing faint glimmers of light from close to the dawn of time.
Monster black hole may have killed this galaxy's star-forming power, James Webb Space Telescope reveals
By Ben Turner published
New James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal that the galaxy GS-9209 had its star-forming power abruptly "quenched" by mysterious forces after millions of years of productivity.
World must act now to defuse 'climate time bomb,' UN scientists warn
By Ben Turner published
The UN's final IPCC report warns that drastic action must be taken immediately, but staving off disaster is within humanity's grasp.
Monster black hole may have killed this galaxy's star-forming power, James Webb Telescope reveals
By Ben Turner published
New James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal that the galaxy GS-9209 had its star-forming power abruptly “quenched” by mysterious forces after millions of years of productivity.
Asteroid feared to hit Earth in 2046 will almost certainly miss, NASA says
By Ben Turner published
An asteroid that was initially given 1-in-600 chance of wiping out an entire city on Valentine's Day 2046 is now expected to almost definitely whizz past us without incident.
Stunning plasma-winged 'butterfly' coronal mass ejection erupts from the sun's far side
By Ben Turner published
Astronomers spotted a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) expanding its ethereal wings as it barrelled out of the sun and toward Mercury.
Rare black hole 1 billion times the mass of the sun could upend our understanding of galaxy formation
By Ben Turner published
A rare supermassive black hole found hiding at the dawn of the universe could indicate that there were thousands more of the ravenous monsters stalking the early cosmos.
Doomsday clock advances to 90 seconds to midnight — the closest to apocalypse it's ever been
By Ben Turner published
Humanity faces greater existential threats than it did during the Cold War, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
Tonga's massive volcanic eruption wiped out unique, never-before-seen life-forms
By Ben Turner published
The island was destroyed by the same volcano that formed it seven years before.
Miniature sun with simulated gravity could help prepare us for deadly solar storms
By Ben Turner published
The tiny sun used sound waves to simulate the sun's swirling mass of plasma