Professor Tim Coulson: I wanted to explore what science can tell us about why we exist. The universe started as a pinprick of intense energy, and 13.8 billion years later, some of that energy is in you—a walking, talking, thinking

Professor Tim Coulson: Evolution is a process of gradual change in living organisms over time as they better adapt to their environments. The fuel for evolution is genetic mutation – changes in DNA. Most mutations are harmful, but a few provide

In the future, humans could evolve to become hyper-intelligent and have super-senses, incredible physical strength, armadillo-like armour or the ability to fly like a bat. That might sound far-fetched, but I very much doubt that anyone would have predicted that

Bigfoot, The Yeti, Nessie—three fabled creatures that capture our imagination and make us wonder, will we ever find them? Well, I’m sorry to be ‘that guy’ but, in short, they don’t exist, though there’s a good chance that aliens do. My

My strong suspicion is that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe and that they will have evolved adaptations similar to some those we see in animals on earth. There is little doubt that they will be able to experience

Professor Tim Coulson, an Oxford University biologist, said humans could be “wiped out” by fat, slug-like ETs that look like the Star Wars villain. In his most recent column, the eminent scientist argued that it is “perfectly rational” to assume intelligent life

Periodical cicadas lead unusual lives. Every 13 or 17 years, depending on the species, the adults emerge in huge numbers, mate, and then die about a month later. After mating, the females lay their eggs in thin twigs. The eggs

My paternal grandfather was a member of the 1st Battalion of the Cambridgeshire Regiment. He was sent to Asia to fight not long after the outbreak of World War II, and was taken prisoner of war in early 1941. He

If I had been born a month and a day later, you’d have frequently seen my photo in the sports pages of newspapers. In pubs and bars across the land, football fans would have been discussing whether Pele, Maradona, Messi

Insects have made the news this summer. Swarms of ladybirds caught the public’s attention in early July, there have been numerous reports of butterflies in abundance, and a bumper wasp season is just getting underway. I have heard people moaning