Steve Connor
The Independent
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Steve:
Leopard seal attacks and kills British scientist snorkelling off Antarctic coast
A British scientist has been attacked and killed by a leopard seal while on a snorkelling expedition off the coast of Antarctica. → Read More
Anxiety research: Even crayfish get stressed, scientists show
Anxiety is not only felt by the followers of the England football team, it can also be found in the lowly crayfish, a small lobster-like creature that appears to be capable of fearing the future just like a soccer fan, a study has found. For the first time scientists have found unequivocal signs that the state of anxiety normally associated with higher forms of life such as → Read More
Study indicates big decline in house sparrow numbers in urban areas
The number of house sparrows in some urban areas may have fallen catastrophically, according to preliminary findings of the first official investigation into the decline of Britain's most common bird. → Read More
Alarm raised on world's disappearing languages
The number of "living" languages spoken in the world is dwindling faster than the decline in the planet's wildlife, according to a new study.A comparison of the factors affecting the loss of languages and the demise of wild animals has found that the world's 6,000-plus tongues are facing the biggest risk of extinction."The threats to birds and mammals are well known but it turns out that… → Read More
Journey to the centre of the Earth is possible, says latter-day Jules Verne
A latter-day Jules Verne has devised a plan to make a journey to the centre of the Earth using a nuclear explosion and millions of tons of molten iron.David Stevenson, from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, wants to send a scientific probe to the Earth's core to take seismic measurements that can be beamed back to the surface for analysis. → Read More
Ocean's big game fish 'near extinction'
Industrial fishing has devastated the marine environment, wiping out 90 per cent of populations among the world's biggest species over the past 50 years, a study published today concludes.The scale of the loss has astounded fisheries experts, who had thought the open oceans still teemed with "sea monsters" such as giant marlin, tuna and swordfish. → Read More
Programme of jabs would cost billions in lost exports
A national vaccination programme for foot-and-mouth, which would put paid to Britain's "disease-free" status, could cost tens of billions of pounds in lost exports. → Read More
Stephen Hawking death: Giant of theoretical physics who bridged the divide between science and popular culture
Stephen Hawking, who has died aged 76, managed to transcend the divide between scientific exoticism and popular culture. He was a giant among the select band of late-20th century theoretical physicists contemplating the origins and mysteries of the universe. But he also achieved celebrity status, known more for his motorised wheelchair and computerised voice than his esoteric theories of… → Read More
Study of three-in-one vaccine finds no evidence it can cause autism
Doctors who investigated the health risks of the three-in-one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine have found no evidence to suggest it can cause autism in children.A group of medical specialists brought together by the Medical Research Council rejected claims made in 1995 and 1998 that the vaccine is linked with autism and bowel disease.The subsequent panic caused a serious fall in… → Read More
Fox numbers 'not reduced by hunting'
Traditional fox hunting is useless at controlling foxes, according to the first extensive study of how riding with hounds fails to affect overall numbers of the farm pest.The findings, published in the journal Nature today, are certain to be used in support of those wishing to outlaw fox hunting, who argue that a permanent ban would be unlikely to cause a big increase in fox numbers. → Read More
Daisy the duck's quack defies Steve Wright and John Peel
Experts in acoustics have debunked one of the more esoteric myths of the modern age - that a duck's quack is the only sound that does not produce an echo.The myth has been promulgated as fact by a number of television and radio shows, from Shooting Stars on BBC2 to Steve Wright on Radio 2 and John Peel's Home Truths on Radio 4.Now scientists have definitively shown that the quack of a duck does… → Read More
Isaac Newton by James Gleick
To some he was a giant among giants and a worthy contender for the title of most famous Briton. To others he was a troubled genius who found it difficult to have relationships with other people. As well as single-handedly laying the foundation stones of modern science, Isaac Newton was an alchemist and Biblical mystic. He was an eccentric student in his youth and ill-tempered in old age. If… → Read More
Scientists find tropical animal that hibernates through hot summer
Scientists have found the first tropical mammal that hibernates through hot winter months, when temperatures can fluctuate around an average of 30C. → Read More
Caffeine-free coffee tree is discovered
A naturally caffeine-free coffee plant has been found growing wild in Ethiopia, heralding the prospect of a cup of freshly-ground arabica that will not keep you awake. → Read More
The 3ft-tall 'hobbit' that rewrites the history of mankind
Scientists are celebrating the most important breakthrough in anthropology for a century: the discovery of a new species of apeman. → Read More
How The Independent reported on the biggest science stories of all
“It is a staggering achievement. For the first time in history, we are able to read our own draft set of genetic instructions.” This was how we announced the decoding of 90 per cent of the human genome in a front-page story of The Independent on 27 June 2000, a milestone in being able to read the complete “Book of Life”. → Read More
Climate change: February was hottest month on record as 'exceptional' Nasa figures show global warming surge
A dramatic surge in the Earth’s surface temperatures took place in February which saw the biggest month-on-month rise in global warming on record, latest figures released by Nasa show. As global temperatures rise well above their seasonal averages, especially in the northern hemisphere, the sea ice in the Arctic continues its overall downward trajectory with a new record monthly low for a… → Read More
Cancer treatment using nanotechnology tested with 'astounding' results
A new cancer treatment that uses nanotechnology has shown “astounding” results in mice. Scientists believe the technique could offer a treatment for metastatic cancer of the lungs and liver, two of the main causes of death for patients with a wide range of incurable cancers that have spread around the body. The researchers developed a method of delivering anti-cancer drugs to these vital organs… → Read More
Cancer: Low doses of chemotherapy 'may control disease more effectively'
Cancer might be better controlled by administering low-doses of chemotherapy drugs rather than using toxically high doses that damage the body but still allow drug-resistant tumour cells to spread, a study has suggested. An experiment on mice with breast cancer has shown that the conventional approach to cancer treatment, where high doses are used in the hope of killing off all cancer cells, may… → Read More
Cancer: Low doses of chemotherapy 'may control disease more effectively'
Cancer might be better controlled by administering low-doses of chemotherapy drugs rather than using toxically high doses that damage the body but still allow drug-resistant tumour cells to spread, a study has suggested. An experiment on mice with breast cancer has shown that the conventional approach to cancer treatment, where high doses are used in the hope of killing off all cancer cells, may… → Read More