Ben Spencer

Science Editor of the Sunday Times. DMs open for tips and stories. Sign up to my environment newsletter here:

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

It was such a joy to spend a few hours birdwatching with Robert Macfarlane and talking about mountains, nature and his new work, The Book of Birds.

@thetimes

https://t.co/w2K0BJ7kup

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Unsurprising, but no mention of politics or the leadership of the Labour party. Did not appear at a press conference just before his speech.

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Ed Miliband: "The fossil fuel age was defined by competition for scarce resources. But in the electricity age ... we can all benefit, learning from each other." Speaking on stage at London Climate Action Week. "When I was a child it was not 35C in London." #lcaw

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

"London is not just calling, it is cooking," says Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General in speech to London Climate Action Week. "Every fraction of a degree matters." #lcaw #unsg

[European Space Agency @esa]

Our astronaut Luca Parmitano is assigned as pilot of NASA’s #ArtemisIII mission.

With Europe powering Orion with the European Service Module, this mission will test the critical operations preparing for humankind's return to the Moon.

A strong step forward for ESA–NASA partnership.

🔗https://t.co/MJpn0ftcpr

📸 NASA

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Breaking: the Artemis III mission will include Italian @esa astronaut Luca Parmitano. I met him last year in Houston and he has certainly got the experience. He told me about the near-disaster he experienced on a space walk from the ISS. Scary stuff.

https://t.co/ue8idJlCsd

[Gozde @GozdeZorlu]

At @TheTimes Life Sciences Summit @Ben_Spencer in conversation with Lord James O’Shaughnessy

[The Press Awards @PressAwardsuk]

Congratulations to The Sunday Times for being awarded winner of Sunday Newspaper of the Year at the Press Awards 2026 @thetimes

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Humanity is dangerously separated from nature and disease outbreaks like hantavirus are the result, says @OfficialZSL chief exec Kathryn England in her first interview.

Online @thetimes now
Pics by @PohleRichard

https://t.co/VMIoFDFhN4

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Humanity is dangerously separated from nature and disease outbreaks like hantavirus are the result, says @OfficialZSL chief exec Kathryn England in her first interview.

Online @thetimes now
Pics by @PohleRichard

https://t.co/VMIoFDFhN4

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

In today's environment newsletter I wrote about the rain. If you doubt global warming is real, just look out of the window.
https://t.co/Q7dqNbDPK6

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

In today's environment newsletter I wrote about the rain. If you doubt global warming is real, just look out of the window.
https://t.co/Q7dqNbDPK6

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Times and Sunday Times well represented in the health and data categories too.

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

Delighted to be shortlisted for the science and environment categories at this year's Press Awards, among stellar company. These lists are a brilliant endorsement of the way science, health, data and environment is covered at Times Media @PressAwardsuk

https://t.co/r5RxCLhShV

[Izzy Lyons @LyonsIzzy]

British tourists travelling to Cape Verde have been issued fresh advice by UK government following a Sunday Times investigation, which first revealed that four British tourists have died in recent months.

Original story below:

[The Times and Sunday Times @thetimes]

In a breakthrough experiment, molecular biologists and tech entrepreneurs have teamed up to write the genetic code of a virus that destroys killer bacteria https://t.co/wupsi479Nr

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

I went to LA to speak to scientists who are using AI to write entire genomes from scratch and bring them to life in the lab. If this achieves its potential it will be huge - life can now be designed, heralding the end of Darwinian evolution.

@thetimes👇🏻

https://t.co/aYa0XiZWFS

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

I went to LA to speak to scientists who are using AI to write entire genomes from scratch and bring them to life in the lab. If this achieves its potential it will be huge - life can now be designed, heralding the end of Darwinian evolution.

@thetimes👇🏻

https://t.co/aYa0XiZWFS

[Ben Spencer @Ben_Spencer]

This looks brilliant. Nasa heading back to the moon, by @kayaburgess
👇 @thetimes

https://t.co/YWkFWwnIs0

[Shaun Lintern @ShaunLintern]

"Chicken pox changed our lives. If I'd known we'd have got the vaccine"

As a new chicken pox vaccine is rolled out, I spoke to two families devastated by severe pox related complications for @thetimes parenting section:
https://t.co/8T1bRQWy1c