Science | The Guardian

In today's newsletter: A gene therapy trial has successfully treated Huntington's for the first time - one of several recent groundbreaking medical advances bringing hope in gloomy timesGood morning. Few medical diagnoses are as brutal and devastating as Huntington's disease.For decades, those who inherited this cruel condition faced only despair. There was no cure. Symptoms began with mood swings and depression, then progressed to a loss of movement, followed by dementia, paralysis and, ultimately, death. Some patients died within a decade of diagnosis.France | The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy, and given a five-year prison sentence.UK politics | All working adults will need digital ID cards under plans to be announced by Keir Starmer, in a move that will spark a battle with civil liberties campaigners.Middle East | The White House is backing a plan that would see Tony Blair head a temporary administration of the Gaza Strip - initially without the direct involvement of the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to Israeli media reports.US news | James Comey, the former FBI director and one of Donald Trump's most frequent targets, was indicted on one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice, in the latest move in the president's retribution campaign against his political adversaries.UK news | The crown court backlog in England and Wales has hit a new record of almost 80,000 cases, while wait times for trial dates have reached up to four years. Continue reading...

The US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has long been consumed by the neurological condition autism - what causes it, and whether there's a treatment. This week, Donald Trump took on the cause, making claims about acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol and paracetamol, that were dismissed outright by medical experts around the world.Jonathan Freedland speaks to Carter Sherman, the reproductive health and justice reporter at Guardian US, about when and why the obsession with autism became politicalArchive: Good Morning America, NPR, NBC News, WHAS11, BBC News, CBS News, Jimmy Kimmel Live, LiveNowFox Continue reading...

Astronomers are warning that the proliferation of satellite constellations like SpaceX's Starlink, are making their work harder than it's ever beenDonald Trump has spent eight months attempting to remake the United States through a massive programme of cuts and deregulation. His administration has left almost no part of American life untouched - from classrooms to college campuses, offices to factory floors; museums, forests, oceans and even the stars.An executive order signed last month to streamline rocket launches has been celebrated by officials in the commercial space sector, who see it as integral to securing America's primacy as the world leader in space exploration. Continue reading...

Skull found in China may be Homo longi, potentially revising understanding of human evolutionA million-year-old human skull suggests that the origins of modern humans may reach back far deeper in time than previously thought and raises the possibility that Homo sapiens first emerged outside of Africa.Leading scientists reached this conclusion after reanalysis of a skull known as Yunxian 2 discovered in China and previously classified as belonging to a member of the primitive human species Homo erectus. Continue reading...

We look at the science behind vaping and the claims it causes tooth decay, gum disease and dry mouthThe actor Lily James has blamed vaping for damaging her teeth and driving tooth decay that required her to have her first dental filling. Here we look at what the science says about vaping and its potential impact on teeth and oral health. Continue reading...

Study monitored 500,000 women from Sweden and found 32% did not attend first mammogram appointmentWomen who miss their first breast cancer screening appointment have a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to a new study.Experts at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analysed data for about half a million women across Sweden, with the findings published in the British Medical Journal. The women all received their first screening invitation between 1991 and 2020 and were monitored for up to 25 years. Continue reading...

Scientists call for renewed global effort to curb fossil fuels as seven of nine planetary boundaries now transgressedThe world's oceans have failed a key planetary health check for the first time, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, a report has shown.In its latest annual assessment, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said ocean acidity had crossed a critical threshold for marine life. Continue reading...

Tests on Maria Branyas Morera, who was world's oldest person before she died last year aged 117, gave doctors a trove of discoveriesThe nonagenarian actor Dame Joan Collins may have been on to something when she declared age is just a number".The deepest dive yet into the biology of a supercentenarian has revealed that even extreme old age can be reached without the brain necessarily faltering or the usual illnesses mounting up. Continue reading...

Botanist says new Japanese species of dogbane is first evidence of plants copying antsIt's a stark demonstration of nature at its most devious: researchers have discovered a plant that attracts pollinating flies by mimicking the odour of half-eaten ants.The species of dogbane is the first plant known to boost its chances of reproducing by copying the scent that ants release as an alarm call to their nestmates when they come under attack by spiders and other predators. Continue reading...

In a televised press conference on Monday, Donald Trump and health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr made a series of unproven claims about autism and its links to paracetamol use in pregnant women, and about childhood vaccinations. The comments were immediately refuted by scientists and health agencies around the world, but many expressed concern about the impact of this misinformation being repeated at the highest levels of government. So what does the science really say? Madeleine Finlay speaks to Guardian science editor Ian Sample to factcheck the claims made in the announcement, and find out what decades of scientific research into autism tells us about its causes and why diagnoses are on the riseIs Tylenol the same as paracetamol, and should you take it in pregnancy? Here's why experts say Trump should be ignoredSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Surgical procedure to treat devastating illness slowed progress of disease by 75% in patients after three yearsHuntington's disease, a devastating degenerative illness that runs in families, has been treated successfully for the first time in a breakthrough gene therapy trial.The disease, caused by a single gene defect, steadily kills brain cells leading to dementia, paralysis and ultimately death. Those who have a parent with Huntington's have a 50% chance of developing the disease, which until now has been incurable. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader says he has no idea' if US president is right to tell women to avoid drug during pregnancy

Lenacapavir described as next best thing' to an HIV vaccine will cost $40 a year for each patient in 120 countries from 2027, funders sayCheap supplies of a groundbreaking twice-yearly HIV prevention jab will be available in many poorer countries within two years, funders have promised.Lenacapavir will cost $40 (30) a patient a year in 120 low- and middle-income countries from 2027, under two agreements with generic drug manufacturers announced this week. Continue reading...

Medical professionals, pregnant women and autistic people note guidance's disconnect from realityMedical professionals, pregnant people and readers with a relationship to autism are furious about Monday's announcement from the Trump administration involving Tylenol and its alleged connection to autism.Within hours of the Guardian publishing a call for responses to the announcement, hundreds sent in their thoughts. Many of these individuals noted that the announcement had fascist undertones and was largely disconnected from the realities of science and the experience of being pregnant. A number of respondents suggested that this announcement was a bad-faith ploy to distract voters from issues that Trump wants removed from the discourse. Continue reading...

Neeraj Ghaywan's film benefits from excellent lead performances, strong cinematography and an apparent mentorship from Martin ScorseseHaving screened earlier this year at the Cannes film festival, this Indian drama has already drawn inevitable comparisons with All We Imagine As Light, an Indian film at Cannes the year before - but they are only glancingly similar. Payal Kapadia's woozy, dreamy, femme-centric tale was primarily an urban-set story sprinkled with magical realist fairy dust. This is a much more four-square, on-the-nose, realist work about impoverished young men from a rural northern Indian town struggling to get ahead, and loosely based on a New York Times story published in 2020.But director Neeraj Ghaywan, whose 2015 debut Masaan was well-regarded, has a fairy godfather in Martin Scorsese no less, who apparently mentored Ghaywan through the script development and editing. Who knows who is responsible for which choices, but the end result is pretty damn good. It's an emotionally rich study of friendship that ought to play as a bit syrupy given the story, but the musical score, usually very to the fore in more mainstream Indian films, has been smartly stripped down to let the excellent lead performers and strong cinematography bring the drama on their own. Continue reading...

The US president claims the painkiller also known as acetaminophen is linked to autism. Here's what the science saysDonald Trump has urged pregnant women not to take acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol or paracetamol. He claimed it raises the chances of children being autistic.But the US president has been condemned by experts from across the world, who fear he is deliberately fostering a narrative of distrust that could be dangerous for women. Continue reading...

Growing desertification is putting traditional livelihoods at risk in western Africa and encouraging the search for rare stonesBy night, Lamine Hanoun works as a hospital guard in Bir Moghrein, near Mauritania's border with Morocco-occupied Western Sahara. By day, he twiddles his phone, checking TikTok and Facebook, which he uses to sell meteorites to the rest of the world.In this former French colonial garrison town, network signals come and go like the dusty wind. On a recent morning when the connection disappeared again and the Starlink at the local customs office was unavailable, he drove his silver Mitsubishi GLX to the town's outskirts.Hanoun holds a fragment of debris he says is from Mars Continue reading...

Health secretary joins medical experts in urging pregnant women to ignore US president's remarksWes Streeting has rejected Donald Trump's unproven claims of a link between taking paracetamol in pregnancy and autism, urging mothers-to-be to ignore the US president's remarks.The health secretary challenged Trump's statements, which medical experts have stressed are not based on evidence, as part of a drive to reassure mothers-to-be in the UK. Continue reading...

A trial is under way to find out if a 100 blood test could transform the way that the NHS diagnoses Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia and diagnosis is currently costly and time-consuming. To find out how this blood test could benefit patients, Ian Sample talks to Prof Jonathan Schott, who is co-leading the trial. He explains what the test involves and why it could pave the way for exciting new treatments for the devastating diseaseDoctors trial 100 blood test that could transform how NHS detects Alzheimer'sSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Researchers show interventions to reduce hostility only have short-term impact and there is no magical fix'Efforts to reduce the hostility people feel towards rival political parties can result in small changes - but such effects largely evaporate within two weeks, researchers have found.The team behind the work, which explored the impact of interventions ranging from correcting common misperceptions of the other side to enabling contact between political opponents, say their results suggest fresh approaches are needed to tackle what some have labelled the age of rage". Continue reading...

Completing a fiendish jigsaw certainly engages many areas of the brain, but genetics and other lifestyle factors also play their partThat's a very strong statement," cautions Roxi Carare, professor of clinical neuroanatomy at the University of Southampton. A more appropriate way to put it is: puzzles help delay the onset and worsening ofthe symptoms of dementia."Dementia is an umbrella term for conditions that lead to a decline in cognitive function. Some kinds have been linked to poor waste removal from the brain. Continue reading...

Conjunction is easier to spot from southern hemisphere because Antares is in southern constellation of ScorpiusThe moon all but kisses the brilliant red supergiant star Antares this week. It is a spectacular meeting but one that will require some effort to spot from the UK. To stand a chance of seeing the conjunction, you will need to find somewhere with a clear southern horizon. A hill to stand on would also be advantageous as the pair will already be setting by the time they become visible.The chart shows the view looking south-west from London at 19:30 BST. The pair will already be visible against the deepening twilight. The moon will be around five and a half days old, in its waxing crescent phase, and will have just under 30% of its visible surface illuminated. Continue reading...

From depression to obesity, the concept of evolutionary mismatch' can help foster self-compassion and point the way to a more rewarding existenceOne of the fascinating things about working as a psychotherapist is the opportunity to observe how many of our problems involve us getting in the way of ourselves. The difficulties we encounter are frequently the result of self-sabotage, and managing them often requires wrestling with our own drives, doing our best not to give in to every impulse. This is easier said than done, of course. To lose weight and keep it off, to successfully climb out of debt, to find meaningful work, to maintain long-term, happy relationships: all demand postponing our immediate desires in the service of a longer-term goal.Delaying gratification, as it's called, has been a useful tactic for aeons. But at a certain point it becomes reasonable to ask: why does so much of modern life seem to involve swimming upstream? Why is it that following our instincts often seems to land us in so much trouble? Continue reading...

People expect effort, not a token I'm sorry', but be careful not to over-script your acknowledgment of mistakesCalling the contrite: are you very sorry, or are you extremely remorseful? Do you see that what you did was very wrong, or have you recognised that it was exceedingly reprehensible?If that sounds like overdoing it, when it comes to expressing regret, syllables matter. That was the conclusion of a study published this week into the perceived sincerity of apologies, which found that when faced with an expression of remorse, we find it more meaningful if the apologiser has used longer words. Continue reading...

Silverpit crater off Yorkshire coast was caused by cathedral-sized asteroid that set off 100-metre tsunami 43m years agoDeep below the seabed, 80 miles off the coast of Yorkshire, is a remarkable crater that has divided scientists - was it, thrillingly, created by an asteroid crash? Or more mundanely was it the result of geological salt movements?Today, the decades-long scientific debate can be settled. The Silverpit crater 700 metres below the seabed under the North Sea was in all likelihood created by a direct hit from an asteroid or comet about the size of York Minster that hurtled towards the Earth more than 43m years ago. Continue reading...

Four out of five making staff cuts as physicists say findings are great concern' for UK's leadership in important areasThe heads of UK physics departments say their subject is facing a national crisis as one in four warns that their university departments are in danger of closing because of funding pressures.In an anonymous survey of department heads by the Institute of Physics (IoP), 26% said they faced potential closure of their department within the next two years, while 60% said they expected courses to be reduced. Continue reading...

From gardening and humming to getting a dog - there's more to boosting your gut microbiome than Greek yogurtWhen the gut health revolution began adecade or so ago, few could have predicted the sheervariety of pre- and probiotic foods that we wouldcome to embrace in our diets. From kimchi and natural yoghurt to fibre-rich jerusalem artichoke and probiotic shots, microbiome-nourishing foods and supplements once deemed left-field have become everyday essentials for many - with plenty of evidence that they help our gut bacteria to thrive.While many of us assume that diet is the onlywayto feed the trillions of microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi and viruses) that makeupthe microbiome, there are myriad daily habits that can help nurture this important part ofthe body. Continue reading...

Plus the right to roam the green and pleasant, and a 1,795-a-night solution to the postpartum bluesAn all-party parliamentary group is calling for everyone to be given the right to go wild camping and swimming across our green and pleasant land (and, I suppose our blue and hopefully non-besewaged waters). Apparently we only have the right to roam across 8% of England at the moment, a situation that strikes me as so perfectly us that it should be submitted to the Unesco intangible cultural heritage list immediately if not sooner. Continue reading...

Research which began with conversations round a campfire and went on to examine 7m gene variants shows how people survive with little water and a meat-rich dietA collaboration between African and American researchers and a community living in one of the most hostile landscapes of northern Kenya has uncovered key genetic adaptations that explain how pastoralist people have been able to thrive in the region.Underlying the population's abilities to live in Turkana, a place defined by extreme heat, water scarcity and limited vegetation, has been hundreds of years of natural selection, according to a study published in Science. Continue reading...

Researchers into idea to blend powdered PTFE into food as a zero-calorie filler to curb hunger win chemistry prizeFor decades scientists, doctors and public health officials have battled to solve the obesity crisis. Now researchers have won an Ig Nobel prize for a radical new approach: slashing people's calorie intake by feeding them Teflon.The left-field proposal was inspired by zero calorie drinks and envisaged food manufacturers blending powdered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) into their products in the hope it would sate people's hunger before quietly sliding out. Continue reading...

Prices have risen by 34% since 2022, with 29% of psychologists refusing new patientsThe cost of seeing private psychologists is soaring and many are so busy they are turning away new clients, research has found.The prices psychologists charge have risen by 34% since 2022 and 12 sessions now cost an average of 1,550, compared with 1,152 just three years ago, according to a survey by myTribe Insurance, which tracks the cost of private medical care.The average cost of a consultation in the UK has risen from 96 in 2022 to 129.20 in 2025.Psychologists in England charge the most (131) per session and those in Scotland the least (124).Those in Scotland have the shortest waiting times (16.9 days), and people in Wales the longest (23.8 days). Continue reading...

Market value of drugmaker climbs by 6.5bn as trial shows significant weight loss' for pill version of Wegovy

On a tiny Italian island, scientists conducted a radical experiment to see if the bees were causing their wild cousins to declineOff the coast of Tuscany is a tiny island in the shape of a crescent moon. An hour from mainland Italy, Giannutri has just two beaches for boats to dock. In summer, hundreds of tourists flock there, hiking to the red and white lighthouse on its southern tip before diving into the clear waters. In winter, its population dwindles to 10. The island's rocky ridges are coated with thickets of rosemary and juniper, and in warmer months the air is sweetened by flowers and the gentle hum of bees.Residents are people who like fishing, or being alone, or who have retired. Everyone has their story," says Leonardo Dapporto, associate professor at the University of Florence.Giannutri island's remote location made it a perfect open-air laboratory for the bee experiments. Photographs: Giuseppe Nucci Continue reading...

The murder of political activist Charlie Kirk has prompted fears about rising levels of political violence in the US after a number of high-profile assassinations and attempted assassinations of political figures in recent years. But how connected are these events and do they signal a rise in public support for this kind of violence? To find out Ian Sample speaks to Sean Westwood, an associate professor in political science at Dartmouth College and director of the Polarization Research Lab. He explains how political violence has evolved and why overestimating the support for such acts can be dangerousObama says Trump deepened US divide in rush to identify enemy' after Charlie Kirk shootingSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii release recommendations in wake of firings at federal health agenciesFour western states are issuing their own joint recommendations for who should receive Covid, flu and RSV vaccines this fall, providing a counterbalance in anticipation of new vaccine guidance from the Trump administration, which has purged prominent scientists from the federal health department and appointed vaccine skeptics and critics to key roles.The new recommendations come as a recently fired director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, testified to Congress that she feared that under Robert F Kennedy Jr, the Trump-appointed head of the Department of Health and Human Services, there was a real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need, without rigorous scientific review". Continue reading...

Swedish researchers find low daily dose can halve risk in post-surgery patients with specific gene mutationsA daily dose of aspirin can substantially reduce the risk of some colorectal cancers returning after surgery, according to a major trial into the protective effects of the everyday painkiller.Swedish researchers found that people who took a low daily dose of aspirin after having their tumour removed were half as likely to have their cancer return over the next three years than patients who took a placebo. Continue reading...

Study finds chimpanzees' enthusiasm for guzzling ripe fruit puts their ethanol intake at about 14g per daySomeone have a word with the chimps? Observations of the apes in the wild show them imbibing the alcoholic equivalent of a half pint of beer a day through the vast amount of fermented fruit in their diet.Researchers arrived at the first estimates of wild chimp daily alcohol intake after measuring ethanol levels in fallen fruit that the apes gather from the forest floor in Kibale national park in Uganda and in Tai national park in Ivory Coast. Continue reading...

My husband, Ulrich Loening, who has died aged 94, was a lecturer first in the botany and then in the zoology departments (now the molecular plant sciences and biological sciences departments) of Edinburgh University. He engaged in fundamental research and made significant contributions to the developing science of molecular biology.He had always had a great interest and concern for the natural world. After the establishment by Conrad Waddington, a professor of genetics, of the school of the man-made future at Edinburgh, Ulrich became actively involved in environmental and green issues. Continue reading...

Delphi-2M uses diagnoses, medical events' and lifestyle factors to create forecasts for next decade and beyondScientists have developed a new artificial intelligence tool that can predict your personal risk of more than 1,000 diseases, and forecast changes in health a decade in advance.The generative AI tool was custom-built by experts from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the German Cancer Research Centre and the University of Copenhagen, using algorithmic concepts similar to those used in large language models (LLMs). Continue reading...

One in five people who took orforglipron once a day for 72 weeks lost 20% or more of their weight, maker Eli Lilly saysA daily pill for weight loss can help people reduce their body weight by as much as a fifth, according to a trial that could pave the way for millions more people to shed pounds.The drug, called orforglipron, is manufactured by Eli Lilly and targets the same GLP-1 receptors as weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy. In a trial of 3,127 adults, one in five people who took the once-a-day tablet for 72 weeks lost 20% or more of their body weight. Continue reading...

Patrick Vallance says relations must improve and NHS has to reverse decline in drugs investmentThe UK is determined to resolve its standoff with the pharmaceutical industry and reverse a 10-year decline in NHS spending on medicines, the science minister has told MPs after a string of drugmakers cancelled projects worth nearly 2bn.Patrick Vallance, a former executive at drugmaker GSK, said the country needed to increase spending on medicines and reverse a decade of declining investment. Continue reading...

Survey of 12,000 women also revealed severity of long Covid symptoms rose and fell across menstrual cycleWomen with long Covid are prone to longer, heavier periods, which could put them at greater risk of iron deficiency that exacerbates common symptoms of the condition, doctors say.The findings emerged from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women, which also found that the severity of long Covid symptoms rose and fell across the menstrual cycle and became worse when women had their periods. Continue reading...

The next pandemic or geopolitical shock could be close at hand. To look after our people, we're looking after our supply chains, agriculture and fuel reserves

At a recent ceremony for world leaders in Beijing, a hot mic picked up a surprising exchange between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping about the possibility of living to 150. Putin suggested the secret might lie in repeated organ transplants. But is this the new frontier of anti-ageing research or a fringe and unproven theory? To find out, science editor Ian Sample speaks to Russian affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer and to John S Tregoning, professor of vaccine immunology at Imperial College London and author of Live Forever: A Curious Scientist's Guide to Wellness, Ageing and DeathPeople can get younger, perhaps even immortal': Putin's pursuit of longevitySupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

FAA ruled to have satisfied obligations in granting approval for expanded SpaceX operations next to wildlife refugeA US district court judge on Monday rejected a suit by conservation groups challenging the Federal Aviation Administration approval in 2022 of expanded rocket launch operations by Elon Musk's SpaceX next to a national wildlife refuge in south Texas.The groups said noise, light pollution, construction and road traffic also degrade the area, home to endangered ocelots and jaguarundis, as well as nesting sites for endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles and for threatened shorebirds. Continue reading...

Manganese blue pigment, used in Pollock's Number 1A, 1948, was since phased out for environmental reasonsScientists have identified the origins of the blue color in one of Jackson Pollock's paintings with a little help from chemistry, confirming for the first time that the abstract expressionist used a vibrant, synthetic pigment known as manganese blue.The work titled Number 1A, 1948 showcases Pollock's classic style: paint has been dripped and splattered across the canvas, creating a vivid, multicolored piece. Pollock even gave it a personal touch, adding his handprints near the top. Continue reading...

The industry's retreat from the UK reflects a deeper shift about how Beijing is rewriting the rules of innovationWhen Merck abruptly scrapped its billion-pound London research hub last week, critics blamed Britain's lacklustre support for life sciences and a Scrooge-like grip on NHS drug prices. But one important factor may have been missed. That Merck, which is also cutting jobs elsewhere - 6,000 globally - is recalibrating not just in response to the UK or the US, but to China.Merck's cash cow is pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda), an immunotherapy drug launched in 2014 that has successfully treated advanced melanoma, head and neck, lung, cervical and other cancers. It blocks an antibody called PD-1, teaching the immune system to fight the cancer. Because some patients are out of otheroptions, the results sometimes seem miraculous.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

It felt like a gargantuan achievement - I'm someone who regularly forgets the most important item on a shopping list

The answer to today's T-zerEarlier today I set you a classic 19th century puzzleThe T-puzzle Continue reading...

Staggeringly simple, tormentingly toughToday's puzzle is a classic - one of the most celebrated, perhaps, of all time.The T-puzzle Continue reading...