Science | The Guardian

With NHS and No 10 advice differing, we look at best practice for flu prevention and protectionAn NHS leader has said people who are unwell with flu must" wear a mask in public. A UK government official has said if you need to go out while sick, you should only consider" wearing a mask.So what is the official advice, how serious is the threat posed by flu, and what should you do if have symptoms? Continue reading...

Groundbreaking find makes compelling case that humans were lighting fires much earlier than originally believedHumans mastered the art of creating fire 400,000 years ago, almost 350,000 years earlier than previously known, according to a groundbreaking discovery in a field in Suffolk.It is known that humans used natural fire more than 1m years ago, but until now the earliest unambiguous example of humans lighting fires came from a site in northern France dating from 50,000 years ago. Continue reading...

Reports say space exploration company has begun talks about stock market listing that could raise more than $25bn

Human beings in 7th place out of 35 species on monogamy scale, according to a study by Cambridge UniversityHumans are playing in the premier league of monogamous mammals, according to a new ranking of animals by their reproductive habits, but we may need a new manager to beat the beavers.In the study from University of Cambridge, humans ranked 7th out of 35 species on the monogamy scale, pipping white-handed gibbons and meerkats, but lagging behind moustached tamarins and Eurasian beavers. Continue reading...

Conservationist who devoted his life to the study and preservation of the African elephantThe British scientist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who has died aged 83, became the world's leading authority on the behaviour of African elephants and played a vital part in ensuring their conservation.His efforts to save the African elephant began in 1965 when, as an Oxford zoology graduate who had also just received his pilot's licence, he flew his Piper Pacer bush plane from Nairobi down to Tanzania's pocket-sized Lake Manyara national park. The challenge he had accepted at the age of 23 was how to solve the problem of 450 elephants confined in a space too small to support them. Continue reading...

Three crew members left the International Space Station and landed back on Earth after 245 days in space.The cosmonaut and station commander, Sergey Ryzhikov, handed over a symbolic key to the Nasa astronaut Mike Fincke during a change of command ceremony onboard the station.The spacecraft landed at 8.04am Moscow time near the Kazakh city of Zhezkazgan. Continue reading...

There are apparently breakthroughs on the way for those with sleep disorders - which sent me down a rabbit hole of research...I met a guy in pharmaceuticals who told me about a bunch of cool breakthroughs in sleep meds: mainly, we may be on the brink of a new Wegovy, but in this case it's a drug to cure narcolepsy. I suggested the two things are not quite the same, given that obesity is a global epidemic and narcolepsy is fairly rare. He countered that the way the drug works might also have applications for insomnia; similar to the Post-it note having been invented by someone trying to create the world's strongest glue.Anyway, in the course of this, I discovered the test for type 1 narcolepsy, which is that you're put in a room with zero stimulation - nothing to read, no one to chat to, perfect silence, perfect temperature - and timed on how long it takes you to fall asleep. If it's under eight minutes, you're narcoleptic. But the average, for a person with no complaints in that area at all, is 22 minutes. I was completely incredulous. This is a grip on consciousness more or less the same as a house cat. Bored? Go to sleep. Even a dog will have a quick look for something to eat first. Continue reading...

The work of surgeon and artist Joseph Maclise is the focus of a show at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in LeedsIt is an image of an unnamed black man with his eyes closed and his innards exposed. Drawn with care and precision, the image may be the only anatomical drawing of a black body made during the Victorian age.Now it is part of a new exhibition that focuses on the work of Joseph Maclise, a surgeon and artist whose work - including his 1851 atlas Surgical Anatomy - made the human anatomy accessible to the general public, and who was the brother of the celebrated artist Daniel Maclise. Continue reading...

At this time of year when stress levels are high, we can find ourselves being sent over the edge by frustrating post office queues, infuriating traffic jams and tension-filled family occasions. But what's the best way to release our anger and find peace and calm this festive season? To find out, Ian Sample hears from science correspondent Nicola Davis, who recently tried out a rage room as a means of channelling her fury, and from Brad Bushman, professor of communication at the Ohio State University. Is venting the most effective way to overcome anger, and if not, what is?Rage rooms: can smashing stuff up really help to relieve anger and stress?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Virus caught by person who travelled to Asia combines more severe form of mpox with less virulent typeHealth officials have identified a new variant of mpox in England after a person who recently travelled to Asia was tested for the virus.Genome sequencing showed that the virus was a recombinant" form containing elements of two types of mpox currently in circulation: the more severe clade 1, and the less virulent clade 2, which sparked the 2022 global mpox outbreak. Continue reading...

The answer to today's engineering challengeEarlier today I asked you to reinvent a component of the sixteenth century Dutch sawmill, which - according to a new book - was the world's first industrial machine. You can read that post here, along with some great BTL discussion about the world's greatest inventions. (Spoon or spear? Plough or spectacles? Transistor or trousers?)Round and up Continue reading...

First-century luxury vessel matches description by the Greek historian Strabo, who visited city around 29-25BCAn ancient Egyptian pleasure boat that matches a description by the first-century Greek historian Strabo has been discovered off the coast of Alexandria, to the excitement of archaeologists.With its palaces, temples and the 130 metre-high Pharos lighthouse - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - Alexandria had been one of the most magnificent cities in antiquity. The pleasure boat, which dates from the first half of the first century AD, was 35 metres long and constructed to hold a central pavilion with a luxuriously decorated cabin. Continue reading...

You saw it here firstUPDATE: Read the solution hereThere are many contenders for world's greatest invention." The wheel. The printing press. The steam engine.According to a new book, however, that title should go to the mechanised sawmill invented by Dutchman Cornelis Corneliszoon in 1593. Continue reading...

Observers in dark locations away from street lighting can expect to see more than 100 meteors an hourThe Perseid meteor shower in August often catches the headlines because of the warmer conditions associated with watching the display, but to many astronomers the Geminids put on the better show.The Geminids have been active since 4 December and they reach their climax this week with the peak of the shower taking place on the night of 13-14 December. The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at midnight as 13 December becomes 14 December. Continue reading...

More than 1,000 words used as far back as 325BC to be collected for insight into past linguistic landscapeIt is not likely to be a hefty volume because the vast majority of the material has been lost in the mists of time. But the remnants of a language spoken in parts of the UK and Ireland 2,000 years ago are being collected for what is being billed as the first complete dictionary of ancient Celtic.The dictionary will not be huge because relatively few words survive, but experts from Aberystwyth University say they expect they will end up with more than 1,000 words. Continue reading...

Tech moguls may foolishly hope to stay forever young, but others could benefit too from evidence of the human body's dynamic and varied journey through lifeAgeing can feel remarkably sudden. One morning you awake to find new aches, or lapses in strength and memory that you could swear were not present just a few days prior. We do not literally age overnight, but as research is increasingly showing, we may not do so in a steady, linear path either.Over the past decade a multitude of studies have suggested that ageing - at least for certain organs and bodily systems - may actually consist of long periods of stability, punctuated by inflection points or periods of rapid biological change. This shift in thinking has raised hopes for anti-ageing medicines. But it could also make us rethink our attitude to ageing in general, viewing it as a dynamic and varied journey - rather than simply a slow march of attrition and breakdown. Continue reading...

Some say it's overdiagnosis, others say it's greater recognition. But it's clear we must think about how our society is impacting human development

Scientists have developed algorithms that give predictive scores for a host of physical and mental traits

British fertility clinics raise scientific and ethical objections over patients sending embryos' genetic data abroad for analysis

Former Perth curator Mark Harvey is one of the few people on Earth to have described 1,000 new species, many of them arachnids. Colleagues say his legacy is unquantifiable'

Paper published in 2000 found glyphosate was not harmful, while internal emails later revealed company's influenceThe journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology has formally retracted a sweeping scientific paper published in 2000 that became a key defense for Monsanto's claim that Roundup herbicide and its active ingredient glyphosate don't cause cancer.

I knew that a revolution in our understanding of soil could change the world. Then came a eureka moment - and the birth of the Earth Rover Program

Soilsmology' aims to map world's soils and help avert famine, says not-for-profit co-founded by George Monbiot

Chris Whitty contrasts systematic approach in children and calls for more research into managing infections in elderlyThe medical profession must do more to prevent and manage infections in elderly people as the current methods are hit and miss", the chief medical officer for England has said.Writing in his annual report for 2025, Prof Chris Whitty said preventing and treating infections had led to extraordinary improvements in life expectancy over the last 150 years". Continue reading...

Residents report homes shaking from quake with epicentre near the village of Silverdale in LancashireResidents were shaken by what felt like an underground explosion" after England's strongest earthquake in two years affected towns and villages across Lancashire and Cumbria.A 3.3-magnitude earthquake was felt as far as 30 miles from the epicentre near the coastal village of Silverdale in Lancashire shortly after 11.23pm on Wednesday, with reports of tremors being felt in Blackpool. Continue reading...

Five families around the world share their struggles to keep their children away from UPFs

Vinay Prasad memo said at least 10 children had died from Covid vaccination - but offered scant evidence for claimAmerica's top vaccines official promised, in a long and argumentative memo to staff on Friday, to revamp vaccine regulation after claiming that at least 10 children died from Covid vaccination - but he offered no evidence for that allegation and scant details on the new approach.The top-down changes, without input from outside advisers or publication of data, worry experts who fear vaccines such as the flu shot may quickly disappear and that public trust will take a major hit. Continue reading...

Pesticide Action Network Europe study finds average concentrations 100 times higher than in tap waterHigh levels of a toxic forever chemical" have been found in cereal products across Europe because of its presence in pesticides.The most contaminated food is breakfast cereal, according to a study by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN), with average concentrations 100 times higher than in tap water. Continue reading...

Science editor Ian Sample sits down with co-host Madeleine Finlay and science correspondent Hannah Devlin to hear about three eye-catching stories from the week, including a study showing that the brain has five eras', with adult mode not starting until our early 30s. Also on the agenda is new research showing the shingles vaccine not only protects against dementia but could actually slow its progress, and a paper exploring how ants sacrifice themselves when they become infected with pathogens to protect their healthy relativesClips: BBCBrain has five eras', scientists say - with adult mode not starting until early 30s Continue reading...

It borders Brazil, but French Guiana is now a remote outpost of the EU. It is home to Europe's only spaceport, some of the most biodiverse forest on the planet and a military mission that is testing the limits of western powerAbove me, a ceiling of rough wooden branches and tarp. To my right, an officer in the French Foreign Legion types up the daily situation report. In front of me a French gendarme named David is standing in front of a table full of large assault rifles, pointing out locations on a paper map. A generator hums. All around us, splotches of forest dot the hundreds of islands that make up the archipelago of Petit-Saut, a watery ecosystem three times the size of Paris.Except Paris is 7,000 kilometres away from where I am, in Guyane, or French Guiana, a department of France in South America, just north of the equator. Continue reading...

Researchers find children who own dogs score lower for social problems, aggressive behaviour and delinquencyHaving a dog in the home could help boost teenagers' mental health, research suggests, with scientists adding this could in part be down to the sharing of microbes.Prof Takefumi Kikusui, of Azabu University in Japan, who led the work, said being with dogs could reduce owners' stress and stimulate the release of the bonding hormone oxytocin. Continue reading...

Richard Pazdur's potential retirement weeks into the role adds to upheaval at the FDA amid political pressureThe top drug regulator in the US signaled on Tuesday he may retire weeks after accepting the position, adding to upheaval in the highest ranks of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).If Richard Pazdur retires, finding a replacement would be challenging amid mounting political pressure and internal conflict at the agency, sources say. Continue reading...

White Coat Waste finds $1.7m in NIH grants for cat research months after officials said they were working to end studiesThe US National Institutes of Health is continuing to fund new laboratory experiments on cats despite saying that they are working tirelessly" to phase out" such projects.In July this year, Dr Nicole Kleinstreuer, the NIH acting deputy director, announced in a podcast with Dr Jay Bhattacharya, the NIH director, that she did not think the NIH should do research on dogs or cats. On the Director's Desk: The Future of Animal Models in Research, Dr Kleinstreuer said: I think it's unconscionable" and to phase them out, we are working tirelessly behind the scenes". However, she added the NIH was constrained under the law to leave existing grants in place. Continue reading...

From the threat of superintelligent AI to the secrets of a longer life; plus the evolution of language and the restless genius of Francis CrickThis felt like the year that AI really arrived. It is on our phones and laptops; it is creeping into digitaland corporate infrastructure; it is changing the way we learn, work and create; and the global economy rests on the stratospheric valuations of the corporate giants vying to control it.But the unchecked rush to go fasterand further could extinguish humanity, according to the surprisingly readable and chillingly plausible If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (Bodley Head), by computer scientists Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, which argues against creating superintelligent AI able to cognitively outpace Homo sapiens in all departments. Even an AI that cares about understanding the universe is likely to annihilate humans as a side-effect," they write, because humans are not the most efficient method for producing truths ... out of all possible ways to arrange matter." Not exactly cheery Christmas reading but, as the machines literally calculate our demise, you'll finally grasp all that tech bro lingo about tokens, weights and maximising preferences. Continue reading...

These delicate cloud systems appear to be seeded by massive atmospheric waves thousands of miles awayCirrus clouds are our highest clouds; their delicate wispy strands are like an artist's brushstrokes through the sky. During the day they are bright white and at dawn and dusk they can take on the hues of sunrise and sunset. But how are they made? New research reveals that some cirrus clouds are seeded by storms on the other side of the world, many thousands of miles away. This has implications for global heating as storm patterns shift.Meteorologists have long recognised two types of cirrus cloud: anvil" cirrus, which spread out from large storm systems, and in-situ" cirrus, which seem to form on their own. Telling them apart is tricky, but by applying a new computer analysis to cloud satellite data, researchers spotted that in-situ cirrus emerged in response to major storm systems on the other side of the Earth. Continue reading...

Ethnic minority people more likely to experience poor treatment and even racism, Migraine Trust research showsPeople from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to experience worse migraine care and to fear discrimination because of their condition, a survey by a leading UK charity has found.Migraines are characterised by a severe headache, alongside other symptoms including dizziness, numbness and vision problems. About one in seven people in the UK are affected by the condition. Continue reading...

Trump's renomination of billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman is a tale of politics, ambition and vanityIt used to be that once your star had fallen in Donald Trump's orbit, it was destined never to rise again. Any number of discarded former allies stretching back to Trump's first term of office could testify as much.One who has emerged from a political black hole to return to the president's firmament is the billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, who will on Wednesday tell senators - for the second time - why he is the best person to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). Continue reading...

Cristina Dorador is on an urgent mission in the world's driest desert, the Atacama in Chile. As the rise of drug-resistant superbugs kills millions per year, Cristina has made it her mission to uncover new, life-saving antibiotics in the stunning salt flats she has studied since she was 14. Against the magnificent backdrop of endless plains, microscopic discoveries lead her team of scientists to question how critically lithium mining is damaging the delicate ecosystem and impacting Indigenous communities Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: As suppliers get ready to meet policy makers and space agencies at the industry's largest gathering, a look at the exploration and exploitation of spaceGood morning. This week Glasgow hosts one of the UK's largest ever gatherings of the space industry at Space-Comm. With representatives of Nasa, the UK and Scottish governments and the UK space agency among 2,000 space leaders gathering there, it is a chance for people in the commercial supply chain of the space exploration industry to meet policy makers and space agencies.It comes at a crucial moment in the exploration - and exploitation - of space. For almost three decades the International Space Station (ISS) has bound the US and Russia into cooperation and shared interests. That project is nearing its end, and we can expect to see a realignment of missions and goals - which may bring states and scientists into conflict.Politics | Britain's budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, has said the early leak of its budget documents before Rachel Reeves made her speech last week, was the worst failure" in its 15-year history, as its chair resigned and it emerged a similar leak had happened earlier this year.Health | The World Health Organization has urged countries to make weight loss drugs more accessible and pharmaceutical companies to lower their prices, saying jabs including Mounjaro represent a new chapter" in the fight against obesity.Ukraine | The coming days may be pivotal" for talks to end the war in Ukraine, the EU's top diplomat said, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday and the US envoy Steve Witkoff flew out to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.Donald Trump | Donald Trump said he wouldn't have wanted" a second strike that the US military reportedly conducted on a boat in the Caribbean that it believed to be ferrying drugs, killing survivors of an initial missile attack. The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, has urged Washington to investigate, saying there was strong evidence" of extrajudicial" killings.Asia-Pacific | Sri Lanka and Indonesia have deployed military personnel to help victims of the torrential floods that have killed 1,100 in four countries in Asia. Heavy cyclones and tropical monsoon rains have hit the region in recent days. Continue reading...

Conch-shell trumpets discovered in Neolithic settlements and mines in Catalonia make tone similar to french horn, says lead researcherAs a child, Miquel Lopez Garcia was fascinated by the conch shell, kept in the bathroom, that his father's family in the southern Spanish region of Almeria had blown to warn their fellow villagers of rising rivers and approaching flood waters.The hours he spent getting that characteristically potent sound out of it" paid off last year when the archaeologist, musicologist and professional trumpet player pressed his lips to eight conch-shell trumpets. Their tones, he says, could carry insights into the lives of the people who lived in north-east Spain 6,000 years ago. Continue reading...

Artificial intelligence can execute tasks in seconds that once took humans hours, if not days to complete. While this may be great for productivity, some researchers are concerned that our increasing use of AI could be impacting our ability to tackle difficult problems and think critically. To find out where the science stands, and how worried we should be about the potential of AI to change how we think, Ian Sample hears from Madeleine Finlay and Sam Gilbert, professor of neuroscience at University College LondonAre we living in a golden age of stupidity?Watch Life Invisible, the Guardian's new documentary about the hunt for life saving antibiotics in Chile's Atacama Desert Continue reading...

Like the narco-state, a scam state' refers to countries where an illicit industry has dug its tentacles deep into institutions and transformed the economyFor days before the explosions began, the business park had been emptying out. When the bombs went off, they took down empty office blocks and demolished echoing, multi-cuisine food halls. Dynamite toppled a four-storey hospital, silent karaoke complexes, deserted gyms and dorm rooms.So came the end of KK Park, one of south-east Asia's most infamous scam centres", press releases from Myanmar's junta declared. The facility had held tens of thousands of people, forced to relentlessly defraud people around the world. Now, it was being levelled piece by piece. Continue reading...

Agreement could cost NHS an extra 3bn a year, industry sources estimateThe UK has agreed to pay 25% more for new medicines by 2035 as part of a US-UK drug pricing deal that will cost an estimated additional 3bn a year.The transatlantic agreement will also see the health service in England, which currently spends 14.4bn a year on innovative therapies, double the percentage of GDP it allocates to buying such products, from 0.3% to 0.6% over the next decade. Continue reading...

EU's Copernicus monitoring service hails reassuring sign' of progress observed this year in hole's size and durationThe hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic this year was the smallest and shortest-lived since 2019, according to European space scientists, who described the finding as a reassuring sign" of the layer's recovery.The yearly gap in what scientists have called planetary sunscreen" reached a maximum area of 21m sq km (8.1m sq miles) over the southern hemisphere in September - well below the maximum of 26m sq km reached in 2023 - and shrank in size until coming to an early close on Monday, data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams) shows. Continue reading...

WHO urges countries to make drugs such as Mounjaro more accessible to people and asks drugs companies to lower pricesWeight loss drugs such as Mounjaro offer huge potential to tackle soaring obesity globally but are currently only available to one in 10 of those who need them, the World Health Organization has said.Their proven effectiveness in helping people lose weight means the medications represent a new chapter" in how health services can treat obesity and the killer diseases it causes, the WHO added. Continue reading...

Elusive planet will make a pre-dawn appearance as it seems to stray from the sunWe start December with one of the best chances to see Mercury this year, at least for the northern hemisphere. The elusive inner planet never strays far from the sun but this week it reaches the configuration known as the greatest western elongation.This means that from our vantage point on Earth, the planet appears as far away as possible from the sun. It will appear in the pre-dawn twilight sky. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, the geometry is favourable, and so the best views are possible 30 to 60 minutes before sunrise. Continue reading...

Labour announces prevention programme as well as efforts to re-engage people who have fallen out of medical careEnding new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 is within reach thanks to an action plan that will include routine testing at A&Es, the government has said.The HIV action plan, to be unveiled on World Aids Day on Monday, aims to re-engage the thousands of people who have left HIV care, bringing them back to lifesaving treatment. The 170m package also includes funding for opt-out HIV testing at A&Es during routine blood tests in areas with the highest rates, including London and Manchester. Continue reading...

Understanding the surprising mechanism behind apathy can help unlock scientific ways to boost your motivationWe all know people with very different levels of motivation. Some will go the extra mile in any endeavour. Others just can't be bothered to put the effort in. We might think of them as lazy - happiest on the sofa, rather than planning their latest project. What's behind this variation? Most of us would probably attribute it to a mixture of temperament, circumstances, upbringing or even values.But research in neuroscience and in patients with brain disorders is challenging these assumptions by revealing the brain mechanisms that underlie motivation. When these systems become dysfunctional, people who were once highly motivated can become pathologically apathetic. Whereas previously they might have been curious, highly engaged and productive - at work, in their social lives and in their creative thinking - they can suddenly seem like the opposite. Continue reading...

Unique properties of fungi have led to groundbreaking innovations in recent years, from nappies to electronicsFrom the outside, it looks like any ordinary nappy - one of the tens of billions that end up in landfill each year. But the Hiro diaper comes with an unusual companion: a sachet of freeze-dried fungi to sprinkle over a baby's gloopy excretions.The idea is to kickstart a catalytic process that could see the entire nappy - plastics and all - broken down into compost within a year. Continue reading...

Charities express deep disappointment' as government advisers find harms of screening all men would outweigh benefitsProstate cancer screening should not be made available to the vast majority of men across the UK, a panel of expert government health advisers has said, to the deep disappointment" of several charities and campaigners.The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) has instead recommended that there should be a targeted screening programme for men with a confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 faulty gene variant, which means they are more at risk of faster growing and aggressive cancers at an earlier age. Men in that category could be screened every two years between the ages of 45 and 61, they said. Continue reading...