Groundbreaking footage shows surprisingly invasive' process and may help to improve infertility treatmentsA human embryo being implanted into a uterus has been pictured in real time and in 3D footage for the first time by a team of scientists.It shows images of an embryo implanting into a synthetic uterus, demonstrating how the process occurs naturally. Continue reading...

Critics say Jay Bhattacharya's comments on so-called failure of mRNA vaccines to earn public trust' are astounding'When the director of the National Institutes of Health this week said funding for the development of mRNA vaccines - the backbone of Covid vaccines - was being wound down because they had failed to earn public trust", it was met, publicly and privately, with exasperated incredulity.Critics say few have done more than Jay Bhattacharya and other top health officials in the Trump administration to sow doubts about public health institutions and, by extension, the value of the vaccines that saved millions of lives around the world. Continue reading...

Healthy fungal networks help trees and plants grow, making them key to successful reforestation. The only problem? Almost nothing is known about this subterranean ecologyEven in midsummer, the ancient hazelwoods on the Hebridean island of Seil are cool and quiet. Countless slanted stems of hazel support a thick canopy, which blots out the sun and blankets everything below in a sort of fairytale darkness", says Bethan Manley, a biologist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.Moss and lichen coat branches threaded with honeysuckle, forming a great dome above you, adds David Satori, a researcher at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Continue reading...

Stigma around mifepristone is stopping studies, experts in reproductive health claim in Lancet opinion pieceA drug used in medical abortions could help prevent women at high risk of breast cancer from developing the disease, according to an international group of doctors and scientists.However, stigma" around mifepristone is stopping pharmaceutical companies from investigating its potential as a new treatment doctors could offer to reduce the risk of breast cancer, they say. Continue reading...

US president is pushing an end run around' on safeguards, risking harm to wildlife, air and water, attorney saysA draft executive order from Donald Trump that aims to largely exempt space launches from environmental review is viewed as a gift to commercial space industry players such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others who have long targeted the regulations.But its central components may be illegal and the US president is trying to do an end run around" the law, said Jared Margolis, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which has litigated environmental issues around launches. Continue reading...

MSF charity calls situation beyond urgent' as thousands seeking refuge from war rely on contaminated waterThe worst cholera outbreak in years" has killed at least 40 people in the last week in Sudan, according to the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.Overwhelmed medical centres are resorting to treating patients on mattresses on the floor, MSF said, as the country's two-year civil war aids the spread of the disease. Continue reading...

Experts warn of undermining environment that fostered foundations of artificial intelligence as federal agencies hitThe Trump administration released America's AI Action Plan" last month with the goal of expanding US dominance when it comes to AI in order to maintain a global edge, especially over China.But Donald Trump's cuts to scientific research funding through federal agencies - including the National Intitute Health, the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Nasa - will undermine that goal and threaten the research environment that fostered the foundations of AI, experts in the field said. Continue reading...

Europe is suffering from another heatwave as deadly temperatures of up to 44C hit the continent and wildfires blazed across the Mediterranean. To find out why Europe is heating faster than anywhere else, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian's Europe environment correspondent, Ajit Niranjan, and to Adam Taylor, professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, to find out how we can try to stay cool as the temperature risesClips: ITV News, France 24 Continue reading...

Companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin may be able to forgo reviews required under National Environmental Policy ActDonald Trump is looking to relax environmental rules for commercial spaceship companies. In an executive order titled Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry" that he signed on Wednesday, he said it's imperative to national security that the private rocket-ship industry increase launches substantially" by 2030.That would mean, according to the executive order, that those companies may be able to forgo the environmental reviews that are required under the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa). Private space companies are required to obtain launch permits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). And, as part of that process, companies are subject to review under Nepa. Continue reading...

Research also suggests the medication lowers risks of substance misuse, transport accidents and criminalityAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication is linked to significantly lower risk of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents and criminality, according to a study of the wider outcomes of treatment.The research, based on the medical records of nearly 150,000 people in Sweden, suggested that the drugs could have meaningful benefits beyond helping with the core symptoms of ADHD. Continue reading...

Lifestyle factors such as drinking and smoking could contribute to increased severity of obstructive sleep apnoeaLetting your hair down at the weekend might be a well-known recipe for a hangover, but researchers say it might also increase the severity of a common sleep disorder.Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) involves complete pauses in breathing or partial reductions in airflow that arise because muscles in the back of the throat relax, causing the airways to narrow or close. It is more common in groups such as older people and people who are overweight or obese. Continue reading...

Ahead of the second Maha report, grassroots Defend Public Health warns that everything HHS is doing is horrifying'A grassroots organization of health professionals has released a report outlining major health challenges in the US and calling for the removal of Robert F Kennedy Jr from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The report from Defend Public Health, a new organization of about 3,000 health professionals and allies, is an attempt to get ahead of misinformation and lack of information from health officials. Continue reading...

Scientist says new species described from 25-million-year-old fossil found in Victoria was a gnarly whale I wouldn't want to get in the water with'Small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless" is how scientists have described a new species of ancient whale, from a 25-million-year-old fossil found on Victoria's surf coast.This early species, called Janjucetus dullardi, was an extremely unusual animal, said Dr Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute. Continue reading...

The gunman who killed four people in the building of NFL's New York headquarters asked for his brain be studied for CTE. Neuroscientist Chris Nowinski on what happens nextShortly after news broke that a shooter had breached the New York City skyscraper where the NFL is headquartered and killed four people before turning the gun on himself, Chris Nowinski was called to duty.A former Harvard football player and professional wrestler turned neuroscientist, Nowinski helped establish the Unite Brain Bank at Boston University. It is the world's largest repository of brain samples dedicated to the study of CTE - or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive hits to the head and concussions. Some 1,600 brains have been examined there, with Nowinski helping to facilitate donations. Continue reading...

Today, Rayvon Stewart's model is celebrated as a symbol of the Caribbean's growing science and technology talent poolWhen the Jamaican university student Rayvon Stewart invented a workable model for a door handle that could disinfect itself after every touch, it was hailed as a potential gamechanger for hospitals, hotels and other businesses, with promising implications for controlling the spread of disease, particularly during pandemics like Covid-19.Speaking at a recent product launch, Alison Drayton, assistant secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), a 15-member bloc of Caribbean countries, described the invention as a meaningful solution" for the region and a life-saving design that fits our reality". Continue reading...

Scientists received 735m in grants in 2024 after UK rejoined programme as associate member post-Brexit

Maple, a springer spaniel, is part of a project at a Michigan university focused on risk factors affecting the bees' healthOne dog in Michigan hasn't been content with merely belonging to the species famously known as man's best friend. She has strived to be bees' best friend, too.Maple, a springer spaniel aged nine, is earning news headlines by helping Michigan State University (MSU) researchers identify bacteria that is harmful for bee colonies. Continue reading...

Each year researchers at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology mark National Science Week with a photography contest to see who can snap the best image. Here are some of this year's entries Continue reading...

Yearly spectacle, most visible in northern hemisphere, is caused by Earth passing through debris of ancient cometIt is time for stargazers to dig out the deckchairs to try to enjoy what is considered to be one of the best meteor showers of the year.The Perseids are expected to peak on the night of 12 August, although they have been active from mid-July and will continue to be visible for a further couple of weeks. Continue reading...

For many of us, slathering on sunscreen to protect our skin in the summer months is a no-brainer. But recently social media has been awash with influencers airing their concerns about the potential dangers of this seemingly innocuous product. So is there anything to the claims that sunscreen is toxic? To find out, Madeleine Finlay is joined by the Guardian's science editor, Ian Sample. He explains where the science stands on the safety of sunscreen and what we can do to protect our skin all year roundAs influencers spread toxic' claims, what is the truth about sunscreen?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Excrement contains nutrients needed for crop growth and a new source of them could cut farming's huge CO2 outputCharcoal made from human waste could help solve fertiliser shortages as well as reduce pollution and energy use, a study has found.Biochar is a form of charcoal made from organic matter treated at high heat, which is often used on farming soil as a fertiliser. The process also removes carbon from the atmosphere, making it a useful carbon sink. Continue reading...

The decision by the US health and human services secretary to remove mRNA research funding is ill-informed and dangerousScience is not black and white. It's more complicated and more exciting. It's a constant process of exploration. An adventure into the unknown. Scientists come up with theories about what might be going on, and then test them. They don't always get it right. Far from it. But inch by inch, testing, failing and trying again, they makeprogress.Robert F Kennedy Jr, during Senate confirmation hearings for the role of secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), seemed to get that. Those who feared what a vaccine sceptic might do in that role breathed again. I'm going to empower the scientists at HHS to do their job and make sure that we have good science that is evidence based ... I'm not going to substitute my judgment for science," he said.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...

Non-mRNA jab targeting common mutations in pancreatic and bowel cancers could lower risk of relapseAn off-the-shelf vaccine has shown promise in preventing the return of pancreatic and colorectal cancer, researchers have revealed.Cancer vaccines have been the subject of promising research in recent years. The NHS in England has been trialling various jabs in patients through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP). Continue reading...

The avian flu virus is now just one mutation away from easier transmission among humans. Donald Trump's health chief is a grave risk to world health

Cherry tomato-sized space rock that pierced roof and hit floor of metro Atlanta home is 20m years older than EarthA cherry tomato-sized fireball that crashed through the roof of a metro Atlanta house in June was a meteorite 20m years older than Earth, a scientist has determined.In a news release on Friday, the University of Georgia planetary geologist Scott Harris said that he arrived at that conclusion after examining 23 grams of fragments from a meteorite that were provided to him after the space rock pierced a man's home and dented its floor in the Henry county community of McDonough. Continue reading...

Shower peaks on the night of 12 to 13 August, when in ideal conditions as many as 100 meteors an hour can be seenThe Perseid meteor shower is widely regarded as the best of the year but better than that, it is happening this week.Active from mid-July until the end of August, the shower peaks on the night of 12 to 13 August, when it can be possible to see as many as 100 meteors an hour streaking across the sky in all directions from the radiant point. From more urban environments, expect an average of as many as one a minute. Continue reading...

Experts on condition affecting millions of people in UK give cautious welcome to findings but say more research neededBlowing into a conch shell could help tackle the symptoms of a sleep disorder that affects millions of people across the UK, according to a study.Conch blowing, also known as shankh blowing, is an ancient ritual that involves breathing in deeply and exhaling into the spiral-shaped shell. Continue reading...

Will the University of Edinburgh confront its dark past? Severin Carrell reportsThe University of Edinburgh has released a report examining its 400-year history and its connections to slavery, colonialism and the development of scientific racism.The Guardian's Scotland editor, Severin Carrell, explains to Nosheen Iqbal how these findings will lead to a lot of soul-searching about how this centre of the Scottish Enlightenment should now be understood. Continue reading...

Actor who portrayed commander in 1995 Oscar-winning film says Lovell dared to go to places most wouldn't goLate Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell has received a tribute from Tom Hanks, the actor who brought him to life in an Oscar-winning movie and said he had gone places most wouldn't dare.There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to places we would not go on our own," Hanks said of Lovell in a heartfelt Instagram tribute post published after the astronaut's death was announced on Friday. Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy." Continue reading...

American astronaut and commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission who dramatically brought the crew back to EarthJust after 9.20pm, Houston time, on Monday 13 April 1970, Jim Lovell, who has died aged 97, looked out of the left side window of Odyssey, the command module of the Apollo 13 lunar mission. Caught in the sunlight was what looked like smoke, which Lovell believed, correctly, was oxygen. It was pouring out of the service module, the technological core of the spacecraft.Lovell and his fellow crew members, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, were 205,000 miles from Earth. Thirteen minutes earlier, a muffled explosion had rocked Apollo 13 and Lovell now realised that we were in serious trouble" and, unlike Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, or Apollo 12's Pete Conrad and Alan Bean, he would never fulfil his life's ambition to walk on the moon. Continue reading...

Yes, they can be hard to spot - but this find highlights how little we know about creatures crucial to our ecosystem

Aalborg zoo points to importance of mimicking natural feeding, but critics say its campaign devalues petsAfter a Danish zoo posted a reminder of its long-running programme allowing people to donate their healthy, small pets to be gently euthanised" and fed to predators, reaction poured in from across the globe.But beyond the battleground playing out on social media - where some protested against the idea of using pets as prey and others praised the zoo's efforts to drum up a practical food supply - some were swift to point out that the zoo was simply laying bare the reality of keeping carnivores in captivity. Continue reading...

Email obtained by Guardian says Pfizer was told approval may not be granted, meaning Moderna may have to fill gapPfizer's Covid vaccine for young children may not be renewed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this fall, prompting Moderna to fill possible gaps in supply, according to an email obtained by the Guardian.The move would pull the only remaining Covid vaccine for all children under five from the market. Continue reading...

Nasa hails Lovell for saving 1970 moon mission from potential tragedy' and safely returning crew to EarthJames Jim" Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97.Lovell died on Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, Nasa said in a statement. Continue reading...

Academic study suggests devices cannot differentiate between someone being overworked and being excitedThey are supposed to monitor you throughout the working day and help make sure that life is not getting on top of you.But a study has concluded that smartwatches cannot accurately measure your stress levels - and may think you are overworked when really you are just excited. Continue reading...

Organisers say move will damage nation's scientific standing as government refuses to comment on why group of scientists were refused entry

Researchers say distinct frequency is great news' as it will allow their nests to be located with greater easeAsian hornets buzz at a unique frequency that could be the key to controlling their spread, scientists have found, as the invasive species experiences a record year in the UK.Researchers have said this is great news", as the hornet nests can now be more quickly found and distinguished from those of other species, meaning their threat to bees and other pollinators could be contained. Continue reading...

The virtual world can bring a kind of friendship and a kind of connection, even to the grieving. But it can also facilitate exploitation of very human needsJoaquin Oliver was 17 years old when he was shot in the hallway of his high school. An older teenager, expelled some months previously, had opened fire with a high-powered rifle on Valentine's Day in what became America's deadliest high school shooting. Seven years on, Joaquin says he thinks it's important to talk about what happened on that day in Parkland, Florida, so that we can create a safer future for everyone".But sadly, what happened to Joaquin that day is that he died. The oddly metallic voice speaking to the ex-CNN journalist Jim Acosta in an interview on Substack this week was actually that of a digital ghost: an AI, trained on the teenager's old social media posts at the request of his parents, who are using it to bolster their campaign for tougher gun controls. Like many bereaved families, they have told their child's story over and over again to heartbreakingly little avail. No wonder they're pulling desperately at every possible lever now, wondering what it takes to get dead children heard in Washington.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnistDo 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...

Many say control measure for mosquito-borne disease hark back to the zero-Covid era, in which people's daily lives were strictly monitoredThere is growing alarm in China that official efforts to control the spread of Chikungunya virus, a non-fatal mosquito-borne disease that has been spreading in the south of the country, are infringing on people's personal rights.A single mother living in Zhanjiang, a port city in Guangdong province, posted a video on social media this week showing a group of people, including a uniformed police officer, entering her children's bedroom in the middle of the night and taking blood samples from the boy and the girl, without their mother's presence or consent. The mother had been working a night shift so was not at home. Continue reading...

Social media post led to discovery that samplers measuring toxic particles in air can also detect fragments of DNAAs the UK's Big Butterfly Count reaches more than 100,000 submissions, an international group of scientists have produced the first national survey of biodiversity using an entirely different approach. Instead of looking for species by eye, they took advantage of the samplers around the UK that constantly measure toxic metal particles in the air, and used them to measure tiny fragments of DNA.Dr Joanne Littlefair from University College London, part of the research team, said: Organisms lose bits of themselves all the time - dead skin cells, fragments of hair or feathers, saliva, even faeces and urine. Some of this will blow up into the air and become airborne environmental' DNA or eDNA." Continue reading...

Ex-fossil fuel executive Chris Wright said administration is reviewing national assessments made by past governmentsThe US energy secretary, Chris Wright, is facing growing criticism from scientists who say their worst fears" were realized when Wright revealed that the Trump administration would update" the US's premier climate crisis reports.Wright, a former oil and gas executive, told CNN's Kaitlin Collins earlier this week that the administration was reviewing national climate assessment reports published by past governments. Continue reading...

Researchers say scientific community is in state of whiplash and accuse president of trying to destroy' vital workLast week, the office of management and budget (OMB) revealed plans to freeze all outside funding for National Institutes of Health research this fiscal year, but reversed course later that day, leaving the scientific community in a state of whiplash. A senior official at the NIH who spoke on condition of anonymity said this was just the latest in a multi-prong" approach by the Trump administration to destroy American scientific research.In July, the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the NIH, updated its website to reflect Trump administration plans to significantly cut cancer research spending as well. Since January, the administration has been cancelling NIH grants, in some cases targeting other specific research areas, such as HIV treatment and prevention. Continue reading...

While urban greening can help mitigate extreme heat, such spaces are not distributed equitablyIt has been a summer of heatwaves in western Europe, with record highs of 46C (115F) in Spain and Portugal.An estimated 2,300 people died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities in June, according to a rapid scientific analysis, with two-thirds of those deaths linked to climate breakdown, which has made heatwaves more severe. Continue reading...

It's a mystery that has long puzzled researchers. Freud called the phenomenon infantile amnesia, and for many years scientists have wondered whether it's a result of failure to create memories or just a failure to retrieve them.In this episode from March 2025, Ian Sample speaks to Nick Turk-Browne, a professor of psychology at Yale University, whose research appears to point to an answerWhy can't we remember our lives as babies or toddlers?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Large study suggests people's genetics could tip the balance' on whether they would develop the illnessScientists have found the first robust evidence that people's genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a mysterious and debilitating illness that has been neglected and dismissed for decades by many in the medical community.Early findings from the world's largest study into the genetics of the condition pinpointed eight regions of the human genome that were substantially different in people with an ME/CFS diagnosis compared to those without the illness. Continue reading...

Site director says a kind of camp, a favela' was founded in the ruins of city destroyed in AD79Archaeologists have discovered new evidence pointing to the reoccupation of Pompeii after the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius that left the city in ruins.Despite the massive destruction suffered by Pompeii, an ancient Roman city home to more than 20,000 people before the eruption, some survivors who could not afford to start a new life elsewhere are believed to have returned to live in the devastated area. Continue reading...

Winner of Project Hyperion design contest envisions polyamorous people thriving onboard cigar-shaped craftSpaceships modelled on jellyfish, 3D-printed homes, polyamorous relationships and vegetarian diets are among the ways in which experts have envisaged making interstellar travel feasible.The ideas from scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists came in response to a global competition to develop plans for generation ships", self-sustaining crafts capable of supporting up to 1,500 people on a 250-year journey to a habitable planet. Continue reading...

Agency to end 22 federal contracts, questioning safety of technology credited with helping end Covid pandemicThe US Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday it would terminate 22 federal contracts for mRNA-based vaccines, questioning the safety of a technology credited with helping end the Covid pandemic and saving millions of lives.The unit, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, helps companies develop medical supplies to address public health threats, and had provided billions of dollars for development of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading...

Even if we don't develop long sticky tongues and a taste for termites, we can still learn a lot from these remarkable creaturesWho doesn't love an anteater? I mean, apart from ants, obviously. With their long snouts and even longer sticky tongues, they trundle around, slurping up insects like milkshakes. They have handsome, bushy tails, which they wrap around themselves at night like a blanket. And they're excellent parents. Giant anteater mothers allow their young to cling to their backs, rucksack-style, for periods of up to a year.Indeed, the surrealist artist Salvador Dali was so taken with the giant anteater that he once took one for a walk through the streets of Paris. And before you ask, no, this wasn't a cheese dream. There is photographic evidence.Helen Pilcher is a science writer and the author of Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-Extinction and Life Changing: How Humans are Altering Life on Earth Continue reading...

Too much exposure to the sun has traditionally been seen as a danger. Now claims that sunscreen is toxic flood the internet. What does the science say?It's summertime in the UK and social media is awash with influencers airing their concerns about sunscreen. Among them is reality TV star Sam Faiers from The Only Way Is Essex, who believes sunscreen is full of toxic ingredients". None of her family wore sunscreen, she said, adding that her children had built up a really good tolerance" to the sun. Some of the claims appear to be fuelled by a US doctor who told his followers: Be careful what you smear on yourself and your children." Here we look at the science behind sunscreen and sun exposure. Continue reading...