Senior insider says limbo' at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has hit morale and disrupted vital researchA shake-up of the government's defence science powerhouse at Porton Down has severely damaged morale and harmed work on critical science that supports national security, a senior whistleblower has told the Guardian.The whistleblower said they were raising concerns in the public interest that the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), based largely at Porton Down in Wiltshire, had been left in a paralysing limbo because of the changes. Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample, with Jillian Ambrose, pro on (#72MF0)
The US capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday left many people wondering why? Donald Trump hinted at an answer when he claimed the Venezuelan regime had stolen US oil rights and that American oil companies would help to run Venezuela going forward.Jillian Ambrose, the Guardian energy correspondent, explains to Ian Sample the appeal of Venezuelan oil to the US, how easy it is to extract and what the latest action tells us about Trump's energy strategyClips: CBC, DW, USA TodayWhat role could the US play in Venezuela's bust' oil industry? Continue reading...
The solution to today's puzzleEarlier today I set the following puzzle, a pre-commemoration of World Logic Day on January 14. Here it is again with the solution.Middle management Continue reading...
There's nothing more uplifting than hearing about a world-shaking, life-enhancing new development. But science shouldn't overlook the small stuff, or stop looking for new species of cute, fluffy mammals ...People who greet the new year with hope, ambitious plans and optimised gut microbiomes might be obnoxiously apparent at the moment, but we all know they're a minority. Most of us lurched into 2026 catastrophically depleted and grey-faced, juggling deep Lemsip dependency with a deeper overdraft and a sense of ever-deepening global geopolitical foreboding. There is, however, one thing that fills me with buoyant optimism now and always: science. I don't understand it, but I'm delighted it's out there, making things better.I was booted out of my leaden year-end listlessness by The Atlantic's list of 55 Facts That Blew Our Minds in 2025. Did you know, for example, that scientists at UC Berkeley created a new colour? (It's called olo" and it's sort of teal.) Or that doctors treated a baby with a rare genetic disorder with custom gene editing? There were more wonders in the Smithsonian's list of last year's fascinating scientific discoveries: ichthyosaurs, extinct marine reptiles, had stealth flippers", snails can regrow eyes within a month, and flamingos form tornado-like vortices as they probe for prey", which is pure poetry (it looks pretty cool too, I watched one do it on YouTube). Still on an animal theme, entomologists discovered a bone collector" caterpillar that conceals itself in the body parts of its prey (I'm sure he's lovely when you get to know him). 2025 was also the year science made oyster mushrooms play keyboards (sort of), astronomers discovered more than 100 moons in our solar system and medical researchers created replica womb lining and made astonishing progress towards lab-grown teeth. Continue reading...
Raise an eyebrow for World Logic DayUPDATE: Solution can be read hereAll days of the year host an annual celebration.January 14 is a day of the year. Continue reading...
Solar system's biggest planet will be close enough to reveal its largest moons through a pair of modest binocularsThe giant planet Jupiter reaches its closest approach to the Earth in 2026 this week. It is extremely well placed for observation and so bright that it is impossible to miss.Jupiter - the largest planet in the solar system - will be unmistakable in Gemini, the twins, forming a lopsided triangle with the constellation's two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. Its diameter is more than 11 times that of the Earth, and its cloud decks are highly reflective, making it the brightest planet in the night sky apart from Venus, despite it being so much further away. It will be visible from northern and southern hemispheres. Continue reading...
According to Nasa, a supermoon occurs when the moon, due to its proximity to Earth, appears up to 15% larger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon Continue reading...
With vaping now more common than smoking, experts explain addiction and what actually helps people quitMore socially acceptable than smoking - yet just as addictive - vaping has become the UK's default way of consuming nicotine.Figures published by the Office for National Statistics last month showed that the number of over-16s in Great Britain who use vapes or e-cigarettes has overtaken the number who smoke cigarettes for the first time, with 5.4 million adults now vaping daily or occasionally, compared with 4.9 million who smoke. Continue reading...
Three decades after its modest beginnings on Channel 4, the TV juggernaut now has its own channel and global subscribersThirty-two years ago, a small group of archaeologists gathered for a weekend in Somerset to make a TV programme about a field in Athelney, the site where once, 1,200 years ago, King Alfred the Great rallied resistance to the invading Viking army.There weren't many concessions to showbiz glitz. Instead, a group of blokes with unruly hair and a couple of women walked across a field, talked things over in the pub and, at one point, gathered around a dot matrix printer to watch it slowly disgorging some results. The most exciting artefact they found was a lump of iron slag. No soil was overturned. Continue reading...
Scientists argue ape-like Sahelanthropus tchadensis that lived in Africa 7m years ago is best contender but more fossils are neededIn the murky first chapters of the human story is an unknown ancestor that made the profound transition from walking on all fours to standing up tall, an act that came to define us.The odds of stumbling on the fossilised evidence of such an evolutionary prize are slim, but in new research, scientists argue that an ape-like animal that lived in Africa 7m years ago is the best contender yet. Continue reading...
After losing a year to havoc and job-slashing at Nasa, the pressure is on billionaire administrator Jared IsaacmanWith astronauts set to fly around the moon for the first time in more than half a century when Artemis 2 makes its long-awaited ascent some time this spring, 2026 was already destined to become a standout year in space.It is also likely to be one of the most pivotal, with new leadership at Nasa in billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, and the tycoon-led private space industry assuming more than a mere supporting role to help win for the US its race with China back to the lunar surface. Continue reading...
Robyn Thomson immunised thousands of animals in Cambodia after shocking death of her motherIt was just a scratch. Among all the feelings and thoughts that she has had to wrestle with since the summer, disbelief is the emotion that Robyn Thomson still struggles with the most. You never think it would happen to you," said Robyn. You don't really think it happens to anyone."Robyn's mother, Yvonne Ford, had shown no signs of illness in the months after returning from her holiday in Morocco in February. She had spoken highly of the country and its people, and recommended it for future getaways. She had not realised that a seemingly harmless interaction with a puppy while sitting in the sun would cause so much damage. Continue reading...
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisiesDaisies and dandelions are among hundreds of native plant species blooming in the UK, in what scientists have called a visible signal" of climate breakdown disrupting the natural world.A Met Office analysis of data from the annual new year's plant hunt over the past nine years found an extra 2.5 species in bloom during the new year period for every 1C rise in temperature at a given location during the previous November and December. This year's hunt started on Thursday and runs until Sunday. Continue reading...
9,500-year-old pyre uncovered in Malawi offers rare insight into rituals of ancient African hunter-gatherer groupsA cremation pyre built about 9,500 years ago has been discovered in Africa, offering a fresh glimpse into the complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer communities.Researchers say the pyre, discovered in a rock shelter at the foot of Mount Hora in northern Malawi, is thought to be the oldest in the world to contain adult remains, the oldest confirmed intentional cremation in Africa, and the first pyre to be associated with African hunter-gatherers. Continue reading...
Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we examine how the White House's war on vaccines has left the future of a key technology uncertain and up for grabsThe late scientist and thinker Donald Braben argued that 20th-century breakthroughs arose from scientists being free to pursue bold ideas without pressure for quick results or rigid peer review. The rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines seemed to validate his claim: emergency conditions sped up trials, relaxed regulatory sequencing and encouragedscientists to share findings before peer review. Out of that sprang one of the great scientific success stories of our age: mRNA vaccines. These use synthetic genetic code to train the immune system to defend itself against viruses. Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman, whose work enabled the mRNACovid vaccine, went on to win the Nobel prize. Theirbreakthrough suggests that loosening traditionalconstraints could accelerate major scientific advances.The extensive scientific and logistic infrastructure built during that period is now occupied with turning the technology towards other diseases: flu, HIV and even cancer. Until very recently, the US, which put more than $10bn into mRNA development, appeared primed to reap the scientific and commercial rewards. Despite the deregulatory zeal that birthed mRNA, the second Trump administration has rejected it. Instead, it has been remarkably steady in its commitment to the radical anti-science and anti-vaccine agenda of the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. He has spent the past year undermining and outright sabotaging the US's own success. Over the summer, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced a coordinated wind-down" of federal funding for mRNA research, cancelling an additional $500m in funding for 22 projects.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...
Peter Foreshaw Brookes says worry about falling sperm counts is misplacedThe Italian demographic winter" has a number of causes, but rising male biological infertility is not one (A child is born: Italians celebrate village's first baby in 30 years, 26 December).Alot of worry about falling sperm counts has been generated by some studies, but a more recent metaanalysis found, through inclusion of regional controls, an increase in US sperm counts between 1970 and 2018. Sperm counts may be falling in places like the Chinese province of Henan, which has substantial air and waterpollution, but there is limited evidence that sperm counts are falling in the developed world. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Identifying teenagers at risk could help prevent organ damage, strokes and heart attacks in early adulthood, doctors sayLeading doctors have called for a national UK programme to monitor schoolchildren for high blood pressure amid concerns that rising rates in adolescents will increase cases of organ damage, strokes and heart attacks.Rates of high blood pressure have nearly doubled among children in the past 20 years, but no routine testing is performed in the UK, leaving doctors in the dark about the extent of the problem and which children need most help. Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample, sound design by Joel Cox, on (#72HJF)
Kevin Hall spent 21 years at the US National Institutes of Health and became known globally for his pioneering work on ultra-processed foods. In April he unexpectedly took early retirement, citing censorship under the Trump administration.Now he has co-authored a book with the journalist Julia Belluz that aims to bust myths and challenge wellness orthodoxy on everything from weight loss and metabolism to supplements and wearables. In this episode from October, Hall tells Ian Sample what he wants us all to understand about diet, exercise and weight loss, and what led to his departure from the job he lovedOrder Kevin's book from Guardian BookshopSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
Next head of Cern backs massive replacement for world's largest machine to investigate mysteries of the universeMark Thomson, a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Cambridge, has landed one of the most coveted jobs in global science. But it is hard not to wonder, when looked at from a certain angle, whether he has taken one for the team.On 1 January, Thomson takes over as the director general of Cern, the multi-Nobel prizewinning nuclear physics laboratory on the outskirts of Geneva. It is here, deep beneath the ground, that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest scientific instrument ever built, recreates conditions that existed microseconds after the big bang. Continue reading...
The bioscience startup has attracted billions in investment - and a flurry of criticism, but founder tells the Guardian plans to bring back the woolly mammoth will not be derailedDeath and taxes are supposed to be the things we can depend on in this life. But in 2025, the American entrepreneur Ben Lamm sold much of the world on the idea that death did not, after all, need to be for ever.This was the year the billionaire's genetics startup, Colossal Biosciences, claimed it had resurrected the dire wolf, an animal that disappeared at the end of the last ice age, by tweaking the DNA of grey wolves. According to the company, it had also edged closer to bringing the woolly mammoth back from the dead, with the creation of genetically engineered woolly mice". Continue reading...
Analysis shows obscure and barely used choices, drawn from online slang, do not stand the test of timeIf you have seen a news story declaring 2025's chosen word of the year" in recent weeks, you might be forgiven for asking yourself: what, another one?Depending on which dictionary you turn to, the chosen term this year was either Collins's vibe coding", parasocial" from Cambridge Dictionaries or their Oxford University Press rival's rage bait" - with many other selections besides. Continue reading...
In a statement shared on Instagram, Nguyen says she faced a tsunami of harassment' after the all-female spaceflightAmanda Nguyen, the Vietnamese-American astronaut who was part of the all-female Blue Origin spaceflight, has opened up about her depression after she experienced a tsunami of harassment" after the trip, in which she became the first Vietnamese woman to go to space.Nguyen, 34, was part of April's historic 11-minute flight, whose crew included pop star Katy Perry, broadcast journalist Gayle King, and journalist and wife of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez. The flight was heavily criticized for its environmental impact and critics questioned its purpose and use of resources. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Scientists uncovered biological strands using artificial intelligence and hope discovery will revolutionise treatmentScientists have discovered two new subtypes of multiple sclerosis with the aid of artificial intelligence, paving the way for personalised treatments and better outcomes for patients.Millions of people have the disease globally - but treatments are mostly selected on the basis of symptoms, and may not be effective because they don't target the underlying biology of the patient. Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample, with Madeleine Finlay, pr on (#72FF3)
More of us are turning to products containing mushroom extracts, with the medicinal fungi market worth billions of pounds. Promises of mental and physical health benefits have seen its popularity spill over from wellness influencers to the shelves of Marks & Spencer - but is there any scientific evidence behind these claims?In this episode from June, Ian Sample chats to Madeleine Finlay about the appeal of mushroom drinks and supplements, and hears from the mycologist Prof Nik Money on what we really know about how fungi can affect our minds and bodiesSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
Our magic bullets are increasingly rare and ineffective. The golden age of discovery is over and the way we develop and use drugs needs to changeDuring her tenure as director general of the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan used to say that allof the easy" antibiotics had already been found. Her point was that in responding to the urgentthreat of antibiotic-resistant infections, we would struggle tofind new medicines - or preserve the ones we have - if we didn't find new ways of working. She was right.Since 2017, just 16 antibiotics have gained widespread regulatory approval - mostly close relatives of medicines already in use and so unlikelytoevade resistance for long. The developmentof new ones is a slow and unprofitable business, curative medicines being less lucrative than ones treating longer-term conditions. And the scientific outlook remains bleak.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...
MHRA says buying from illegal online sellers can put health at real risk amid booming black marketLosing weight may be a common new year resolution but health experts have warned against buying medications for such purposes from social media sellers or other illegitimate channels.Jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have become hugely popular for weight loss, with trials suggesting the latter can help people lose an average of 20% of their body weight after 72 weeks of treatment. Continue reading...
One of the zodiac's subtler constellations comes into view on winter evenings, with the moon helping to point the wayYou can track down one of the zodiac's fainter constellations this week. Aries, the ram, lies between Taurus to the east and Pisces to the west. In the northern hemisphere, it is situated at its best during the deep winter months.Aries is an ancient constellation. It was originally designated by the early Babylonians as a hired hand who tended fields, but became recognised as a ram and has remained so in most sky cultures. To the Egyptians, it was Amun-Ra, the ram-headed god of creativity and fertility. In Greek myth, Aries is associated with the golden fleece that Jason and the Argonauts sought. Continue reading...
Western Highlands and southern Wales among most active regions, according to British Geological SurveyMore than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the UK this year, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).Among the most active regions to experience quakes were Perthshire and the western Highlands in Scotland, southern parts of Wales, and Yorkshire and Lancashire in England, the BGS data shows. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#72EMR)
Forecasting tool predicts when demand will be highest, allowing NHS trusts to better plan staffing and bed spaceHospitals in England are using artificial intelligence to help cut waiting times in emergency departments this winter.The A&E forecasting tool predicts when demand will be highest, allowing trusts to better plan staffing and bed space. The prediction algorithm is trained on historical data including weather trends, school holidays, and rates of flu and Covid to determine how many people are likely to visit A&E. Continue reading...
Space junkyards | Additions to signs | No-joke planning reforms | Chris Rea | Last-ditch attempt | Trump class' | Moving obituaryI do hope countries agree to use the Jules Verne crater on the far side of the moon as a spacecraft graveyard to crash defunct equipment as they use Point Nemo in the South Pacific Ocean as a spacecraft cemetery (Patches of the moon to become spacecraft graveyards, say researchers, 22 December).
Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look skyward, where a new lunar contest mirrors humanity's struggle to live within planetary limitsDuring the cold war's space race, the Apollo moon missions were driven by the need to prove American superiority. Having made that political and technological point with the 1969 moon landing, the contest between Moscow and Washington petered out. A new dash across the skies kicks off in 2026, reigniting geopolitical competition under the guise of peaceful exploration". The moon's south pole is emerging as the most valuable real estate in the solar system, offering peaks of eternal light" for solar arrays and ice deposits in craters shielded fromthesun.The US and a China-led bloc are eyeing the lunar surface and its potential to control a post-terrestrial economy. Space had been humanity's last commons, supposedly shielded by the 1967 UN outer space treaty that bans state exploitation of the heavens. It is vague, however, on private claims - a loophole that is now fuelling a tycoon-led scramble for the stars. The aim is obvious: to act first, shape norms and dare others to object. Two lunar missions launching next year- Nasa's Artemis II and China's Chang'e 7 - are competing for strategic supremacy. Continue reading...
Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at how the struggle to adapt to a dangerously warming world has become a test of global justiceThe record-breaking 252mph winds of Hurricane Melissa that devastated Caribbean islands at the end of October were made five times more likely by the climate crisis. Scorching wildfire weather in Spain and Portugal during the summer was made 40 times more likely, while June's heatwave in England was made 100 times more likely.Attribution science has made one thing clear: global heating is behind today's extreme weather. That greenhouse gas emissions warmed the planet was understood. What can now be shown is that this warming produces record heatwaves and more violent storms with increasing frequency.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...
These fungi boost plant growth and restore depleted ecosystems, but federal funding for a library housing them has been cut - and it may be forced to closeInside a large greenhouse at the University of Kansas, Professor Liz Koziol and Dr Terra Lubin tend rows of sudan grass in individual plastic pots. The roots of each straggly plant harbor a specific strain of invisible soil fungus. The shelves of a nearby cold room are stacked high with thousands of plastic bags and vials containing fungal spores harvested from these plants, then carefully preserved by the researchers.The samples in this seemingly unremarkable room are part of the International Collection of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (INVAM), the world's largest living library of soil fungi. Four decades in the making, it could cease to exist within a year due to federal budget cuts. Continue reading...
Texas governor among those to call for expanded access to ibogaine, said to help with treating veterans with PTSDFor half a century, psychedelics largely belonged to the cultural left: anti-war, anti-capitalist, suspicious of the church and state. Now, one of the most politically consequential psychedelic drugs in the US - ibogaine - is being championed by evangelical Christians, Republican governors, military veterans, and big tech billionaires.Many of them see ibogaine, an intense psychedelic derived from a central African rootbark, as a divine technology. In fact, some pointedly do not refer to it as a psychedelic, given the apparent baggage of the term in some circles. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#72DV2)
Wintering Well boxes to counter effects of low light on mental health are super popular', says island librarianBoxes of light" are being used to help people who struggle with low winter mood while living in one of Scotland's darkest communities as part of a wider research initiative to support the million-plus sufferers of seasonal affective disorder across Britain.Residents of the Orkney Islands have been able to borrow a Wintering Well Box from their library since the clocks went back in October, with the kits already proving super popular" according to Sue House, an assistant librarian at Orkney Library - the oldest public library in Scotland and coincidentally an online sensation, thanks to its goofy social media presence. Continue reading...
Surgeon leading xenotransplantation trial aimed at solving shortage of human organs says edits can lessen risk of rejectionA leading surgeon behind a clinical trial of transplanting pig kidneys into living humans has said they could one day be superior to those from human donors.Dr Robert Montgomery, the director of NYU Langone's Transplant Institute, said the first transplant of the trial had already been carried out, with another expected to take place in January. Six patients are initially expected to receive the pig organs, which have been gene-edited in 10 places to reduce rejection by the human body. Continue reading...
Our circadian cycle doesn't just affect our sleeping and waking, but our motivations, mood, behaviour and alertness. Whether you are a lark or an owl, here's how to recognise your own rhythm Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inboxIt's easy to hate clocks. Their unstoppable forward churn wakes us up and shames us for running late. They are a constant reminder that every enjoyable moment, just like life itself, is ephemeral. But even if we rounded up all our time-telling devices and buried them deep in the earth, we could never escape clocks. Because we are one.We don't need to have studied the intricacies of circadian rhythms to know that we are ravenous at certain times and not others, that the mid-afternoon slump is real, and if we party until 4am we're unlikely to sleep for eight hours afterwards, because the body clock has no sympathy for hangovers. But to better understand this all-encompassing daily cycle is to truly know our animal selves. Continue reading...
We can share images and sounds, so why not smells? Dr Kate McLean-MacKenzie hopes her new atlas will make scentsChristmas may be associated with the aromas of oranges and mince pies but our towns and cities also boast special scents during the rest of the year. Now, one researcher is publishing an atlas attempting to capture these quirky smellscapes".Dr Kate McLean-MacKenzie, a designer and researcher at the University of Kent, said she first became intrigued by the sense of smell 15 years ago. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Scientists find a way to forecast hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which affects millions worldwideScientists are developing a simple blood test to predict who is most at risk from the world's most common inherited heart condition.Millions of people worldwide have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a disease of the heart muscle where the wall of the heart becomes thickened. It is caused by a change in one or more genes and mostly passed on through families. Continue reading...
Sarah Harper says society must create new ways of living and working amid potential silver economy'Concerns over an ageing population are overblown and society should learn to celebrate and capitalise on its massive cohort of healthy, active, older, creative adults", a leading population expert has said.While pundits and pressure groups have raised concerns over falling fertility rates, highlighting the challenges for the economy and healthcare, others are more upbeat, arguing the rise of the silver economy" brings new opportunities for growth. Continue reading...
by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay, sound on (#72CWC)
Psychologists have typically believed that we become less curious as we age, but recent research has shown curiosity actually becomes more targeted and specific in our later years. In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Mary Whatley, an assistant professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, and Dr Matthias Gruber of Cardiff University's Brain Research Imaging Centre to find out why we change in this way, and how maintaining broad curiosity into older age can help keep our brains youngSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
Flame retardants commonly used in furniture are linked to serious health issues, including cancer and thyroid diseaseRemoving old furniture made with flame retardants from people's homes can significantly reduce the amount of the toxic chemicals in blood, a new 10-year, peer-reviewed study by California regulators and public health groups has found.The drop that researchers found was a super big deal", said Arlene Blum, the director of the Green Science Policy Institute who has for decades worked to reduce the level of flame retardants in consumer goods. Continue reading...
Researchers share the easy ways to uncover moments of festive discovery, proving you don't need a lab coat to experiment this ChristmasChristmas may seem like a time for switching off and suspending disbelief but there are plenty of ways to introduce a little science into the celebrations.We asked experts for their top home experiments to challenge friends and family. Continue reading...
Richard Fishacre used his knowledge of light and colour to argue against fifth element' theories of the dayAbout 800 years ago, Richard Fishacre, a Dominican friar at the University of Oxford, challenged the scientific thinking of the day, using his understanding of the behaviour of light to show that stars and planets are made of the same elements as found on Earth. Though he faced heavy criticism at the time, Fishacre would probably have been delighted to learn that very similar principles are being used to make discoveries today.During his lifetime it was believed that Earth was made up of four elements - fire, water, earth and air - while the stars and other planets were made from a special transparent and unchanging fifth element. Continue reading...
Scientists working for government breed biological control agents in lab to take on species choking native wildlifeCrayfish, weevils and fungi are being released into the environment in order to tackle invasive species across Britain.Scientists working for the government have been breeding species in labs to set them loose into the wild to take on Japanese knotweed, signal crayfish and Himalayan balsam, and other species that choke out native plants and wildlife. Continue reading...
Studying chemical chatter as tiny balls of cells embed could shine a light on early pregnancy and glitches that lead to miscarriageResearchers have created the lining of a womb in a dish, which promises to shed light on the mysterious early stages of human pregnancy and the glitches that can lead to miscarriage and medical complications.In laboratory experiments, early-stage human embryos donated from couples after IVF treatment successfully implanted into the engineered lining and began to churn out key compounds, such as the hormone that results in a blue line on positive pregnancy tests. Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Madeleine Fin on (#72BN5)
Scientists are beginning to understand that ageing is not simply a linear process and we age, according to recent research, in three accelerated bursts: at about 40, 60 and 80 years old. In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to Stanford University's Prof Michael Snyder, who explains what the drivers of these bursts of ageing could be, and how they might be counteractedScientists find humans age dramatically in two bursts - at 44, then 60Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
The answers to today's problemsEarlier today I set you the following set of numerical challenges to celebrate the arrival of 2026.Auld lang signsFive 9sSix 8s.Six 7s.Six 6s.Four 5s.Six 4s.Four 3s.Four 2s.a partridge in a pair tree. (Only joking) Continue reading...