Science | The Guardian

Discovery of wide array of carbon-based substances on Enceladus shows solar system is fertile hunting groundFrom tentative evidence of habitable planets to the eyebrow-raising suggestion an interstellar comet might not be what it seems, the possibility of life beyond our solar system has long tantalised scientists and the public alike. But experts say ET is more likely to be found if we search in our own back yard.The prospect was revitalised on Wednesday when scientists announced the likelihood has risen that Saturn's sixth largest moon may be habitable after a study found Enceladus is spewing out a wider array of carbon-based substances than previously known. Continue reading...

There was dismay after Rory McIlroy's wife was hit by a beer at the Ryder Cup. But have crowds always been badly behaved, or is antisocial behaviour getting worse?The abuse hurled at Europe's golfers in the Ryder Cup elicited gasps and dismay on both sides of the Atlantic. The crowd at the Bethpage Black course in New York graduated from boos and heckles to homophobic slurs and insults aimed at players' wives. The first-tee master of ceremonies set the tone by leading a chant of fuck you, Rory!", putting Rory McIlroy firmly in the crosshairs - along with his wife, who was hit with a beer cup.After initially playing it down, American golf officials apologised and said some fan behaviour had crossed the line", but the affair has left a nagging sense of unease. What if the line has in fact moved? What if accepted codes of crowd behaviour have changed? Continue reading...

Amateur astronomers and photographers from around Australia were invited to submit their out of this world photos for Central West Astronomical Society's annual astrophotography competition, the David Malin awards. The winning images are now showing at the CSIRO's Parkes Observatory visitors centre

US president has proposed measures that Royal Swedish Academy of Science VP says will have devastating effects'One of the Nobel prize awarding bodies has warned that academic freedom is under threat in the US and elsewhere, with political interference risking long-lasting negative effects - as scientists get ready for next week's award announcements.Donald Trump has introduced or proposed a swathe of measures in his second term that critics argue will hamper education and scientific research. Continue reading...

Findings of study into fermentation process behind dairy product could serve as toolkit for creating new foodsWhether it is kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, or sourdough, today's foodies are not short of fermented treats to tantalise their tastebuds. But for the adventurous, the menu may be about to get wilder. How about a spoonful of ant yoghurt?Making it does not involve milking any ants. Instead, the unfortunate insects are dropped into a jar of warm milk, which is tucked into an ant mound and left to ferment overnight. The fermenting tradition originating from Turkey and Bulgaria is now being resurrected in the name of science. Continue reading...

Plantlife charity enlisted help of 850 volunteers to look for waxcaps in places such as private gardensGraveyards, sheep farms and garden lawns are among the hundreds of new sites for rare pink and purple fungi discovered by citizen scientists.The charity Plantlife has enlisted 850 volunteers to look for waxcaps in their local areas, so scientists can get data from places such as private gardens to which they have not previously had access. Continue reading...

Maj Gen Paul Tedman says Moscow trying to disrupt UK's military activities on weekly' basis and closely monitoring space assetsRussia is attempting to jam UK military satellites on a regular basis, according to the head of the UK Space Command.Speaking to the BBC, Maj Gen Paul Tedman said Russian forces were actively trying to disrupt UK-based military activities weekly" and were closely monitoring the country's space assets. Continue reading...

The renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died aged 91. She will be remembered for her observations that revolutionised our understanding of chimpanzees, as well as her tireless environmental advocacy. Ian Sample talks to the Guardian's global environment editor Jon Watts, who met Goodall several times, to find out what her scientific legacy will be Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist, dies aged 91Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Pioneering scientist whose breakthrough studies of chimpanzees changed how the animals were perceived and led to greater protectionDuring the final months of 1960, in what is now Gombe national park, Tanzania, Jane Goodall, then 26 years old, made two discoveries that established her name and reputation as a field scientist studying wild apes. First, she observed chimpanzees eating red meat. Before that moment, the scientific consensus, based on virtually no direct observation, was that chimpanzees were vegetarians.Then she witnessed an even more unexpected behaviour: a chimpanzee male, crouched nextto a high earthen tower builtby termites, studiously modifying a long stalk of grass until it became a useful probe. Thechimp then inserted the probe into a narrow tunnel that descended deep into the mound. As Goodall soon came to understand, members of the insect species' soldier caste inside the mound instinctively lock their powerful mandibles on to any intruding object - and thus they became, once the probe was carefully drawn back out, victims of a crafty ape. The termites, potentially a significant source of nutrition, were tasty enough to serve as food for several species of monkey in that part of east Africa. Only chimpanzees, however, had developed the cultural tradition of fishing" for them. Continue reading...

Scientists are warning that academic publishing needs urgent reform in order to retain trust in the research system. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what has gone so wrong, and Dr Mark Hanson of the University of Exeter proposes some potential solutionsQuality of scientific papers questioned as academics overwhelmed' by the millions publishedIs the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science? Continue reading...

The world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91.Born in London in 1934, Goodall began researching free-living chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to protect the species and supports youth projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.She was considered the leading expert on chimpanzees, with a career spanning more than 60 years. Her research was pivotal in proving the similarities in primate and human behaviour

Jane Goodall Institute says tireless advocate' for natural world died in California during US speaking tourThe world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91, her institute has said.The Jane Goodall Institute announced that she had died of natural causes while in California as part of a US speaking tour. Continue reading...

The world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91 Continue reading...

Those diagnosed as small children typically have distinct genetic profile from those diagnosed later, study findsAutism should not be viewed as a single condition with a unified underlying cause, according to scientists who found that those diagnosed early in childhood typically have a distinct genetic profile to those diagnosed later.The international study, based on genetic data from more than 45,000 autistic people in Europe and the US, showed that those diagnosed in early childhood, typically before six years old, were more likely to show behavioural difficulties from early childhood, including problems with social interaction, but remain stable. Continue reading...

Ed Miliband's move to bring forward ban is gambit to stop would-be Reform voters from backing Nigel Farage's pro-fracking partyEd Miliband announced on Wednesday that Labour was speeding up plans to bring in a total ban" on fracking. But how will this work and could it stop a future Reform government from fracking? Continue reading...

The industry has always wanted the NHS to pay more for its drugs; now it is pulling research and investment out of BritainThis year so far, some of the biggest pharmaceutical corporations in the world have withdrawn about 2bn in proposed investment from the UK. One has even threatened to withhold new medicines from NHS patients. Taken together, it's hard not to conclude that big pharma is at war with the UK.Merck has scrapped a 1bn research facility, while AstraZeneca ditched a 450m vaccine lab and is rethinking an expansion of another research unit. Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has cancelled 34 partnerships with the NHS in the last year, and Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novartis are all believed to have put investments on hold". BMS is also threatening to play hardball with its new schizophrenia drug, saying it is prepared to make the difficult decision" to walk away" if the NHS won't pay the price the corporation wants to charge.Nick Dearden is director of Global Justice Now (formerly World Development Movement) Continue reading...

Scientists studying water vapour plume from Enceladus find presence of complex molecules that could harbour lifeThe likelihood that one of Saturn's moons may harbour life has risen, experts say, after finding an array of carbon-based substances being spewed out of Enceladus.The sixth largest of Saturn's moons, Enceladus has become one of the leading contenders in the search for bodies that could harbour extraterrestrial life, with the Cassini mission - which ended in 2017 - revealing the moon has a plume of water ice grains and vapours erupting from beneath the surface at its south pole. Continue reading...

If smoking was the cancer villain of the 20th century, eating ultra-processed food may be its 21st-century counterpart

Scientists say their early-stage work could help older women or same-sex male couples have childrenResearchers have created human eggs from skin cells, potentially transforming IVF treatment for couples who have no other options.The work is at an early stage but if scientists can perfect the process it would provide genetically related eggs for women who are infertile because of older age, illness or medical treatment. The same procedure could be used to make eggs for same-sex male couples. Continue reading...

Researchers say findings show inequality creates toxic environment and reducing it is a public health imperative'Scientists have linked the impact of living in an unequal society to structural changes in the brains of children - regardless of individual wealth - for the first time.A study of more than 10,000 young people in the US discovered altered brain development in children from wealthy and lower-income families in areas with higher rates of inequality, which were also associated with poorer mental health. Continue reading...

Some experts think a few sharks may be responsible for a disproportionate number of attacks. Should they be hunted down?First was the French tourist, killed while swimming off Saint-Martin in December 2020. The manager of a nearby water sports club raced out in a dinghy to help, only to find her lifeless body floating face down, a gaping wound where part of her right thigh should have been. Then, a month later, another victim. Several Caribbean islands away, a woman snorkelling off St Kitts and Nevis was badly bitten on her left leg by a shark. Fortunately, she survived.Soon after the fatal incident in December, Eric Clua, a marine biologist at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, got a phone call. Island nations often ask for his help after a shark bite, he says, because I am actually presenting a new vision ... I say, You don't have a problem with sharks, you have a problem with one shark.'" Continue reading...

The Ig Nobel prizes were awarded recently - for science that makes you laugh and then think - and the peace prize was given to a cheeky study testing the link between alcohol and language proficiency. Does a drink really help us to converse more convincingly in another tongue, or does it just give us inflated confidence? To find out, Madeleine Finlay speaks to a member of the winning team, Dr Fritz Renner, a researcher in clinical psychology and psychotherapy at the University of Freiburg in GermanyTeflon diet, garlic milk and zebra cows triumph at 2025 Ig Nobel prizesSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Inquiry hears of children exposed to pornography and suffering grievous' harm without protection of schoolsThe Covid pandemic disrupted the very fabric of childhood", the UK inquiry has heard, on the first day of a four-week session devoted to its impact on children and young people.Clair Dobbin KC, counsel to the inquiry, said in her opening submission on Monday that some of the evidence drawn from the 18,000 stories and 400 targeted interviews would be hard to listen to". Continue reading...

Epidemiologist who advised health services in Tanzania, Bangladesh and the UK's Department for International DevelopmentPatrick Vaughan, who has died aged 87, was a pre-eminent epidemiologist and a director of the Tropical Epidemiology Unit at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). He authored more than 120 papers and gave health advice at the highest level: to the World Health Organization, governments, the World Bank and the NHS. He also advised charities, including the organisers of Live Aid, who in 1985 wanted to know how best to channel the 150m they had raised to relieve famine in Ethiopia.All this he achieved despite having reached the age of 12 with little formal education and being barely able to read. Nevertheless, the headteacher at Bishop Wordsworth's grammar school in Salisbury offered him a place, conditional on his catching up with his classmates within a year. He succeeded, transcending his chaotic childhood to gain four A-levels and, in 1955, a place at Guy's Hospital medical school in London. William Golding, a teacher at the school, reputedly said that Vaughan's strength of character inspired Piggy, one of the characters in his 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. Continue reading...

The solutions to today's puzzlesEarlier today I set ten puzzles from a new book of silly visual puzzles.Here they are again - I have put the solutions together at the bottom, just in case you are seeing them for the first time and don't want spoilers. Continue reading...

UK's biggest drugmaker will put its US shares on a par with its London-based stock but says HQ will stay in Cambridge

Riotous rebus riddlesUPDATE: Read the answers hereToday's puzzles are very silly.They're also hugely entertaining. Continue reading...

Choose the darkest site you can find an hour before dawn twilight to observe one of the more subtle celestial effectsThis week, skywatchers can search for one of the more subtle celestial effects. The zodiacal light is the soft glow of sunlight scattered off the interplanetary dust that lies in the plane of our solar system.The dust itself comes from comets and asteroid collisions. Continue reading...

Ministers and medical groups have acted quickly to limit fallout after US president made unproven link between paracetamol and autismWes Streeting, the UK health secretary, was in a government car heading back into central London from a flag-raising to mark the UK's recognition of Palestine when he saw the news. He was aghast," an aide said. Streeting was reading on his phone that Donald Trump had just warned women not to take Tylenol - known outside the US as paracetamol - during pregnancy.The US president had alleged without evidence that the common painkiller caused autism in children. Don't take Tylenol," Trump said about a drug also known as acetaminophen. Continue reading...

Researchers find specific self-descriptions predict mortality risks better than broader categories such as extraversionBeing organised, active and helpful could not just make you a better person, it may even help you live longer. On the other hand, being frequently stressed, anxious or moody could be linked to a shorter lifespan.Researchers said their findings, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, could help doctors develop tools for predicting health risks based not only on blood pressure and cholesterol but also on how someone tends to think, feel and behave. Continue reading...

Cambridge trial suggests diabetes drug with antihistamine can partially repair damage in the nervous systemEarly results from a clinical trial suggest that a common diabetes drug taken with an antihistamine can partially repair damage in the nervous system that drives disability in multiple sclerosis.While the effect was too small for patients to notice a benefit after six months, tests did reveal improvements in nerve function, raising hopes that damage to the protective coatings around nerve fibres might be reversed with drugs. Continue reading...

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...