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Joe Yates, Prof Philip J Landrigan, Prof Jennifer Kirwan and Prof Jamie Davies respond to an article on doubts raised about studies on microplastics in the human bodyWhile it may be a belated Christmas present for the petrochemical industry, your article (A bombshell': doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body, 13 January) was less surprising to the scientific community, where constructive debate around microplastic detection in humans has been ongoing for some time. Such debate is entirely normal - and essential - for scientific inquiry.New and novel methods must be tried, tested, critiqued, improved and tried again. Science is incremental and gradual - unlike the uncapped production and pollution of plastics, which contain thousands of hazardous chemicals. Decades of robust evidence demonstrates the harms that theseinflict on people and planet. Continue reading...

Archaeologists say stencil painted with ochre in limestone cave on Muna Island was created at least 67,800 years agoThe faded outline of a hand on a cave wall in Indonesia may be the world's oldest known rock art, according to archaeologists who say it was created at least 67,800 years ago.The ancient hand stencil was discovered in a limestone cave popular with tourists on Muna Island, part of south-eastern Sulawesi, where it had gone unnoticed between more recent paintings of animals and other figures. Continue reading...

She set the record for most spacewalk time by a woman and spent nine months at the International Space StationSuni Williams, one of two Nasa astronauts whose 10-day test flight mission turned into a nine-month odyssey on the International Space Station (ISS), has retired from the US space agency.The 60-year-old former navy captain left in December after 27 years with Nasa, according to a press release from the agency on Tuesday. Jared Isaacman, the agency's new administrator, praised her as a trailblazer in human spaceflight". Continue reading...

Aurora lights shimmering over Earth were filmed on camera by Russia's space agency Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov from the International Space Station. The phenomenon is caused by solar storms emitting high-speed charged particles colliding with gases in Earth's atmosphere. The most common colour seen during this display is green, although other colours such as pink and red are sometimes visible as well.'During yesterday's strongest storm in two decades, there was plenty of red glow. It felt as if we were literally sailing inside that light,' Kud-Sverchkov wrote on his Telegram channel on 20 January Continue reading...

Veronika's improvised grooming device has caused great surprise - but that tells us more about humans than cowsI have a farmer friend who regularly regales me with colourful stories of her cattle. Take the time when a beef cow called Noisette used her tongue to pull back the catch on the door of her pen so she could steal cattle nuts from the nearby feed bin. Or the time when she did it again, not to let herself out, but seemingly to stand back and watch as her freed compatriots mooched around and caused mayhem."Where others see a herd of cows standing around looking bored, my friend sees a soap opera, with characters and plot twists. Cows, she tells me, learn quickly, bore easily and have an indefatigable penchant for mischief.Helen Pilcher is a science writer and the author of Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-Extinction Continue reading...

A study of Arabidopsis thaliana plants found that plants growing together activated genes to protect themselves, while isolated plants did notPlants growing close to each other can warn each other about stresses in their lives.Thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants were grown on their own or crowded so close together they were touching each other. When all the plants were then stressed with intense light, the isolated plants suffered severe damage, but the crowds of plants were able to cope with the stress. In fact, it just took an hour for the crowded plants to switch on more than 2,000 of their genes that were involved in protecting against a host of different stresses; in contrast, the isolated plants showed little sign of any extra gene activity. Continue reading...

Overuse and pollution must end urgently as no one knows when whole system might collapse, says expertThe world has entered an era of global water bankruptcy" that is harming billions of people, a UN report has declared.The overuse and pollution of water must be tackled urgently, the report's lead author said, because no one knew when the whole system could collapse, with implications for peace and social cohesion. Continue reading...

Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and familyA pioneering investigation into the impact of restricting social media access for children in the UK has been announced as politicians around the world consider action on the issue.In December, Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media, with governments in other countries, including the, coming under pressure to do the same. Continue reading...

British Museum hails record-breaking year for archaeological discoveries - thanks largely to metal detectoristsA hoard of pennies linked to Harold II and most likely buried on the eve of battle in 1066, a rare Roman vehicle fitting, and a group of early medieval objects are among the archaeological finds and treasure discovered in Britain in 2024.It was a record-breaking year for archaeological and treasure finds in Britain, with the highest number recorded in a single year - thanks in large part to metal detectorists. Continue reading...

The spectacular aurora australis, also known as the southern lights, may be visible as far north as Victoria and New South WalesA severe' solar storm, which is being monitored by the National Emergency Management Agency, could make auroras visible in Australia as well as cause disruptions to the power grid.

Studies detecting microplastics throughout human bodies have made for alarming reading in recent years. But last week, the Guardian's environment editor, Damian Carrington, reported on major doubts among a group of scientists about how some of this research has been conducted.Damian tells Ian Sample how he first heard about the concerns, why the scientists think the discoveries are probably the result of contamination and false positives, and where it leaves the field. He also reflects on how we should now think about our exposure to microplasticsClips: Vox, Detroit Local 4 Continue reading...

For three weeks, I wore stickers on my skin supposed to address all sorts of conditions. Are they a panacea, problem or performance?This morning, I woke up feeling a little groggy. My go-to remedy is usually a coffee and cold-water face plunge, followed by a compulsive phone scroll. But today called for something more, so I unpeeled a small, yellow energy" patch the size of a walnut, popped it on to my upper arm and hoped for the best.The patch (12 for 30) contains - so the packaging says - vitamins B5, B3 and a microdose" of caffeine. It is made by Kind Patches, which is one brand in an increasingly crowded market of wellness stickers that claim to treat everything from lack of sleep to period pains to pimples. They are coin-sized, and often come in TikTok-friendly shades of sunflower yellow and peachy orange: you may have seen a teenager sporting a star-shaped one on their face to treat spots, or influencers patting blue magnesium ones on their wrists before bed. Continue reading...

Major disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field may make northern lights visible far more south than usualThe aurora could be visible across Canada and much of the northern tier of US states on Monday night, and possibly even further south, following a major disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field, a forecast shows.The forecast, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's space weather prediction center, comes amid intense geomagnetic and solar radiation storms, said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the center. Continue reading...

Alien lifeforms | Power of prayer | Corned beef | Remembering birthdays | Celebrity old-age homeYour article (Nasa moon rocket creeps to its launchpad in preparation for astronaut flight, 18 January) quotesthe crew commander of ArtemisII, Reid Wiseman: They are so fired up that we are headed back to the moon. They just want to see humans as far away from Earth as possible." I imagine that most of Earth's lifeforms would agree.

The answers to today's puzzlesEarlier today, I set you these three geometrical puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.1. Bonnie Tiler Continue reading...

People picturing positive experiences found to produce more antibodies, hinting at future clinical potentialPositive thoughts may boost the immune system according to research that points to a connection between the mind and our body's natural defences.Scientists have found people who used positive thinking to boost activity in the brain's reward system responded better to vaccination, with their immune systems producing more antibodies than others after having the shot. Continue reading...

Brown Swiss in Austria has been discovered using tools in different ways - something only ever seen in humans and chimpanzeesScientists have been forced to rethink the intelligence of cattle after an Austrian cow named Veronika displayed an impressive - and until now undocumented - knack for tool use.Witgar Wiegele, an organic farmer and baker from a small town in Carinthia near the Italian border, keeps Veronika as a pet and noticed that she occasionally played with sticks and used them to scratch her body. Continue reading...

Study links rapid growth of ocean macroalgae to global heating and nutrient pollutionScientists have warned of a potential regime shift" in the oceans, as the rapid growth of huge mats of seaweed appears to be driven by global heating and excessive enrichment of waters from farming runoff and other pollutants.Over the past two decades, seaweed blooms have expanded by a staggering 13.4% a year in the tropical Atlantic and western Pacific, with the most dramatic increases occurring after 2008, according to researchers at the University of South Florida. Continue reading...

Earth's satellite will be visible in conjunction with the ringed planet as twilight gives way to darknessA slender crescent moon slides past Saturn this week, offering a rewarding conjunction. It will be the perfect way to start your evening, a little quiet contemplation of the night sky as the evening twilight gives way to full darkness.The chart shows the view looking south-west from London at 18:00 GMT, although the pair will have been visible from the moment dusk begins to gather. Continue reading...

A return to nuclear power is at the heart of Japan's energy policy but, in the wake of the 2011 disaster, residents' fears about tsunamis, earthquakes and evacuation plans remainThe activity around the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant is reaching its peak: workers remove earth to expand the width of a main road, while lorries arrive at its heavily guarded entrance. A long perimeter fence is lined with countless coils of razor wire, and in a layby, a police patrol car monitors visitors to the beach - one of the few locations with a clear view of the reactors, framed by a snowy Mount Yoneyama.When all seven of its reactors are working, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa generates 8.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power millions of households. Occupying 4.2 sq km of land in Niigata prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, it is the biggest nuclear power plant in the world. Continue reading...

Exclusive: DNA test means patients could be offered most effective treatment first, boosting their chances of beating the diseaseScientists have developed a simple DNA blood test that can predict how well patients with breast cancer will respond to treatment.More than 2 million people globally each year are diagnosed with the disease, which is the world's most prevalent cancer. Although treatments have improved in recent decades, it is not easy to know which ones will work best for which patients. Continue reading...

These microscopic mites, which burrow under your skin and cause ferocious itching, are incredibly hard to get rid of - and cases in the UK have soared. What is causing the outbreak, and is there anything we can do about it?Louise (not her real name) is listing the contents of a bin liner she has packed with fresh essentials in case of emergency. Clothes, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, a teddy ... Although it should be two teddies," she re-evaluates, quickly. I can hear her trying to quell her panic.A diehard survivalist preparing for catastrophe? Actually, a beleaguered 44-year-old mother recovering from scabies - an itchy rash caused by microscopic mites that burrow under human skin. Far-fetched as it sounds, emergency evacuation is exactly what she, her partner and children (six and four) resorted to in November in a desperate bid to beat the bugs. She is now on tenterhooks in case they return. Continue reading...

The food, beauty and pharmaceutical industries poison our self-image. GLP-1 drugs will only make them richer - and strengthen the hold they have over usFifty years ago, I started thinking about the demand for women to look a certain way and the rebellions against the narrow ways in which we were supposed to display (and not display) our bodies. For a while, there was a conversation about the strictures. Some young women refused to conform. Some women risked being in the bodies they had rather than embodying the dominant images of being Madonna or the whore. But troubled eating abounded, even if it wasn't always visible, stoked by the food and diet industries and their bedfellows in the beauty and fashion industries. These industries targeted appearance as crucial to girls' and women's identity and their place in the world.Today, a new kind of troubled eating is stalking the land, entirely induced by the new GLP-1 weight-loss drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies and promoted by their willing agents on social media. It is totally understandable that people want relief from obsessive and invasive thoughts about their bodies and food. The explosion of GLP-1 drugs has provided a kind of psychological peace for many who feel less frightened of their appetites.Susie Orbach is a psychotherapist, psychoanalyst and social critic. She is the author of many books, including Bodies and Fat Is a Feminist Issue Continue reading...

First journey around moon with astronauts in more than 50 years could blast off in FebruaryNasa's giant new moon rocket has moved to the launchpad in preparation for astronauts' first lunar fly-around in more than half a century. The trip could blast off in February.The 98-metre (322ft) rocket began its 1mph (1.6km/h) creep from Kennedy Space Center's vehicle assembly building at daybreak. The trek of 4 miles took until nightfall. Continue reading...

Or will they have you in pieces?Today's puzzles are all geometrical, and all from the mind of the UK's most enduring and eloquent popular maths writer, Ian Stewart.1. Bonnie Tiler Continue reading...

Newly appointed Cambridge professor says feat would accelerate scientific knowledge by an order of magnitudeDark, hungry and inescapable: black holes are often portrayed as the ultimate cosmic villains.But now astronomers are preparing to capture a movie of a supermassive black hole in action for the first time, in observations that could help reveal another side to these elusive - and perhaps misunderstood - space objects. Continue reading...

After traumatic events we look for reminders of humanity's good, and flashes of courage from ordinary people become symbols of hope. But it can be hard to wear the hero's crown

Artemis II mission could launch on 6 February, sending astronauts on a 685,000-mile journeyNasa is preparing to roll out its most powerful rocket yet before a mission to send astronauts around the moon and back again for the first time in more than 50 years.The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as 6 February, taking its crew on a 685,000-mile round trip that will end about 10 days later with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Continue reading...

Virunga park ranger says babies are well cared for by mother Mafuko but high infant mortality makes first weeks criticalIt was noon by the time Jacques Katutu first saw the newborn mountain gorillas. Cradled in the arms of their mother, Mafuko, the tiny twins clung to her body for warmth in the forest clearing in Virunga national park, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).Katutu, head of gorilla monitoring in Virunga, has seen dozens of newborns in his 15 years as a ranger. But, he tells the Guardian, even he was touched by the sight of the fragile infant males, who face serious obstacles if they are to become silverbacks one day. Continue reading...

Taking drug in pregnancy does not raise chances of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability, gold standard' review findsTaking paracetamol in pregnancy does not increase the chance that the child will be autistic, or have ADHD or an intellectual disability, a gold standard" review of the evidence has found.The findings debunk Donald Trump's claims last September that the painkiller causes autism, which were condemned by medical, women's health and scientific organisations around the world. Continue reading...

$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent diseaseThe controversial US-funded study on hepatitis B vaccines among newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been halted, according to Yap Boum, a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The study has been cancelled," Boum told journalists at a press conference on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Campaigners claim firm has bought sway over the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathsCampaigners have accused BP of having an insidious influence over the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) in the UK through its relationship with the Science Museum.Documents obtained under freedom of information legislation show how the company funded a research project that led to the creation of the Science Museum Group academy - its teacher and educator training programme - which BP sponsors and which has run more than 500 courses, for more than 5,000 teachers. Continue reading...

Soaking fabrics in a commonly used insect repellent is a simple and effective tool as mosquito bites become more common during daytime, study showsFrom Africa to Latin America to Asia, babies have been carried in cloth wraps on their mothers' backs for centuries. Now, the practice of generations of women could become a lifesaving tool in the fight against malaria.Researchers in Uganda have found that treating wraps with the insect repellent permethrin cut rates of malaria in the infants carried in them by two-thirds. Continue reading...

Even low levels of widely used agricultural chemicals were linked to accelerated ageing, research suggestsThe lifespan of fish appears to be drastically reduced by pesticides, a study has found.Even low levels of common agricultural pesticides can stunt the long-term lifespan of fish, according to research led by Jason Rohr, a biologist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Continue reading...

Environment minister says attacks on social media affect perceptions of meteorology and denigrate researchers' workSpain's environment minister has written to prosecutors to warn of an alarming increase" in hate speech and social media attacks directed against climate science communicators, meteorologists and researchers.In a letter sent to hate crimes prosecutors on Wednesday, Sara Aagesen said a number of recent reports examined by the ministry had detected a significant increase" in the hostile language that climate experts are subjected to on digital platforms. Continue reading...

Researcher calls for guidelines for diagnosing prolonged grief disorder to be expanded to cover people who lose petsGrief over the death of a pet could be as chronic as that for a human family member, research has shown, confirming what many people already know about their bond with their furry friends.People grieving the loss of a pet can suffer from prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a mental health condition brought about by the death of a loved one, a survey published in the academic journal PLOS One has found. Continue reading...

This is the moment a SpaceX capsule left the International Space Station on an emergency return flight to Earth prompted by a medical issue afflicting one of the astronauts. It is Nasa's first medical evacuation, with the mission being cut a month short. Onboard were American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, a Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and a Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. Computer modelling predicted a medical evacuation from the space station every three years but Nasa has not had one before in its 65 years of human spaceflight

Four astronauts emerge from capsule after Pacific landing, including crew member in stable' conditionFour astronauts from the International Space Station have returned to Earth a month earlier than planned after one developed a serious medical condition onboard the orbiting outpost.Nasa confirmed that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, the Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and the Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down off the coast of San Diego at 12.41am local time (8.41am UK time). Continue reading...

Ian Sample puts listeners' questions on dreams and nightmares to Dr Michelle Carr, director of the Dream Engineering Laboratory in Montreal's Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, and author of the new book Into the Dream Lab. They look at why we dream, what we can learn by examining our dreams, and what we can do when dreams turn to nightmares. Dr Carr gives her top tips for taking charge of our dreams and trying to influence their contentSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepodOrder Into the Dream Lab by Dr Michelle Carr via the Guardian Bookshop Continue reading...

Tests showed horses that smelled body odour from people watching scary films startled more easilyHorses can smell fear, or at least whether you have scared yourself witless watching a horror movie, according to researchers who say the effect has consequences for riders, trainers and others who work with the animals.In a series of tests, horses that smelled body odour from people watching scary films startled more easily, had higher heart rates and approached their handlers less often than when the odour came from people watching more joyful scenes. Continue reading...

Decoded genome of meat in pup's stomach helps scientists build picture of what caused extinction of speciesResearchers have shed light on the final centuries of the woolly rhinoceros after studying a hairy lump of meat from the stomach of an ancient wolf cub that became mummified in the Siberian permafrost.The beautifully preserved remains of a two-month-old female wolf cub were discovered in 2011 near the village of Tumat in northeastern Siberia. The animal is thought to have died 14,400 years ago when a landslide collapsed its den, trapping the cub and others inside. Continue reading...

Research finds no evidence heavier social media use or more gaming increases symptoms of anxiety or depressionScreen time spent gaming or on social media does not cause mental health problems in teenagers, according to a large-scale study.With ministers in the UK considering whether to follow Australia's example by banning social media use for under-16s, the findings challenge concerns that long periods spent gaming or scrolling TikTok or Instagram are driving an increase in teenagers' depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. Continue reading...

Society should only eject fellows for fraud or other defects in their research, says Paul NurseThe president of the Royal Society has reignited a row over Elon Musk's association with the body by arguing that fellows should only be ejected for fraud or other defects in their research.In an interview with the Guardian, Paul Nurse defended the academy's decision not to take action against Musk - who was elected a fellow in 2018 - despite claims the tech billionaire had violated its code of conduct, including by his role in slashing US research funding as part of the US department of government efficiency". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Some scientists say many detections are most likely error, with one high-profile study called a joke'High-profile studies reporting the presence of microplastics throughout the human body have been thrown into doubt by scientists who say the discoveries are probably the result of contamination and false positives. One chemist called the concerns a bombshell".Studies claiming to have revealed micro and nanoplastics in the brain, testes, placentas, arteries and elsewhere were reported by media across the world, including the Guardian. There is no doubt that plastic pollution of the natural world is ubiquitous, and present in the food and drink we consume and the air we breathe. But the health damage potentially caused by microplastics and the chemicals they contain is unclear, and an explosion of research has taken off in this area in recent years. Continue reading...

Ian Sample puts listeners' questions on sleep to Dr Allie Hare, consultant physician in respiratory and sleep medicine at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals and president of the British Sleep Society. They cover why women experience sleep disturbance during the menopause, why sleep paralysis affects some people more than others, and what scientists know about the link between sleep and dementia. Hare also gives her top tips for getting better sleep in 2026Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

It is the most essential thing we do - yet many of us arguably breathe badly. The author of Breath explains how that can be changedIn the last stages of writing his book, Breath, James Nestor was stressed. Which was ironic when writing a book about breathing patterns and mellowing out," he says. The book was late; he'd spent his advance and was haemorrhaging even more money on extra research that was taking him off in new, potentially interesting, directions - was it really necessary, he wondered, to go to Paris to look at old skulls buried in catacombs beneath the city? (It was.)Then a couple of months before the book's May 2020 publication date, the Covid pandemic hit, and Nestor was advised to wait it out. He couldn't afford to. One of the main motivations for releasing it at that time was to get that [on-publication] advance," he says. But I'll be honest, I didn't want to release it. I said: How are you going to promote a book that can't be sold in stores, that I can't tour for?'" He expected, he says, absolutely zero to happen". Continue reading...

A deadly fungus has already wiped out 90 species and threatens 500 more but Anthony Waddle is hoping gene replacement could be their salvationStanding ankle-deep in water between two bare cottonwood trees on a hot spring day, eight-year-old Anthony Waddle was in his element. His attention was entirely absorbed by the attempt to net tadpoles swimming in a reservoir in the vast Mojave desert.It was one of the perfect moments in my childhood", he says. Continue reading...

Behaviour among non-human species could help keep groups together in face of social challenges, says studySame-sex sexual behaviour among non-human primates may arise as a way to reinforce bonds and keep societies together in the face of environmental or social challenges, researchers have suggested.Prof Vincent Savolainen, a co-author of the paper from Imperial College London, added that while the work focused on our living evolutionary cousins, early human species probably experienced similar challenges, raising the likelihood they, too, showed such behaviour. Continue reading...

Recorded in cave drawings as far back as 1000BC, this is one of the oldest zodiacal constellations to be recognised in its modern formTaurus, the bull, is our focus this week. One of the oldest constellations to be recognised in its modern form, it was recorded as the bull of heaven in Babylonian records from about 1000BC, but cave drawings from Lascaux, France, suggest that humans may already have associated the stars with a bull approximately 14,000 years earlier.Taurus sits on the ecliptic, the path that the Sun follows around the sky throughout the year, so it is known as a zodiacal constellation. The brightest star in the constellation is the red giant star Aldebaran. In Arabic, its name means eye of the bull". Continue reading...