To some it was a reckless experiment but scientists hope the dispersal of 65,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Gulf of Maine could ease the climate crisisFor four days last August, a thick slick of maroon bruised the waters of the Gulf of Maine. The scene, not unlike a toxic red tide, was the result of 65,000 litres of an alkaline chemical, tagged with a red dye, that had been deliberately pumped by scientists into the ocean.Though it sounds perverse, the event was part of a scientific experiment that could advance a technology to combat both global heating and ocean acidification. Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), as the approach is called, acts like natural weathering, but on human - rather than geological - timescales. Continue reading...

Among the many justifications Donald Trump has presented for the US and Israel attacking Iran has been the supposedly imminent threat posed by its nuclear weapons programme. But how close was the country really to developing an atomic weapon? Ian Sample hears from Kelsey Davenport, the director of non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association. She sets out why many experts don't believe the country even had a structured nuclear weapons programme, and explains what she thinks the impact of the war could be on nuclear proliferation around the world.Attacking Iran's nuclear programme could drive it towards a bomb, experts warnSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Scientists hope results analysed after the mice watched video footage will help them understand their perceptionsScientists have reconstructed short movies from the brain activity of mice that watched videos for a project that aspires to lift the veil on how animals perceive the world.The brief movie clips are grainy and pixellated, but provide a glimpse of how mice processed footage that featured people taking part in various sports from gymnastics to horse riding and wrestling. Continue reading...

Scientific awards - which honor research that makes people laugh and then think - to move away from unsafe' USThe annual Ig Nobels, a satirical award for scientific achievement, are shifting for the first time from the US to Europe due to concerns about attendees getting visas, organizers announced on Monday.Organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, a digital magazine that highlights research that makes people laugh and then think, the 36th annual ceremony will be held in Zurich. It's usually held in the US in September, a few weeks before the actual Nobel prizes are announced. Continue reading...

Researchers working to unpick whether daily multivitamin results in people staying healthier as they ageTaking a multivitamin every day for two years appears to slow some markers of biological ageing - albeit to a small degree, research suggests.While chronological age is based on how long a person has lived, biological age reflects the state of the body. Estimates of the latter are often based on changes in patterns of DNA methylation - modifications to DNA that accumulate with age and affect how genes function. Continue reading...

As the US space agency misses its launch window for the second month, smaller firms continue work on their partsIt was shaping up into another ordinary day at the Colorado headquarters of the small space startup Lunar Outpost last Friday when chief executive Justin Cyrus learned of a surprise press conference called by Jared Isaacman, the new administrator of Nasa.Cyrus's company epitomises the many private contractors of the space agency working on a myriad of projects crucial to the Artemis program that seeks to return humans to the moon, so anything Isaacman had to say about it was naturally of interest to him. Continue reading...

In search of a new adventure, Craig Munns went back to school. Now, at 65, he spends his days examining long-vanished life formsCraig Munns has a large model of a T rex on his desk. He got it with a magazine subscription two decades ago. One day, a few years ago, he was sitting in his study, which was dense with books and yellow sticky notes and posters charting evolution from single cells upward, and he thought, What am I going to do next in my life?" And his eyes lit upon the T rex.Munns had recently taken on a job at the public library in Canberra, but it had always rankled with him that he had not studied for a degree, starting instead as an electronics trainee after he left school in Sydney, Australia. So he decided to enrol as a part-time student. He graduated at 62, with honours in palaeontology from the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. Continue reading...

Constellation of Cancer is not easy to locate but reward is the star cluster M44 at its centreThe constellation of Cancer, the crab, is now high in the southern sky during the late evening. While not the easiest constellation to locate because it does not contain any truly bright stars, it does offer a reward for patient observation: the star cluster M44, also known as the beehive cluster.Begin by finding Cancer. It is located halfway between the constellations of Gemini, the twins, and Leo, the lion. The chart shows the view looking south from London at 10pm UK time on 9 March. Continue reading...

Medical data from 100m people shows risk 122% higher for amphetamine users, 96% higher for cocaine and 37% higher for cannabisRecreational drugs can more than double the risk of stroke, with some of the most concerning impacts seen among younger people, a major review suggests.Scientists analysed medical data from more than 100 million people and found that the risk of stroke was 122% higher for amphetamine users and 96% higher for cocaine users compared with those who did not take the drugs. Continue reading...

Jane Logan pays tribute to her late husband's lifelong passion for classifying organismsMy late husband, Niall Logan, professor of bacterial systematics at Glasgow Caledonian University, would have been astonished that his lifelong field of academic study, taxonomy, in his case the genus Bacillus, would merit an entire article in the Guardian (I love midges because I know what their hearts look like'': is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out?, 2 March). It is certainly not sexy science, and chasing funding for research projects was always tiresome.However, how about mentioning some of the spinoffs of his research, which many would have thought dry in the extreme? He spent time in the Antarctic researching Bacillus species found in geothermal soils, his expertise was sought when old tannery sites were to be redeveloped to exclude presence of anthrax, and the food industry needed his expertise when investigating food spoilage. His knowledge was valued and his guest lectures were welcomed worldwide. Continue reading...

Researchers who listen for signs of non-human life say signals can slip below detection thresholds, even if it's there'Earth's leading alien hunters believe extraterrestrials could be out there, they're just having a hard time getting through to us because it's stormy in space.Reminiscent of ET's struggles to phone home" in Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster movie, new research by the Silicon Valley-based SETI Institute (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) suggests tempestuous space weather makes radio signals from the distant cosmos harder to detect. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian study finds UK museums hold more than 260,000 items of remains, often in sacrilegious ways Which human remains are held in UK museums - and where?The vast number of overseas human remains held by UK museums is a shameful legacy of colonialism, with many items kept in ways that are sacrilegious, according to MPs and archaeologists.An investigation by the Guardian found that UK museums hold more than 263,000 items of human remains from around the world, including whole skeletons, preserved bodies, such as Egyptian mummies, skulls, bones, skin, teeth, nails, scalps and hair. Continue reading...

Chief medical adviser warns of side-effects and calls for action on junk food advertising and making food healthierWeight-loss drugs cannot rescue the UK from its deepening obesity crisis and produce unpleasant side-effects for many users, the government's chief medical adviser has said.Prof Chris Whitty delivered a wide-ranging critique of the drugs during a speech in London on Thursday evening. Continue reading...

Researchers identify sharp rise to about 0.35C every decade, after excluding natural fluctuations such as El NinoHumanity is heating the planet faster than ever before, a study has found.Climate breakdown is occurring more rapidly with the heating rate almost doubling, according to research that excludes the effect of natural factors behind the latest scorching temperatures. Continue reading...

Cheap semaglutide, the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, could help millions with diabetes and obesity in 160 countriesWeight-loss jabs such as Wegovy could be made for just $3 a month, according to new analysis, potentially making the treatment available to millions in poorer countries as patents expire.More than a billion people live with obesity worldwide, with rates rising fast in lower-income nations as they shift to westernised diets and more sedentary lifestyles. Continue reading...

It's not a question of if, but when, another pandemic hits Britain. We owe it to all those who suffered to make sure mistakes are not repeatedWhat makes the independent inquiry set up to examine the UK's response to, and the impact of, the Covid-19 pandemic unlike any other in British history is that we are not examining something that affected one specific group of people. The chair, Heather Hallett, and her team have investigated a virus that swept the land and affected every single person in the UK at a profound and long-lasting level.We have published two inquiry reports, with eight more to come. Each is full of valuable insight, carefully considered conclusions and recommendations about what must now change to ensure we are better prepared for next time. Continue reading...

The conflict in the Middle East has sent energy prices soaring, and for countries that import a high proportion of their fuel, it's a reminder of the perils of energy dependence. As the recipient of almost 90% of Iran's crude oil, China knows this only too well. Which partly explains why the country spent the last decade heavily investing in clean power.To find out what else could be driving the strategy, Madeleine Finlay speaks to senior China correspondent Amy Hawkins.And energy correspondent Jillian Ambrose reflects on how China's ambitions could affect the rest of the worldSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Four cemetery workers dug up and moved more than 100 bodies to resell the burial plots nearly 20 years agoIt was a particularly heinous crime. Four workers at a cemetery near Chicago dug up more than 100 bodies and dumped the remains elsewhere in the grounds, in order to resell the burial plots for profit.Now, nearly two decades after the scandal broke at Burr Oak cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, scientists have released details of how a tiny clump of moss became crucial forensic evidence that helped convict the grave robbers. Continue reading...

US study suggests GLP-1s, used to treat type 2 diabetes, could also reduce risk of people already using substances from overdosingWeight loss drugs could help people avoid getting addicted to alcohol, tobacco and drugs such as cannabis and cocaine, a study has found.They could also reduce the risk of people already addicted to illicit substances having an overdose, ending up in hospital or dying, according to research published in the British Medical Journal. Continue reading...

Preliminary trials into Zorevunersen find drug to be safe and well tolerated by those with Dravet syndromeScientists have hailed a potentially life-changing drug for children with a hard to treat form of epilepsy, after promising early clinical trial results.Dravet syndrome is a genetic disorder which causes treatment resistant epilepsy and is often accompanied by speech and developmental delays. About 3,000 people are thought to have the condition in the UK. Current treatments aim to control the number and severity of seizures, but often do not work. Continue reading...

Final module focuses on legacy and impact on mental health, particularly for key workers, vulnerable and bereaved peopleThe final module in the long-running Covid-19 inquiry has concluded, marking the end of public hearings that began almost three years ago.While other sections of the inquiry have focused on specific areas of the pandemic, such as the care sector, economy, vaccines and political decision-making, module 10 had a broader remit, looking at the overall impact on society and the legacy left behind. Continue reading...

Scientists are calling loss of biodiversity the homogenocene', where niche species are pushed out by generalists like pigeons and ratsPlants and animals are disappearing at an alarming rate across the planet, with some estimates suggesting a loss of up to 150 species every day. Meanwhile, the versatile species that thrive alongside humans, such as pigeons, rats and cockroaches, expand to fill the vacant gaps. Some scientists are calling this loss of biodiversity the homogenocene": the era when the world's wildlife became more samey.It started during the last ice age, when humans hunted large mammals such as the mammoth to extinction, and has continued to the present day as land is cleared to make way for fields, farms and cities. Specialist creatures that exploit a particular niche - such as the flightless Fijian bar-winged rail - have been pushed out by adaptable generalists, like mongooses, brought to Fiji by humans in the 1800s. More recently the homogenocene has hit the oceans, with warmer waters devastating coral reefs for example. Continue reading...

A rare total lunar eclipse on Tuesday night resulted in a spectacular blood moon, captured by Josh Aoraki from the Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland

A rare total lunar eclipse on Tuesday night resulted in a spectacular blood moon, seen first in Western Australia, then in parts of Asia, Europe and across North America. The next total eclipse will be New Year's Eve 2028

Eclipse will feature a deep, coppery-red full moon on 3 March. From Sydney to New York, use our guide to find out when the eclipse will be visible and the best time to see it tonight.North America, Australia and New Zealand will be treated to a rare total lunar eclipse on Tuesday known as a blood moon".As the full moon dips into the planet's shadow tonight it will change colour to a deep and coppery red", says astrophysicist Dr Rebecca Allen of Swinburne University. Continue reading...

Storeton Wood, Wirral: Two centuries ago, this area teemed with workmen busying building Liverpool; more than 200m years ago very different creatures roamed hereAt last, the sun shone after weeks of rain. While the distant Welsh hills were draped in snow, here on the Wirral it was dry and bright. Storeton Wood is a secondary woodland of oak, beech and silver birch, and formerly a quarry. Below, a cuprous layer of leaf has protected the soil from the recent assault of raindrops. Fallen limbs were a feast of fungi; in places, creamy white Storeton sandstone peeked through like discarded vertebrae. Great spotted woodpeckers drummed.Standing by the remnant of George Stephenson's quarry track, I envisaged the 1838 scene: workmen busy extracting sandstone, sudden shouts of discovery and confusion, handprints in the rock. They thought they were the signs of people perished in Noah's flood. Victorian scientists later confirmed that they were footprints of a crocodile-like creature named Chirotherium storetonense (Chirotherium meaning hand beast") dating from Triassic times, 240m summers ago. Continue reading...

In the past three months, Donald Trump's White House has reportedly used AI twice to effect regime change - once in its capture of Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, and more recently to help plan the strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The most recent strikes coincided with the end of the Pentagon's relationship with the AI company Anthropic over concerns its AI tool Claude was being used for purposes the company had explicitly prohibited. The government swiftly signed a new contract with Open AI.To find out what this means for the use of AI in forthcoming conflicts, Madeleine Finlay speaks to technology journalist Chris Stokel-Walker. He explains why he thinks this moment represents a dangerous turning point.Trump is using AI to fight his wars - this is a dangerous turning pointSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Largest study of its kind suggests high red meat consumption has biggest impact, followed by smokingMore than a quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer are due to lifestyle factors such as red meat intake and smoking, according to the largest study of its kind.The study, published in the Lancet Oncology, used data from population-based cancer registries to produce a comprehensive analysis of breast cancer and its risk factors. Continue reading...

A magician reveals his visual tricksEarlier today I posted five optical illusions by Olivier Redon, a French-American inventor. Here they are again - with demonstrations of how he created the effects.Three of the images are inspired by the Necker cube, a two-dimensional drawing of a cube that can be understood in two ways: either with the bottom left face at the front, or the top right face at the front. Once your eyes settle on one interpretation, it is hard to see the other. Continue reading...

Insect taxonomist Art Borkent has described and named more than 300 species of midges but fears his field of science is dying out, despite millions of insects, fungi and other organisms waiting to be discoveredOnce Art Borkent starts speaking about biting midges, he rarely pauses for breath. Holding up a picture of a gnat trapped in amber from the time of the dinosaurs, the 72-year-old taxonomist explains that there are more than 6,000 ceratopogonidae species known to science. He has described and named more than 300 midges, mostly from his favourite family of flies. Some specialise in sucking blood from mammals, reptiles, other insects and even fish, often using the CO from their host's breath to locate their target, he says. Tens of thousands remain a mystery to science, waiting to be discovered.But to Borkent's knowledge, nobody will continue his life's work of identifying and studying this group of flies once he has gone. Continue reading...

The magical art of Olivier RedonLook at the Coca-Cola can in the main image.It is not a can, but an optical illusion - a trick of perspective. Can you work out what is going on? Continue reading...

Look west after sunset this week to see the pair converge in the dusk, closing in on a near-conjunction on 8 MarchLook west as the evening twilight gathers this week for a chance to spot the planets Venus and Saturn. The accompanying chart shows the view looking west from London at 18.10 GMT on 2 March.Venus will be the brighter of the pair, dominating the sky at magnitude -4. Saturn will be fainter, at about magnitude 0.6, and will take a little longer to be visible as the sky darkens. It lies slightly higher and to the east of Venus. Unlike stars, both planets will shine steadily, without twinkling. Continue reading...

Award-winning science fiction and horror writer died in Colorado on 21 February with family at his sideDan Simmons, the author of more than 30 novels and short story collections spanning horror, political thrillers and science fiction such as Hyperion and The Terror, has died at age 77.Simmons died in Longmont, Colorado on 21 February, with his wife and daughter at his side, his obituary announced. Continue reading...

When I found out my father had been adopted, I was curious to know more about his side of the family. Nothing could have prepared me for what I would discover ...Above my grandma's bed hung a framed blackand-white photograph of my dad. As asmall child I quietly admired it; his luminous eyes, dark hair and gentle smile. He embodied a tender yet spirited early adulthood, staring into the future. Handsome and seeking.As I grew older, I would discover that it was not, in fact, a photograph of my dad but of a man called ElvisPresley. Apparently he was very famous. My grandma had been a lifelong fan. My parents laughed - an adorable mistake - but I felt a hot pulse of humiliation. Continue reading...

Researchers are recreating ancient odours for museumgoers as interest in the archaeology of smell growsFrom the interior of Queen Elizabeth II's car to the scent of ancient Egyptian funerary practices, museumgoers are getting a whiff of the past like never before.Experts say the approach is more than a pungent stunt: it's part of a broader effort to try to reconstruct the sensory worlds of the past, with collaborations involving historians, scientists, heritage experts and perfumers. Continue reading...

Early trials of the drug VIR-5500 showed it shrinking tumours in some patientsA new drug for advanced prostate cancer has shown promise in early trials experts have said, with the medication shrinking tumours in some patients.Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in many countries, including the US and UK. About 1.5 million men are diagnosed worldwide each year. Continue reading...

Plans to return humans to the moon will come in later mission as agency grapples with delays and glitchesNasa announced on Friday radical changes to its delayed Artemis III mission to land humans back on the moon, as the US space agency grapples with technical glitches and criticism that it is trying to do too much too soon.The abrupt shift in strategy was laid out by the space agency's recently confirmed administrator, Jared Isaacman. Announcing the changes on Friday, he said that Nasa would introduce at least one new moon flight before attempting to put humans back on the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century, in 2028. Continue reading...

The president's cuts have defunded and alienated thousands of American scientists. Europe can benefit, if it makes the right offerDonald Trump has spent much of his second term at war with science and scientists. He is cutting staff at institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by a third, and has cancelled or frozen up to 8,000 federal research grants. This hasn't just hurt individual research programmes, it has damaged America's credibility as a reliable partner in the scientific community. It is not surprising that many researchers - one poll last year by the journal Nature gave the number of 75% - say they are considering leaving the US entirely.However, it is one thing to express dissatisfaction, and quite another to up sticks and leave. If the UK and EU want to attract elite scientific talent, their approach must be twofold: appealing directly to scientists concerned with political interference in their research, and offering stable, ringfenced money.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...

It's hard to know what people can see in their own mind's eye. But for Maddie Thomas there was no doubt: she had especially vivid mental imagery

Study shows lower risk for multiple myeloma as well as pancreatic, prostate, breast and kidney cancersVegetarians have a substantially lower risk of five types of cancer, a landmark study on the role of diet has revealed.The research, using data from more than 1.8 million people who were tracked over many years, found that vegetarians had a 21% lower risk of pancreatic cancer, a 12% lower risk of prostate cancer and a 9% lower risk of breast cancer compared with meat eaters. Combined, these cancers account for around a fifth of cancer deaths in the UK. Continue reading...

Experimental therapy of applying stem cells during surgery could be major milestone' in treatment of birth defectsGiving stem cells to unborn babies diagnosed with spina bifida while they have in utero surgery could be a major milestone" in the treatment of birth defects, doctors say.A trial in the US found that applying stem cells from the mother's placenta to her baby's spine while it was being repaired was safe and improved the child's mobility and quality of life. Continue reading...

Largest ever image obtained by specialist telescope in Chile represents scientific and aesthetic breakthroughScientists have captured a beautiful image in unprecedented detail of the vast Milky Way galaxy, of which our own solar system is a part.The stunning image is the largest ever obtained by the specialist telescope in Chile called the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (Alma) radio telescope, according to the group behind the project. Continue reading...

Scientists say DNA evidence indicates male Neanderthals and human females interbred more often than oppositeTens of thousands of years ago, as modern humans migrated into northerly territories inhabited by our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, the two species met - and sometimes mated.Now, genetic evidence has revealed a striking imbalance in these prehistoric trysts, suggesting that interbreeding was mostly between male Neanderthals and female humans. Continue reading...

Falling volcanic ash has for years been viewed as a nuisance. But a Sicilian project has discovered its agricultural potential and wants to spread the wordIn the Sicilian town of Giarre overlooking Mount Etna, Andrea Passanisi, a tropical and citrus fruits producer, uses an unusual fertiliser on his 100-hectare (247-acre) stretch of land: volcano ash.Like hundreds of farmers and citizens of rural towns perched on the slopes of Europe's highest and most active volcano, the 41-year-old's family has had to deal with the nuisance of falling volcanic ash for generations. But it is only in recent years that the quantity of ash has become so excessive that it required an alternative approach. Continue reading...

Orforglipron led to greater weight loss than semaglutide tablets and could offer more effective oral alternative to jabsA new daily pill could be a more effective GLP-1 tablet for weight loss, according to a clinical trial that may pave the way for an improved non-injection alternative to Wegovy and Mounjaro.The drug, called orforglipron and manufactured by Eli Lilly, is prescribed for type 2 diabetes and targets the same GLP-1 receptors as oral semaglutide. Like semaglutide, it lowers blood sugar levels, slows digestion and suppresses appetite. Unlike semaglutide tablets, it does not need to be taken on an empty stomach. Continue reading...

Sunrise is a majestic spectacle - but we should be grateful for the miles of vacuum between us and the starDawn on a still morning is a majestic spectacle, as sunlight spills silently across the landscape and the Earth gradually emerges from darkness. Sunrise has inspired countless pieces of music striving to express this soundless experience in audible form. But if we could actually hear the sun, it would be deafening.The sun is a giant nuclear fusion reactor, converting hydrogen into helium and releasing massive amounts of energy in the form of heat - and sound. Sound is essentially vibration and needs a medium to travel through. Continue reading...

Since the 1960s, global GDP has been rapidly rising and living standards have reached record highs. But something else has been rocketing up too - carbon emissions. For years, scientists and economists have been asking: is it possible to grow without heating and polluting the Earth? And as the climate becomes more unstable, the issue is only becoming more urgent. Madeleine Finlay hears from two economists arguing for a change in how we measure a country's success. Nick Stern is professor of economics and government at the London School of Economics and an advocate of green growth, an approach to growth that prioritises green industry. Jason Hickel is a political economist and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona who advocates degrowth, shrinking parts of the economy that do not advance our social and ecological goals.Catch up with all the pieces in the Beyond Growth seriesSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Changes threaten ecosystems as flowering falls out of sync with fruit-eating, seed-dispersing animals and pollinatorsTropical flowers are blooming months earlier or later than they used to because of climate breakdown, with potentially cascading impacts across ecosystems", according to a study of 8,000 plants dating back 200 years.Researchers looked at flowers from a range of countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana and Thailand, home to the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, but also the most understudied. Continue reading...

Gene-altering chemicals found in humpback dolphins and finless porpoises, raising alarm they may end up in human food chainToxic e-waste chemicals from television, computer and smartphone screens have been found in the brains and bodies of endangered dolphins and porpoises in the South China Sea.Research published in Environmental Science & Technology detected significant levels of gene-altering liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and finless porpoises. Continue reading...

Study finds participants saw reduction in depressive symptoms as researchers welcome promising' resultsA phase II clinical trial has found dimethyltryptamine (DMT), one of the psychoactive components traditionally used in the Amazonian psychedelic ritual ayahuasca, might be a promising therapy for depression.The psychedelic pharmaceutical company Small Pharma (now Cybin UK) sponsored and designed the trial, which was led by Dr David Erritzoe, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Imperial College London. The results were published in Nature this month. Continue reading...