Co-author of paper says results have implications for anyone who has to think hard in polluted areasChess experts make more mistakes when air pollution is high, a study has found.Experts used computer models to analyse the quality of games played and found that with a modest increase in fine particulate matter, the probability that chess players would make an error increased by 2.1 percentage points, and the magnitude of those errors increased by 10.8%. Continue reading...

This week the government published a major environmental improvement plan for England. It has pledged that every household will be within a 15-minute walk of green space or water, the restoration of 1.2m acres of wildlife habitat, and that sewage spills will be tackled with upgrades to wastewater treatment works. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s environment editor, Fiona Harvey, about the state of nature in the UK, what this plan promises to do, and whether it’s ambitious enough to halt and reverse damage done.Clips: BBC News, Channel 4 News, ITV News Continue reading...

I am filled with grief at losing my friend at a time when we need his calm, direct voice more than everThis week science lost one of its greatest Earth system experts, Australia lost a skilled, passionate communicator of climate science and the world lost a humble soul of the highest humanity, kindness and integrity. As did scores of others, I lost a colleague and friend when Will Steffen left us on Sunday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.It is impossible to overstate Will’s impact on science. The many tributes to his work can only scratch the surface of his legacy. He led the effort to map the Great Acceleration of human impact on the physical and biological systems of our planet, culminating in consideration of the geological age of humans – the Anthropocene, first proposed by Nobel prize winner Paul Crutzen.As the climate system continues to spiral towards a potentially uncontrollable state, I am struck with an increasing sense of both anger and apprehension. I’m angry because the lack of effective action on climate change, despite the wealth not of only scientific information but also of solutions to reduce emissions, has now created a climate emergency. The students are right. Their future is now being threatened by the greed of the wealthy fossil fuel elite, the lies of the Murdoch press, and the weakness of our political leaders. These people have no right to destroy my daughter’s future and that of her generation.

125,000-year-old bones of 70 animals – each about three times the size of today’s Asian elephants – discovered near HalleNeanderthals may have lived in larger groups than previously believed, hunting massive elephants that were up to three times bigger than those of today, according to a new study.The researchers reached their conclusions, published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday, based on examinations of the 125,000-year-old skeletal remains of straight-tusked elephants found near Halle in central Germany. Continue reading...

Experts find evidence at Derbyshire cremation site of horses and dogs originating from the Baltic ShieldWhen the Vikings arrived in England they didn’t just bring their helmets, axes and beards –they also brought their horses and dogs, research suggests.Experts studying cremated remains associated with the Viking great army that invaded England in AD865, say they have found evidence of animals and humans travelling from the Baltic Shield – a geographical area that encompasses Finland and parts of Norway, Sweden and Russia. Continue reading...

A deep trawl has brought up a potentially new species of a fish whose extreme mating methods include permanent physical fusion“I sometimes describe anglerfish as looking like a satanic potato,” says James Maclaine, senior curator of fish at London’s Natural History Museum, who believes a new species of the fish may have been discovered.Many anglerfish are globular and lumpy in shape. They have a long prong sprouting from their forehead with a glowing tip that lures prey into their enormous, tooth-filled jaws. If their appearance is curious, then the method of reproduction that some species have developed – known as sexual parasitism – is even more so. Continue reading...

Phil McGraw dispensed advice to rebellious teens, disfunctional families and troubled celebrities for 25 yearsDr. Phil, the US talkshow that saw Dr Phil McGraw divvy out life advice to individuals and which became a regular on daytime television around the world, is set to end later this year after 21 seasons.Hosted by McGraw since 2002, the show saw him advise guests who were troubled by problems, often to do with their finances, weight, families, addictions and marriages. Continue reading...

A nine-year-old girl whose neighbour called police as she worked to eradicate invasive insects from her home town has earned honours from one of the US’s most prestigious universities. Bobbi Wilson, who is black, unwittingly set off a national discussion about the dangers of racial profiling when a neighbour called the police on 22 October as she used a homemade repellant spray of water, dish soap and apple cider vinegar to kill spotted lanternflies, an invasive pest native to Asia that harms trees and which scientists advise people to kill in order to protect the environment. The caller later reportedly apologised to Bobbi’s mother. The Yale school of public health earlier this month held a ceremony citing Bobbi's efforts to rid Caldwell, New Jersey, of the spotted lanternfly, university officials said.

Survey could mean there is a crucial component missing from so-called standard model of physicsOne of the most precise surveys of the structure of the universe has suggested it is “less clumpy” than expected, in findings that could indicate the existence of mysterious forces at work.The observations by the Dark Energy Survey and the South Pole Telescope chart the distribution of matter with the aim of understanding the competing forces that shaped the evolution of the universe and govern its ultimate fate. The extraordinarily detailed analysis adds to a body of evidence that suggests there may be a crucial component missing from the so-called standard model of physics. Continue reading...

Remains of 2-metre-long animal discovered in 2017 by two fossil huntersScientists have identified a new genus of a fearsome crocodile-like creature that once hunted off what is now Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.The remains of the 2-metre-long animal were discovered by fossil hunters after a series of landslips on to a beach in 2017, and the newly recognised beast has been named Turnersuchus hingleyae in honour of the finders, Paul Turner and Lizzie Hingley. Continue reading...

Researchers identify 31 genes associated with social organisation and longevityMammals that live in groups generally have longer lifespans than solitary species, new research into nearly 1,000 different animals suggests.Scientists from China and Australia compared 974 mammal species, analysing longevity and how they tended to be socially organised. Continue reading...

Company is raising further $150m to pursue research on dodo which became extinct in 17th centuryThe dodo, a Mauritian bird last seen in the 17th century, will be brought back to at least a semblance of life if attempts by a gene editing company are successful.Gene editing techniques now exist that allow scientists to mine the dodo genome for key traits that they believe they can then effectively reassemble within the body of a living relative. Continue reading...

Phenomenon believed to have origins in launch of military GPS satellite from SpaceX in FloridaA camera on top of Hawaii’s tallest mountain has captured what looks like a spiral swirling through the night sky.Researchers believe the strange phenomenon is linked to a military GPS satellite that launched from a SpaceX rocket in Florida. Continue reading...

Images captured with the Subaru-Asahi telescope at Hawaii's Mauna Kea Observatory show a mysterious 'whirlpool' move across the night sky. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan said the phenomenon was probably related to the SpaceX satellite launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida earlier in the day

Government figures, which cannot be verified, showed big rises in travel and hospitality activity during lunar new year compared to the same time last yearChina’s wave of Covid is “coming to an end”, health officials have claimed, saying there had been no sign of a new surge from the lunar new year holiday period, despite a big increase in travel compared to last year.Government figures released on Tuesday showed big rises in tourism and hospitality activity compared to the same time last year. Factory activity has also rebounded for the first time in four months, an early sign of economic return after the country reported its slowest growth in about half a century during strict Covid controls. Continue reading...

Simply taking your pooch for a walk isn’t enough, a new study says – it should be playing team sports to keep anxiety at bayName: Social exercise.Age: Far older than the name given to it. Continue reading...

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was last visible during the stone age so if you miss it this time you’re unlikely to get another chanceAn exotic comet is causing excitement this week. We take a look at what we know about the unusual celestial object, and how best to catch a glimpse. Continue reading...

Bobbi Wilson’s efforts to rid her town of the spotted lanternfly unwittingly touched off a national discussion about racial profilingA nine-year-old girl who had a neighbor call the police on her as she worked to eradicate invasive insects from her home town has earned honors from one of the US’s most prestigious universities.The Yale School of Public Health earlier this month held a ceremony citing Bobbi Wilson’s efforts to rid Caldwell, New Jersey, of the spotted lanternfly, according to university officials. Continue reading...

This week star gazers will be hoping to catch sight of an exotic green comet that last passed by Earth 50,000 years ago. But, unlike the view our Neanderthal ancestors would have had, light pollution will make witnessing this celestial event an impossibility for many. Ian Sample speaks to astronomy journalist Dr Stuart Clark about how best to see the comet, and why it’s time to rethink our relationship with the night skyOrbiting the sun every 50,000 years, Comet C/2022 E3 hasn’t passed our planet since the stone age. The comet comes from the Oort cloud at the edge of the solar system, and will be at its closest to Earth on 1 February. Over the past month astronomers have captured stunning pictures of Comet C/2022 E3, and it is now bright enough to see with the naked eye in dark, rural areas with minimal light pollution. For those in or nearby cities and towns, however, the glow from artificial lighting means it will not be possible to spot the comet as it tears by. The inability to witness this celestial event is just one of the many impacts of what is known as ‘skyglow’, the brightening of the night sky.Ian Sample speaks to astronomy journalist Stuart Clark about what astronomers can learn from the green comet, how best to view it, and why it’s important not to lose sight of the wonders of the cosmos Continue reading...

Multiple concussions in a lifetime were shown to affect the ability to plan and pay attention, though research also underlined health benefits of playing sport

Iridescent clouds formed of ice crystals are usually found in extremely cold air above polar regionsExcited weather watchers have captured stunning images of rare “mother of pearl” clouds, which have formed high up in the atmosphere over Scotland.Such clouds tend to develop in the extremely cold air above polar regions, but were spotted on Sunday evening and Monday morning by BBC weather watchers in Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and Moray. Continue reading...

As authorities scour the desert for the missing source, here’s what we know about how it works and what threat it poses to humans

Constellation is often associated with Greek myth of Phaeton, who went on reckless joyride with the sunThis week, search out the northern constellation of Auriga, the charioteer. It was first listed in Ptolemy’s second-century compendium The Almagest, making it one of the oldest constellations.Although often overshadowed by its neighbours, Orion and Taurus, Auriga contains the sixth brightest star in the night sky, Capella. Locate this first, and then trace the rest of the constellation. The chart shows the view from London facing south, and looking high up in the sky, towards the zenith. Continue reading...

Being conditioned as a child to see toxic relationships as almost normal can prevent an adult make loving connections

After three years of lockdowns, the country was ill prepared for its abrupt ‘freedom’. Now, with some estimating 1m deaths, public anger is growingWhen Sunny* thinks back to March last year, she laughs ruefully at the ordeal. The 19-year-old Shanghai student spent that month locked in her dormitory, unable to shop for essentials or wash clothes, even banned from showering for two weeks over Covid fears. In April, the entire city locked down.It was the beginning of the chaos of 2022, as local Chinese authorities desperately tried to follow President Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid decree while facing the most transmissible strain of the virus yet: Omicron. “Everyone was panicking, no one was ready,” she tells the Observer. Continue reading...

We know the show turns up gems from the house and garden – but don’t forget the linguistic ones tooIf there is a television equivalent of comfort food, then surely it has to be the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Presenter Fiona Bruce is a perpetual ray of sunshine, the experts are to a man and woman warm hearted and the people clutching their possessions always radiate hope that they are offering up a potential treasure for evaluation.But last Sunday’s edition offered up a gem of an altogether different kind when a woman appeared with some porcelain that she said she had discovered when she had been having a furtle in her attic. Even though I had never heard it before, it was such an evocative word that I knew exactly what she meant – she’d been having a good old rummage in the hope of turning up an overlooked masterpiece. A quick online search for furtle’s meaning proved that my surmise was correct. Continue reading...

Scientists say albicidin has allowed them to take a giant step forward to creating a powerful new range of antibacterial drugsScientists have discovered a plant toxin whose unique method of dispatching bacteria could be used to create a powerful new range of antibiotics. The prospect of developing new antibacterial drugs this way has been hailed by doctors, who have been warning for many years that the steady rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens such as E coli now presents a dangerous threat to healthcare across the planet.The new antibiotic – albicidin – attacks bacteria in a completely different way to existing drugs, a group of British, German and Polish scientists have revealed in a paper recently published in the journal Nature Catalysis. This suggests a new route could be exploited to tackle bacterial disease, they say. Continue reading...

Stacked Farm can produce perfect-looking strawberries, tomatoes and baby cos all year round. But will high energy inputs be its achilles heel?

The paleobiologist and author of Foyles’ nonfiction book of 2022 on Earth’s deep past, the joys of the British Library, and how early four-limbed vertebrates helped him find his feetThomas Halliday was born in 1989 and raised in Rannoch in the Scottish Highlands. He studied zoology at Cambridge before specialising in paleobiology for his master’s and PhD – winning the Linnean Society Medal for the best doctorate in biological studies. His debut book Otherlands: A World in the Making – which comes out in paperback on 2 February – was Foyles’ nonfiction book of 2022, while the historian Tom Holland called it “the best book on the history of life on Earth I have ever read”. Halliday lives in north London with his wife and sons.What is paleobiology?

Klein Hollandia discovery ‘opens up fascinating chapter in rich, shared maritime history between UK and Netherlands’• Shipwrecked: how tech is revealing world of 3m lost vesselsA remarkably preserved shipwreck known only as the “unknown wreck off Eastbourne” has finally been identified as the 17th-century Dutch warship Klein Hollandia which was involved in all the big battles in the second Anglo-Dutch war.Its identity has been confirmed after painstaking research by archeologists and scientists after its initial discovery in 2019, having lain 32 metres (105ft) underwater on the seabed since 1672. Continue reading...

The FDA asked its scientific advisers on Thursday to help chalk out plan to move to a flu shot-like schedule for coronavirusThe US is poised to make Covid-19 vaccinations more like a yearly flu shot, a major shift in strategy despite a long list of questions about how to best protect against a still rapidly mutating virus.The Food and Drug Administration asked its scientific advisers on Thursday to help lay the groundwork for switching to once-a-year boosters for most Americans – and how and when to periodically update the shots’ recipe. Continue reading...

Some publishers also banning use of bot in preparation of submissions but others see its adoption as inevitableThe publishers of thousands of scientific journals have banned or restricted contributors’ use of an advanced AI-driven chatbot amid concerns that it could pepper academic literature with flawed and even fabricated research.ChatGPT, a fluent but flaky chatbot developed by OpenAI in California, has impressed or distressed more than a million human users by rattling out poems, short stories, essays and even personal advice since its launch in November. Continue reading...

Study of 105 pairs of interacting felines decodes the cat behaviour that puzzles humans – and flags up the unsubtle battle cry of claws and yowlingWhen cats get together it can be difficult to tell rough and tumble play from a full-blown scrap. Now researchers say they have decoded feline behaviour to help owners spot when the fur might be about to fly.Dr Noema Gajdoš‑Kmecová, first author of the research from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, in Košice, Slovakia – a cat owner herself – said understanding feline interactions could be difficult. Continue reading...

Researchers find pain and indigestion medication purchases were higher in women who went on to be diagnosedLoyalty card data on over-the-counter medicine purchases could help spot ovarian cancer cases earlier and enable more patients to fully recover, researchers have found.Pain and indigestion medication purchases were higher in women who went on to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, usually about eight months later, according to a study of almost 300 women led by Imperial College London researchers. Continue reading...

The 4,300-year-old mummy was found at the bottom of a 15-metre shaft near the Step Pyramid at SaqqaraEgyptologists have uncovered a Pharaonic tomb near the capital, Cairo, containing what may be the oldest and most complete mummy yet to be discovered in the country, the excavation team leader has said.The 4,300-year-old mummy was found at the bottom of a 15-metre shaft in a recently uncovered group of fifth and sixth dynasty tombs near the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Zahi Hawass, director of the team, told reporters. Continue reading...

As rich people plough money into ventilation to protect themselves, those with long Covid are treated as an embarrassmentYou could see Covid-19 as an empathy test. Who was prepared to suffer disruption and inconvenience for the sake of others, and who was not? The answer was often surprising. I can think, for instance, of five prominent environmentalists who denounced lockdowns, vaccines and even masks as intolerable intrusions on our liberties, while proposing no meaningful measures to prevent transmission of the virus. Four of them became active spreaders of disinformation.If environmentalism means anything, it’s that our damaging gratifications should take second place to the interests of others. Yet these people immediately failed the test, placing their own convenience above the health and lives of others. Continue reading...

Sent into apoplexy by whistling noses? Can’t bear the sound of people eating? You could be one of the many people affected by this potentially debilitating conditionAs a teenager, I remember being moved almost to tears by the sound of a family member chewing muesli. A friend eating dumplings once forced me to flee the room. The noises one former housemate makes when chomping popcorn mean I have declined their invitations to the cinema for nearly 20 years.I am not proud of myself for reacting like this – in fact, I am pretty embarrassed – but my responses feel unavoidable. It is probable that I have misophonia. According to a forthcoming scientific paper from King’s College London, so do 18% of people in the UK. Continue reading...

No danger, says Nasa, from delivery truck-sized asteroid that was discovered on Saturday and will pass lower than communication satellitesAn asteroid the size of a delivery truck will pass Earth in one of the closest such encounters ever recorded – coming within a tenth of the distance of most communication satellites’ orbit.Nasa said the newly discovered asteroid would pass 2,200 miles (3,600km) above the southern tip of South America at 7.27pm US eastern time on Thursday (12.27am GMT, 11.27am AEDT on Friday). Continue reading...

Over-60s who combined more healthy lifestyle choices enjoyed most benefit, found Beijing researchersA combination of healthy lifestyle choices such as eating well, regularly exercising, playing cards and socialising at least twice a week may help slow the rate of memory decline and reduce the risk of dementia, a decade-long study suggests.Memory is a fundamental function of daily life that continuously declines as people age, impairing quality of life and productivity, and increasing the risk of dementia. Continue reading...

NHS crisis, withdrawal of tax credits and exit from EU blamed for fall in UK share of R&D marketBig pharma is unhappy about the prices it is being paid in the UK – a state of affairs the rest of us might instinctively regard as welcome, as it suggests the NHS is still world class when it comes to negotiating terms for branded medicines. The UK spends about 9% of its healthcare budget on such medicines; other large European countries report mid-teen percentages.One response would be to tell the wealthy companies to count their blessings – or be quiet until NHS nurses have had a proper pay settlement and the patient backlog has been cleared. Hasn’t the pharma industry done well in the UK over many years from an arrangement that is broadly understood by both sides? Continue reading...

Activity detected in Kolumbo, just off Greek island, which is likely to trigger tsunami when it next eruptsIt has been quiet for nearly 400 years, but Kolumbo, an underwater volcano just off the Greek island of Santorini, is not asleep. A previously undetected magma chamber is gradually filling with melt, prompting researchers to recommend real-time monitoring of the volcano.The last time Kolumbo erupted, in 1650, it killed 70 people, but population growth and tourism on Santorini mean the impact of an equivalent eruption today could be far greater. Continue reading...

Study points to ‘substantial reductions in mortality’ and significant health benefits if policies implementedReaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions in England and Wales by 2050 will lead to an extra 2m years of life, a study suggests.The UK is legally committed to hitting net zero by 2050. Many of the proposed policies will reduce harmful environmental factors such as air pollution, and encourage healthy behaviours including diet and exercise, but this is the first time researchers have comprehensively modelled how net zero will affect health. Continue reading...

Study from St Andrew’s University gauges ability of people to interpret bonobo and chimpanzee gesturesWe may not be able to strike up a conversation, debate politics or chat about the meaning of life with other great apes, but our ability to understand one another might be greater than once thought.Researchers have discovered adult humans can discern the meaning of gestures produced by bonobos and chimpanzees, despite not necessarily using such gestures themselves. Continue reading...

Project, in concert with US government agency Darpa, aims to develop pioneering propulsion system for space travelNasa has unveiled plans to test nuclear-powered rockets that would fly astronauts to Mars in ultra-fast time.The agency has partnered with the US government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space as soon as 2027, it announced on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Scientists warn of ‘unprecedented danger’ and say ‘Russia’s war … has raised profound questions’A panel of international scientists has warned that humanity’s continued existence is at greater risk than ever before, largely as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set its Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight the clock has been since it was established in 1947 to illustrate global existential threats at the dawn of the nuclear weapons age. Continue reading...

A parliamentary committee made some pretty benign recommendations, only for ministers to nope the most important bits. Their approach is like a devilish trolling operationI feel it’s quite unusual for a parliamentary committee to get the door slammed in its face by the government, but maybe I’m doing my sums in old money. Last summer, the women and equalities committee made a number of recommendations around menopause support. None of it sounded that major: no mandatory high-voltage air-conditioning units in public venues, no blanket rules on when to, and when not to, bother a menopausal woman with your nonsense, nothing like that. Just some basic workplace support from larger employers – specific menopause leave, more flexibility on sickness policy, a move to make the menopause a protected characteristic, so that there would be a statutory duty to make reasonable adjustments for it.Ministers noped all the crunchy bits, agreeing “in principle” to the floppy, pointless bits – a menopause “ambassador”, a public awareness campaign. Imagine, if you can bear your own teeth-grinding, what that campaign would look like: babyish fonts on a pink background, some 27-year-old-comms-professional-devised slogan telling you it’s OK not to feel OK. It’s like some devilish trolling operation: these menopausal women say they’re so angry they could set fire to furniture using only their white-hot eyeballs. Let’s put that to the test. Continue reading...

Medical training is in demand, but hesitancy on body donation means students have little to work with, while an illicit trade in transplant organs flourishesScalpel in hand, Carl Mwangi, a first-year medical student at the University of Nairobi, slices through the brain tissue. “To figure out where the vessels are, you have to dig in deeper,” he says, excited to be dissecting a human brain for the first time. But if he wants to do more dissections, the aspiring neurosurgeon will have to secure one of only 10 places on the anatomy programme here.Only postgraduate students and those specialising in anatomy are able to get hands-on dissection experience as Kenya’s oldest medical school grapples with a shortage of cadavers. Until recently, medical students would spend at least 250 hours on dissection in their first year. However, most students now learn through prosection – examining bodies that have already been cut open. Up to 12 students have to learn using one cadaver in anatomy class. Continue reading...

Rubble pile asteroid is almost as old as the solar system, a sign that it can withstand great shocks and may be difficult to destroy, research suggestsTiny specks of dust from a “giant space cushion” almost as old as the solar system can provide new clues about how to avoid catastrophic asteroid collisions with Earth, research suggests.Three tiny particles of dust – smaller than the diameter of a hair – collected from a 500-metre-long asteroid known as Itokawa show some of these space rocks are much older and tougher than previously thought. Continue reading...

I love the idea of my boy and his dad peering through a telescope together. But what will light pollution leave for them to look at?I was saddened to read about how light pollution is rapidly reducing the number of stars visible to the naked eye. In some locations where 250 stars are visible, it is estimated that only 100 will be visible in 18 years’ time.Growing up in the countryside, there were nights when the skies were so clear that if you were driving you felt compelled to pull over and get out to marvel at them. The only place where I have seen stars clearer than in Snowdonia (Eryri) is on remote Greek islands, where you find yourself gazing upwards, stupefied – an effect that is increased, in my experience, by copious amounts of local booze. Continue reading...

Older people prescribed 10 or more medicines by GPs at threefold increased risk, researchers sayOlder women are at higher risk than older men of experiencing adverse reactions to drugs prescribed by their family doctor, and older patients taking more than 10 medicines are at higher risk than those taking fewer, according to a study.Overall, one in four older people experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to pills prescribed by their GP, the research published in the British Journal of General Practice suggests. Continue reading...