Geoscientists studying 200m-high wave that hit Greenland coast last year warn of potentially disastrous impactJust under a year ago, the east coast of Greenland was hit by a megatsunami. Triggered by a large landslide entering the uninhabited Dickson Fjord, the resulting tsunami was 200 metres high - equivalent to more than 40 double-decker buses.Luckily no one was hurt, though a military base was obliterated. Now analysis of the seismic data associated with the event has revealed that the tsunami was followed by a standing wave, which continued to slosh back and forth within the narrow fjord for many days. Continue reading...
Over four decades, my father, Kit Hill, who has died aged 94, worked to develop the use of ultrasound in medicine, from the earliest handbuilt scanners with little computational power through to very much higher levels of sophistication. He and his team at the combined Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and Royal Marsden hospital in London also explored the biological impact and potential for risk from ultrasound exposure, developing safe codes of practice for worldwide application.Kit's career at the ICR started in 1957 when he was a PhD student mapping the concentration of radionuclides in plants, livestock and human organs following nuclear-bomb testing and power-plant failures. On a visit to Kit's lab, Sir Ernest Marsden, who had worked with Sir Ernest Rutherford, was intrigued by the alpha particle spectrometer Kit had built from bits and bobs". Continue reading...
Decision by Nice to rule out drug being available on NHS comes despite medicines licensing body giving green lightThe UK's health regulator has rejected a drug that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, saying its benefits are too small to justify the costs of the therapy and close monitoring of patients for signs of serious side-effects".Lecanemab, which is given twice a month, removes sticky clumps of protein amyloid beta from the brain, believed to be a hallmark of the disease. The drug is not a cure. But in clinical trials, the therapy slowed cognitive decline by 27% in early Alzheimer's patients, compared with a placebo. Continue reading...
Think of Britain's Covid debacle and the Post Office scandal. As a behavioural scientist, I have seen how ruinous blind belief can beConfidence is complicated. Ted talks try to teach you how to get it; parents want it for their children; for those who don't have it, it seems almost impossible to acquire. Entrepreneurs, social-media influencers and job applicants will project certainty even when internally racked with self-doubt - which is perhaps no surprise, given that virtually every talk on confidence is about how to acquire more of it, not less.And yet too much confidence can have serious consequences. It contributed to the 2008 financial crisis and the Post Office scandal. In my years working as a behavioural scientist, I've measured the confidence levels of thousands of civil servants, and created case studies of how overconfident decision-making in government leads to failed policies. I have also seen how it can affect senior decision-making at the highest levels - at the Covid inquiry Matt Hancock, the health secretary in 2020, was described as responding to the crisis with nuclear levels" of overconfidence.Dr Mark Egan is a principal research adviser at the Behavioural Insights Team. He holds a PhD in behavioural science from the University of Stirling Continue reading...
Exclusive: Fellows divided as council reportedly puts forward Sir Paul Nurse for role never held by a womanA row has broken out among fellows of the UK's Royal Society over the prospect of re-electing its former president Sir Paul Nurse as head of the institution.The Guardian understands the society's council has put forward Nurse, a geneticist and Nobel laureate, as its preferred candidate for the role, which would begin after Sir Adrian Smith's term finishes next year. Continue reading...
An associate professor in marine biology explains her fascination with the surprisingly diverse animals - and how they could help to address the climate crisis
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Madeleine Fin on (#6Q5AJ)
A record 10,000 research papers were retracted in 2023. In this episode from February 2024, Ian Sample speaks to Ivan Oransky, whose organisation Retraction Watch has been monitoring the growing numbers of retractions for more than a decade, and hears from blogger Sholto David, who made headlines this year when he spotted mistakes in research from a leading US cancer instituteA lot of it is sloppiness': the biologist who finds flaws in scientific papers Continue reading...
Simulated study shows southern ecosystems could be compromised by objects from South Africa, South America, New Zealand and Australia as global heating continues
Sharing increasingly crowded spaces could result in greater risk of pandemics, human and animal conflicts and loss of nature, say researchersOver the next 50 years, people will push further into wildlife habitats across more than half the land on Earth, scientists have found, threatening biodiversity and increasing the chance of future pandemics.Humans have already transformed or occupied between 70% and 75% of the world's land. Research published in Science Advances on Wednesday found the overlap between human and wildlife populations is expected to increase across 57% of the Earth's land by 2070, driven by human population growth. Continue reading...
People of ancient Clovis culture could have impaled huge animals on pikes rather than throwing spears, finds studyWhen it came to taking down giant animals, prehistoric hunters would quite literally have faced a mammoth task. Now researchers have shed fresh light on how they might have done it.Experts studying sharp stone points made by the Clovis people, who lived in the Americas from about 13,000 years ago, say that rather than hurling spears at enormous animals such as giant bison, mammoths or ground sloths, the tribes could have planted their weapons point-up in the ground to impale charging creatures. Continue reading...
Twenty-four brain samples collected in early 2024 measured on average about 0.5% plastic by weightA growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution.Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastics in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow. Continue reading...
These new proteins could be our best hope of averting catastrophe. But governments are trying to have them bannedFor many years, certain car manufacturers sought to obstruct the transition to electric vehicles. It's not hard to see why: when you have invested heavily in an existing technology, you want to extract every last drop before disinvesting. But devious as in some cases these efforts were, they seem almost innocent in comparison with the concerted programme by a legacy industry and its tame politicians to suppress a far more important switch: the essential transition away from livestock farming.Animal farming ranks alongside fossil fuel production as one of the two most destructive industries on Earth. It's not just the vast greenhouse gas emissions and the water and air pollution it causes. Even more important is the amount of land it requires. Land use is a crucial environmental metric, because every hectare we occupy is a hectare that cannot support wild ecosystems.George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Cambridge-led study of 2m people globally is most comprehensive evidence yet of red meat link to diabetesEating processed or red meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, with just two slices of ham a day raising the danger by 15%, the largest study of its kind suggests.Research led by the University of Cambridge and involving 2 million people worldwide provides the most comprehensive evidence yet of a link between meat and the disease that presents one of the most pressing dangers to global health. Continue reading...
The corporate takeover of veterinary practices has been underregulated. Low pay and high charges need addressingNow revived for a new generation, the classic television series All Creatures Great and Small offered an unashamedly romantic take on the life of a 1930s rural veterinary practice. Sadly, in a sector that has been corporatised at a dizzying pace, the modern reality is far less edifying.In south Wales, vets, nurses and support staff working for surgeries owned by the VetPartners group have just extended an ongoing strike until the end of this month. This unprecedented industrial action has been prompted by anger at low wages that are reportedly driving some employees to food banks. There are also widespread concerns that profit-driven calculations by corporate giants are pushing customer charges too high.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...
Supercentenarian who died in her sleep had lived through two world wars and Spain's civil warThe world's oldest known person, Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the US in 1907 and lived through two pandemics and two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family said.Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain," her family wrote on her account on X on Tuesday. We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness." Continue reading...
by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay with ad on (#6Q3HN)
We all know the cliches about older siblings being responsible, younger ones creative, and middle children being peacemakers. But is there any evidence our position in the family affects our personality? In this episode from March 2024, Madeleine Finlay meets Dr Julia Rohrer, a personality psychologist at the University of Leipzig, to unpick the science behind birth order Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6Q3AW)
Essential experiences' recommended to improve science education include kneading dough and planting vegetablesLicking an ice lolly should be an essential part of the national curriculum for primary schoolchildren in England, according to scientists at the Royal Society of Chemistry.Whether it's an old-fashioned Fab, a Twister or a Calippo, not only does it taste nice, it teaches children vital scientific concepts such as heating, cooling and how temperature works, scientists say. Continue reading...
Rocket Factory Augsburg says anomaly' led to the loss of the stage', adding that there were no injuriesA rocket company has vowed to return to regular operations as soon as possible" after an explosion during a test at the UK's new spaceport in Shetland.The test was carried out by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) which hopes to make the first UK vertical rocket launch into orbit. Continue reading...
The world saw a rare blue supermoon this evening, with stargazers getting a glimpse on Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The moon will appear about a seventh bigger and brighter on Monday evening as a blue moon and supermoon coincide
Food scientists and chefs have been investigating and comparing the flavor compounds in various ingredientsFor some, recipe writing is an art, born of intuition and pragmatism. But like most disciplines, the culinary world has become susceptible to the pull of data.In recent years, food scientists and chefs have begun studying the flavor compounds that appear in certain ingredients and searching for similarities elsewhere. Sites like Foodpairing.com even offer paid AI services to chefs looking for new combinations, as well as to customers seeking to better understand their own palates. Continue reading...
It is in everybody's interest that wealthy nations do a better job at getting vaccines and assistance to where they are needed mostAfter two years of post-Covid talks, member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) failed this summer to agree plans for a more equitable distribution of vaccines to developing countries. Ensuring that life-saving doses are available to countries most in need of them, rather than merely to those with the deepest pockets, is not only a moral imperative. It is in the self-interest of every nation, given the propensity of viruses to mutate and migrate. But achieving this requires big money and big concessions from pharmaceutical firms. And so, dispiritingly, the haggling goes on.Maybe the warnings over a new, more severe strain of mpox in Africa will finally concentrate minds. Last week, the WHO declared the current outbreak of the virus a public health emergency of international concern". Highly contagious, mpox can be spread through skin-on-skin contact, the sharing of contaminated materials and contact with animals. The new clade 1" variant appears to have a significantly higher mortality rate of about 4%. Cases have now been detected in 13 African countries, the overwhelming majority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than 500 people have died so far.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...
The solution to today's puzzleEarlier today I set you a puzzle about a variant of noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe in the US). Games are played exactly as normal with the following twist:Players can place either an X or an O on each go. Continue reading...
Accuracy of 80% claimed for screening of children aged under two based on machine learningArtificial intelligence may help experts identify toddlers who may be autistic, researchers have said after developing a screening system they say has an accuracy of about 80% for children under the age of two.The researchers say their approach, which is based on a type of AI called machine learning, could bring benefits. Continue reading...
Scientists say automated adjustment of levels could halve duration of most troublesome symptomsA fresh approach to brain stimulation could offer people living with Parkinson's better control over their symptoms and halve the duration of those that trouble them most, experts have said.Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is now a mainstream treatment for people with Parkinson's and can help with symptoms such as stiffness, slowness and tremor. Continue reading...
Relatively rare lunar phenomenon of a blue moon combined with supermoon will occur in full for three daysThe UK has enjoyed a weekend of vivid sunsets and sunrises, with the moon taking on a distinctly orange hue. Monday night also promises the relatively rare lunar phenomenon of a blue supermoon, as a blue moon and supermoon coincide. Continue reading...
Transgressive tic-tac-toeUPDATE: The solution is now upI recently discovered an interesting variant of noughts and crosses. (Tic-tac-toe for US readers.) Games are played exactly as normal with the following twist:Players can place either an X or an O on each go. Continue reading...
Named after the bird that carried Zeus's thunderbolt, the constellation hosts Altair, visible with the naked eyeThis week affords us a great view of the constellation Aquila, the Eagle. According to Greek mythology, Aquila is the bird that carried Zeus's thunderbolt (or Jupiter's, if you prefer Roman mythology).It is one of the 48 constellations originally recorded by the astronomer Ptolemy in the second century, and now forms one of the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) officially recognised 88 constellations. Continue reading...
New discoveries about our bodies are emerging. But we need care as well as research to cope with ageingIncreased longevity is a triumph of modern medicine and health systems. In the UK, life expectancy has risen by about 25 years in a century - from 56 for men and 59 for women in 1920, to 80 and 83 in 2019 (since when it has slightly fallen back). While this extension is often taken for granted, rising interest in the science of ageing reveals an awareness of the challenges as well as the benefits that getting old, and being old for longer, can bring.Last week, a paper in the journal Nature Aging offered evidence that humans do not age steadily, but in bursts. Molecules and microbes in samples from participants showed that big changes occurred in their mid-40s and early 60s. One example from the 40s was a reduced capacity to metabolise alcohol - a finding that will come as no surprise to middle-aged people who have cut down on drinking, after finding it no longer agrees with them. Continue reading...
A legal loophole means UK fertility clinics are making sperm available abroad. We talk to those affected UK sperm donations being exported to sidestep 10-family limitExperts have warned that sperm donated in the UK is being exported and used to create large numbers of children across multiple countries, contradicting a strict 10-family limit that applies in the UK.A legal loophole means that while a single donor can be used to create no more than 10 families in UK fertility clinics, there are no restrictions on companies making sperm or eggs available for additional fertility treatments abroad. The Guardian talked to the people affected. Continue reading...
Scientists show it is possible to control a virtual car and switch on real-world kettle from inside a lucid dreamImagine a world in which you could solve problems, create art or music or even improve your tennis serve in your sleep. If scientists working in the field of lucid dreams succeed, that world could become a reality sooner than we realise.Researchers are developing techniques that could enable more people to experience lucid dreams - a state of consciousness where a person is aware they are dreaming and can recognise their thoughts and emotions while doing so - and transfer the content of these dreams into their waking lives.Dream journaling: Each morning, as soon as you wake up, write down everything you remember about your dreams, or use a voice-recording device to do the same. Doing so can help to familiarise yourself with your dreams, enabling you to become more aware of them once you are asleep.Reality testing: This exercise, performed during waking hours, trains the brain to better distinguish between dreams and reality, which may enhance lucidity once you are asleep. At regular intervals throughout the day, pause and take careful stock of your surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary which might indicate that you are dreaming.Intention setting: Some people can increase the frequency of their lucid dreams simply by telling themselves that they will become aware during their dreams, for example by repeating a phrase such as once I'm asleep, I'll remember I'm dreaming".Wake back to bed: Most dreams occur during REM sleep, which is more prevalent during the second half of the night. By setting an alarm clock to wake yourself an hour or so before your usual time, then drifting back to sleep, you may boost your odds of dropping straight into a dream. Telling yourself you'll become lucid in that dream may also help to achieve this.External stimulation: Many recent studies designed to communicate with people during lucid dreams have used gentle vibration, electrical stimulation or flashing lights during REM sleep as a cue for the person to become aware in their dream and signal back. Some of these methods are also being investigated as a tool for increasing the frequency of lucid dreams. Continue reading...
Regulators will inspect cows to see how widespread virus is and determine whether ageing and cooking inactivate itThe US will track bird flu infections in dairy cows brought to slaughter to understand the ways the virus infects meat and will also continue testing raw milk cheeses to see whether the virus is inactivated in the ageing process.The renewed focus on the US food chain is the latest front in the effort to combat the infectious bird flu virus, or H5N1, which has triggered alarm bells across the world as a potential future pandemic. Continue reading...
Many people want to uncover their ancestry, but - driven by Brexit - others also hope to regain access to the EUSome do it to explore their ancestral heritage or an unknown part of their identity. Others are hoping to find parents, siblings and new relatives.More than 40 million people worldwide are thought to have tested their DNA ancestry via companies such as Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage since the first genetic genealogy test was offered to the public in 2000. Continue reading...
Satellite named Tyche to support armed forces operations as well as monitor natural disasters and impact of climate changeThe UK has launched its first military satellite able to capture daytime images and videos of the Earth's surface.The satellite, named Tyche, will support British armed forces operations as well as monitor natural disasters, help map information development and track the impact of climate change globally, the Ministry of Defence said. Continue reading...
Like many of my letter writers, I have periods of feeling totally meh' about life. What is anhedonia and can I find a cure?When I was nine, I discovered I had a superpower. Two classmates and I were playing in the playground, probably some horse-themed game, until one of them choked me in an assassin-style throat hold. It was one of those stupid things children do, perhaps copying something she'd seen on TV, not realising how dangerous it was. I simultaneously dropped to my knees, feeling as if I was floating out of my body, in tremendous pain, unable to breathe or speak. She let go just as a black curtain drew across my view of clouds and sky.It was not my best playtime. I wasn't able to speak for several minutes. I felt upset, confused, isolated: where were the adults? Who was looking after me? Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6Q1NG)
Transporting a six-tonne megalith nearly 500 miles to Wiltshire is quite a feat. How was it achieved 4,000 years ago?Even by modern standards, John o'Groats to Wiltshire is a bit of a trek: nearly 500 miles, 13 hours by car or a 10-day walk - and that is without having a six-tonne block of stone in tow. So the revelation this week that Stonehenge's altar stone came from the north-east of Scotland prompts the question of how on earth this feat was achieved more than 4,000 years ago.When you're trying to move something weighing six tonnes in excess of 750km, it is an enormous undertaking," said Prof Nick Pearce, a geologist at Aberystwyth University and the co-author of the research. Continue reading...
by Hosted by Savannah Ayoade-Greaves; written by Susa on (#6Q1KK)
Susanna Crossman describes her childhood in a utopian commune where children ran wild - and the trouble that came with that freedom; Marina Hyde assesses Donald Trump and Elon Musk's glitch-ridden chat; and Moya Sarner reveals the life-changing power of selfishness, with the help of a simple phrase. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Author to explore really fun' science of food and diet for Royal Institution's annual broadcastWalk into any supermarket and the choice of foods is enormous, from brightly coloured breakfast cereals to pre-packed lasagnes. But for many, deciding what to add to the basket has never been harder, as concerns grow over industrially produced items.You might think Dr Chris van Tulleken, as the author of the bestselling book Ultra-Processed People - an investigation of how aggressively marketed products created by the food industry are packed with ingredients engineered to make us overeat - would be just the person to ask for help. Continue reading...
Covid not as deadly in 2023 as it was in prior years, falling from the fourth to 10th leading cause of deathCovid continues surging across the US, but deaths are lower than their peaks earlier in the pandemic due in large part to vaccinations and immunity. Yet the country is still struggling to find its footing on vaccination as the virus settles into a pattern of twice-annual surges.Covid was not as deadly in 2023 as it was in prior years, falling from the fourth to the 10th leading cause of death, according to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Deaths overall fell by 6% from 2022 to 2023. Continue reading...
An oarfish, which resembles a serpent, was found floating dead on the ocean surface off the San Diego coast and was brought ashore for study. Scientists say it is only the 20th time since 1901 an oarfish is known to have washed up in California
Researchers say exposed rock shows transition from warm, tropical environment to global freeze about 700m years agoA rock formation that spans Ireland and Scotland may be a rare record of snowball Earth" - a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice.The Port Askaig Formation, which is made up of layers of rock up to 1.1km (0.7 miles) thick, is likely to have been laid down between 662m and 720m years ago during the Sturtian glaciation, research suggests. This was the first of two global freezes thought to have triggered the development of complex life. Continue reading...
An architectural zigzag design can limit how much heat is absorbed by buildings - and emitted back to spaceIncorporating zigzag patterns into building walls could help cool overheated buildings, research has found.Buildings are now responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, contributing more than a third of global carbon dioxide emissions. Continue reading...
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Richard Luscombe; pro on (#6Q0RJ)
Why are Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore staying onboard the International Space Station much longer than planned? Richard Luscombe reportsWhen Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore set off in early June on the Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS), they thought they'd be away for a week. But two months on, after issues with faulty thrusters, it's still not clear when they'll be able to return.There are few people on earth who can say they have ever had their space mission delayed, but the former astronaut Mike Massimino is one of them. Continue reading...
Experts studying material from event 66m years ago find signs to show how Chicxulub impact crater was formedWhen a massive space rock slammed into Earth 66m years ago, it wiped out huge swathes of life and ended the reign of the dinosaurs. Now scientists say they have new insights into what it was made from.Experts studying material laid down at the time of the event say they have found tell-tale signs to support the idea the Chicxulub impact crater was produced by a carbon-rich, C-type", asteroid that originally formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Continue reading...
Theoretical physicist who won the Nobel prize with Chen Ning Yang in 1957 for their work on subatomic particlesIn 1957 the Chinese-American theoretical physicist TD (Tsung-Dao) Lee, who has died aged 97, became the second-youngest scientist to win a Nobel prize. He did this with another Chinese emigre to the US, Chen Ning Yang, who was four years older than he was. They became Nobel laureates for physics for work that overthrew the widely accepted parity laws" - that the forces acting on the fundamental subatomic particles are symmetric between left and right. In the popular description, they overthrew the concept of mirror symmetry".Before Lee and Yang questioned this fundamental principle, it was believed that the mirror image of any process displays a sequence of events that could equally well occur in the real world. In effect, there is no way to tell whether you are viewing a real event or its mirror image. This was well established in the familiar case of electromagnetic forces and the strong force that binds atomic nuclei. For example, the mirror image of an electrically charged particle being steered in one direction by electric or magnetic forces reveals a sequence that is realised in the real world simply by reversing the direction of the said forces. Continue reading...
Rentokil to use the wasps as a sustainable alternative to sprays in museums and homesThe newest recruits for the battle against moths will be the smallest pest control team in town.Rentokil plans to release entosite parasitoid wasps into the nooks and crannies of museums, heritage sites and homes to stop moth infestations. Continue reading...
Science | The Guardian