Science | The Guardian

Butterfly numbers in the UK appear to be at the lowest on record after a wet spring and summer dampened their chances of mating. This comes on top of a long and worrying trend of decline. To find out what's going on and what we can all do to help butterflies cope with extreme weather patterns, Phoebe Weston speaks to Dr Richard Fox, the head of science for the charity Butterfly Conservation, and to Matthew Hayes, who is part of the Banking on Butterflies project, a collaboration between the Insect Ecology Group at the zoology department in Cambridge University and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and NorthamptonshireWarning sign to us all' as UK butterfly numbers hit record low Continue reading...

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore expected to be in space for days but issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft mean they may not be back until 2025Nasa says it is close to announcing when it will bring home two astronauts who have been stuck" in orbit for more than two months by ongoing technical problems with Boeing's new Starliner capsule, but admits it still has not figured out exactly how.The space agency's latest update on the troubled test mission on Wednesday revealed that managers were expecting to make a final decision either late next week or early the week after that, after ground engineers complete an evaluation of Starliner's glitchy propulsion system. Continue reading...

Outbreak resembles early days of HIV, say experts, urging accelerated access to vaccines and testingAn outbreak in Africa of mpox, the disease formerly known as monkeypox, resembles the early days of HIV, scientists have said, as the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency.The declaration must accelerate access to testing, vaccines and therapeutic drugs in the affected areas, medical experts urged, and kickstart campaigns to reduce stigma surrounding the virus. Continue reading...

Dr William Whewell | John Prescott | International Apostrophe Day | University vice-chancellors | Musk and TrumpRe pylons (Letters, 12 August), as an admirer of these vital lifelines with their graceful catenaries, I often recall the words of DrWilliam Whewell (1794-1866), in his Elementary Treatise on Mechanics: Hence no force however great can stretch a cord however fine into an horizontal line which is accurately straight: there will always be a bending downwards."

Monument's largest bluestone' moved more than 450 miles - a discovery researchers say rewrites relationships between Neolithic populationsFor more than a century, archaeologists have known that some of the stones at Stonehenge came from Wales and were transported - somehow - about 125 miles ( 200km) to the site of the Neolithic monument on Salisbury Plain.Now, a jaw-dropping" study has revealed that one of Stonehenge's central megaliths is not Welsh at all - it is actually Scottish. Continue reading...

US findings suggesting ageing is not a slow and steady process could explain spikes in health issues at certain agesIf you have noticed a sudden accumulation of wrinkles, aches and pains or a general sensation of having grown older almost overnight, there may be a scientific explanation. Research suggests that rather than being a slow and steady process, aging occurs in at least two accelerated bursts.The study, which tracked thousands of different molecules in people aged 25 to 75, detected two major waves of age-related changes at around ages 44 and again at 60. The findings could explain why spikes in certain health issues including musculoskeletal problems and cardiovascular disease occur at certain ages. Continue reading...

Four-year study of patients finds markedly few' differences in test results between people who have long Covid and those who do notA new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights the difficulty of finding a lab test for long Covid - a novel condition that encompasses dozens of symptoms and is currently considered a diagnosis of exclusion".Long Covid's most common symptoms include brain fog, fatigue and heart palpitations, which can change over time and be disabling when severe. Approximately one in 20 adults reported persistent symptoms of Covid, as of June 2024. Continue reading...

Flight engineer on the International Space Station shares a mesmerising timelapse showcasing the moon setting among vibrant auroras Continue reading...

In gorges already infested with the pest amphibians, rangers have managed to cut the freshwater crocodile mortality rate by 95%

Five seconds said to be just as effective as 10 or 15 in managing lower-level conflicts and preventing escalationCouples having a row should take a five-second break to stop them reaching boiling point, according to a study.Taking a pause during an argument can act as a firebreak that prevents rows from escalating, defuses disagreements and could save the need for costly counselling. Continue reading...

My treatment for aggressive lymphoma has been successful but severely weakened my immune system. Like many others, antimicrobial resistance could kill me, even if the cancer itself is survivableMy entire professional career, spanning nearly four decades, has been in cancer care. On 12 August 2022, at the age of 64, I was myself diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of cancer that affects the immune system and has a very poor prognosis - I was told that survival without treatment would be only eight weeks.I was fortunate to have access to Australia's world-class care. I received chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, and by World Cancer Day in February 2024, I was in remission. Continue reading...

Lacking life purpose and growth opportunities may raise risk of mild cognitive impairment, a frequent precursor of dementiaLacking purpose in life and having few opportunities for personal growth may increase the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, a study suggests.These aspects of psychological wellbeing noticeably decline two to six years before memory loss and thinking problems are diagnosed, researchers found. Continue reading...

BP hopes deal will help develop earth technologies such as robotics and clean energyBP's technology could one day be used to drill on Mars or the moon after it struck a deal with US space agency Nasa.Under the terms of the agreement, the two have agreed to share their technology and expertise gained from working in hostile environments". Continue reading...

We would like to see your photos from this week and hear what it was like to see the meteors and the northern lightsThe annual Perseid meteor shower is approaching its peak overnight from Monday 12 August to Tuesday 13 August, with some also spotting the northern lights.Active from the middle of July and considered one of the best meteor showers of the year, the Perseids are best viewed in the northern hemisphere. Continue reading...

Exposure to bacteria in landfill sites and polluted rivers may explain prevalence among city-dwelling birdsUrban ducks and crows might offer us a connection to nature, but scientists have found wild birds that live near humans are more likely to harbour bacteria resistant to important antibiotics.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is largely caused by the overuse of drugs such as antibiotics among humans and livestock. Continue reading...

Shooting stars to make stellar reappearance after peaking with northern lights display on MondayStargazers will be granted another opportunity to see the Perseid meteor shower on Tuesday night, after a dazzling display illuminated by the northern lights.Shooting stars darted through skies across the UK last weekend as the meteor shower reached its peak on Monday night. Continue reading...

The Perseid meteor shower lights up the skies in Turkey, the US and Germany on the nights of 12 and 13 August

For the regular drinker it is a source of great comfort: the fat pile of studies that say a daily tipple is better for a longer life than avoiding alcohol completely. But a new analysis challenges that thinking and says it was based on flawed research that compares drinkers with people who are sick and sober. Madeleine Finlay hears from the study's lead author, Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, to find out why scientists (including him) were so convinced, and what the actual risks of alcohol areModerate drinking not better for health than abstaining, analysis suggests Continue reading...

Liquid amounting to a 1-2km-deep ocean may be frozen up to 20km below surface, calculations suggestVast amounts of water could be trapped deep within the crust of Mars, scientists have said, raising fresh questions about the possibility of life on the red planet.Scientists say that more than 3bn years ago, Mars not only had lakes and rivers but oceans on its surface - however, as the planet lost its atmosphere these bodies disappeared. All that is visible today is permafrost ice at the planet's poles. Continue reading...

Research finds even moderate alcohol consumption more damaging to health of the economically deprivedHarms associated with moderate or even low levels of drinking may be greater among people who are poorer or in worse health, research suggests.The study comes just weeks after another piece of research indicated the benefits of booze had been exaggerated and its harms downplayed by previous studies. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australian-led discovery may help explain why otherwise healthy people die from infectious diseases while others fight off viruses unscathed

We are conditioned to please others, to agree to things to avoid causing hurt or upset. But sometimes, to be happy, we must prioritise our own needsMy mother has been through a remarkable transformation since she became a widow more than a year ago. She has a new mantra, which is: I'd rather not." I think she may have seen it on an embroidery meme. Whatever its origins, I have found it inspiring, and I think it may be a key lesson for building a better life.I have changed the details of this story, but kept the gist: let's say she was recently invited to join a book group by one of our mutual friends, but she did not want to go. Rather than suffer monthly invitations to attend something she had no desire to go to, and have to invent a different excuse each time, or worse, go, she simply delivered her mantra: I'd rather not." Continue reading...

USC study finds cannabis can help manage withdrawal symptoms, as well as cravings and anxiety after withdrawalNew research from the University of Southern California shows that cannabis might help some people stop or cut down on their opioid use.We interviewed 30 people who were using opioids and cannabis and injecting drugs," said Sid Ganesh, a PhD student at USC's medical school and lead author of the study. Continue reading...

The red supergiant is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius and will be visible all week from the UKSummer in the northern hemisphere brings with it the best chance to see one of the true jewels of the night sky. Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius, the scorpion. It is a red supergiant, about 15 times more massive than the sun, and is about 550 light years away from us.Antares shines a spectacular red colour. It is visible all week, and on the evening of 13 August the moon makes a close pass. At 8.5 days old, the moon is just past its first quarter phase and has 61.8% of its surface illuminated. Continue reading...

Meteor shower, considered one of the best of the year, occurs when Earth slams into material shed from a cometThe sky is expected to brighten up this week - but it has nothing to do with sunshine: the annual Perseid meteor shower is approaching its peak.Considered one of the best meteor showers of the year, the Perseids are active from mid-July and are predicted to peak overnight from Monday 12 August to Tuesday 13 August. Continue reading...

Rolling out an AI experiment with a lack of transparency is at best ignorant, and at worst dangerousIn mid-2019, I was reading a fascinating piece in Cosmos magazine, one of Australia's eminent science publications. There was this one image of a man lying on an operating table, covered in bags of McCain's frozen french fries and hash browns.Scientists had discovered rapid cooling of the body might improve the survival rates of patients who had experienced heart attacks. This man was one such patient, thus the Frozen Food Fresco. The accompanying report was written by Paul Biegler, a bioethicist at Monash University, who had visited a trauma ward in Alfred hospital, Melbourne, to learn about this method in an effort to understand if humans could, in some distant future, be capable of hibernation. Continue reading...

Team hopes findings will help improve equine welfare after showing cognitive abilities include being goal-directed'The old English proverb you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" has been used since the 16th century to describe the difficulty of getting someone to act in their own best interests.Now, research by equine scientists suggests the use of this phrase has been inadvertently maligning horses for centuries. Continue reading...

Exclusive: People with type 1 diabetes may in future only need to give themselves insulin once a week, say expertsScientists have developed a holy grail" insulin that responds to changing blood sugar levels in real-time and could revolutionise treatment for millions of people with type 1 diabetes worldwide.Patients currently have to give themselves synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day in order to survive. Constant fluctuation between high and low blood sugar levels can result in short- and long-term physical health issues, and the struggle to keep levels stable can also affect their mental health. Continue reading...

There's no point in panicking about AI - it's already on its wayI'm standing on an eroding cliff edge. As it inches towards me, various objects teeter cartoonishly before disappearing into oblivion. One by one sculptures, paintings, books, buildings and other artefacts of human creativity are swallowed up. The erosion is accelerating, vertiginous, starting to give way beneath my feet. Stormy. Crashing waves. HD. Photo-realistic.Is that Land's End?" my partner asks absentmindedly as she looks at my screen. The prompt I entered into the generator was supposed to be an expression of AI vertigo, but I clearly need to brush up on my prompting skills because the image generated is not the apocalypse I had in mind. It looks more like an ad for a holiday destination starring Caspar David Friedrich's Wanderer. Continue reading...

European space scientists will begin a delicate navigation that will take a probe on scenic route to outer solar system Read more: scientists slam indefensible' axing of Nasa's $450m Viper moon roverEuropean space scientists will this week attempt one of the most daring operations ever undertaken in interplanetary flight. On Wednesday, they will direct their Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) to make a flyby of Earth and its moon and carry out the first double gravity-assist manoeuvre in space.The delicate, high-risk exercise is vital to the success of the European Space Agency (Esa) mission and is aimed at taking the 1.6bn (1.4bn) robot craft to its target, Jupiter, by July 2031. There it will begin exploration of two of the giant planet's moons, Europa and Ganymede, in a bid to find signs of life that may lurk in their ice-covered oceans. Continue reading...

Discoveries made in pursuit of nuclear fusion have potentially huge practical applications in everything from curing cancer to superior batteries for EVsWhen James Watt's first commercial steam engine was installed in March 1776 at Bloomfield Colliery, Tipton in the West Midlands, it was hailed as a mechanical marvel. Yet few could have anticipated the way steam engines would change the world.Developed initially to pump water from mines, the technology was adapted across so many industries and applications that it sparked the Industrial Revolution. Now, according to those working on the development of fusion energy power plants, we are on the cusp of a similar transformation. I see this whole endeavour as having the characteristics of a general purpose technology in the same spirit as Watt," says Lu-Fong Chua, chief strategy officer of TAE Power Solutions in Birmingham. Continue reading...

In an open letter to the US Congress, experts say decision will undermine lunar exploration for the next decadeThousands of scientists have protested to the US Congress over the unprecedented and indefensible" decision by Nasa to cancel its Viper lunar rover mission.In an open letter to Capitol Hill, they have denounced the move, which was revealed last month, and heavily criticised the space agency over a decision that has shocked astronomers and astrophysicists across the globe. Continue reading...

Perseids will be at their height Sunday night into Monday - and viewers will be able to spot a flurry of shooting starsIf you've been waiting to make a wish, this weekend may be your best opportunity to spot a shooting star.The Perseids - a meteor shower visible from late-July to mid-August each year - are peaking this weekend and will be at their height on Sunday night into Monday morning. Although the shower can be seen around the globe, it is expected to be the most striking in the northern hemisphere - prompting delight among US stargazers as national parks such as California's Joshua Tree brace for a surge in visitors. Continue reading...

Patient says pharmacists she went to were suspicious because Vyvanse is a stimulant, causing her the most dehumanising medical experience' of her life

Maths is a language that has helped humanity lay bare the mysteries of the universeIn Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter observes that say what you mean" is not the same as mean what you say", for you might just as well say that I see what I eat' is the same thing as I eat what I see'!" Readers might smile in recognition at the author's tongue-twisting, logic-spinning nonsense. But the Victorian literature expert Melanie Bayley has suggested something much more interesting at play. Carroll was a pseudonym for Charles Dodgson, an Oxford maths don who satirised radical new ideas in algebra. In the passage above, he targeted the emerging form of multiplication known as noncommutativity: when a times b" does not equal b times a".Yet such controversial concepts became widely accepted as the new ideas proved their worth. How these laid the foundation of the modern world is part of the story told in a remarkable new book, Vector, by Robyn Arianrhod, a historian of science. Understanding her text fully requires an undergraduate-level grasp of maths. But her broader theme is easier to recognise: how social and technological change are intertwined with the progress of mathematical thought. Continue reading...

Experts say addiction patients are being treated as second-class citizens as essential' Pabrinex is withdrawnDoctors have warned that a severe shortage of an essential" medicine used to help protect alcoholics from degenerative brain conditions could disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable" in society.Pabrinex, a multivitamin injection, is used to protect heavy drinkers from conditions such as Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome, which can have symptoms similar to dementia. Doctors are concerned the incidence of these debilitating conditions may increase as a result of the shortages. Continue reading...

From Snoop Dogg's two fingers to Simone Biles's sweet signal, TikTokers are debating the summer's best symbolNever mind the buzz around Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the heptathlon or Noah Lyles's Covid bronze. Another battle is being waged in Paris among the TikTok-obsessed and it's all about which hand gesture is going to win summer.Will it be the peace sign, as shown by the rapper Snoop Dogg while carrying the Olympic torch to the opening ceremony? Or will it be the hand heart", so sweetly semaphored by the US gymnast Simone Biles to her husband, Jonathan Owens, last week? Continue reading...

Areas where farmers provide good habitats show notable increase in butterflies, bees, bats and breeding birdsButterflies, bees and bats are among the wildlife being boosted by England's nature-friendly farming schemes, new government research has found.Birds were among the chief beneficiaries of the strategy, particularly ones that largely feed on invertebrates. An average of 25% more breeding birds were found in areas with more eco-friendly schemes. Continue reading...

Illnesses that would once have been easily managed are no longer responding to antibiotics, and the world's poorest regions are being hit hardestHer tiny body hooked up to machines twice her size, her mother standing vigil at the side of her cot, Yusra was in a struggle for life. The baby had severe sepsis, which meant her body had turned on itself - her immune system attacking her organs. Doctors tried different antibiotics but none of the drugs were working.Yusra and her twin had been born two months premature, by caesarean section, in Woldia, a hill town in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia where rebel and government forces are in violent conflict. Two years earlier, the hospital had been raided by a militia which stripped it of vital supplies. At six days old, Yusra's sister died for want of a blood transfusion. Continue reading...

Two astronauts who left Earth in June remain at International Space Station after issues with Boeing's Starliner capsuleTwo US astronauts who blasted into space for an eight-day mission in June may be stuck on the International Space Station until next year if their Boeing Starliner cannot be repaired for them to return home, Nasa has said.Nasa officials on Wednesday said astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who became the first crew to fly Boeing's Starliner capsule, could return on SpaceX's Crew Dragon in February 2025 if Starliner is still deemed unsafe to return to Earth. Continue reading...

Jess Thom, lead psychologist for Team GB, tells Madeleine Finlay how she prepares athletes for failure and success - and the challenges that arise when the games are over and they have to return to normal lifeThey get anxious but still win gold': Team GB's psychologist on nerves, negativity and self-doubt Continue reading...

Ministers say network of 27 radar dishes in Pembrokeshire crucial to defend against increasing belligerence in space'Plans for a network of radars tracking deep space activity to help protect the UK from space warfare" are to go ahead in Pembrokeshire, despite the opposition of local campaigners.The 27 radar dishes planned for the St Davids peninsula, which will be 20 metres high and can track objects as small as a football, are part of a network planned around the globe. Continue reading...

Treatment may be offered to hundreds with severe form of disease, most often found in people of Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern heritagePeople living with a rare genetic blood disorder in England will be offered a life-changing" new treatment on the NHS, in what has been described as a historic moment.Casgevy, which is a one-off gene therapy, has been approved for use on the NHS in England for people living with a severe form of thalassaemia. Continue reading...

Research finds one in three people taking the drugs show signs of becoming dependent, and one in eight are at risk from misuseMillions of people are addicted to, or at risk of becoming dependent on, prescription opioid painkillers, according to international research.The study found that one in three people taking prescribed opioid analgesics, which include codeine, tramadol, oxycodone and morphine, show symptoms of being dependent on them, while one in 10 become fully dependent on the drugs. Continue reading...

A video has suggested a simple solution to static hair that does not require sprays or straightenersIt is a small downside of hot, dry weather: static hair that sticks up in a Worzel Gummidge-style halo.Now a viral TikTok video has suggested a simple solution for static frizz that does not require sprays or straighteners. Simply smoothing hair down with a piece of aluminium foil appears to magically produce a sleek silhouette. Continue reading...

US researchers say findings challenge view that cats are antisocial and suggest bereavement may be universalCats are often considered aloof, independent and fickle in their affections. But, research suggests, they also show signs of grieving after the death of another pet in the same household - even when it is the family dog.Some cats struggled to sleep, went off their food or made yowling noises. Others were more needy around their caregivers or went off their favourite games, owners reported. Continue reading...

Some with terminal cancer have said psilocybin helped them confront death. But how that happens is still unclearAny person with stage four colon cancer deals with anxiety, but for the first few years after his diagnosis in 2016, Thomas Hartle considered himself to be managing pretty well. In part, this was because his Pet scans suggested the cancer wasn't progressing rapidly.That changed in 2019, when a colonoscopy found tumors on his large intestine that the scans had missed. A follow-up surgery found dozens more. His relative calm evaporated. Continue reading...

Percentage of badgers with bTB fell to zero in Cornish study, raising hopes of end to cull of 210,000 badgers since 2013A large-scale vaccination programme could help eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in badgers, according to a first-of-its-kind study with really promising" results for cattle farmers, whose herds have been devastated by the disease.Over four years, researchers vaccinated 265 badgers across 12 farms in Cornwall. They found the percentage of badgers testing positive for bTB fell from 16% to zero. Continue reading...

Humans have always been obsessed with getting old, or rather staying young, but now science is beginning to catch up. Longevity has become a hot topic, from university laboratories to Silicon Valley startups. In the final episode of a special Science Weekly three-part mini-series on ageing, Ian Sample meets Dr Rachel Broudy, medical director at Pioneer Valley Hospice and faculty lead of eldercare at Ariadne Labs, to find out how we can stop fearing our old age, and perhaps even make it fun. Continue reading...

My mentor, Toby Wall, who has died aged 77 of cancer, was a committed educator and scholar who made a globally significant contribution to the field of occupational psychology.Through his research as director of the Medical Research Council Social and Applied Psychology Unit (Sapu), then its successor, the Institute of Work Psychology (IWP), over three decades at Sheffield University, Toby identified aspects of jobs that enhance workers' motivation, health and wellbeing, transforming the quality of millions of lives. He developed new theoretical explanations for how work affects learning, as well as how, working with automated robots, human workers might retain their agency and health. These and other discoveries still resonate, with Toby's research reminding us of the need to keep human interests front and centre in today's digital revolution. Continue reading...