Documents including signed copy of 1938 PhD dissertation to be auctioned after they were nearly thrown outWidely considered the father of theoretical computer science, Alan Turing's influence on modern life continues to be felt in the age of artificial intelligence. But despite this legacy, a cache of his most important papers was nearly shredded - only to be saved at the last minute when their significance was recognised at a family event.At auction next month, the papers are expected to sell for as much as 150,000 in 13 separate lots. Continue reading...

UKHSA says risk to public very low after detection in genetic material of mosquitoes caught in NottinghamshireWest Nile virus has been detected in genetic material of mosquitoes collected in Britain for the first time, the UK Health Security Agency has reported.The agency assessed the risk to the general public as very low" and said there was no evidence of transmission to humans or that the virus had become endemic. Continue reading...

Jim and Dilys Quinlan, who discovered the stone relief of the goddess of victory, have volunteered at Vindolanda, the site of an important Roman fort near Hexham, for 21 seasons. Dilys said: 'We've spent the vast majority of our annual leave at Vindolanda over the years. As veteran diggers, it is without doubt the most wonderful thing we've ever done and, importantly, it's something we do as a couple.' The 47cm-tall carving is thought to have symbolised the end of war and to have been part of a much bigger relief

These simple flowers, which bloom earlier than many others, are a rich source of nectar and pollen for insectsDandelions are often seen by gardeners as burly thugs, but they do have their benefits. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, feeding pollinating insects, which have suffered steep declines in recent years. Numbers of flying insects in the UK have fallen by 78% since 2004, according to a survey based on sampling vehicle number plates. As dandelions bloom early in spring, before many other flowers, they are a particularly valuable food for hungry pollinators, with dandelion nectar especially vital when early pollinators such as wild bees, honeybees and hoverflies emerge.Dandelion plants are particularly adept at thriving in urban places and can even grow in cracks in pavements, using a long, large taproot to tap into water and nutrients well below the ground surface. Urban dandelions grow bigger and better than those in the countryside, thriving in the warmer urban climate . Some species of dandelions can even tolerate the high levels of salt sprayed on roads in winter to help melt ice, and withstand roadside pollution from traffic. Continue reading...

The global food system has been captured by a few rapacious companies that profit from public ill-health. We need a radical overhaulOur food system is killing us. Designed in a different century for a different purpose - to mass produce cheap calories to prevent famine - it is now a source of jeopardy, destroying more than it creates. A quarter of all adult deaths globally - more than 12 million every year - are due to poor diets.Malnutrition in all its forms - undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity - is by far the biggest cause of ill-health, affecting one in three people on the planet. Ultra-processed foods are implicated in as many as one in seven premature deaths in some countries. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Married volunteer diggers discover stone relief at site of Roman fort Vindolanda in NorthumberlandA striking Roman depiction of the winged goddess of victory has been discovered near Hadrian's Wall by volunteers helping archaeologists on an official excavation.The stone relief was found by a Merseyside couple at Vindolanda, the site of the important Roman fort near Hexham, Northumberland. Continue reading...

The US president, Donald Trump, has announced that his administration has begun developing the so-called 'Golden Dome' missile defence system, set to be finished before the end of his second term. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump revealed the system will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea, and space to defend against hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles

New testing method means treatments could start sooner, possibly before patient leaves the operating tableA new method for diagnosing brain tumours could cut the time patients wait for treatments by weeks to hours and raise the possibility of novel types of therapy, researchers have said.According to the Brain Tumour Charity, about 740,000 people around the world are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year, around half of which are non-cancerous. Once a brain tumour is found, a sample is taken during surgery and cells are immediately studied under a microscope by pathologists, who can often identify the type of tumour. However, genetic testing helps to make or confirm the diagnosis. Continue reading...

The president sold the US model of the industry that made it: enormous power concentrated in the hands of a few menHello, and welcome to TechScape. This week in tech: Donald Trump the AI salesman visits the Middle East; 23andMe gets bought, mostly for its data; and Elon Musk's bot hallucinates an offensively incorrect historical record - twice.Legal aid hack: data from hundreds of thousands of people accessed, says MoJHow to protect your data after a cyber-attackScattered Spider hackers in UK are facilitating' cyber-attacks, says GoogleLargest US crypto exchange says cost of recent cyber-attack could reach $400m Continue reading...

Rising oceans will force millions away from coasts even if global temperature rise remains below 1.5C, analysis findsSea level rise will become unmanageable at just 1.5C of global heating and lead to catastrophic inland migration", the scientists behind a new study have warned. This scenario may unfold even if the average level of heating over the last decade of 1.2C continues into the future.The loss of ice from the giant Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets has quadrupled since the 1990s due to the climate crisis and is now the principal driver of sea level rise. Continue reading...

In March 2021, the Toronto-based reporter Leyland Cecco heard about a memo sent by New Brunswick health officials that warned about a possible unknown neurological syndrome thought to be affecting about 40 people. Since then the story has taken many twists and turns, most recently with a peer-reviewed study that concludes there is no mystery illness after all.Cecco tells Madeleine Finlay about the devastating symptoms that patients experienced, and why the research is unlikely to resolve the conflict over what has been causing themClips: Global news CA, CTV News Continue reading...

University of Reading report says conflicts including war in Ukraine among 12 most pressing threats to pollinatorWar zones, microplastics and street lights are among the emerging threats to the bee population, according to scientists.Bee experts have drawn up a list of the 12 most pressing threats to the pollinator over the next decade, published in a report, Emerging Threats and Opportunities for Conservation of Global Pollinators, by the University of Reading. Continue reading...

It's human nature to trust strongmen, but we've also evolved the tools to resist themA recent piece of research commissioned by Channel 4 suggested that more than half of people aged between 13 and 27 would prefer the UK to be an authoritarian dictatorship.The results shocked a lot of people concerned about the rising threat of autocracy acrossthe world, including me. Yet, on reflection, I don't think we should be surprised. The way we evolved predisposes us to place trust in those who often deserve it least -ina sense, hardwiring us to support the most machiavellian among us and to propel them into power.This seems like an intractable problem. But it's what we do in the face of that knowledge that matters. Continue reading...

Usage of punctuation down almost half in two decades as further research finds 67% of British students rarely use it

Evidence shows that arguing our case rarely convinces others. It's social relationships and actions that have that power

The Mayo Clinic hopes to uncover how the microbiome affects how patients react to cancer medicationsA leading US clinic hopes its fecal waste biobank will help researchers make new discoveries about how to treat cancer patients - one of several efforts to turn human waste into medicine.The Mayo Clinic biobank is part of researchers' years-long effort to personalize" medicine by uncovering how the microbiome changes how patients react to cancer medications. Continue reading...

Medications such as Ozempic have transformed obesity treatment and are now leading a healthcare revolutionObesity was once medicine's Cinderella subject with some questioning whether the condition should even be viewed as a biological disorder. But the arrival of a new class of appetite-suppressing drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy has transformed obesity treatment into the most scientifically exciting and commercially lucrative area of healthcare.These drugs lead to dramatic weight loss, are shifting perceptions and, according to a series of results announced at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga this week, promise health benefits that extend far beyond weight management. Continue reading...

Scientific study of 3,000 dolls down the decades shows most now wear flatsShe walked into the world on high-heeled mules, but as Barbie's many careers gathered pace, her feet became more planted on the ground, researchers say.A rare analysis of nearly 3,000 Barbies released over 65 years found that high-heeled incarnations gradually made way for flat-shoed forms, as workplace rules relaxed and career doors opened for the PVC doll. Continue reading...

Coller-Dolittle award won by US team for discovering call that triggers avoidance and could be used as alarm signalA $100,000 prize for communicating with animals has been scooped by researchers who have shed light on the meaning of dolphins' whistles.The Coller-Dolittle Prize for Two-way Inter-species Communication was launched last year by the Jeremy Coller Foundation and Tel Aviv University. Continue reading...

Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists sayDoctors in the US have become the first to treat a baby with a customised gene-editing therapy after diagnosing the child with a severe genetic disorder that kills about half of those affected in early infancy.International researchers have hailed the feat as a medical milestone, saying it demonstrates the potential for treating an array of devastating genetic diseases by rewriting faulty DNA soon after affected children are born. Continue reading...

A demographic change is unfolding, and many of us can expect a long life. It's time to provide the support neededEthel Caterham, at the age of 115 years, is said to be the oldest person alive. She offers the sage life advice to say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Have a positive mental attitude and have everything in moderation." When she was born in 1909, the average life expectancy of a British female was 52 years - becoming a centenarian was a remote prospect.Today, according to the United Nations, centenarians are the fastest growing age group. By 1950, there were an estimated 14,000 whilst today there are nearly 750,000, projected to reach nearly 4 million by 2054. Medical advances, increases in the standard of living and improvements in public health have transformed the human condition. The American Academy of Actuaries estimates that one in six Americans born today will live to be 100. That is about the same as in the UK, where the Office for National Statistics suggests that the majority of babies can expect to live into their early 90s. Continue reading...

I was told my husband would never talk again, while physiotherapy was dismissed entirely. My son was failed in similar ways, but for the brilliance of some medical staff who refuse to believe a stroke is the endOn the night before the accident, John and I and our son Jay, who was then 26, lingered in the garden drinking wine and enjoying the mid-summer scent of jasmine and lilies. We talked about the Manet exhibition we had just seen at the National Gallery. We probably talked about how the end of the cold war might affect the chances of Bill Clinton winning the presidential election against George HW Bush in November. I know what John thought about that. I only wish I could recall his words.The next morning, 30 July 1992, John got up before me as he always did. In the kitchen I found the contents of the dishwasher - knives, forks, spoons, plates, mugs - jumbled together on the table. This was odd because unloading the dishwasher was the one domestic ritual he willingly performed. It would be years before I learned the reason. At the time I put it down to absent-mindedness. It was a month since he had delivered a book to the publisher and he was already preoccupied by the next one, about art in the European Renaissance. Before I had time to be annoyed, I heard a crash from his study at the top of the house. I ran upstairs and found him lying on the floor next to his desk. He looked up at me with the radiant, witless smile of a baby. And he said: Da walls." Continue reading...

Geoengineering, the controversial set of techniques that aim to deliberately alter the Earth's climate system, may be inching a step closer to reality with the announcement that UK scientists will be conducting real-world experiments in the coming years. To understand what's happening, Ian Sample is joined by the Guardian environment editor Damian Carrington. Damian explains what the experiments will entail and why scientists are so divided on whether pursuing this research is a good ideaClips: GB NewsReal-world geoengineering experiments revealed by UK agency Continue reading...

Kseniia Petrova, Harvard researcher arrested in February, faces deportation as lawyer calls case meritless'A Harvard scientist who has been held in US immigration detention for months was charged on Wednesday with smuggling frog embryos into the United States, and likely faces deportation.Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist and research associate working at Harvard University, was originally detained by immigration officials in February after attempting to enter the United States at Boston Logan international airport. Continue reading...

Dangerous indoor pollution could be tackled with air purifiers but costs are too high for many, researchers sayToxic pollution from wildfires has infiltrated the homes of more than a billion people a year over the last two decades, according to new research.The climate crisis is driving up the risk of wildfires by increasing heatwaves and droughts, making the issue of wildfire smoke a pressing global issue", scientists said. Continue reading...

Groups of large language model artificial intelligence agents can adopt social norms as humans do, report saysArtificial intelligence can spontaneously develop human-like social conventions, a study has found.The research, undertaken in collaboration between City St George's, University of London and the IT University of Copenhagen, suggests that when large language model (LLM) AI agents such as ChatGPT communicate in groups without outside involvement they can begin to adopt linguistic forms and social norms the same way that humans do when they socialise. Continue reading...

The discovery by two local fossil hunters on a river bank in Victoria has potentially far-reaching implications', scientists sayFossilised claw prints found in Australia suggest amniotes - the ancestors of reptiles, birds and mammals - evolved about 40m years earlier than thought.The footprints, in sandstone dated 354m to 358m years old, were probably made by reptiles crossing a surface dimpled by raindrops. Researchers said the trackways represent the oldest evidence of amniotes on the planet.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Fossilisedfootprintsfound in Australia provide the oldest evidence for reptiles on Earth, a discovery that suggests the group evolved in the southern rather than the northern hemisphere, and some 35-40 million years earlier than thought. A 35cm trackway of clawedfootprintsfound in sandstone on Taungurung country, near Mansfield in eastern Victoria, have been dated to between 354 and 358m years old in a paper published in Nature, making them the oldest on record. The previously oldestfossilrecords, from Europe and North America, are estimated at 318m years old

Beautifully preserved' Archaeopteryx has tertial feathers that appear to have been key to making it aerodynamicAn exquisitely preserved Archaeopteryx fossil has delivered fresh insights into how the earliest birds first took flight 150m years ago.The fossil is the first Archaeopteryx in which scientists have been able to identify specialised wing feathers that would have made flight possible. These tertial feathers on the upper arm bone create a smooth aerodynamic line from wing to body and are not seen in feathered flightless dinosaurs that existed alongside the first birds, suggesting that this was a crucial evolutionary change required for lift-off. Continue reading...

Research looking at hygiene and healthcare habits of the primates finds implications for understanding origin of human healthcareHumans are not unique in having a host of hygiene and healthcare habits, researchers have found: chimpanzees also wipe their bottoms, tend each other's wounds and even clean up after sex, according to a new study.The research from the University of Oxford is not the first to show that great apes take care of themselves. Scientists have previously found chimpanzees use insects to treat their own wounds and those of others, while orangutans have been observed treating wounds with the sap and chewed leaves of plants with known medicinal properties. Continue reading...

Time-lapse footage reveals cardiac cells in a mouse embryo begin to organise themselves during early developmentThe moment a heart begins to form has been captured in extraordinary time-lapse images for the first time.The footage reveals cardiac cells in a mouse embryo begin to spontaneously organise themselves into a heart-like shape early in development. Scientists say the technique could provide new insights into congenital heart defects, which affect nearly one in 100 babies. Continue reading...

I was recently asked to explain the media's attitude to weight loss drugs. And the more I tried, the more sheepish I becameWhy you might be given the second-best' weight-loss drug", ran the i's coverage of the most recent research findings: Mounjaro is officially more effective than Wegovy. And there are plenty of perfectly sensible reasons. Wegovy, which produces an average weight loss of 14%, might suit you fine. It's the only drug approved for reducing the risk of a major cardiovascular event because it's been on the market for longer. Mounjaro, reducing weight by 20%, might end up on top in the long run. The media often takes a scandalised tone about pharmacological innovation: whether it's the NHS trying to palm you off with second best, or big pharma selling snake oil, someone is always out to get you. This seems OK; let's see how it goes" is a peculiarly difficult editorial line to take.I was part of a panel discussion last week at Ozempic Nation", part of the British Library's Food Season. Ozempic is the same drug as Wegovy, just with a lower concentration of the active ingredient, semaglutide, and is used to treat type 2 diabetes. The discussion felt a little paradoxical to include in a food season", since Ozempic is the opposite of food, the anti-food, the drug that can make you forget what you ever liked about food. And yet, the debate - which was essentially Is this a wonder drug or a sticking plaster?" - cut to the heart of what food means for politics, for society and, I guess if you squint at it, for civilisation.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...

For a long time the appendix was considered disposable. After all, millions of people have theirs removed each year and go on to live healthy lives. But as Heather F Smith, a professor of anatomy at Midwestern University tells Ian Sample, researchers are increasingly understanding what this small worm-shaped organ may be bringing to the table in terms of our health. Smith explains how the appendix is linked to both our immune system development and gut health, and why she thinks an increasing interest in the microbiome may bring it to greater prominenceSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Liraglutide is found to have beneficial impact on weight and families report reduced conflicts around foodGiving obese children weight loss jabs works and could help avoid arguments over mealtimes, according to research.Clinicians treating very obese children at a hospital in Sweden analysed whether liraglutide injections could be used as well as diet and lifestyle changes to increase weight loss. Continue reading...

The answers to today's puzzlesEarlier today I set these two puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.1. Go compare! Continue reading...

Some see the fiery root as a miracle cure for colds, but there are easier, cheaper ways to support your immune systemDo you find yourself buying tiny bottles of fiery gloop at the first signsof a cold? You're not alone. Ginger shots have become a trend in recent years, thanks to the perception that they're good for immunity. Butarethey?Dr Emily Leeming, a dietitian at King's College London, says it's unlikely they are a miracle cure. Shesays there has been only a small amount of research that shows thatgingerol extracts, the active polyphenols in ginger, may help lower some markers of inflammation (an immune response), but the evidence ispretty weak. Continue reading...

Don't run out of rope!UPDATE: Read the solutions hereTwo very different puzzles today. In the first, you have to identify two numbers. In the second, you have to escape off a roof.1. Go compare! Continue reading...

While faint, the constellation still makes a big impression because of its sheer sizeThis week, we track down one of the zodiacal constellations, Virgo, the virgin. It is a prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's spring night sky because of its sheer size. Covering an area of 1,294 square degrees, Virgo is the second largest constellation in the sky. By comparison, the easily recognisable Orion, the hunter, is a celestial minnow at just 594 square degrees.The chart shows the view looking south from London at 22.00 BST on 12 May, although the view will remain roughly the same all week. Continue reading...

Experts say findings are transformational and could herald new era of preventive medicineWeight-loss jabs could almost halve the risk of obesity-related cancers, a landmark study suggests.Cancer experts said the findings were transformational" and could herald a whole new era of preventive cancer medicine". Continue reading...

Teams vie for place on shortlist for XPrize Healthspan, the richest prize yet in the longevity fieldAdmitting its goal is audacious", the largest longevity-focused prize in history - offering $101m (76m) in prize money - will announce its shortlist of candidates on Monday.The aim of the seven-year XPrize Healthspan is to develop a way for humans to dramatically rejuvenate muscles, cognition and immune functions, the three systems crucial to healthy ageing. Continue reading...

Key programs from child-support services to HIV treatment also gutted, leaving global populations vulnerableMass terminations and billions of dollars' worth of cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have gutted key programs - from child support services to HIV treatment abroad - and created a real danger" that disease outbreaks will be missed, according to former workers.Workers at the HHS, now led by Robert F Kennedy Jr, and in public health warned in interviews that chaotic, flawed and sweeping reductions would have broad, negative effects across the US and beyond. Continue reading...

Swiss study finds wellbeing and life quality can be improved more than with insulin and other antidiabetic drugsWeight loss jabs may be good for people's mental health as well as helping curb their appetite, according to research.A study by scientists from the University of Bern in Switzerland has found that appetite-suppressing injections also improve mood, wellbeing and quality of life more than insulin and other antidiabetic drugs. Continue reading...

Kosmos 482 re-enters the atmosphere more than a half century since launch on failed mission to VenusA Soviet-era spacecraft plunged to Earth on Saturday, more than a half century after its failed launch to Venus.The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking agency confirmed its uncontrolled re-entry, based on analysis and the disappearance of the spacecraft from tracking on subsequent orbits. The European Space Agency's space debris office also indicated it had re-entered the atmosphere after it failed to appear over a German radar station. Continue reading...

Providing semaglutide for all those eligible may bring productivity gains as people are able to work moreGiving weight loss jabs to everyone eligible for them could boost the UK economy by 4.5bn, according to research.Worldwide, about 3.8 billion people over 25 and just under 750 million children and young people are forecast to be overweight or obese by 2050. In England, 26.5% of adults are obese, while across the UK 4.6 million are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Continue reading...

Lander probe of Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, is expected to re-enter the atmosphere some time between 9 and 10 MayPart of a Soviet spacecraft is expected to crash back down to Earth this weekend, with experts still unsure of where it will land.Kosmos 482 was launched in March 1972 on a Soyuz rocket a few days after the Venera 8 atmospheric probe, and was thought to have a similar purpose. Intended to reach Venus, it failed to escape low Earth orbit and instead broke into four pieces. Continue reading...

Research found chimpanzees drum with non-random rhythms that suggest building blocks of music may predate humans by millions of yearsThey might not produce Gershwin hits, but chimpanzees have got rhythm, researchers have found in a study they say sheds light on the evolutionary origins of music.Scientists have previously found chimpanzees drum on the buttress roots of trees to send information to each other, with each individual having their own signature style. Continue reading...

We know some medications work differently in men and women. Why is it taking so long for studies to reflect this?The first step, they say, is admitting you have a problem, and on that front the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has made some much-needed progress. The agency, which is responsible for approving all clinical trials in the UK, has identified a notable imbalance" in trials conducted between 2019 and 2023: there were nearly twice as many all-male trials as all-female trials.This imbalance is hardly surprising: as I documented in Invisible Women, my book on the female data gap, the failure to adequately represent women in clinical trials is a longstanding and global problem. The MHRA's figures are also in line with a recent US analysis that found male-prevalent diseases receive nearly twice as much funding as female-prevalent diseases, both absolutely and relative to disease burden. So far, so disappointingly standard.Caroline Criado Perez is the author of Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for MenDo 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...

Scientists fear early emerging insects may fall out of sync with pathogens, predators or availability of foodMidsummer butterflies are on the wing in early May after a sunny spring prompted one of the most advanced seasons for Britain's Lepidoptera on record.The Lulworth skipper - usually found in June and July - is flying at Lulworth Cove in Dorset, the chequered skipper emerged in April rather than mid-May in Scotland and the first swallowtail, which is most common in mid-June, was spotted in Norfolk on 1 May. Continue reading...

Experts found 60% of the EU's agricultural soils had been degraded, with about 40% similarly damaged in the UKMore than 60% of the EU's agricultural soils are degraded due to intensive agriculture, with similar damage to about 40% of British soils, a report has found.Experts from the Save Soil initiative said nourishing and restoring agricultural soils could reduce the impact of the climate crisis and provide protection against the worsening extremes of weather, as well as the food shortages and price rises likely to accompany them. Continue reading...