Pupils to return to classrooms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland amid warnings of infection surge

A leading scientist explains why the fundamental truth is that it is impossible to know everything about the universeThe American physicist Richard Feynman thought that “nobody understands quantum mechanics”. That is no longer true. Smartphones, nuclear plants, medical scans and laser-operated doors have been built with insights from the physics that governs the subatomic level. What perplexes many is that the quantum world is governed by rules that run counter to classical notions of physical laws.In quantum mechanics, nature is not deterministic. Subatomic particles do not travel a path that can be plotted. It is possible only to calculate the probability of finding these specks at a particular point. Where such calculations leave physics, that hardest of the hard sciences, has troubled its greatest minds. Albert Einstein thought the idea that an element of chance lay deep in science was absurd. “God does not play dice,” he famously declared. Continue reading...

Ian Harvey urges the JCVI to vaccinate teenagers as schools return from the summer break, and Austen Lynch says the Covid death toll is still highScientific advice to the government has mostly been good during the pandemic, but the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is showing unhelpful signs of procrastination over the vaccination of teenagers and the use of adult boosters (Report, 27 August). It is also playing out its discussion via the media rather than in a timely fashion in private. Its doubts about vaccinating teenagers are said to centre on concerns about side-effects, the ethics of indirect benefit and of using vaccines here rather than overseas. The mRNA vaccines that would be used in this group have an excellent safety profile, and are the least suitable for use in developing countries because of storage temperature requirements. Boys are already vaccinated against rubella for the benefit of others (ie pregnant women). The debate is reminiscent of the early hesitation about mask wearing, where some scientists swerved away from their use on the plausible but unlikely grounds of other unintended effects on behaviour. These were not realised, and most of us now regret the delay in mask wearing. I would urge the JCVI to realise that time is not on its side if an autumn campaign is to be organised.

Machines to be used to clean up after Covid outbreaks part of £5.9m initiative to improve air quality

Health body previously stated that boosters in Europe are unnecessary and will increase vaccine inequality

Deemed ‘astrology for businessmen’ for some, lauded as life-saving by others, the personality tests are a ‘springboard’ for people to think about who they areI am a born executive. I am obsessed with efficiency and detached from my emotions. I share similarities with Margaret Thatcher and Harrison Ford. I am among 2% of the general population, and 1% of women.People like us are highly motivated by personal growth, and occasionally ruthless in the pursuit. We make difficult partners and parents, but good landscape architects. We are ENTJs: extroverted, intuitive, thinking, judging – also known as the executive type or, sometimes, “the Commander”. Continue reading...

At least 12,000 women are still abducted and forced into marriage every year in Kyrgyzstan. But pressure is growing to finally end the medieval customAisuluu was returning home after spending the afternoon with her aunt in the village of At-Bashy, not far from the Torugart crossing into China. “It was 5 o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday. I had a paper bag full of samsa [a dough dumpling stuffed with lamb, parsley and onion]. My aunt always prepared them on weekends,” she said.“A car with four men inside comes in the opposite direction to mine. And all of a sudden it … turns around and, within a few seconds, comes up beside me. One of the guys in the back gets out, yanks me and pushes me inside the car. I drop all the samsa on the pavement. I scream, I squirm, I cry, but there is nothing I can do.” Continue reading...

Skills and reasoning are more vital than ever and the internet is taking the place of memorising by roteLet’s start with the good news: we’re getting brighter. Sadly, not individually as we age, but IQs have risen over time, with new generations having higher reasoning skill scores than their predecessors. This progress on abstract reasoning is in contrast to plateauing or declining scores for retained knowledge such as vocabulary.Better nutrition or healthcare might explain some of this improvement. But there’s also been a greater focus on skills over knowledge by schools and parents. This was what Michael Gove was pushing against with his focus on children needing to learn basic facts. Continue reading...

Councils are struggling to complete children’s education and care plans before the new school year because of a shortage of specialistsCouncils in England are struggling to assess the level of support children with special educational needs require because of a shortage of educational psychologists, with the start of the school year just days away.Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) set out the extra provision that children with high special educational needs and disabilities (Send) are legally entitled to. To decide whether to provide an EHCP, and what should go in it, councils must carry out an assessment, sourcing advice and information from an educational psychologist. Continue reading...

A forensic psychiatrist recalls her attempts to offer therapy to some of society’s most damaged and dangerous peopleDuring my first week as a newly qualified forensic psychiatrist at Broadmoor, I had to visit one of the wards. At the foot of a staircase, I stepped aside to let a group of patients pass. Another staff member joined me, and we waited as the men, mainly in their 40s and 50s, descended in silence, walking carefully, hands skimming or leaning on the bannister for support. One man caught my attention because he looked like a stock image of Father Christmas, with a big white beard. When they’d gone, my companion turned to me. “Do you know who that was?” I shook my head. “Peter Sutcliffe… you know, the Yorkshire Ripper.”I remember thinking, with an intake of breath, “So that’s him.” He was one of the hospital’s most notorious patients, that rarest of offenders, a serial killer. I felt shaken for a moment, and then it dawned on me that the shock was that there was nothing to see. He was just a man, not a monster. When detectives in Yorkshire were desperately trying to solve a series of brutal murders of local women, they interviewed Mr Sutcliffe seven times before he was identified as the suspect. They evidently saw nothing to mark him out from any other man. Continue reading...

Charles Foster’s search for the meaning of human life leads him and his son to become hedgehog-eating hunter-gatherers in a Derbyshire woodCharles Foster’s previous book, Being a Beast, is one of the oddest things I’ve read. In it, the author, a barrister, professor of law, part-time judge and former vet, attempts to live as a series of animals, often in the company of his charming and heavily dyslexic eight-year-old son, Tom. We see Foster eating worms and burrowing into the earth as a badger, swimming naked as an otter, foraging in bins as a fox. Now Foster is back with a follow-up, Being a Human, which acknowledges the charges of eccentricity and even insanity that were levelled at the last book.Foster’s new work continues the project of its predecessor, although this time, rather than seeking to understand the brains and bodies of animals, his question is closer to home: what does it mean to be human? He begins with a contentious argument: far from being a story of progress, the history of humanity is one of disenchantment and loss, one where we have severed our links with other species and the natural world more broadly and in which we live meagre, circumscribed lives. “Few of us have any idea what sort of creatures we are,” he says and embarks on a quest to find out. Continue reading...

Western Australia releases sites visited by Covid-positive NSW truck drivers. This blog is now closed

It has shipped more than a billion doses, saved countless lives – and faced controversy over its safety and supply. Here, some of those who created the vaccine tell the story of their epic race against the virusIn December 2019, hospitals in Wuhan, China, reported that they were dealing with dozens of cases of pneumonia of an unknown cause. They soon identified the disease as being caused by a novel coronavirus.Teresa Lambe, associate professor, Jenner Institute My brother lived in China, so whenever there was an emerging or break pathogen there, I used to follow it. I remember thinking very early on that this was probably another influenza strain. Continue reading...

Martin Foley announces 64 new cases and says Victoria should not follow NSW on restrictionsThe Victorian health minister, Martin Foley, has dismissed suggestions that Victoria should follow New South Wales in easing some restrictions before the Covid outbreak appears to be under control, saying that easing restrictions is not a sign of hope if daily case numbers keep climbing.He also dismissed a suggestion made by some federal politicians that Australia’s healthcare system was not under strain. Continue reading...

NSW Ambulance service says it has been unable to keep up with demand after trivial call-outs

All new cases are in Auckland, with 62 within the Pacific communityNew Zealand’s Covid-19 outbreak has worsened, with 82 new cases taking the total infected to 415.All of Saturday’s cases were in Auckland, with the Pacific community again over-represented with 62 cases. Continue reading...

Outbreak of Delta Covid cases likely to put strain on health services in areas with low vaccination rates, experts say

Annual coronavirus vaccines could be a reality – but Australia is at least 18 months away from manufacturing its ownFrom September – more than nine months after it was approved for emergency use in the United States – the first doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will arrive on Australian shores. The second mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine against the coronavirus is a welcome boon amid a period of rolling lockdowns and record case numbers.But Australia’s notoriously sluggish vaccine rollout has been marred by the failure of a locally developed vaccine candidate, as well as changes to age-group recommendations for the AstraZeneca vaccine as a result of its link to rare but blood clots. Continue reading...

Research finds that when humans exercise, our bodies limit the energy used on basic metabolic functionsLosing weight through exercise appears to be more difficult for obese people, research suggests.Initially, researchers thought that the total energy we spend in a day is the sum of energy expended due to activity (ranging from light gardening to running a marathon) and energy used for basic functioning (what keeps us ticking even when we are doing nothing, such as immune function and wound healing). Continue reading...

Minimal immunity and dropping of preventive measures could lead to widespread school infections

Regardless of where the virus came from, there’s a growing risk of another Covid-like phenomenon occurringUS intelligence services have just briefed the president, Joe Biden, on the results of their 90-day investigation into the origins of Covid-19. They were asked to test two hypotheses: that it had a “natural” origin, or that it escaped from a lab. Preliminary reports suggest that their findings are inconclusive.Few scientists will be surprised by this, and yet the investigation has been the subject of intense – and intensely divisive – political and media interest over the past three months. The White House has promised more detail, which could be illuminating, especially if it reveals the genetic sequences of viruses related to the one that causes Covid-19, Sars-CoV-2, that were being studied in labs in Wuhan in 2019. But that won’t change the fact that two investigations down, we’re still in the dark as to how this pandemic started. Continue reading...

Napping is a symbol of laziness but it can improve our memory, creativity, empathy and problem-solvingNapping has long been a symbol of laziness, but actually it is an essential bodily function that improves our memory, creativity, empathy and problem-solving abilities.

Researchers measured pain responses in preterm babies during routine procedures in neonatal unitPremature babies appear to feel less pain during medical procedures when they are spoken to by their mothers, researchers have found.Babies that are born very early often have to spend time in neonatal intensive care units, and may need several painful clinical procedures. The situation can also mean lengthy separation from parents. Continue reading...

Exclusive: research finds small rise in exposure to air pollution leads to higher risk of needing treatmentExposure to air pollution is linked to an increased severity of mental illness, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.The research, involving 13,000 people in London, found that a relatively small increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide led to a 32% increase in the risk of needing community-based treatment and an 18% increase in the risk of being admitted to hospital. Continue reading...

Analysis of 29m people finds danger of infection with Sars-Cov-2 far outweighs the risks of having jab

JCVI understood to have concerns about effect of jab on other childhood inoculations

Some females found to have evolved with bright plumage, which seems to protect against male aggressionThey may zip around looking cute and sociable, but the world of hummingbirds is rife with aggression. Now it looks like some female hummingbirds have evolved to avoid this – by adopting the bright plumage of their male counterparts.US researchers captured more than 400 white-necked Jacobin hummingbirds in Panama. Continue reading...

Many countries with already high vaccination rates are considering offering people an additional coronavirus vaccine dose. But are booster shots necessary? And what about the issue of vaccine equity? The Guardian's Natalie Grover examines the costs and benefits of possibly introducing a third jab

Climate engineering sounds scary. But is coming whether we like it or not, this scientist saysThe realities of climate change are front-page news every day. Temperature records are being smashed. Wildfires are raging. There is no sign of things going back to “normal”. If anything, they will only get worse.Last year, when the planet was convulsing with the arrival of a pandemic, we pinned our hopes on technology – in the form of an mRNA vaccine – getting us out of our crisis. The vaccine was a technological intervention, injected into the arms of billions of people. Could we (should we?) look to technological solutions to our climate crisis, too? Continue reading...

Agency is being urged to rescind an ‘unworkable’ change that bans preprint material citation, resulting in 32 applicants being deemed ineligible

As back to school looms and in-person teaching returns, there is an expectation that Covid-19 cases will rise, especially among children. In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for children aged 12 to 17, but they are still not available to most people in this demographic. Shivani Dave speaks to the Guardian’s science correspondent, Natalie Grover, about why that is the case

Cambridge astronomers identify new hycean class of habitable exoplanets, which could accelerate search for lifeSigns of life beyond our solar system may be detectable within two to three years, experts have said after rethinking the kinds of planets that may be habitable.Researchers have mostly looked for planets of a similar size, mass, temperature and atmospheric composition to Earth. But University of Cambridge astronomers believe there may be more promising possibilities after recent work suggested that a “mini-Neptune” more than twice the radius of Earth and more than eight times as massive may also be habitable. Continue reading...

Remarks follow reports US intelligence study unable to conclude if virus came from animals or a Wuhan lab

‘Eco-friendly’ lights found to be worse than sodium ones – but both contribute to insect decline, says study“Eco-friendly” LED streetlights produce even worse light pollution for insects than the traditional sodium bulbs they are replacing, a study has found.The abundance of moth caterpillars in hedgerows by rural roads in England was 52% lower under LED lights and 41% lower under sodium lights when compared with nearby unlit areas. Continue reading...

Skeleton of hunter-gatherer found in Leang Panninge cave sheds light on ancient human migrationArchaeologists have discovered ancient DNA in the remains of a woman who died 7,200 years ago in Indonesia, a find that challenges what was previously known about migration of early humans.The remains, belonging to a teenager nicknamed Bessé, were discovered in the Leang Panninge cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Initial excavations were undertaken in 2015. Continue reading...

Our world and the self are constructions of the brain, a pioneering neuroscientist arguesFor every stoner who has been overcome with profound insight and drawled, “Reality is a construct, maaan,” here is the astonishing affirmation. Reality – or, at least, our perception of it – is a “controlled hallucination”, according to the neuroscientist Anil Seth. Everything we see, hear and perceive around us, our whole beautiful world, is a big lie created by our deceptive brains, like a forever version of The Truman Show, to placate us into living our lives.Our minds invent for us a universe of colours, sounds, shapes and feelings through which we interact with our world and relate to each other, Seth argues. We even invent ourselves. Our reality, then, is an illusion, and understanding this involves tackling the thorny issue of consciousness: what it means to, well, be. Continue reading...

Hospitals received letters threatening large fines after they installed their own onsite O2 plants in response to shortagesIn March 2020, Benjamin Espinoza Zavala saw an entire floor of his small hospital in Guanajuato, central Mexico, converted into Covid-19 wards. The hospital’s need for oxygen soared.Deliveries from CryoInfra, part of the Grupo Infra group, occasionally slowed to once every couple of days, and he had to buy in extra to cover the sudden gaps in supply. Prices increased. Continue reading...

Covid response minister says it would be a waste to stop aiming for elimination after plan was questioned by foreign media

This blog is now closed. You can find all of our coverage of the pandemic here.4.22am BSTThis blog is closing now but thanks very much for reading. We’ll be back in a few hours with more rolling coverage of the pandemic from all around the world.

Scientists are comparing the profiles of those who are dying with previous waves – here’s what they know

Prof J Kiley Hamlin from the International Congress for Infant Studies calls into question a study showing impaired cognition in children, and says there is reason to be optimistic about their resilienceResults from a scientific paper have been racing around the internet like wildfire, perhaps because they confirm parents’ worst fears: infants born during the pandemic show a large and significant reduction in scores on a standard battery of cognitive development tests. Your report (Children born during pandemic have lower IQs, US study finds, 12 August) refers to these infants as having “shockingly low” scores, at levels not typically seen “outside of major cognitive disorders”. These are attributed to “lack of stimulation and interaction at home”, and it is suggested that children’s “ability to course-correct” may be limited.The executive board of the International Congress for Infant Studies (ICIS) believes that drawing these sorts of conclusions from this unpublished article is premature and ill-advised. Without denying that there may be negative effects of being born in a pandemic, what we know about infant development suggests that the observed reduction in scores on the cognitive tests is not only implausible, but is also likely to stem from causes that have nothing to do with the main claim. Instead, infants may have performed less well on the test because it was administered by a stranger, wearing a face covering, in an unfamiliar environment – all of which would differentially impact the performance of babies born during the pandemic. Continue reading...

Taiwanese company TiSPACE is planning three launches from South Australia in 2021, amid hopes the event will provide a boost to Australia’s space industry

In mid-June this year, some brands of cat food were recalled as a precaution after a sudden increase in cases of feline pancytopenia, a rare blood disease that can be fatal. Shivani Dave speaks to Daniella Dos Santos, a practicing small animal and exotic pet vet and the senior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, to understand what the food recall means for cat owners, and to find out how best to feed our feline friends Continue reading...

Sortie will not take place until after SpaceX cargo run this weekend and Russian spacewalks in SeptemberNasa is delaying a spacewalk at the International Space Station because of a medical issue involving one of its astronauts.Officials announced the postponement on Monday, less than 24 hours before Mark Vande Hei was supposed to float outside. Continue reading...

Findings may help explain why incidence of bowel cancer is rising among younger adults in developed regionsChildren of women who were overweight or obese when pregnant have a higher risk of developing bowel cancer in later life, research suggests.Obesity in women has previously been linked to health problems in their offspring. Among them, studies have suggested women who are overweight when trying to conceive are more likely to have a baby with serious birth defects. Continue reading...

Study reinforces the hard evidence that carbon emissions are the main cause of worsening extreme weatherThe record-shattering rainfall that caused deadly flooding across Germany and Belgium in July was made up to nine times more likely by the climate crisis, according to research.The study also showed that human-caused global heating has made downpours in the region up to 20% heavier. The work reinforces the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s landmark report this month that there is “unequivocal” evidence that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the main cause of worsening extreme weather. Continue reading...

Researchers are worried the ban on preprint materials in grant proposals will diminish the nation’s scientific potentialThe Australian Research Council says it is “looking into” a controversial rule change that affects academic grant applications, amid growing political pressure and criticism from the Australian research community.More than 600 “concerned members of the Australian research community” have called on the Australian Research Council (ARC) to reconsider a rule that bans applicants from citing preprint material in proposals for funding. Continue reading...

Food and Drug Administration is trying to finish its licensing process for the drugMonday update: FDA gives full approval to Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19Full federal approval of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine will empower businesses and universities to require vaccinations and tip hesitant Americans toward getting the jab, the surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, said on Sunday.Related: Breakthrough infections and booster shots: what you need to know Continue reading...

The solutions to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set you the following three puzzles.1. Late Wittgenstein Continue reading...

As the pace and ambition of space exploration accelerates, preventing Earth-born organisms from hitching a ride has become more urgent than ever. By Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley Continue reading...