Presence of long-chain alkanes in rock raises new questions about possible existence of life billions of years agoNasa's Curiosity rover has found the largest organic compounds ever seen on Mars, raising tantalising questions about whether life emerged on the red planet billions of years ago.The compounds were detected in a 3.7bn-year-old rock sample collected in Yellowknife Bay, an ancient Martian lakebed that harboured all the necessary ingredients for life in the planet's warmer, wetter past. Continue reading...
The Nidus haemodialysis device has undergone a successful clinical trial, but but there is a lack of funding to get it through regulatory approval, write Dr Heather Lambert and Dr Malcolm CoulthardWe too found the outside the box" thinking in Alexander Masters' long read (Many life-saving drugs fail for lack of funding. But there's a solution: desperate rich people, 11 March) interesting. And we concur with Prof Roger Bayston's views on the problems getting innovative devices into commercial production, through regulatory hurdles, and into clinical use (Letters, 17 March).These problems are compounded when the novel device is aimed at treatment for a rare disease or a small subsection of a more common problem, in our case the development of a haemodialysis device for treating small babies. This device, the Newcastle infant dialysis and ultrafiltration system (Nidus), was invented in response to parent pressure to do something" when newborn babies undergoing major surgery (often for congenital abnormalities like abdominal or heart conditions) went into kidney failure and needed haemodialysis to keep them alive and allow time for their own kidneys to recover. Continue reading...
Approach could herald new way of delivering drugs, beyond birth control, over long periods of timeResearchers are developing an injection that creates a contraceptive implant in the body using an approach that could herald a new way of delivering drugs over long periods of time.Current contraceptive implants last for years, meaning women do not have to take a pill every day, but the devices must be fitted by a trained professional via a small surgical procedure. Contraceptive injections are already available but they have limitations, including that they last for only three months. Continue reading...
My father, Basil Hiley, who has died aged 89, was a theoretical physicist who was particularly renowned for his research collaborations with the American David Bohm, working with him on the foundations of quantum mechanics.Together they published many articles emphasising the wholeness of the quantum process and on the concept of Bohm's implicate order", which proposes a deeper, underlying reality where everything is interconnected and enfolded, contrasting with the explicate order" of our everyday, unfolded world. Continue reading...
Self-help pundits advise us to cut difficult people out of our lives, but it's not the only optionIt was snowing and the heating had broken the day I visited the Mass Observation Archive in Brighton. I sat in my coat, woolly hat and fingerless gloves, my breath clouding the air. Before me were nearly two hundred anonymous letters written in 2007, most by hand, reflecting on the ups and downs" of friendship.Mass Observation is a treasure trove for historians like me. Since 1939, it has sent out loose questionnaires called directives" to its pool of volunteer writers across the UK, who respond by describing their daily lives, opinions and feelings. Most who replied to the directive on friendship were women over 60. As the hours passed, my fingers grew numb but I didn't care. It was so absorbing to read their intimate accounts of the pleasures and the usually unspoken difficulties of friendship. Continue reading...
H5N1 virus found in single animal in Yorkshire but risk to general public is very low, say expertsBird flu has been detected in sheep for the first time in the world, UK experts have announced, although they stress the risk to livestock and the general public is low.The H5N1 virus was detected in a single animal in Yorkshire, England, after routine testing that was carried out because the flock was kept on a site where avian influenza had previously been found in birds. No other sheep in the flock was found to be infected. Continue reading...
Neurosafe procedure allows doctors to remove prostate while preserving as much nerve tissue around it as possibleA more precise form of prostate cancer surgery nearly doubles the chances of men retaining erectile function afterwards compared with standard surgery, according to the first comprehensive trial of the procedure.Doctors in five UK hospitals assessed the surgical approach that aims to preserve crucial nerves that run through the outer layer of the prostate and are thought to be responsible for producing erections. Continue reading...
In parts of North America and Greenland, up to 90% of the sun's fiery surface may be obscuredEclipses often come in pairs. A lunar eclipse is usually accompanied by a solar eclipse two weeks later, or vice versa, and this month is no exception. On 14 March, the moon was totally eclipsed by Earth; now it is the turn of the sun.There will be no total solar eclipse visible from the surface of Earth, but in certain parts of North America and Greenland up to 90% of its fiery surface may be obscured. For example, in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut in Canada, the sun will have 92% of its surface covered. Continue reading...
by Written by Samira Shackle and read by Dinita Gohil on (#6W4DN)
When details about a scientific study in the 1960s became public, there was shock, outrage and anxiety. But exactly what happened?By Samira Shackle. Read by Dinita Gohil Continue reading...
The Trump administration is cutting funding, while specifically targeting institutions like Columbia. No wonder academics want outIn six weeks, the Trump administration's rapid scheduled disassembly" of American science has been as sharp and deep as its trashing of the US's alliances and goodwill; Earth science, weather forecasting and early warning systems, medical research (including cancer research), Nasa. Academic grants more broadly have been cut, paused and subject to review for a long list of banned words (including such contentious terms as political" and women").This has caused universities across the country to reduce their intake of PhD students, medical students and other graduate students, introduce hiring freezes and even rescind some offers of admission. More than 12,500 US citizens currently in other countries on Fulbright research grants recently had their funding paused, along with 7,400 foreign scholars currently hosted in the US, leaving them financially stranded. And, when it came to one foreign academic visiting the US, detaining them and refusing them entry.Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnistDo 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...
Chi Onwurah urges government to bring forward AI safety bill instead of delaying it to curry favour with Donald TrumpConcerns about the safety of artificial intelligence are at risk of being ignored by ministers, the Labour head of the Commons technology committee has said, as the government delays regulating the industry to curry favour with Donald Trump.Chi Onwurah, the chair of the cross-party committee, urged the government to bring forward the AI safety bill, which would require technology companies to hand over any large language models they build to UK regulators for testing. Continue reading...
A year-long series of events marks 80 years since admission of Marjory Stephenson and Kathleen Lonsdale in 1945When Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein became fellows of the Royal Society, like other illustrious physicists, chemists and biologists over the centuries, they met the society's membership criteria in two essential ways: they were talented scientists - and they were men.It wasn't until March 1945 that the prestigious scientific community finally began admitting women to its fellowship. Now, to mark the 80th anniversary of this milestone, the society is launching a year-long series of events to assert the rightful place in history of its first female fellows, Marjory Stephenson and Kathleen Lonsdale. Continue reading...
How the writer found her ongoing fixation on self-development was actually working against herI have lied to people. Last year I read twice the amount of self-help books than I logged on Goodreads. The number would raise serious concern and some of the titles would, too. I say I'm a culture journalist, but I couldn't share my Spotify Wrapped because my most listened-to music was healing ambient tracks called things like Whole Being REGENERATION". My podcast listening habits were hardly better: softcore manifestation content or prophesying rants from a growing crop of spiritual influencers who make David Icke look like Stephen Hawking. I've withheld most of my adventures in healing from friends and family. I hadn't known how to explain to people what I was doing.The why was easier: I'd rather not be my own worst enemy. I'd furiously backstep to the centre of many problems to find myself. I wanted to stop being someone with fairly unhealthy relationships and a discreet but unshakeable suspicion that I'm inherently unlovable, which is probably most people's issue. I knew there was a version of myself with direction, with great intuition, if only I could trust it more. The original sins were not mine but now, a grown adult, they are my responsibility. A few years ago I told a close friend that I'm terrified I'll wake up at 50, like Leonardo DiCaprio, dating a merry-go-round of inappropriately aged people, but without the Hollywood Hills compound and career. That could be fun, but if it happens, I'd rather it be an interesting choice than my unconscious fault. Continue reading...
Ohio, Maryland and Alabama among states to report new cases, with 378 confirmed in first few months of 2025More US states are reporting measles cases as the Texas outbreak expands, surpassing last year's total, amid vaccine misinformation and hesitancy.The Texas outbreak could take a year to get under control, one health official said - during which time it may spread to more states. Yet the parents of the six-year-old girl who died of measles in Texas have spoken against measles vaccination as misinformation continues to proliferate, including from figures such as the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. Continue reading...
If you could increase the lifespan of your pet dog or cat, would you? And what is the real cost of doing so?Last November, my family brought home a puppy. Frankie was eight weeks old when he came to live with us, and right now, watching him bound around with my seven-year-old son, I don't want to imagine ever saying goodbye to him. Well, maybe I won't need to, or rather, I can at least kick that day into the long grass, and buy Frankie some extra time. After all, scientific understanding of the mechanisms of ageing has never been better; there is a plethora of longevity products to choose from and more in the pipeline, including a kind of diet pill for dogs; and, thanks to research into lifespan expansion for pets over the last decade, prescription-based longevity interventions that are now approaching FDA approval. All I have to do, it seems, is put in the time, care and (lots of) cash.But should I do so? Don't our pets live long enough already? And whose needs would I be serving - my own or my pooch's? In the UK, the life expectancy for a dog is just over 11 years, while cats average 14. As a working cocker spaniel, Frankie should be with us for 12-15 years - old enough that he'll still be around when my son leaves home, just not long enough to see me into my dotage. Continue reading...
Distorted external referencing can keep her paralysed, because she's trying to live up to an imagined idealThe question My daughter is now 34 years old, but she wants to be a teenager again, because she feels that she missed out on the fun she should have had back then. She hates the way she looks, because she thinks she looks older than 16. She wants cosmetic surgery and orthodontics to look younger.She wants to experience university life as a fresher again and have young fun, but she also doesn't want to as she feels too old. She wants to earn and have independence, but also fears it. She relies on her mother and me and is not interested in getting a job. She never goes out and has no friends. She has no interests and spends most of her time comparing herself with teenage social-media idols. Continue reading...
Five years since Boris Johnson ordered the UK to stay home, steps to prepare for the next national emergency are clearerExactly five years ago Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom was being placed in lockdown. From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction - you must stay at home because the critical thing we must do is to stop the disease spreading between households," the PM told the nation.That lockdown, Britain's first of the Covid-19 pandemic, lasted until June. People reacted in myriad ways: with manic outpourings of video calls; obsessive outbreaks of bread baking and pet dog purchases; or simple, quiet desperation as they tried to fend off the isolation imposed on them. More lockdowns were to follow, but the first defined the sudden, chilling, unwelcome seclusion that individuals were forced to experience as social contact was halted across the country. Continue reading...
The alarm has been raised by experts as the nation marks the fifth anniversary of the introduction of lockdownKey scientific lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic are being forgotten, UK scientists have warned.The researchers have raised the alarm as the nation marks the fifth anniversary of the introduction of lockdown, which was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson on 23 March 2020. Continue reading...
Public consulted after concerns over children removed from parents on evidence of psychologists without right qualificationsUnregulated experts could be banned from the family courts under new proposals for proceedings involving children in England and Wales.The Family Procedure Rule Committee, which sets the rules in family court cases, has proposed changes to the rules, which are now out for public consultation. It follows growing concern from MPs and campaigners about court-appointed experts who advise on life-changing decisions without having the necessary qualifications. But some organisations say it does not go far enough. Continue reading...
Imperial College project could lead to less invasive testing and combat increase in antibiotic resistanceJodie is a canine with special powers, scientists have discovered. The golden labrador can smell and identify particular bacteria and could soon play a key role in helping researchers develop a programme in which dogs could sniff out individuals infected with dangerous microbes.The project, recently launched by scientists at Imperial College London, could be vital in the battle against antibiotic resistance as well as the treatment of patients with lung disease and other conditions, they say. Continue reading...
I asked some well-known names for their thoughts on the ultimate existential question. Their answers were fascinating, funny - and could help us frame our days on EarthIn September 2015, I was unemployed, heartbroken and living alone in my dead grandad's caravan, wondering what the meaning of life was. Where was I going to find happiness, or purpose, or meaning? What was the point to all of this?Like any millennial, I turned to Google for the answers. I trawled through essays, newspaper articles, countless YouTube videos, various dictionary definitions and numerous references to the number 42, before I discovered an intriguing project carried out by the philosopher Will Durant during the 1930s. Durant had written to Ivy League presidents, Nobel prize winners, psychologists, novelists, professors, poets, scientists, artists and athletes to ask for their take on the meaning of life. His findings were collated in the book On the Meaning of Life, published in 1932. Continue reading...
Promise was central plank to space agency's Artemis program, which is scheduled to return humans to the lunar surface in 2027Nasa has dropped its longstanding public commitment to land the first woman and person of color on the moon, in response to Donald Trump's directives to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at federal agencies.The promise was a central plank of the space agency's Artemis program, which is scheduled to return humans to the lunar surface in 2027 for the first time since the final Apollo mission in December 1972. Continue reading...
We have an opportunity to build systems that don't just replicate our current inequities. Will we take them?The notion that artificial intelligence could help reduce racism might seem counterintuitive. After all, we've seen numerous headlines about AI systems perpetuating or even amplifying racial biases. Yet as we enter 2025, amid both a backlash against social justice initiatives and the rapid proliferation of AI technologies, an unexpected opportunity is emerging.Here's the paradox: while few people want to be labeled racist, study after study reveal persistent racial disparities in everything from healthcare outcomes to economic opportunities. The fascinating twist? Society appears far more willing to critically examine and address bias in AI systems than confront human bias directly.Sanmi Koyejo is an assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University. He also leads the Stanford Trustworthy AI Research (Stair). Continue reading...
Alleged assault at polar base shows the importance of research on cabin fever - including on future Mars missionsSouth Africa has a tight regime for scientists wanting to overwinter" in Antarctica. The 13-month assignment to an isolated research base on the top of a cliff edge is, as the environment ministry drily puts it, testing". Average annual temperatures are -16C but drop much lower during the winter darkness.All applicants are subjected to psychometric analysis to ensure they are able to cope with the isolation, and can work and live with others in the confined space of the bases", said the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Only candidates who do not have any negative outcomes from all the background evaluations will be considered." Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#6W2VP)
Researchers develop technique that can accurately pinpoint lesions, increasing chances of successful surgeryResearchers have developed ultra-powerful scans that could enable surgery for previously treatment-resistant epilepsy.Globally, about 50 million people have epilepsy. In England, epileptic seizures are the sixth most common reason for hospital admission. About 360,000 people in the UK have focal epilepsy, which causes recurring seizures in a specific part of the brain. Continue reading...
Research finds yellow warblers near busy roads turn aggressive when traffic drowns out their territorial songs, and noise pollution could cause clashesIf the rumble of trucks, honk of car horns and bustle of the roads leaves you irritable, you are not alone - researchers say the sound of traffic can leave birds in a rage, too.Researchers have found male Galapagos yellow warblers that live near busy roads on the islands behave more aggressively when they hear songs from another male if they occur in the presence of traffic sounds. Continue reading...
Research to be funded even as health secretary RFK Jr suggested letting disease run freely for birds to develop immunityAs a bird flu outbreak continues to run rampant through US poultry farms, pushing eggs to record-high prices, federal officials announced funding for avian influenza research projects, including money for new vaccine projects and potential treatments.The US agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, said on Thursday that her department would invest $100m in these research efforts, as part of a $1bn initiative to fight bird flu and stop rising egg prices, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. Continue reading...
My father, David Landon, who has died aged 88, was a pioneer in the use of high-resolution electron microscopes to improve the understanding of neuromuscular diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and established a state-of-the-art electron microscopy facility that provided diagnostic services for several London hospitals that ran from the mid-1970s onwards.Specialising in exploring the microscopic structure and function of nerves and muscles, his early published papers describing structures involved in nerve conduction called the nodes of Ranvier were the start of a fruitful research career that used electron microscopes in diagnostic services for neuromuscular conditions. Continue reading...
What is art? | Wordsearch | Labour membership | Dark matter | Change for the worseRe your letters on art, or the question of what is art (20 March), I am reminded of two gallery visits.In one, a friend and I were looking at an installation" in the foyer, involving canvas and a brush and pan, to discover they were workmen's tools awaiting some repair work. In another gallery, in alarge bare room with a stepladder at one end, my husbandasked when the exhibition would be put up, onlytobe told that this was it.
Researchers say Aardvark Weather uses thousands of times less computing power and is much faster than current systemsA single researcher with a desktop computer will be able to deliver accurate weather forecasts using a new AI weather prediction approach that is tens of times faster and uses thousands of times less computing power than conventional systems.Weather forecasts are currently generated through a complex set of stages, each taking several hours to run on bespoke supercomputers, requiring large teams of experts to develop, maintain and deploy them. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: When ISS astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore touched down in a SpaceX capsule they entered a politically charged atmosphereGood morning. Last June, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore embarked on a 25-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, as part of its first crewed test flight. Originally scheduled to spend eight days in space, their mission was dramatically extended due to technical issues with the spacecraft, which was deemed unsafe for their return journey.After an astonishing 270 days in orbit, accusations that Joe Biden had abandoned them and to much fanfare, Williams and Wilmore finally returned to Earth in Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday - where a pod of curious dolphins circled the craft. After routine medical checks to confirm their wellbeing, both astronauts were finally reunited with their families.Ukraine | Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a very good telephone call" on Wednesday, according to Trump, in the first conversation between the US president and his Ukrainian counterpart since their disastrous showdown in the White House three weeks ago.Middle East | Israeli forces have launched a limited ground operation" to retake the Netzarim corridor, a newly widened road protected by fortified bunkers that divides Gaza and is seen as essential to controlling the devastated Palestinian territory.Politics | Rachel Reeves will announce the biggest spending cuts since austerity at next week's spring statement after ruling out tax rises as a way to close her budget deficit. The chancellor will tell MPs next Wednesday that she intends to cut Whitehall budgets by billions of pounds more than previously expected in a move which could mean reductions of as much as 7% for certain departments over the next four years.UK news | A truly evil" 19-year-old who murdered his mother and two younger siblings as part of a failed plot to become the worst mass murderer in British history has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years. Nicholas Prosper admitted to murdering Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Falcon, 16, and Giselle Falcon, 13, last month.Internet | UK police forces are receiving more than 110 reports of child sextortion attempts every month, according to the National Crime Agency, as a new awareness campaign is launched about the online scourge. The NCA said the use of artificial intelligence in sextortion attacks had also increased substantially" over the past three years as criminals adapted their methods. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay with Ian Sample, pro on (#6W217)
Dark energy, the mysterious force powering the expansion of the universe, appears to be weakening over time, according to a major cosmological survey that has thrown the laws of modern physics into doubt. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay how this new finding could shed light on the ultimate fate of the cosmos, and Saul Perlmutter, who won a Nobel prize for his work proving the universe is expanding, describes how the new development could upend assumptions about how this mysterious force operatesDark energy: mysterious cosmic force appears to be weakening, say scientistsSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
Ministers also investigating sexual harassment claim at country's isolated Sanae IV research stationPsychologists are in constant" contact with a South African science team isolated for months at a base in Antarctica after physical assault and sexual harassment allegations were made, a government minister has said.The environment minister, Dion George, whose department manages the country's Antarctic programme, confirmed to the Guardian that psychologists and other experts were in direct and constant" communication with the nine-member research team. Continue reading...
Scientists hope project will shed light on how cats' health and behaviour are influenced by their geneticsCat owners are being asked share their pet's quirky traits and even post researchers their fur in an effort to shed light on how cats' health and behaviour are influenced by their genetics.The scientists behind the project, Darwin's Cats, are hoping to enrol 100,000 felines, from pedigrees to moggies, with the DNA of 5,000 cats expected to be sequenced in the next year. Continue reading...
Data from European Space Agency's mission has allowed researchers to create detailed catalogue of 380,000 galaxiesAstronomers are predicting an avalanche of discoveries" after the first major release of observations from a European space telescope built to study the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that comprise the bulk of the universe.The European Space Agency's Euclid mission has captured images of 26m galaxies, covering 10bn years of cosmic history. They give researchers unprecedented insight into the forces that shape the cosmos and the galaxies it holds. Continue reading...
Thousands sign petition to save vital' Dartington Estate project that teaches agroforestry methodsEven at this time of year when most of the trees are still bare, there is a feeling of abundance in Martin Crawford's forest garden, close to the banks of the River Dart in Devon.Crawford, who has nurtured this landmark garden for three decades, is clearly in his element, pointing out the edible plants that flourish in the tangly two-acre patch, stooping from time to time to pick a leaf or green shoot and take a nibble. Continue reading...
Translucent greenhouses and petals that close in poor light encourage flying pollinators to stop by for longerIt is tough being a flower in the chill air of springtime when pollinating insects are reluctant to fly, but some flowers turn into solar heaters to warm up visiting insects and increase the chances of pollination.The cup-shaped white flowers of mountain avens raise their temperature by 3C to attract insects and keep them cosy, and that warmth also makes the flower produce sweeter nectar for the insects, encouraging them to visit and stick around basking and feeding in the flower to increase the chances of cross-pollination. The warmth helps accelerate the flower's pollination process, resulting in heaver seeds and improved germination. So it's a win-win situation for plants and insects. Continue reading...
A pod of dolphins were seen swimming near a SpaceX capsule after it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico carrying US astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams and Nicholas Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Wilmore and Williams had been stuck aboard the International Space Station for nine months due to an issue with a new Boeing capsule Continue reading...
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back safely with American Nicholas Hague and Russian Aleksandr GorbunovTwo Nasa astronauts stuck onboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024 finally arrived back on Earth on Tuesday evening, more than nine months after the failure of Boeing's pioneering Starliner capsule scuppered their originally scheduled week-long mission.A SpaceX Dragon capsule containing four astronauts, including Starliner's test pilots Sunita Williams and Barry Butch" Wilmore, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Tallahassee, at 5.57pm ET (9.57pm GMT) after a 17-hour descent. Continue reading...
Scientists eager to examine images to research phenomenon known as lunar horizon glow, first documented in 1972Nasa has released the first high-definition images of a sunset on the moon, two striking photographs taken by the private lander Blue Ghost that could offer scientists further clues to the mysterious phenomenon known as lunar horizon glow.The agency presented the images to a press conference on Tuesday at Houston's Johnson Space Center, marking the conclusion of a 14-day mission conducted in partnership with Texas company Firefly Aerospace. Continue reading...
Proposed talks would again put Musk, a senior adviser to Trump, in outsized and largely unaccountable role in international politicsRussian officials expect to hold talks with Elon Musk soon about space travel to Mars, Vladimir Putin's international cooperation envoy said on Tuesday. The envoy's comments, which Musk has not confirmed, also stated that Russia wanted to expand its cooperation with the US on space projects.I think that there will undoubtedly be a discussion with Musk [about Mars flights] in the near future," Kirill Dmitriev said at a business forum in Moscow, going on to praise Musk's efforts to push the boundaries of human achievement. Continue reading...
Two Nasa astronauts 'stranded' onboard the International Space Station since June 2024 are on their way back to Earth more than nine months after the failure of Boeing's Starliner capsule scuppered their original week-long mission.Sunita Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore are among four astronauts making their return to Earth after four new astronauts arrived at the space station as part of a crew swap. Also onboard the returning capsule are the US astronaut Nick Hague and the Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov
by Kat Lay, Global health correspondent on (#6W0DM)
The abrupt halt to US funding threatens to undo decades of advances, dramatically increasing infections and deaths, but some see an opportunity for Africa to lead the responseThis year the world should have been talking about the virtual elimination of HIV" in the near future. Within five years," says Prof Sharon Lewin, a leading researcher in the field. Now that's all very uncertain."Scientific advances had allowed doctors and campaigners to feel optimistic that the end of HIV as a public health threat was just around the corner. Continue reading...
Fired workers warn cuts including closing of two offices will undermine agency work and increase costsThe Trump administration's decision to shutter two offices at Nasa risks dramatically" increasing the costs of space exploration, while handing Elon Musk more influence over the agency, fired workers have warned.Nasa's office of technology, policy and strategy and office of the chief scientist provide independent analysis on key investments and strategies. Both are set to close, amid widespread cuts at the agency. Continue reading...
by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay with Li on (#6W09K)
Before billionaires dreamed of setting up communities on Mars, the ocean was seen as the next frontier in human habitation. Reviving this dream is Deep, a project backed by an anonymous millionaire to the tune of more than 100m that aims to establish a permanent human presence' under the sea from 2027. Guardian Seascape editor Lisa Bachelor visited the project just outside Chepstow on the Welsh border, and tells Madeleine Finlay what scientists hope to learn about the ocean by spending extended periods living underwaterSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
The fossils of several small, slender freshwater fish, embedded in an iron-rich mineral called goethite have been discovered at the McGraths Flat fossil site in central New South Wales. The unusual level of detail, including the shape of the fish and position of its bones and fins, revealed a lot about the species, called Ferruaspis brocksi, described in the Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology.
Fossils retain microscopic structural features including stomach contents and provide first detailed evidence in Australia for fish called Osmeriformes
Science | The Guardian