by Written by Mark O’Connell, read by Andrew McGreg on (#5E6M1)
The Amazon founder’s relentless quest for ‘customer ecstasy’ made him one of the world’s richest people – now he’s looking to the unlimited resources of space. Is he the genius our age of consumerism deserves? By Mark O’Connell Continue reading...
Researcher into the genetics of neurological disorders whose work has provided hope for a cure for muscular dystrophyPeter Harper, who has died aged 81, was a world expert on the genetics of inherited neurological disorders, particularly Huntington’s disease and muscular dystrophy. He also advocated the idea of genetic counselling – helping people to understand the implications of inherited disorders that might affect them and their families.Finding a genetic link between the two wasting conditions has led to highly accurate diagnostic and predictive tests for at-risk individuals and their families. Peter played a leading role in that discovery, and in establishing that in both disorders genes have unstable DNA sequences that tend to expand over generations, accounting for the phenomenon of “anticipation”, by which both conditions worsen, and occur at an earlier age, in successive generations. While there is still no remedy, his work has contributed to an understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms, providing hope that a cure will one day be available. Continue reading...
The red planet, although faded since last year’s magnificence, will still appear as bright as the eye of TaurusThis week boasts a picturesque combination of celestial objects with Taurus, the bull, as the backdrop adding even more interest. Continue reading...
Scientists surprised by marine organisms on boulder on sea floor beneath 900 metres of ice shelfThe accidental discovery of marine organisms on a boulder on the sea floor beneath 900 metres (3,000ft) of Antarctic ice shelf has led scientists to rethink the limits of life on Earth.Researchers stumbled on the life-bearing rock after sinking a borehole through nearly a kilometre of the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf on the south-eastern Weddell Sea to obtain a sediment core from the seabed. Continue reading...
The town of Onil has changed the lives of children everywhereThe first time Kelle Hampton glimpsed a doll with Down’s syndrome, anger boiled up inside her. Its exaggerated features bore little resemblance to the sweet facial characteristics that she loved about her daughter Nella, who was born with the genetic disorder.The experience set the US blogger and author firmly against such dolls. But to her surprise, years later she found herself smitten with another doll. This time it had been carefully crafted to subtly capture the characteristics that made Nella unique. “This one was simply a beautiful doll any child would want to play with,” she said. Continue reading...
UK nationals and residents must pay for a 10-day stay in government-approved hotels from MondayAll UK nationals or residents arriving back in England from high-risk countries will begin checking into government-designated accommodation on Monday as the hotel quarantine regime to prevent the spread of new coronavirus cases begins.People returning to England from 33 “red list” countries – comprised of hotspots with Covid-19 variants in circulation – will be required to quarantine in hotels for 10 days. Continue reading...
There will continue to be plenty more data gaps because the Covid-19 strain simply behaves like all influenzas and mutates continuouslyBy the time you read this it will be out of date.Why? Because every day we receive new data that causes us to rethink and rewrite our response to Covid-19, notably vaccine programs. This is good. I will explain. Continue reading...
My former colleague Lionel Fry, who has died aged 87, was one of the most significant dermatologists of his generation. In addition to running a demanding NHS department at St Mary’s hospital in London, he founded and led a pioneering research unit there which came up with new ways of alleviating psoriasis.Lionel’s work altered our understanding of the development and treatment of psoriasis, and pioneered the use of the immunosuppressant medication cyclosporin in managing severe cases. Continue reading...
Airborne droplets are more likely to spread coronavirus than touch, scientists believeIn the early days of the pandemic, public health experts emphasised handwashing as a way to prevent infection and the government launched a “Hands, Face, Space” campaign to encourage people to wash their hands, wear masks and keep 2 metres apart. Subsequent research has shown the biggest risk of Covid-19 transmission is through particles in the air. Continue reading...
A year ago, two scientists began work on the response to a new virus. Now, as their vaccine is being given to millions, they tell of their incredible 12 monthsExactly a year ago, Oxford University scientists launched a joint enterprise that is set to have a profound impact on the health of our planet. On 11 February, research teams led by Professor Andy Pollard and Professor Sarah Gilbert – both based at the Oxford Vaccine Centre – decided to combine their talents to develop and manufacture a vaccine that could protect people from the deadly new coronavirus that was beginning to spread across the world.A year later that vaccine is being administered to millions across Britain and other nations and was last week given resounding backing by the World Health Organization. The head of the WHO’s department of immunisation, vaccines and biologicals, Professor Kate O’Brien, described the jab as “efficacious” and “an important vaccine for the world”. Continue reading...
by David Spiegelhalter and Anthony Masters on (#5E5F5)
Behind the numbers: the short answer is yes, and scientists still have much to learn about itCovid-19 and influenza are both respiratory diseases, but there are important differences, which statistics can help us understand.First, Sars-CoV-2 is more infectious than seasonal flu. We’re used to hearing about the reproduction number R, the average number of people whom someone with the virus will infect. In a population without immunity and policies such as social distancing, R for Sars-CoV-2 is now estimated to be around 3. New mutations have raised R further. Continue reading...
Obesity could soon overtake smoking as the main preventable cancer riskTaking regular exercise is going to become increasingly important in helping to prevent cancers as the UK emerges from lockdown, say scientists.Since the pandemic began a year ago, growing numbers of people have reported gaining weight after cutting down on physical activity while others say they have been eating more junk food. Continue reading...
Naval hero praises Jenner’s cowpox jab in a newly found love letter to Emma Hamilton, written as he prepared for warHe is best remembered as the one-armed hero who defeated Napoleon, rewrote the rules of naval warfare and died at sea, in battle, onboard HMS Victory.Now, the “chance discovery” of a 220-year-old love letter from Admiral Horatio Nelson to Lady Emma Hamilton, his mistress, reveals how open-minded and ahead of his time the formidable captain was about a radical new scientific breakthrough: the smallpox vaccine. In the letter, dated July 1801, Nelson appears to advocate the use of the brand new vaccine on his own baby daughter. Continue reading...
Our scientists’ accomplishments on vaccines and genome sequencing are exemplary and must be shared with the rest of the worldA remarkable milestone will be passed today when government figures reveal that more than 15 million people in Britain have received at least one dose of a vaccine that will protect them from the severest impacts of Covid-19. It is a striking achievement. In just over two months, more than 20% of the population of the UK has been given protection against the worst ravages of a virus that has paralysed the nation and brought much of the rest of the planet to a standstill. For the first time since lockdown was imposed last March, the population can realistically conceive of enjoying some sort of a return to normality – not immediately, perhaps, but within some reasonable timeframe.And for that reassurance, we should acknowledge our debt to the scientists who have strived so hard to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control. This, we should stress, has been a global effort by researchers working across the globe in myriad disciplines, from genetics to immunology and from disease modelling to vaccine design. Science is, above all, an international activity and the work of its practitioners in China, the US, Germany and a host of other countries has been crucial in limiting the worst impact of the pandemic. Continue reading...
by Jedidajah Otte (now), Damien Gayle, Calla Wahlquis on (#5E48Y)
Coronavirus R number falls below 1 in UK; Cuomo faces calls to resign amid allegations of hiding nursing home deaths; High-risk groups missed off UK’s vaccine priority list. Follow the new blog below
Falling head over heels in love is one thing, but if it becomes all-consuming you may be in ‘limerance’A few years ago I was at my university’s library, frantically refreshing a dating app. Under my crush’s photo there was a location setting that told me how far she was from me. “One mile away!” I felt a surge of adrenaline and my mind started racing.I was a promoter for a gay nightclub in London’s Soho, which was where I met Lucy. I’d drop my flyers on purpose and she’d help me pick them up. We had been on a few dates and were making plans to meet again. Then we came across each other on a dating app – “Fancy seeing you here!” – and matched as a joke. Even though dating apps were probably unreliable in their geolocation abilities, suddenly I could gauge her distance from me. Continue reading...
The Descent of Man, 150 years old this month, is a work of humanist brilliance – yet its errors, particularly on gender, now make for uncomfortable reading“Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history.” That sentence is the sole reference to human evolution in Charles Darwin’s masterwork On the Origin of Species, which in 1859 set down the theory that explains how life on Earth has evolved. Darwin had entirely excluded humans from his scheme. That tease comes in the final chapter, almost like a post-credit scene in a superhero movie, as if to simply say: “To be continued…”The sequel did come, in the form of The Descent of Man, published in February 1871. All of Darwin’s canon is worth reading (though the one about worms and vegetable mould is perhaps a bit niche), but The Descent of Man is my favourite, because it is the one where he holds humans up to the light. Darwin was a great writer, and the prose is typically grand: Continue reading...
Australian Antarctic Division will drill 3,000 metres deep in bid to improve ancient climate records and future modelsAntarctic scientists are close to finalising a drilling location deep in the frozen continent’s interior that could reveal a continuous record of the Earth’s climate going back 1.5 million years.After almost a decade of work, scientists at the Australian Antarctic Division are close to pinpointing a place to drill an ice core almost 3,000-metres deep. Continue reading...
My friend and colleague John Bishop, who has died aged 85, was a pioneer of molecular cell biology whose career bridged a remarkable era in life sciences – from genes to genetic engineering.Born in Edinburgh, to Mary (nee Oliver) and Robert Bishop, John was raised in the nearby town of Bo’ness, where his father was a shopkeeper. He won a scholarship to attend George Heriot’s school in Edinburgh, and then studied genetics at Edinburgh University (BSc with first-class honours, 1957), and took a PhD in the same department. In 1959 he married Jill Spowart, a fellow student. Continue reading...
Reproduction number estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9, suggesting epidemic is shrinkingThe reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus has fallen below one for the first time since July and is estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9 across the UK.In a sign that lockdown restrictions may be having an impact and the epidemic is shrinking, scientists advising the government gave their most optimistic outlook for the R number since cases fell last summer. Continue reading...
The society has announced the winners of its 2021 science photographer of the year competition. An exhibition of the winning images is the headline attraction at the Manchester science festival, which is taking place digitally from 12 to 21 February. A climate change category was introduced to the competition to reflect the theme of this year’s festival Continue reading...
Find backs theory that bluestones first stood at Waun Mawn before being dragged 140 miles to WiltshireAn ancient myth about Stonehenge, first recorded 900 years ago, tells of the wizard Merlin leading men to Ireland to capture a magical stone circle called the Giants’ Dance and rebuilding it in England as a memorial to the dead.Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account had been dismissed, partly because he was wrong on other historical facts, although the bluestones of the monument came from a region of Wales that was considered Irish territory in his day. Continue reading...
Prostagram found to be almost twice as effective at detection as standard blood test in trials, say scientistsScientists say they have developed a prostate cancer scan accurate enough to potentially replace current invasive examination techniques and save thousands of lives each year.Prostagram, developed by experts at Imperial College London, employs MRI scanning and is modelled on breast cancer screening, where women are routinely offered a mammogram scan every three years as part of a national programme. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5E2B7)
Millions of pet cats are estimated to kill billions of animals a year but grain-free food can change cat behaviourFeeding pet cats meaty food and playing with them to simulate hunting stops them killing wildlife, according to a study.Eating grain-free food led to the cats depositing a third fewer mouse and bird corpses on doorsteps, while just five to 10 minutes of play with a toy mouse cut the killing by a quarter. Continue reading...
The epidemics of the 1800s left Britain with healthier, better-ventilated public spaces. After Covid, we’ll need more of themOver the last year, the pandemic has transformed how we think of the spaces around us. Common activities such as going to the supermarket or inviting friends into our homes pose new risks to our health. As we learn to live with the threat of Covid-19, we’ll also need to make changes to our spatial environments. But we can breathe a sigh of relief: it’s not the first time societies have had to transform their environments after a public health crisis.Related: Amid the gloom of lockdown, I have taken solace in nature | David Lindo Continue reading...
by Presented by Linda Geddes and produced by Madelein on (#5E1YF)
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and for many couples this year will feel very different. Lockdowns, social distancing, and self-isolation have forced those in relationships to choose whether to be together all the time, or stay apart for potentially months on end. Linda Geddes speaks to Dr Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez about how couples have navigated their relationships during the pandemic Continue reading...
Study found pigs were able to move a cursor to hit a wall on a screen and earn a treatThey’ve long been thought of as smarter than your average animal, but now researchers claim they have taught pigs to use a joystick, suggesting they are even cleverer than previously thought.Pigs have previously been found to be capable of a host of tasks, including solving multiple-choice puzzles, and learning commands such as “sit”. Continue reading...
by Edna Mohamed (now); Yohannes Lowe,Jessica Murray, on (#5DZZB)
WHO recommends AstraZeneca jab ‘even if variants present’; Israel to open hotels and gyms to those who have had vaccine or recovered from virus. This blow is now closed – follow our new one belowCoronavirus live updates
Researchers detected water emanating high up in thin atmosphere of red planet while Tianwen-1 probe entered orbit on WednesdayResearchers have observed water vapour escaping high up in the thin atmosphere of Mars, offering tantalising new clues as to whether the red planet could have once hosted life.The traces of ancient valleys and river channels suggest liquid water once flowed across the surface of Mars. Today, the water is mostly locked up in the planet’s ice caps or buried underground. Continue reading...
Science | The Guardian