Study suggests grape was not brought from elsewhere, but cultivated from wild strain and has been in the region since Roman timesMyths, mysteries and legends surround the origin of albariño, widely regarded as Spain’s finest white wine, and how the grape from which it derives wound up in the far north-west of the country.Now scientists at a research institute in Galicia have debunked theories that it originates in the Rhine valley or was brought by French Cistercian monks on pilgrimage from Cluny in the 12th century. Continue reading...
US companies make roughly 663m syringes a year but the Trump administration has calculated that an extra 850m may be neededAs the race for a vaccine against the coronavirus heats up, the US faces another potential crisis: a shortage of syringes.The US federal government has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars in hopes of warding off a syringe shortage, if and when a Covid-19 vaccine is approved. It comes as shortages of personal protective equipment continue to hamper the response to the pandemic. Continue reading...
Eco-friendly technology could potentially replace concrete and revolutionise sectorScientists have developed a method to 3D-print greener buildings using local soil that they say has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry.The technology is designed to be a sustainable alternative to concrete, which accounts for approximately 7% of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Continue reading...
Nasa spacecraft makes final preparations to gather material from Bennu’s surface in OctoberNasa’s Osiris-Rex (origins, spectral interpretation, resource identification, security, regolith explorer) asteroid mission has performed its final practice run for its forthcoming sample collection manoeuvre.The spacecraft is 288m km from Earth, in orbit around the asteroid Bennu. On 20 October it is scheduled to descend and touch the asteroid, where it will collect material from the surface. Continue reading...
by Helen Pidd; Fran Lawther and Kevin Rawlinson on (#57436)
Shapps announces change as Portugal added to Covid safe list; Birmingham ‘likely to join Covid watch list’ as cases rise; Sturgeon keeps Scotland in current state of lockdown as country records 77 new cases
Discovery from Middle Triassic sheds new light on ocean predators millions of years agoFresh evidence of the dog-eat-dog world of prehistoric oceans has been revealed by fossil hunters who have unearthed the remains of a giant marine reptile with another huge beast in its stomach.Dug up in south-western China in 2010, the animals are thought to have lived in the Middle Triassic. Continue reading...
Researchers say X-ray images of cat, bird and cobra shed light on their lives and deathsAn ancient Egyptian “how-dunnit” has been solved, according to researchers who have used imaging techniques to peek beneath the wrappings of mummified animals.From birds to crocodiles, lions and beetles, the ancient Egyptians had a penchant for mummifying animals. While some were pets buried with their owners, millions of animals were killed and mummified as votive offerings to the gods. Continue reading...
Travel the World at Kew series will showcases plants from 10 countries across six continentsThose unable to satisfy their wanderlust in these uncertain days of lockdown and travel quarantine are invited to immerse themselves in the sights, smells and spirit of faraway places – in a botanical sense at least – here in the UK.From colossal Californian redwoods, those imposing ancient giants of the plant kingdom, to the balmy fragrance of Mediterranean rosemary and lavender, visitors to Kew Gardens in London will be transported to 10 countries across six continents within just a few hours as part of its Travel the World trail experience from next week. Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample and produced by Madeleine on (#573YG)
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted many of the economic, health, and social disparities faced by minorities and those living in more deprived areas. Although track-and-trace apps have the potential to reduce the spread of Covid-19, there remain questions about what role digital contact-tracing systems might have in reducing – or increasing – inequality, and who an app will really work for.In the second part of a conversation about the ethics of track-and-trace apps, Ian Sample discusses these issues with Carly Kind and Seeta Peña Gangadharan Continue reading...
Discovery of marked plaquettes at Les Varines points to earliest evidence of human art in British IslesThey are small, flat and covered in what appear to be chaotic scratches, but 10 engraved stone fragments unearthed in Jersey, researchers say, could be the earliest evidence of human art in the British Isles.The stones were found at Les Varines, on the island, between 2014 and 2018, and are believed to have been made by a group of hunters about 15,000 years ago. Continue reading...
Despite one foraging trip landing him in hospital, the avant garde composer held a lifelong passion for mycology, using his expertise to supply New York restaurants – and surprise Italian quiz show audiences
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#572G4)
More than 170 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Here is their progressResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
Royal commission heard evidence of a ‘standoff’ between commonwealth and state health authorities over how to best handle outbreaksAged care homes must have government backing to transfer residents to hospital at the first sign of Covid-19 infections, non-profit residential care providers have argued.With aged care at the top of the agenda for the next national cabinet meeting on Friday, Aged and Community Services Australia is calling on all states and territories to embrace immediate transfers to hospital to give operators time to stop the spread to other residents. Continue reading...
Research suggests honey also more effective than many over-the-counter medicinesHoney may be better than conventional treatments for coughs, blocked noses and sore throats, researchers have said. The substance is cheap, readily available, and has virtually no side-effects.Doctors can recommend it as a suitable alternative to antibiotics, which are often prescribed for such infections, even though they are not effective, scientists from the University of Oxford said. Continue reading...
Sheltering under translucent quartz stones shields the moss from heat, cold, drought and intense ultraviolet raysA small moss growing in the Mojave desert in California uses a remarkable protection from the desert sun – it shelters under translucent quartz stones. It is a miniature greenhouse that shields the moss from heat, cold, drought and intense ultraviolet rays.The desert gets extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and the nights can also be really cold. Botanists found the brilliant green moss Syntrichia caninervis sheltering under the quartz stones, keeping the moss cooler during hot times and warmer during the cold spells. The stones also trapped moisture under them, keeping the plants moist. The sheltered mosses grew much faster and taller than the ones left out on exposed soil without protection. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5713J)
The speedy Somali sengi had been lost to science until an expedition to DjiboutiA mouse-sized elephant shrew that had been lost to science for 50 years has been discovered alive and well in the Horn of Africa.The Somali sengi mates for life, can race around at 30km/h and sucks up ants with its trunk-like nose. But it had not been documented by researchers since 1968. Continue reading...
Victoria reports 17 more Covid deaths; ADF says it offered hotel quarantine support to the state; Sydney bus drivers threaten to strike unless masks are made compulsory for passengers. This blog has now closed
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#5710K)
More than 170 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Here is their progressResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample and produced by Madeleine on (#570SM)
As a trial of the revised English coronavirus app gets under way, many of us will be watching closely to see what it can and cannot do, and whether it could help to contain Covid-19. But alongside issues of efficacy are other, deeper questions about what this technology means for the citizens who use it – today and in the future.Split over two episodes, Ian Sample talks to Carly Kind and Seeta Peña Gangadharan about data privacy, the involvement of Google and Apple, and if we should expect track-and-trace apps to become a normal part of our lives Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday (now) and Matthew Weaver (earlier) on (#56ZT9)
Gavin Williamson apologises over ‘inconsistencies’ as regulator Ofqual announces all A-levels and GCSEs in England will now be graded according to teacher assessment
Saber Astronautics chief says former defence minister does not lobby on their behalf and there is ‘no conflict of interest’A firm that uses former defence minister Christopher Pyne as a strategic advisor won two federal government grants worth almost $7m to help develop Australia’s space capabilities, prompting questions from Labor.Saber Astronautics, an Australian space operations company, was named as the recipient of two government grants in June, including a $6m grant awarded by the Australian Space Agency to establish a mission control centre in Adelaide. Continue reading...
My partner’s father, Vijay Sawant, who has died aged 78, was an accomplished scientist who applied his skills and ingenuity to the design and manufacture of ice-creams – two of which, Cornetto and Magnum – are among the most popular of all time.Over a 30-year career with Wall’s ice-cream in the UK, Vijay developed processes that were integral to the success not just of those two brands but a number of others, including the Raspberry Split and Sky Bar, the last two of which are no longer sold in the UK. Continue reading...
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#56ZW6)
More than 170 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Here is their progressResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
My kids are growing up in an England where sweltering conditions are no longer freakish – no wonder they think pumping in cold air is reasonableI don’t think I had a single conversation about air conditioning until 2005, when a burst of August weather that we would now consider a respite felt like the mouth of hell.Sitting in a pub living some Smiths lyrics (gasping, dying, but somehow still alive), a lugubrious friend who took delight only from grim irony said: “If this carries on – which it will, because it’s not a freak event – everyone will want air conditioning, which will only make climate change worse.” I said: “Don’t be ridiculous; this is freak weather, not British weather. Nobody will want air conditioning, because it’s an Americanism, culturally anathema, like Halloween.” Fifteen years later, air con is all anyone talks about. I may also have been wrong about Halloween. Continue reading...
One of the earliest recognised constellations, quite small and relatively faint, Corona Borealis forms an unmistakeable semi-circle of starsThis week, head out of the city to a dark sky location and track down the constellation of Corona Borealis, the northern crown. It is a small, relatively faint constellation but one that has been recognised for millennia. Ptolemy listed it in his 2nd century catalogue of 48 constellations. In classical Greco-Roman mythology, the semi-circle of stars is said to represent the crown given to Cretan princess Ariadne by the god Dionysus. Other cultures see things very differently. The constellation has been variously described as a heavenly castle, a boomerang, a group of dancing sisters, a string of jewels and a broken dish. Continue reading...
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#56Z2E)
More than 170 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Here is their progressResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
The region’s enviable record of controlling the virus is at risk from complacency over social distancing, scientists warnCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNorthern Ireland’s chief scientific adviser has warned of the risks of complacency after Covid-19 cases in the region increased rapidly last week. Professor Ian Young said it was “inevitable” that there would be a significant increase in coronavirus cases if people stopped following social-distancing rules designed to prevent the spread of the disease.The reproduction rate of the virus is estimated at between 1.2 and 2.0, according to Northern Ireland’s Department of Health. There were 242 cases last week, with 74 positive tests announced on Friday alone – only 237 people tested positive during the whole of July. Continue reading...
by Jedidajah Otte (now), Aamna Mohdin, Aaron Walawalk on (#56Y1F)
Mexico hails a recovery in jobs but will need up to 200m coronavirus vaccine doses; Algeria and South Africa start to relax lockdown restrictions; Malta reports highest-ever one-day rise in cases
The Nobel prize-winning scientist on Covid-19, the burden of Brexit, his astonishing upbringing and terrible failures at FrenchSir Paul Nurse is a geneticist who won the Nobel prize in 2001 for his work on the cell cycle. He is director of the Francis Crick Institute and was head of Cancer Research UK. He has also been president of the Royal Society. What Is Life? is his first book and it seeks to explain biology in five steps.Your book is a reminder of the fundamental importance of cells. Do you think cells have been overshadowed by genes in the public imagination?
Threadneedle Street’s forecasting has been faulty. But it must still play its central role in protecting jobs and the economyThe UK is performing better than expected. That was the message from the Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, following its latest review of the economy.It was a message he almost muttered under his breath, as if knowing that almost anyone listening would yell back: “Oh no it isn’t!” Continue reading...
My love of gardening is a constant comfort and has a deep resonance with my family’s historyWhen lockdown began, the forget-me-nots were blooming in the garden, a sea of pale blue. The lilac tree, too, was flowering, and the clematis I’d planted. They filled the air with scent as I sat outside on an unusually sunny April day, feeling fortunate to have this rented outdoor space, and thinking about my family, not knowing when I would next see them. These flowers all hold some significance for me – a lilac tree grew in the garden of my childhood home, as did clematis. There’s a photograph of me, aged about six, in a puff-sleeved dress, in front of a mass of pale pink blooms. In these strange times, the emotional resonance of plants has never felt more powerful.The forget-me-nots came from my 86-year-old maternal grandmother Jean, my last remaining grandparent. They were the first thing I planted in this garden, four years ago. I have lived in the flat for almost a decade, but it was only in the summer of 2016 that we finally found the energy and enthusiasm to clear the 8ft-high knot of brambles. I was suffering from agoraphobia as a result of post- traumatic stress disorder, and my world had shrunk. So my then boyfriend, now husband, built me a garden. During that year, when I was frightened all the time, this sanctuary became my entire world. And so, during the pandemic, it has come to be again. Continue reading...
From ‘Covid-secure’ offices to healthcare ‘heroes’ bracing for a new ‘wave’, the language around coronavirus is infected with political rhetoricThe word “alert” comes from the Italian “all’erta”, literally “at a high place”, describing a military watch or guard duty. The UK government’s advice to “stay alert” in order to “control the virus” therefore implied that it would be easier to spot an invisible microbe if one were standing on a hill. Perhaps the underlying motivation for this much-ridiculed slogan was that it set the rhetorical scene for future spikes in deaths to be blamed on the people themselves. Did you die of Covid-19? Too bad: you weren’t alert enough. Survival of the fittest, and all that. Continue reading...
by Clea Skopeliti (now); Caroline Davies, Sarah Marsh on (#56WP5)
This blog is closed. You can find further developments here at our latest live blog1.42am BSTThis blog is closed. You can find further developments here at our latest live blog12.48am BSTThe Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has just been talking to Sydney radio station 2gb about the findings of that Ruby Princess special commission of inquiry, which cleared federal agencies of wrong-doing in the saga.“It is as we said it was,” Morrison said. “We were being straight with people about what happened and I think the inquiry has borne that out.” Continue reading...
What better time than the UK’s hottest-ever week for ministers to commit to bold climate action?The hottest week in the UK since records began offers further proof that our weather is changing. Climate change and global heating are not predictions, but facts of life that we must deal with now. Ten of the UK’s warmest-ever years have been since 2002, while the temperature of 36.4C recorded at Heathrow airport last week made it the hottest August day since 2003.Links between climate and weather must always be made with caution. But scientists already have evidence that 2020’s record temperatures are the consequence of human-caused climate change. According to researchers, the heatwave in the Siberian Arctic between January and June, which caused permafrost to melt and buildings to collapse, was made at least 600 times more likely by greenhouse gas emissions. While this summer has seen no repeat of 2018’s devastating wildfires in Greece, which killed more than 80 people, records have been broken in the Middle East as well as Europe and 2020 is likely to be the hottest year globally on record. On 29 July Baghdad recorded a temperature high of 51.7C, leading to protests about electricity and goods shortages. Continue reading...
There is no future in narrow nationalism. The only way out of this crisis is by working together• Time to reset: more brilliant ideas to remake the worldMake no mistake, we are still only at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. My hope is that the world is now finally waking up, and will do all that is needed to bring the crisis to an end, and be better prepared for inevitable future outbreaks.For many years, scientists have warned of the likelihood of a rapidly spreading new virus, crossing from animals to humans – and the urgent need for governments to prepare. Unfortunately, the world ignored these warnings. In a matter of months, this virus has disrupted every aspect of life, in every part of the world. The IMF predicts this will cost the global economy $12tn. Complacency is no longer an option. Continue reading...
It is difficult for lefty snails to mate with normal snails because they have genitals on the opposite side of their headIt began when a retired scientist at the Natural History Museum in London told me that he had found a rare garden snail with a left-coiling shell. In 20 years of researching the genetics of snails at universities around the world, I had never found a “lefty” garden snail. My first thought was that this snail could be used to discover what makes most other snail shells coil clockwise. As with our previous work, in which we showed that snails and other animals may use the same genes to define left and right, perhaps the new snail might contribute to understanding human asymmetry. For example, we usually have our heart to the left, but rare individuals are reversed.The problem was that it is very difficult for lefty snails to mate, because they not only have a reversed shell but also genitals on the opposite side of their head to normal snails. Imagine trying to shake hands with your right hand with someone who insists on using their left. It doesn’t work. How could we understand the genetics if we could not get offspring from the lefty? Continue reading...
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