by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#56F9J)
More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccineResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX's new Crew Dragon, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico after a two-month voyage. The successful splashdown, the first of its kind by Nasa in 45 years, was a final key test of whether Elon Musk's spacecraft can transport astronauts to and from orbit - a feat no private company has accomplished before
Patients to be given treatments less likely to damage immune system and in some cases able to be taken at homeNHS England is spending £160m on new “Covid-friendly” cancer drugs that will be less likely to damage the immune system and, in some cases, can be taken at home so that patients do not have to visit hospital.NHS England said 2,000 patients had already benefitted from a range of treatments approved for use as “swaps” for existing drugs. More will be available from this week, after a series of deals struck between the NHS and pharma companies, it said in a statement.
Deneb in Cygnus, Vera in Lyra and Altair in Aquila feature in Chinese folk story The Cowherd and the Weaver GirlThe summer triangle is a prominent pattern of stars that soars high in the northern summer sky. Marked out by Deneb in Cygnus, the swan; Vega in Lyra, the lyre; and Altair in Aquila, the eagle, these three stars feature in the Chinese folk story The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The girl is Vega, the cowherd is Altair. They are separated by the great celestial river, the Milky Way. Continue reading...
University College London has removed the names of eugenicists from three of its buildings. How far this goes to address an abhorrent past is much contestedThe provost of University College London announced in June this year that its Galton Lecture Theatre, Pearson Lecture Theatre and Pearson Building had all been renamed. They are now known by the perfectly unmemorable names of, respectively, Lecture Theatre 115, Lecture Theatre G22 and the North-West Wing.What sounds like a dull piece of administrative news is in fact a complex tale of a racist legacy, student politics, academic disputes and an impassioned debate about the history of science and how it is taught. It also goes to the heart of an issue that looks set to become one of great contention in the months and years ahead: by what criteria do we judge who should no longer be commemorated – at universities and in society at large? Continue reading...
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#56EAF)
More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccineResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
What have resurgences around the world taught us about how local clusters emerge?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt is not always possible to pinpoint the origin of a local spike in cases, particularly in countries like the UK, where the disease is still circulating at relatively significant levels.But in countries where overall caseloads are lower, and with rigorous test-and-trace schemes, it has been possible to pinpoint the factors that have sparked or fuelled local outbreaks. Continue reading...
The 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine in California is a vivid example of how resourceful and resilient life can beAs old-timers go, the Methuselah tree in California’s White Mountains takes some beating. According to research released last week, this ancient bristlecone pine will be 4,851 years old this year. Not a bad performance when it comes to avoiding the Grim Reaper.Nor is the Methuselah on its own in making recent headlines about longevity. Researchers announced last week they had found beds of kelp off Shetland, and in Irish and French Atlantic waters, that had survived for 16,000 years. A day later, an international group of scientists announced that they had revived microbes which had lain dormant in seabed mud for 100 million years. Continue reading...
Amy Lamé rejects criticism that she hasn’t done enough to save the capital’s night-time culture hit hard by the lockdownIf Amy Lamé feels bruised by calls for her to quit her job, she is determined not to show it. The UK’s first “night tsar” has faced brutal criticism ever since she was hired in 2016 to champion London’s night-time culture. Nightclubs and music venue owners have claimed they do not know what she does, while at least one music magazine has asked what is the point of Lamé.Now, with the capital’s cultural life facing catastrophe, the industry is taking out its frustrations on Lamé. Last week, a petition with several hundred signatories from the nightlife sector was submitted to the mayor of London, demanding she be removed from her role, and that the position be re-evaluated. Continue reading...
As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atom bomb on Japan, it must wake up to the new rearmamentRussia’s apparent test-firing of an anti-satellite weapon in outer space on 15 July, as alleged by the US and Britain, could be dismissed as another of Vladimir Putin’s annoying provocations. That would be a mistake. The alleged new space weapon should be seen in the broader context of a rapidly evolving, hi-tech, high-risk international arms race involving all the major nuclear powers that, largely undiscussed, is spinning out of control.This week sees the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed over 200,000 people, but the absence of public debate or a sense of alarm about the grim advent of sophisticated new nuclear, hypersonic, cyber and space weapons is striking. In the decades after Hiroshima, noisy anti-nuclear “ban the bomb” protests by CND and others spanned the globe. Today, by comparison, an eerie silence reigns. Continue reading...
The crew from the SpaceX commercial flight will land off Florida on Sunday as Hurricane Isaias fears easeTwo Nasa astronauts are preparing to make the first splashdown return to Earth in 45 years as the threat posed by Hurricane Isaias off the coast of Florida eased.Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are set to come back to Earth from the International Space Station on Sunday after launching into space in May on a commercial spacecraft built by SpaceX. Continue reading...
by Jedidajah Otte (now), Aamna Mohdin,Matilda Boseley on (#56D68)
Crew onboard Norwegian cruise ship test positive for virus; Vietnamese tourist hotspot Da Nang to test entire city; Boris Johnson warns of second UK lockdown. Follow all the developments live
Emily and Laurence Alison specialise in communication and co-operation with criminal suspects. But their methods work in the home and at work, too“The more you push someone, the more they close up,” say Emily and Laurence Alison, a husband-and-wife psychology team. “The hungrier you are for information, the harder it will be to get that out of someone. But give the person a choice about what they say; give them some autonomy and you begin to build the rapport that may lead to a better conversation,” says Laurence.This sounds like parenting advice and yet the Alisons’ specialism is helping counter-terrorism officers and the police to improve communication and co-operation with criminal suspects. When the atmosphere turns adversarial and competitive, as it so often does, they turn to the Alisons to help them navigate and negotiate. Continue reading...
Scientists have discovered the tool our stone-age ancestors used to manufacture twine – a milestone in technological developmentForty thousand years ago, a stone-age toolmaker carved a curious instrument from mammoth tusk. Twenty centimetres long, the ivory strip has four holes drilled in it, each lined with precisely cut spiral incisions.The purpose of this strange device was unclear when it was discovered in Hohle Fels cave in south-western Germany several years ago. It could have been part of a musical instrument or a religious object, it was suggested. But now scientists have concluded that it is the earliest known instrument for making rope. And its impact would have been revolutionary. Continue reading...
Urgent annual cash injection of £650m needed for cardiovascular conditions to match threat to nation’s health of cancerA severe deficit has emerged in the funding of major health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and mental health, according to a new study calling for an urgent cash injection.While an estimated £29 per person is invested in cancer research each year, only half as much is spent on neurological and mental health, and just £9 per person goes to cardiovascular disease research and development, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and health management consultancy CF. Continue reading...
For better protection, you may need to ... look a little weird and shield your peepersAt first, wearing a face mask felt a bit strange. Now, over five months into North America’s battle with Covid-19, I feel naked in public without one. Will goggles – previously the purview of steampunks and snowboarders – become the next article of protective equipment to go from weird to widespread? According to Dr Anthony Fauci, the answer is yes. In an ABC News Instagram Live Q&A this Wednesday, Fauci told viewers: “If you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it.”Related: I'm a viral immunologist. Here's what antibody tests for Covid-19 tell us Continue reading...
The past few weeks in Victoria highlight how quickly things can turn. We have a long way to goEven though it’s been only six months since we first heard about a novel coronavirus circulating in China, so much has happened that it’s all a bit of a blur. What we do know is that we have a long way to go and there are many challenges that lie ahead of us. Although many countries have managed to gain control over virus transmission for now, these past few weeks in Victoria have highlighted how quickly things can turn and how little it takes for a resurgence in case numbers to occur.There is still much that we don’t understand completely, including key matters like how it affects the body and the way the immune system responds to infection. But every day we spend with this virus we are gaining a greater understanding of it, which means we are better placed to bring this pandemic under control and save lives. Here are five of the most important things we’ve learnt so far. Continue reading...
Even Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro have accepted that wearing a face covering in return for saving thousands of lives works. But who nailed the look – and who was left with egg on their face?
Nasa has successfully launched its next-generation Perseverance rover on a seven-month journey to Mars in search of evidence of ancient microbial life on the red planet.The car-sized robot will attempt to land on the Jezero crater – which may have been a lake more than 3.5bn years ago – where it will gather information about Mars’s geology, atmosphere and environmental conditions.Scientists hope the samples it collects could hold clues about whether there was ever life on the planet.
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#56C16)
More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccineResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray (now); Lucy Campbell, Nazia Parveen on (#56AE9)
Spain reports 1,229 new infections; France rules out full lockdown despite rise in cases; Japan sees record high for new cases for second day in a row. This blog is now closed. Stay up to date on our new blog below
Addressing 12 factors such as excessive drinking and air pollution exposure may have significant effect, experts sayExcessive drinking, exposure to air pollution and head injuries all increase dementia risk, experts say in a report revealing that up to 40% of dementia cases worldwide could be delayed or prevented by addressing 12 such lifestyle factors.Around 50 million people around the world live with dementia, including about 850,000 people in the UK. By 2040, it has been estimated there will be more than 1.2 million people living with dementia in England and Wales. There is currently no cure. Continue reading...
Nasa's most sophisticated rover yet, Perseverance, has successfully blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral on a $2.7bn mission to search for traces of ancient life on Mars.Perseverance will travel for about seven months before attempting to land on the Jerezo crater, which scientists suspect could bear evidence of potential past microbial life on Mars.The car-sized, six-wheel scientific vehicle will also test out equipment for future human missions to the red planet
Perseverance rover will also trial technologies for future expeditions including oxygen productionNasa’s new car-sized robotic spacecraft is on its way to Mars in a mission to search for evidence of ancient life.The Perseverance rover successfully blasted off from the Cape Canaveral air force station in Florida on Thursday at 7.50am local time (1250 BST), onboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Continue reading...
‘Completely unexpected’ finding is significant as harmful effects of plastic might increase as particle size decreasesSmall crustaceans can fragment microplastics into pieces smaller than a cell within 96 hours, a study has shown.Until now, plastic fragmentation has been largely attributed to slow physical processes such as sunlight and wave action, which can take years and even decades. Continue reading...
The shill, the grifter, the egomaniac and the ideological fool: each distorts the urgent global debate in their own wayA new book, described as “deeply and fatally flawed” by an expert reviewer, recently reached the top of Amazon’s bestseller list for environmental science and made it into a weekly top 10 list for all nonfiction titles.How did this happen? Because, as Brendan Behan put it, “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. In an article promoting his book, Michael Shellenberger – with jaw-dropping hubris – apologises on behalf of all environmentalists for the “climate scare we created over the last 30 years”. Continue reading...
Since contracting Covid-19, I have witnessed first-hand the limitations of expert advice for a novel pandemicAs Covid-19 spreads across the United States, it leaves a slew of misinformation and conspiracy theories in its wake. The racist myths and Trumpian attempts to discredit public health officials are driven by a fundamental disbelief in science and the experts who understand it. The rise of such thinking on the right has led to a virulent defense of the scientific establishment from the left, and even the blind celebration of experts as pandemic heroes. While it’s crucial to correct misinformation and defend scientists from fascist censorship, it is also necessary to question and examine the information these experts provide us with. Science is not immune from political influence, and scientific experts should not be treated as such.“Blind faith in science, as if it were entirely neutral and uncontaminated by politics, is naive and dangerous.” Aids activist Douglas Crimp wrote these words in 1988. In the absence of comprehensive information from a slow-moving scientific establishment, activists like Crimp sought to self-educate. “We cannot afford to leave anything up to the ‘experts’,” Crimp wrote, “we must become our own experts.” Continue reading...
by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#56AQ2)
More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccineResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading...
by Ammar Kalia, Hannah J Davies, Graeme Virtue, Jack on (#56AM2)
A comprehensive look at the experiments that could eradicate cancer. Plus: spiced chicken skewers on chef Tom Kerridge’s barbecue. Here’s what to watch tonight Continue reading...
Research suggests standard definition of life may be too restrictive for complexities of spaceWhen the Perseverance rover takes off from Cape Canaveral in Florida as scheduled on Thursday it will be Nasa’s first mission to the surface of the red planet with the primary goal of finding signs of past life.For astrobiologists, this search for life beyond Earth can be compared to a game of darts. Hitting the bullseye would mean finding “life as we know it”. In other words, life based on a biology analogous to that found on Earth. But as any darts player knows, the bullseye is a small target, hard to hit and not even the highest scoring area on the board. Continue reading...
Perseverance mission aims to land on crater to search for possible microbial MartiansNasa’s most sophisticated rover yet is due to blast off for Mars on a mission to answer one of the most profound questions: did life ever emerge on another planet?Mission controllers have set their sights on the 28-mile-wide (45km) Jezero crater north of the planet’s equator. The landing site is one of the most promising spots for any microbial Martians to have been preserved in rock formed when the crater held a lake nine times larger than Loch Ness. Continue reading...