by Niko Kommenda and Frank Hulley-Jones on (#577MB)
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...
Serious times call for serious measures – such as drawing smiley faces on fruit – and what’s more, the science proves itBy the fifth week of lockdown, I had mastered the art of silliness. My flatmates and I had drawn smiley faces on fruit, stuck googly eyes on vegetables and dressed up as our favourite pop stars. On social media I noticed similar responses to the “unprecedented” times we found ourselves in: parents jumping in on their children’s TikTok dance challenges, people dressing up in black tie or costumes to take out the bins. I’d chalked it up as cabin fever, but even in this more relaxed phase of lockdown, with some of our pre-pandemic pastimes back on the agenda (albeit in adapted form), the spirit of silliness endures in my flat. It turns out that playfulness is, in fact, a distinct personality trait, like extroversion or conscientiousness – and those who possess it in adulthood may be more resilient.In this strange in-between time, half in, half out of lockdown, I now realise that cultivating a sense of the absurd might be crucial to weathering the uncertainty of the weeks and months to come. Silliness does not have to deny the gravity of the situation – but it can help you get through it. Continue reading...
Don’t be misled. It is political judgments, not obscure equations, which are doing so much to damage our children’s futuresWhat children know and too many politicians seem not to: a few years ago, the psychologists Alex Shaw and Kristina Olson ran an experiment in which they told young children about two boys, Dan and Mark, who had cleaned up their room and were to be rewarded with rubbers (why rubbers should be seen as a reward I don’t know). However, there were five rubbers, so they could not be divided equally between the two boys. What should they do? The vast majority of children thought that one eraser should be thrown away, so there could be an even split between Dan and Mark. However, when the children heard that “Dan did more work than Mark”, they were quite comfortable giving three to Dan and two to Mark.The children, in other words, had a deep commitment to fairness – anyone who has children will know that their favourite cry is “but that’s not fair!” – but they also recognised that the meaning of fairness could change depending on context. If Dan worked harder than Mark, it was only fair that he received more of the goodies, rather than fairness always requiring an equal division of the rewards. Continue reading...
by Jedidajah Otte (now), Matthew Weaver with Matilda on (#576KP)
India reports 1m daily tests; global death toll passes 800,000; new restrictions for UK travellers from Croatia. This blog is now closed. Follow latest updates below
by Jessica Murray (now) and Sarah Marsh (earlier) on (#575QW)
Reopening schools will be given ‘top priority’, says Welsh first minister; Greencore staff to self-isolate for 14 days; Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago off safe list from 4am Saturday
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...