Science | The Guardian

World-leading specialists offer support to Chinese scientists amid ‘crackpot’ theories that virus was manufactured in a lab

Passengers who disembark Diamond Princess may not be allowed to board evacuation flight later in week, FCO warns

Deaths in mainland China pass 2,000 and Foreign Office tells Britons to stay on the Diamond Princess cruise ship

Bones of fish eaten by humans thousands of years ago offer clue to region’s ancient climateThe Sahara’s shift from savannah with abundant lakes to a largely arid expanse has been traced in the remains of fish eaten thousands of years ago.Researchers analysing material found in a rock shelter in the Acacus mountains in south-west Libya say they have found more than 17,500 animal remains dating from between 10,200 and 4,650 years ago, 80% of which are fish. About two-thirds of the fish were catfish and the rest were tilapia. The team say telltale marks on the bones reveal the fish were eaten by humans who used the shelter. Continue reading...

As Australia’s chief science nerd, I found lessons for today in this obscure piece of science history. It can help us map our nation’s future

What are the symptoms caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, how does it spread, and at what point should you call a doctor?

There are decisions being made right now that could have an effect on global populations for generations to come. As part of this project, we commissioned an artist to investigate some of the themes raised in the podcasts. This work of fiction imagines a future where gene editing has become mainstream and discusses the moral, ethical and political divides that this might create Continue reading...

In our third and final episode, we talk about trust in science. In particular, how historical cases of abuse led many in our groups to question gene editing, science and medicine. If we focus on the past, will we ever move forward? Continue reading...

We would like to find out what you think about gene editing. What are the benefits – and the downsides for society?Gene editing is a group of technologies that gives scientists the ability to change an organism’s DNA. These technologies have the power to change life as we know it, but what do people really think about how we should use them? Continue reading...

More than 3,000 people to disembark over three days after ship proved a fertile breeding ground for Covid-19

Cancer patient’s immature eggs were collected, matured in lab and frozen for use five years onA woman who was left infertile by cancer treatment has given birth to a baby after her immature eggs were collected, matured in a lab and frozen for use five years later.Fertility specialists at Antoine Béclère University hospital in Clamart near Paris said the healthy boy, named Jules, was the first baby to be born through the new procedure. Continue reading...

After a week on a high fat, high added sugar diet, volunteers scored worse on memory testsConsuming a western diet for as little as one week can subtly impair brain function and encourage slim and otherwise healthy young people to overeat, scientists claim.Researchers found that after seven days on a high fat, high added sugar diet, volunteers in their 20s scored worse on memory tests and found junk food more desirable immediately after they had finished a meal. Continue reading...

Researchers say whether a family has lots of boys or girls, or equal mix, is down to chanceMrs Bennet may have lamented having five daughters and no son in Pride and Prejudice, but it appears that Lizzy and her sisters would be unlikely to produce a similar set of children: research suggests having multiple offspring of the same sex does not run in the family.In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that whether a family is dominated by boys or girls – or has an equal mix – is simply down to chance. Continue reading...

The fossils found in Iraqi cave provide fresh evidence the species buried their death with mortuary ritualsA Neanderthal skeleton unearthed in an Iraqi cave, already famous for fossils of these cousins of our species, is providing fresh evidence that they buried their dead – and intriguing clues that flowers may have been used in such rituals.Scientists said they had discovered the well-preserved upper body skeleton of an adult Neanderthal, who lived about 70,000 years ago, in Shanidar Cave in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq on Tuesday. The individual – dubbed Shanidar Z – was perhaps in his or her 40s or 50s with their sex undetermined. Continue reading...

The plants trap polluting particles like natural air filters, and protect against flooding, tooHedges and trees in towns and cities are more than just attractive, they can behave like natural air filters, trapping traffic pollution made up of dangerous microscopic particles blamed for a range of serious health problems, ranging from heart disease, asthma and strokes to diabetes, obesity and dementia.A study at Lancaster University showed that silver birch trees maintained as hedges at about the height of an adult person were particularly good at cleaning the air. Continue reading...

Four members of same family die during self-quarantine at centre of outbreak in WuhanA Chinese film director, his sister, mother and father have all died from the coronavirus, the latest high-profile victims of the disease in Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak.Chang Kai, 55, died on 14 February. His parents died over the previous two weeks, after the family spent days together in self-quarantine, the Chinese magazine Caixin reported. Chang’s sister died hours after he did, and his wife is in a serious condition. Continue reading...

The ancient Roman city’s House of the Lovers has reopened to the public 40 years after it was severely damaged in 1980 by an earthquake

UK prepares evacuation flight for cruise ship passengers. Follow the latest news

We must be able to trust the integrity of scientific research as we work to protect our families and our planetNot again. News out of Europe last week revealed that more than 20 scientific studies submitted to regulators to prove the safety of the popular weedkilling chemical glyphosate came from a large German laboratory that has been accused of fraud and other wrongdoing.The findings come amid global debate over whether or not glyphosate causes cancer and other health problems and if regulators and chemical companies proclaiming the chemical’s safety actually have credible science on their side. Continue reading...

Weeping is informed by everything from culture and identity to social standing – and studying it could help us better understand ourselvesIt is common for people to scoff at tears as a behaviour and a subject of investigation. Tears are, they say, feminine, self-indulgent and melodramatic. It is not hard to notice, in those beliefs, the patriarchal assumptions about what should be valued and what should be mocked. Writing teachers will instruct students not to show their characters’ sadness through crying, calling it cheap. On the other hand, there are those who proclaim the necessity of “a good cry”, who indignantly defend weeping of all varieties and who see tearfulness almost as an identity. “I’m a crier,” they declare, praising its soul-cleansing effects. “Get over it,” their opponents instruct, demanding the shift toward progress and action that they believe crying prevents.But rather than looking at tears with a predetermined belief in their value, or away from them in embarrassment or disgust, it can be clarifying to look through, into or around tears, to trace the small and large patterns that they create and reveal. Continue reading...

UCL scientists measured heart rates and sweat glands of audiences and found live shows caused much greater responseScience has proved what theatre and concert-goers have long known. When it comes to emotional impact, watching a live performance is so much more thrilling than a version on screen.Scientists from University College London (UCL) measured heart rates and sweat glands of audience members as they watched both theatre productions and films. They found that heart rates go up and down with the narrative arc of a story and that the highs are highest and lows lowest at a live show. Peak heart-rate levels were much higher among those watching live theatre than in people viewing a film. Continue reading...

What are the symptoms of the virus from Wuhan in China, how does it spread, how many people have died and when should you call a doctor?

Grave in Lincolnshire dates to medieval pandemic of 1348 and reveals rural plague catastropheA mass grave containing the remains of dozens of victims of the Black Death offers chilling new evidence of the speed and scale of the devastation the plague brought to rural England, according to archaeologists.The grave, discovered in a remote corner of rural Lincolnshire, has been dated to the 14th century, almost certainly to the earliest and deadliest medieval outbreak of the disease in 1348-9. Continue reading...

David and Sally Abel taken off ship, as UK says it is trying to organise evacuation of British passengers

In city of 11m, officials threaten with punishment those who delay reporting symptoms

Study found differences compared with those who did not offend or who only transgressed as adolescentsParents should not worry about their teenagers’ delinquent behaviour provided they were well behaved in their earlier childhood, according to researchers behind a study that suggests those who offend throughout their life showed antisocial behaviour from a young age and have a markedly different brain structure as adults.According to figures from the Ministry of Justice, 24% of males in England and Wales aged 10–52 in 2006 had a conviction, compared with 6% of females. Previous work has shown that crime rises in adolescence and young adulthood but that most perpetrators go on to become law-abiding adults, with only a minority – under 10% of the general population – continuing to offend throughout their life. Continue reading...

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The press – and opponents within and without the Tory party – have brought Dominic Cummings to heel. But his mission remains the pursuit of polarising politics.Dominic Cummings, the chief special adviser to the prime minister, thinks the answer to Britain’s problems is hiring brilliant people to work outside of bureaucratic constraints. He may be right, but not if one of his first hires as a “weirdo and misfit” to join him in No 10 is anything to go by. Andrew Sabisky quit after it emerged he was not a wunderkind but a rightwing provocateur who promoted ideas about eugenics cloaked in the sham argument that this is hard science. Mr Sabisky, 27, had no academic research of note to his name. From a well-off family, he hardly fit Mr Cummings’ call for “true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole”.It speaks volumes about the arrogance of Downing Street that Boris Johnson did not immediately dump Mr Sabisky – or even disassociate himself from his views which are routinely found in the darker, damper recesses of the internet. You cannot have such people in government unless you mean to give the impression that you agree with them. But someone in No 10 thought better. Mr Johnson’s team had gone out of its way to back Mr Sabisky. When the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said Mr Sabisky’s comments were “not my views and those are not the views of the government” he was slapped down by Downing Street’s press operation. Continue reading...

Covid-19 not as deadly as Sars, figures show, and children not affected in same way as adults

Idea that members of one race are intellectually superior has had to be confronted regularlyThe notion that members of one race are inherently more intelligent than members of another – brought back into circulation by the appointment of Andrew Sabisky, who claims that black Americans have a lower average IQ than white people, as a Downing Street adviser – is an idea with a deep and disturbing history.In modern times, the study most often rolled out as supporting “evidence” is a 2006 work from the English psychologist Richard Lynn. In the publication, Lynn concluded that black Africans had an average IQ of less than 70, compared with the average western IQ of 100. This, he claimed, explained the low level of economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. Continue reading...

David Robson thinks the time it will take to make contact presents a problem. John Boyd questions the purpose of finding extraterrestrial life when we can’t respect life on our own planetWhile reading your report (Is anybody out there? Biggest hunt ever to begin for alien life, 15 February) I wondered why scientists are trying to persuade people to believe there is any point in contacting life on other planets. A five-minute online investigation tells me that the fastest object available would take 159,000 years to reach Trappist-1 (the most likely place to find life according to the article). Sending a signal would be quicker – about 40 years. It seems likely there is life out there, but, sadly, trying to make contact is pointless.

MySafe scheme for addicts aims to help reduce overdose deaths in Canadian cityA vending machine for powerful opioids has opened in Canada as part of a project to help fight the Canadian city’s overdose crisis.The MySafe project, which resembles a cash machine, gives addicts access to a prescribed amount of medical quality hydromorphone, a drug about twice as powerful as heroin. Continue reading...

Government urged to create more natural drainage systems to cope with impact of crisis

Researchers have identified a new psychological condition that affects some wearers of luxury items – although notably not those with a huge sense of entitlementName: Fashion impostor syndrome.Age: New for spring 2020. Continue reading...

What are the symptoms caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor?

Move comes after hiring of new adviser who said black people have lower average IQs

Passengers flown from Japan after being stuck onboard now face 14 days in quarantine

Mushrooms used to be the territory of hippies, explorers, indigenous people and artists. Now tech bros and wellness gurus have taken over

Five-year study of animals in Devon finds measurable benefits to wildlife and peopleBeavers have alleviated flooding, reduced pollution and boosted populations of fish, amphibians and other wildlife, according to a five-year study of wild-living animals in Devon.The report, which will help the government decide whether to allow wild beavers to return to England after being hunted to extinction more than 400 years ago, concludes that the species has brought measurable benefits to wildlife and people. Continue reading...

Detention of prominent scholar Xu Zhiyong comes amid wider crackdown on freedom of speechThe Chinese authorities have detained a prominent activist and legal scholar who issued a blistering attack on president Xi Jinping for mishandling the coronavirus crisis amid a nationwide crackdown on speech freedom.Xu Zhiyong, a former law lecturer and founder of the social campaign New Citizens Movement, was taken away by police on Saturday evening while he was seeking refuge at the home of a lawyer in the southern city of Guangzhou, activists Ye Du and Hua Ze said. Continue reading...

Diamond Princess evacuations begin as China announces death toll in country up to 1,665Hundreds of Americans have been flown out of Japan after leaving the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship on Sunday night, as a further 70 people onboard tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total to 355.The removal of US citizens from the ship, moored at Yokohama, south of Tokyo, came as other countries said they would fly their citizens home just four days before the official quarantine set by Japanese health authorities was set to end. Continue reading...

The waning crescent moon can be seen low in the pre-dawn sky passing the red planet and, from North America, blocking Mars from viewEarly morning skywatchers should look south-east tomorrow to see the waning crescent moon pass close to Mars. The red planet is by no means at its brightest but will still be visible as a moderately bright object in the morning sky for the next few months. And it will always display a distinctive red hue to its light. From London, UK, Mars rises a few hours before dawn. The chart shows the view looking south-east at 0600 GMT on 18 February. From Sydney, Australia, Mars is much easier to spot. It is higher up in the eastern sky and forms a dramatic line pointing almost straight down with the crescent moon at the top, and Jupiter and Saturn underneath it. The alignment forms a spectacular parade of morning planets to look out for. If you are in North America, you could be in line for an even bigger treat. The moon will pass in front of Mars, blocking it from view, in the pre-dawn hours on the morning of 18 February. Continue reading...

Washington becomes first US state to legalise practice as interest in green burials surges in UKIt is viewed as a fitting end for a banana skin or a handful of spent coffee grounds. But now people are being urged to consider human composting and other environmentally friendly “deathcare” options.Speaking before a talk at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Seattle on Sunday, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, a professor of soil science and sustainable agriculture at Washington State University, said: “Death certainly isn’t the biggest environmental impact we have in our life process. But we can still look for new alternatives.” Continue reading...

Serious thought is given to publishing troubling images, of death or distress for example, but even then context is keyOn the morning after the Streatham terror attack, the Guardian’s print edition carried a single-column photograph of the perpetrator, Sudesh Amman, at the bottom of the front page. The main image showed armed police at the incident. Later in the day, an online reader contacted me to express concern at the prominence given to the attacker; in fact, she thought that he should not be named at all. I drew her attention to a 2019 column by my predecessor, Paul Chadwick, in which he supported the Guardian’s policy of naming perpetrators but agreed with the position of the editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, that it was important to ensure “the terrorist’s identity is not overly represented in our coverage, and that our coverage also focuses on the victims”.The reader acknowledged this but said: “I think it comes across as particularly high impact on the app, because of the formatting, and so you only see one or two stories.” Continue reading...

Eight of nine people who tested positive successfully treated and discharged from hospitalThe number of people tested for coronavirus in the UK has passed 3,000, according to official figures.Statistics from the Department of Health and Social Care show that 3,109 tests had been carried out in the UK as of 2pm on Sunday, an increase of 117 on the 2,992 reported on Saturday. Continue reading...

Taxi driver with diabetes and hepatitis B is fifth fatality outside mainland ChinaA taxi driver has died from the coronavirus in Taiwan, marking the first such death on the island and the fifth fatality outside mainland China from an epidemic that has curbed travel and disrupted global supply chains.The health minister, Chen Shih-chung, said during a news conference on Sunday that the deceased was a 61-year-old man who had diabetes and hepatitis B. Taiwan has to date reported 20 confirmed cases. Continue reading...

Whether you’re taking up the oboe or finessing your Finnish, scientific research offers tips to aid learningIf your aim for 2020 was to learn a new skill, you may be at the point of giving up. Whether you are mastering a new language or a musical instrument, or taking a career-changing course, initial enthusiasm can only take you so far, and any further progress can be disappointingly slow.From these struggles, you might assume that you simply lack a natural gift – compared to those lucky people who can learn any new skill with apparent ease. Continue reading...

A mother-of-two finds strength in her communityThis month marked the first time I’ve ever been to a queue-free post office, and been served by a man wearing gloves in the service station. “We’ve been told to use antibacterial gel every half hour too,” he told me. Supermarkets are quieter than usual, but with no signs of panic buying – unless hand sanitiser counts. “I went to five shops and couldn’t find any,” a neighbour texted me. Dozens of people are “self-isolating”, and it’s a risky place for secret affairs because of the chance everyone you’ve been in touch with will need tracing.This is life at the centre of the UK coronavirus breakout, Hove. I’d like to pretend that I’ve been brave, but it wouldn’t be true. I found the outbreak four streets away of a virus that had at that point killed hundreds of people in China alarming. The anxiety I felt came in waves, sending my maternal protectiveness into overdrive. Continue reading...

As confirmed cases on ship rise, US plans to airlift Americans from Diamond Princess adds urgency to pleas for evacuation from UK passengersPressure is growing on the British government to airlift UK citizens stranded on a cruise ship stricken by coronavirus, as a Chinese tourist in France yesterday became the first person to die from the disease in Europe.The US announced late on Friday that it would be evacuating more than 400 of its nationals from the quarantined ship, the Diamond Princess, which has reported nearly 300 confirmed Covid-19 cases, and British travellers called on their government to do the same. Continue reading...

Scientific knowledge, whether about a human species or the planets, is powerful because it is provisional and cumulativeFor the past decade, scientists have thought that DNA sequences from Neanderthals were found only in non-African populations. Neanderthals, a human species that died out around 40,000 years ago, lived mainly in Europe and parts of Asia.As Homo sapiens migrated from Africa into Europe and Asia some 70,000 years ago, the two species mingled. Roughly 2% of the genomes of modern European and Asian populations is inherited from Neanderthals. But sub-Saharan Africans, it was believed, possessed no Neanderthal DNA. Continue reading...