Science | The Guardian

New images taken by the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii show the sun's surface in unprecedented detail thanks to its 30km resolution - more than twice that of other solar observatories

• World Athletics confirms event has been delayed for year

It’s right to scrutinise the official response to the outbreak, but that does not justify spreading wild rumours or discriminating against Chinese peopleThe coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan has shown how far and fast a disease can travel in our globalised age. It has also shown us how quickly fear, misinformation and blame can spread, only hindering the fight against the pneumonia-causing virus.The alarm is understandable. More than 6,000 cases have been confirmed, and more than 130 people have died: a public health expert at Imperial College has suggested that 100,000 may be infected already. World Health Organization officials think it is impossible to predict when the outbreak will peak. Though only a few score people outside China have been confirmed as infected, they are scattered from the US and Australia to Thailand and the UAE. In Japan and Germany, patients who have never been to China have been taken ill. Continue reading...

Fingers made of hydrogels layers have pores that ooze water to cool downNever mind their cold, hard logic and tireless dedication to the task at hand – the most unappealing aspect of robots to come may well be their personal hygiene.In a demonstration of how to build machines that do not overheat, researchers have created a robot hand that regulates its temperature naturally – by breaking into a sweat. Continue reading...

The British empire forced its colonies to abandon their own languages. Now they are making English their ownThere is one expression I have grown up hearing from relatives of a certain age, but never been able to accept. It’s the description of Twi – the Akan language spoken by my family – as “the vernacular”, a term which implicitly compares it with the colonial language, English, and somehow finds it wanting. The word itself is a revealing symptom of the colonial project. Just as nations like the Yoruba, with a population of more than 40 million, were patronisingly described as “tribes”, when in fact they were substantial nations, African languages were downgraded to “the vernacular”. It’s a term more befitting of a regional dialect than a nation’s language, with its own history, politics and literature.The attempt to discourage Africans from speaking our own languages not only failed, but has had the glorious result of backfiring, to the extent that now Britain’s own inhabitants are officially adopting African vocab. This month the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added Nigeria’s first entries to already recognised gems like “howzit” from South Africa. Other Africans will recognise lots of the latest lingo to get the OED stamp – “chop”, to eat or to misappropriate funds; “next tomorrow”, the day after tomorrow; “sef”, a great Pidgin flourish for emphasis. Continue reading...

First observations from Inouye telescope bring previously hazy star into sharp focusThe sun’s turbulent surface has been revealed in unprecedented detail in the first observations by the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii.The striking images reveal a surprising level of structure hidden within the churning plasma exterior, bringing a previously hazy impression of the sun’s patchwork surface sharply into focus for the first time. Continue reading...

Work of trainees in Iraq has enabled new understanding of objects going on show in UKFor decades they have been part of the collection of the British Museum, appreciated for their individual significance but in many cases shorn of much of their context owing to the circumstances of their discovery and retrieval during the buccaneering period of early archaeology.Now dozens of important artefacts that were removed from Iraq in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are being brought back into focus in an exhibition drawing on groundbreaking discoveries made by Iraqi archaeologists amid the turbulence of the country’s recent history. Continue reading...

What are the symptoms caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, how is it transmitted from one person to another, and at what point should you see a doctor?

People returning from China could be placed at a military base, says health departmentCoronavirus: BA suspends China flights – live updatesBritons returning from coronavirus-hit Wuhan will be placed in quarantine for 14 days.Officials are considering taking passengers to a military base once they arrive home, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. Continue reading...

Sindy Siddle, who has a Chinese passport, told she cannot leave with her husband and child

Aurora enthusiasts discover new phenomenon in FinlandA new form of the northern lights has been captured by amateur enthusiasts, researchers have revealed.The phenomenon of glowing green lights rippling across the night sky, also known as the aurora borealis, have long captivated the public and experts alike. Continue reading...

US updates travel warning to highest level as mayor of Wuhan admits authorities were too slow in releasing information. This blog is closed

Fears grow over global economic fallout with airline shares hit and commodity prices tumbling

Regenerative agriculture can revolutionise the continent. That’s not a pie-in-the-sky utopia, but something we can all bring about

What are the symptoms, how is it transmitted from one person to another, and how is the virus from Wuhan in China related to Sars?

FCO urgently exploring options for British nationals to leave Hubei province, says No 10

Five people have been diagnosed with the new strain of the virus, and more cases are likely – but the risk to the public is lowFive cases of the novel coronavirus infection have now been confirmed in the US, while experts have warned about 100,000 people could already be infected globally.Related: Coronavirus: Britain under pressure to evacuate UK nationals Continue reading...

Shouts of 'jiāyóu' can be heard echoing between Wuhan's high-rise apartment blocks as people take to their balconies to shout what translates literally as "add oil", meaning 'keep up the fight', to their neighbours. It is day six of life under lockdown for the Chinese city's 11 million residents, who have found themselves at the centre of the outbreak of coronavirus. Continue reading...

Ardern government under pressure to repatriate citizens trapped in Chinese city stricken by coronavirus outbreakNew Zealand families trapped in Wuhan during China’s coronavirus outbreak have made public and emotional pleas for their evacuation.Opposition leader Simon Bridges has echoed their call, putting pressure on the New Zealand government to repatriate its citizens. Continue reading...

The answer to today’s puzzleEarlier today I set you the following puzzle:What is the highest value of UK coins you can have in your pocket without being able to exchange them exactly for a £10 note? Continue reading...

UK embassy in Beijing says it is working on option for British nationals to leave China

Zhou Xianwang says public information should have been released more quickly

Britain does not need more scientists. Yet the PM wants to poach them from poorer countries and turn away everyone elseNow we know. Boris Johnson’s exclusive “global talent visa”, to be launched in February, is aimed at “the world’s scientists and mathematicians”. It will prove, he says, that post-Brexit “the UK is open to the most talented minds in the world” – so long as they are scientists. As for entrepreneurs, economists, humanitarians, historians, artists, let alone mere caring human beings, they should stay put.Related: Fast-track 'global talent visa' to be launched days after Brexit Continue reading...

The mayor of Wuhan, the city where China's coronavirus outbreak originated, said on Monday the city's management of the virus wasn't good enough, adding that he felt the city's ability to deal with the crisis needed improvement. Zhou Xianwang admitted in the interview that the authorities were too slow in how they released information about the virus due to legal requirements, and said he would be willing to resign

There are up to 300 UK citizens thought to be stuck at epicentre of outbreakBritish citizens trapped in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, say the UK government’s response has been slow and unclear, and its travel advice pathetic.Up to 300 British citizens are thought to be stuck in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located and where most of the 80 deaths associated with the disease have occurred. Continue reading...

Footage has emerged of people clamouring for face masks at the gates of a factory in Jiujiang, in Jiangxi province, China, as experts warned that up to 100,000 people may already be infected with the novel coronavirus around the world. The city lies 230km (142 miles) south-east of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated at a local seafood market

Strict travel restrictions mean an unknown number of Australians may be stranded in the coronavirus hotspotThe Australian government does not know how many of its citizens are caught in the vast quarantine lock-down imposed across China, as it and governments around the world scramble to try to evacuate their nationals.But it appears increasingly unlikely foreign countries will be allowed to simply extricate their citizens in the face of militarily enforced lockdowns. Indonesia has said it “seems to be impossible”, while Australia has said it “needs to abide by the travel restrictions … placed there for precisely the purpose of containing the coronavirus”. Continue reading...

Celebrate a calendrical rarityOn Sunday, a numerical event will take place that happens only once every thousand years.The date will be a palindrome in every single country of the world. In other words, the digits will be the same when written forwards or backwards in whichever date format you choose. Continue reading...

Several private schools are demanding medical certificates for children who have been to coronavirus-affected areas of ChinaSeveral Sydney private schools have banned students who have recently visited China from returning to school without medical certificates, as concerns grow about the spread of coronavirus.Pymble Ladies College in Sydney’s north has told parents in a text message they should not send their daughters to school for at least 14 days after returning to Australia from an affected area of China, or after contact with someone who had visited an affected area. Continue reading...

UK government urged to reassure public that NHS is ready for cases within daysAbout 100,000 people could be infected with the new coronavirus around the world, experts have warned, as the UK government faced calls to reassure people that the NHS is ready to deal with any British cases within days.Prof Neil Ferguson, a public health expert at Imperial College, said his “best guess” was that there were 100,000 affected by the virus even though there are only 2,000 confirmed cases so far, mostly in the city of Wuhan in China where the virus first appeared. Continue reading...

Enjoy the beauty of a tiny young crescent moon as it approaches conjunction with Venus, the brightest planetObservers in both hemispheres have the opportunity to see an extremely thin crescent moon this evening and tomorrow. Such tiny lunar slivers are extraordinarily beautiful but often hard to locate. Although this one takes place in the constellation of Aquarius, the water bearer, which is notoriously devoid of bright stars to act as wayfinders, Venus, the brightest planet, is helpfully on hand to guide our view. From London, look south-west this evening. The chart shows the view at 18:00GMT. From Sydney, look due south. The moon will be lower than Venus and just 7% of its surface will be illuminated. If you do not manage to catch a glimpse of the moon tonight then don’t worry, tomorrow is also good. Over the next 24 hours, the moon will have drawn level with Venus in the sky, and 13% of its surface will now be illuminated. Given clear skies, this conjunction is really worth making the effort to see. It will be a picture perfect end to the first month of the year. Continue reading...

Health officials in California and Arizona say they are each treating a patient infected with the deadly illnessAmerica’s fourth and fifth cases of coronavirus were confirmed on Sunday after health officials in California and Arizona announced that they were each treating a patient infected with the deadly illness.Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the patient is a “returning traveller” from Wuhan City – the epicentre of the outbreak in Hubei Province, China – who sought medical attention when they realised they were unwell. Continue reading...

Co-director of the National Child Development Study that gathered data from 15,000 children born in one week in March 1958Ron Davie, who has died aged 90, was the former director of the National Children’s Bureau, which carries out research and works collaboratively to influence policy and improve services for children and young people, and co-director of the longitudinal National Child Development Study (NCDS) into the physical, educational and social development of children in Britain.The NCDS started in 1958 as the Perinatal Mortality Study, gathering information on the births of 15,000 children born in the week between 3 and 9 March that year. This revealed the association between smoking in pregnancy and increased rates of infant mortality. In 1964, the opportunity arose to follow up these children, with a much wider remit including their education and overall development, and Ron was appointed senior research officer. Continue reading...

Four maps illustrating the fight against the deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan, China

Officials announce new measures to contain disease, including wildlife trade ban and bus suspensions, as confirmed death toll reaches 56

China’s health commission minister says coronavirus’s ability to spread appeared to be increasing. More patients have been found to have the virus in Wuhan, which has been placed under strict lockdown. Officials announced a range of measures to halt the outbreak on Sunday, including a nationwide ban on trading in wildlife and the suspension of long-distance buses in the eastern province of Shandong, Beijing and Shanghai.

• World Athletics confirms talks with World Health Organization

Priti Patel has said the UK is implementing the right measures to try to prevent coronavirus from reaching the UK, in an interview for Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday. When asked about reports of an evacuation of more than 200 Britons from Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, the home secretary said the UK was 'looking at all the options'

Misguided assumptions about race are going mainstream, but hard facts can help you combat entrenched attitudesIt seems we can’t move for comments about race dominating our media landscape, be it about an actor formerly known as a princess, or by an actor previously unknown to anyone outside of his famous acting dynasty. These are fractious times, and such debates appear to be increasing in frequency. But there are some fights for which you can arm yourself in advance – and when the argument is about race, the weapon of choice is science.Racism is a prejudice that has a longstanding relationship with science. The invention of race occurred in the age of empires and plunder, when men of the emerging discipline of science classified the people of the world, mostly from their armchairs. Carl Linnaeus is the father of biological taxonomy, having invented the system that we use today: genus and species – Homo sapiens. He was also a central figure in the emergence of scientific racism too, alongside Kant, Voltaire and a host of other European men. Continue reading...

What are the symptoms caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, how does it relate to Sars, and at what point should you go to the doctor?

It’s 1974 and the great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov attempts to present the facts on lunar lifeThe science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote about the colonisation of the moon for his book Our World in Space, extracted by the Observer Magazine (‘Will you emigrate to the moon?’) on 9 June 1974. It’s amazing how quickly the future dates – this feels more nostalgic than being a credible scenario at the moment.He starts on somewhat shaky ground. ‘Consider the analogous case of the arrival of Columbus on the American continent,’ he writes. Let’s not. Suffice to say that at least there are no indigenous lunar peoples to exploit on the moon. Continue reading...

If this outbreak is still caused mainly by animals, it can be controlled. But all-out human transmission could spell disasterScientists are urgently seeking data to resolve one critically important aspect of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 54 people and infected well over 1,000 since emerging in Wuhan, China.Researchers say they desperately need to find out whether most cases have been caused by repeated spillover of the virus from animals into humans, or whether most cases are now being triggered by secondary human-to-human transmission. Continue reading...

We need to look way, way back and embrace the Indigenous antiquity of this landFire and carbon.That’s what I’ll be reflecting on today, 26 January, Invasion Day to me and many I know, Australia Day officially. Continue reading...

As we watch the Harvey Weinstein trial unfold, other horror stories emerge in our own courtsHarvey Weinstein is at last facing justice in a New York courtroom. As I hear in graphic detail the accounts of the women he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted, it’s hard to stop myself imagining what I would do if a 21-stone man suddenly reappeared naked and lunged at me after manipulating me to accompany him to his hotel room on false pretences. Scream? Fight back? Try to escape?It’s impossible to tell unless you find yourself there. Our body’s response to acute danger is not rational: it releases a flood of hormones that trigger an automatic response over which the thinking part of our brain has little control. For decades, that response was understood as fight or flight. But that was a highly gendered understanding developed as a result of tests primarily done on men. (Women were considered too complicated as test subjects because of the hormone fluctuations associated with our menstrual cycles.) Continue reading...

Martin Dove, who was working in Wuhan, thinks government could do more to track peopleA British academic who returned from China this week has said that no one from the UK government has tried to contact him regarding the coronavirus outbreak.Health officials have teamed up with Border Force agents and airlines to try to track down about 2,000 people who have flown to the UK from Wuhan, the area worst affected by the outbreak. Continue reading...

President warns of ‘grave situation’ as the country spends holiday under travel restriction to stop the virus spreading

Whether at work or at home, success depends on how good a listener you areWhen people find out I’m a journalist, they typically tell me they used to write for their school newspaper or that their child wants to be a journalist, or that their cousin is a blogger. Or they might say they loved a film about a newsroom, but can’t remember the name. They might try to look up the film on their phones and, while they are at it, will show me a cat video trending on Twitter.It’s rare that people don’t interrupt and shift conversation to themselves. Bad listeners are not necessarily bad or boorish people. You’re likely to have a dear friend, family member, or maybe a romantic partner who is a bad listener. Perhaps you, yourself, are not the best listener. And you could be forgiven. In many ways, we have been conditioned not to listen. Continue reading...

Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has raised the territory’s response to the coronavirus outbreak to emergency level.Immigration and travel from Wuhan will be limited, major events cancelled and school openings delayed by two weeks. Lam said: ‘We have an emergency response level, it means that for this novel infectious disease, the impact on the population will be a high and imminent’

What are the symptoms caused by the China virus and at what point should you go to the doctor?

Barty named young Australian of the year, Prof John Newnham the senior Australian of the year and Bernie Shakeshaft the 2020 Local HeroDr James Muecke, an eye surgeon who has dedicated his professional career to preventing blindness among the poorest people in the world, has been recognised as the 2020 Australian of the year.Adelaide-born Muecke, who began his medical career in Kenya, said it was an “enormous … tremendous honour” to be named Australian of the year for 2020: “such an auspicious year for eyesight”. Continue reading...