The world saw a rare blue supermoon this evening, with stargazers getting a glimpse on Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The moon will appear about a seventh bigger and brighter on Monday evening as a blue moon and supermoon coincide
Food scientists and chefs have been investigating and comparing the flavor compounds in various ingredientsFor some, recipe writing is an art, born of intuition and pragmatism. But like most disciplines, the culinary world has become susceptible to the pull of data.In recent years, food scientists and chefs have begun studying the flavor compounds that appear in certain ingredients and searching for similarities elsewhere. Sites like Foodpairing.com even offer paid AI services to chefs looking for new combinations, as well as to customers seeking to better understand their own palates. Continue reading...
It is in everybody's interest that wealthy nations do a better job at getting vaccines and assistance to where they are needed mostAfter two years of post-Covid talks, member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) failed this summer to agree plans for a more equitable distribution of vaccines to developing countries. Ensuring that life-saving doses are available to countries most in need of them, rather than merely to those with the deepest pockets, is not only a moral imperative. It is in the self-interest of every nation, given the propensity of viruses to mutate and migrate. But achieving this requires big money and big concessions from pharmaceutical firms. And so, dispiritingly, the haggling goes on.Maybe the warnings over a new, more severe strain of mpox in Africa will finally concentrate minds. Last week, the WHO declared the current outbreak of the virus a public health emergency of international concern". Highly contagious, mpox can be spread through skin-on-skin contact, the sharing of contaminated materials and contact with animals. The new clade 1" variant appears to have a significantly higher mortality rate of about 4%. Cases have now been detected in 13 African countries, the overwhelming majority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than 500 people have died so far.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
The solution to today's puzzleEarlier today I set you a puzzle about a variant of noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe in the US). Games are played exactly as normal with the following twist:Players can place either an X or an O on each go. Continue reading...
Accuracy of 80% claimed for screening of children aged under two based on machine learningArtificial intelligence may help experts identify toddlers who may be autistic, researchers have said after developing a screening system they say has an accuracy of about 80% for children under the age of two.The researchers say their approach, which is based on a type of AI called machine learning, could bring benefits. Continue reading...
Scientists say automated adjustment of levels could halve duration of most troublesome symptomsA fresh approach to brain stimulation could offer people living with Parkinson's better control over their symptoms and halve the duration of those that trouble them most, experts have said.Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is now a mainstream treatment for people with Parkinson's and can help with symptoms such as stiffness, slowness and tremor. Continue reading...
Relatively rare lunar phenomenon of a blue moon combined with supermoon will occur in full for three daysThe UK has enjoyed a weekend of vivid sunsets and sunrises, with the moon taking on a distinctly orange hue. Monday night also promises the relatively rare lunar phenomenon of a blue supermoon, as a blue moon and supermoon coincide. Continue reading...
Transgressive tic-tac-toeUPDATE: The solution is now upI recently discovered an interesting variant of noughts and crosses. (Tic-tac-toe for US readers.) Games are played exactly as normal with the following twist:Players can place either an X or an O on each go. Continue reading...
Named after the bird that carried Zeus's thunderbolt, the constellation hosts Altair, visible with the naked eyeThis week affords us a great view of the constellation Aquila, the Eagle. According to Greek mythology, Aquila is the bird that carried Zeus's thunderbolt (or Jupiter's, if you prefer Roman mythology).It is one of the 48 constellations originally recorded by the astronomer Ptolemy in the second century, and now forms one of the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) officially recognised 88 constellations. Continue reading...
New discoveries about our bodies are emerging. But we need care as well as research to cope with ageingIncreased longevity is a triumph of modern medicine and health systems. In the UK, life expectancy has risen by about 25 years in a century - from 56 for men and 59 for women in 1920, to 80 and 83 in 2019 (since when it has slightly fallen back). While this extension is often taken for granted, rising interest in the science of ageing reveals an awareness of the challenges as well as the benefits that getting old, and being old for longer, can bring.Last week, a paper in the journal Nature Aging offered evidence that humans do not age steadily, but in bursts. Molecules and microbes in samples from participants showed that big changes occurred in their mid-40s and early 60s. One example from the 40s was a reduced capacity to metabolise alcohol - a finding that will come as no surprise to middle-aged people who have cut down on drinking, after finding it no longer agrees with them. Continue reading...
A legal loophole means UK fertility clinics are making sperm available abroad. We talk to those affected UK sperm donations being exported to sidestep 10-family limitExperts have warned that sperm donated in the UK is being exported and used to create large numbers of children across multiple countries, contradicting a strict 10-family limit that applies in the UK.A legal loophole means that while a single donor can be used to create no more than 10 families in UK fertility clinics, there are no restrictions on companies making sperm or eggs available for additional fertility treatments abroad. The Guardian talked to the people affected. Continue reading...
Scientists show it is possible to control a virtual car and switch on real-world kettle from inside a lucid dreamImagine a world in which you could solve problems, create art or music or even improve your tennis serve in your sleep. If scientists working in the field of lucid dreams succeed, that world could become a reality sooner than we realise.Researchers are developing techniques that could enable more people to experience lucid dreams - a state of consciousness where a person is aware they are dreaming and can recognise their thoughts and emotions while doing so - and transfer the content of these dreams into their waking lives.Dream journaling: Each morning, as soon as you wake up, write down everything you remember about your dreams, or use a voice-recording device to do the same. Doing so can help to familiarise yourself with your dreams, enabling you to become more aware of them once you are asleep.Reality testing: This exercise, performed during waking hours, trains the brain to better distinguish between dreams and reality, which may enhance lucidity once you are asleep. At regular intervals throughout the day, pause and take careful stock of your surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary which might indicate that you are dreaming.Intention setting: Some people can increase the frequency of their lucid dreams simply by telling themselves that they will become aware during their dreams, for example by repeating a phrase such as once I'm asleep, I'll remember I'm dreaming".Wake back to bed: Most dreams occur during REM sleep, which is more prevalent during the second half of the night. By setting an alarm clock to wake yourself an hour or so before your usual time, then drifting back to sleep, you may boost your odds of dropping straight into a dream. Telling yourself you'll become lucid in that dream may also help to achieve this.External stimulation: Many recent studies designed to communicate with people during lucid dreams have used gentle vibration, electrical stimulation or flashing lights during REM sleep as a cue for the person to become aware in their dream and signal back. Some of these methods are also being investigated as a tool for increasing the frequency of lucid dreams. Continue reading...
Regulators will inspect cows to see how widespread virus is and determine whether ageing and cooking inactivate itThe US will track bird flu infections in dairy cows brought to slaughter to understand the ways the virus infects meat and will also continue testing raw milk cheeses to see whether the virus is inactivated in the ageing process.The renewed focus on the US food chain is the latest front in the effort to combat the infectious bird flu virus, or H5N1, which has triggered alarm bells across the world as a potential future pandemic. Continue reading...
Many people want to uncover their ancestry, but - driven by Brexit - others also hope to regain access to the EUSome do it to explore their ancestral heritage or an unknown part of their identity. Others are hoping to find parents, siblings and new relatives.More than 40 million people worldwide are thought to have tested their DNA ancestry via companies such as Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage since the first genetic genealogy test was offered to the public in 2000. Continue reading...
Satellite named Tyche to support armed forces operations as well as monitor natural disasters and impact of climate changeThe UK has launched its first military satellite able to capture daytime images and videos of the Earth's surface.The satellite, named Tyche, will support British armed forces operations as well as monitor natural disasters, help map information development and track the impact of climate change globally, the Ministry of Defence said. Continue reading...
Like many of my letter writers, I have periods of feeling totally meh' about life. What is anhedonia and can I find a cure?When I was nine, I discovered I had a superpower. Two classmates and I were playing in the playground, probably some horse-themed game, until one of them choked me in an assassin-style throat hold. It was one of those stupid things children do, perhaps copying something she'd seen on TV, not realising how dangerous it was. I simultaneously dropped to my knees, feeling as if I was floating out of my body, in tremendous pain, unable to breathe or speak. She let go just as a black curtain drew across my view of clouds and sky.It was not my best playtime. I wasn't able to speak for several minutes. I felt upset, confused, isolated: where were the adults? Who was looking after me? Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6Q1NG)
Transporting a six-tonne megalith nearly 500 miles to Wiltshire is quite a feat. How was it achieved 4,000 years ago?Even by modern standards, John o'Groats to Wiltshire is a bit of a trek: nearly 500 miles, 13 hours by car or a 10-day walk - and that is without having a six-tonne block of stone in tow. So the revelation this week that Stonehenge's altar stone came from the north-east of Scotland prompts the question of how on earth this feat was achieved more than 4,000 years ago.When you're trying to move something weighing six tonnes in excess of 750km, it is an enormous undertaking," said Prof Nick Pearce, a geologist at Aberystwyth University and the co-author of the research. Continue reading...
by Hosted by Savannah Ayoade-Greaves; written by Susa on (#6Q1KK)
Susanna Crossman describes her childhood in a utopian commune where children ran wild - and the trouble that came with that freedom; Marina Hyde assesses Donald Trump and Elon Musk's glitch-ridden chat; and Moya Sarner reveals the life-changing power of selfishness, with the help of a simple phrase. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Author to explore really fun' science of food and diet for Royal Institution's annual broadcastWalk into any supermarket and the choice of foods is enormous, from brightly coloured breakfast cereals to pre-packed lasagnes. But for many, deciding what to add to the basket has never been harder, as concerns grow over industrially produced items.You might think Dr Chris van Tulleken, as the author of the bestselling book Ultra-Processed People - an investigation of how aggressively marketed products created by the food industry are packed with ingredients engineered to make us overeat - would be just the person to ask for help. Continue reading...
Covid not as deadly in 2023 as it was in prior years, falling from the fourth to 10th leading cause of deathCovid continues surging across the US, but deaths are lower than their peaks earlier in the pandemic due in large part to vaccinations and immunity. Yet the country is still struggling to find its footing on vaccination as the virus settles into a pattern of twice-annual surges.Covid was not as deadly in 2023 as it was in prior years, falling from the fourth to the 10th leading cause of death, according to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Deaths overall fell by 6% from 2022 to 2023. Continue reading...
An oarfish, which resembles a serpent, was found floating dead on the ocean surface off the San Diego coast and was brought ashore for study. Scientists say it is only the 20th time since 1901 an oarfish is known to have washed up in California
Researchers say exposed rock shows transition from warm, tropical environment to global freeze about 700m years agoA rock formation that spans Ireland and Scotland may be a rare record of snowball Earth" - a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice.The Port Askaig Formation, which is made up of layers of rock up to 1.1km (0.7 miles) thick, is likely to have been laid down between 662m and 720m years ago during the Sturtian glaciation, research suggests. This was the first of two global freezes thought to have triggered the development of complex life. Continue reading...
An architectural zigzag design can limit how much heat is absorbed by buildings - and emitted back to spaceIncorporating zigzag patterns into building walls could help cool overheated buildings, research has found.Buildings are now responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, contributing more than a third of global carbon dioxide emissions. Continue reading...
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Richard Luscombe; pro on (#6Q0RJ)
Why are Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore staying onboard the International Space Station much longer than planned? Richard Luscombe reportsWhen Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore set off in early June on the Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS), they thought they'd be away for a week. But two months on, after issues with faulty thrusters, it's still not clear when they'll be able to return.There are few people on earth who can say they have ever had their space mission delayed, but the former astronaut Mike Massimino is one of them. Continue reading...
Experts studying material from event 66m years ago find signs to show how Chicxulub impact crater was formedWhen a massive space rock slammed into Earth 66m years ago, it wiped out huge swathes of life and ended the reign of the dinosaurs. Now scientists say they have new insights into what it was made from.Experts studying material laid down at the time of the event say they have found tell-tale signs to support the idea the Chicxulub impact crater was produced by a carbon-rich, C-type", asteroid that originally formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Continue reading...
Theoretical physicist who won the Nobel prize with Chen Ning Yang in 1957 for their work on subatomic particlesIn 1957 the Chinese-American theoretical physicist TD (Tsung-Dao) Lee, who has died aged 97, became the second-youngest scientist to win a Nobel prize. He did this with another Chinese emigre to the US, Chen Ning Yang, who was four years older than he was. They became Nobel laureates for physics for work that overthrew the widely accepted parity laws" - that the forces acting on the fundamental subatomic particles are symmetric between left and right. In the popular description, they overthrew the concept of mirror symmetry".Before Lee and Yang questioned this fundamental principle, it was believed that the mirror image of any process displays a sequence of events that could equally well occur in the real world. In effect, there is no way to tell whether you are viewing a real event or its mirror image. This was well established in the familiar case of electromagnetic forces and the strong force that binds atomic nuclei. For example, the mirror image of an electrically charged particle being steered in one direction by electric or magnetic forces reveals a sequence that is realised in the real world simply by reversing the direction of the said forces. Continue reading...
Rentokil to use the wasps as a sustainable alternative to sprays in museums and homesThe newest recruits for the battle against moths will be the smallest pest control team in town.Rentokil plans to release entosite parasitoid wasps into the nooks and crannies of museums, heritage sites and homes to stop moth infestations. Continue reading...
by Presented by Phoebe Weston, produced by Madeleine on (#6PZY4)
Butterfly numbers in the UK appear to be at the lowest on record after a wet spring and summer dampened their chances of mating. This comes on top of a long and worrying trend of decline. To find out what's going on and what we can all do to help butterflies cope with extreme weather patterns, Phoebe Weston speaks to Dr Richard Fox, the head of science for the charity Butterfly Conservation, and to Matthew Hayes, who is part of the Banking on Butterflies project, a collaboration between the Insect Ecology Group at the zoology department in Cambridge University and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and NorthamptonshireWarning sign to us all' as UK butterfly numbers hit record low Continue reading...
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore expected to be in space for days but issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft mean they may not be back until 2025Nasa says it is close to announcing when it will bring home two astronauts who have been stuck" in orbit for more than two months by ongoing technical problems with Boeing's new Starliner capsule, but admits it still has not figured out exactly how.The space agency's latest update on the troubled test mission on Wednesday revealed that managers were expecting to make a final decision either late next week or early the week after that, after ground engineers complete an evaluation of Starliner's glitchy propulsion system. Continue reading...
by Kat Lay Global health correspondent on (#6PZHV)
Outbreak resembles early days of HIV, say experts, urging accelerated access to vaccines and testingAn outbreak in Africa of mpox, the disease formerly known as monkeypox, resembles the early days of HIV, scientists have said, as the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency.The declaration must accelerate access to testing, vaccines and therapeutic drugs in the affected areas, medical experts urged, and kickstart campaigns to reduce stigma surrounding the virus. Continue reading...
Dr William Whewell | John Prescott | International Apostrophe Day | University vice-chancellors | Musk and TrumpRe pylons (Letters, 12 August), as an admirer of these vital lifelines with their graceful catenaries, I often recall the words of DrWilliam Whewell (1794-1866), in his Elementary Treatise on Mechanics: Hence no force however great can stretch a cord however fine into an horizontal line which is accurately straight: there will always be a bending downwards."
Monument's largest bluestone' moved more than 450 miles - a discovery researchers say rewrites relationships between Neolithic populationsFor more than a century, archaeologists have known that some of the stones at Stonehenge came from Wales and were transported - somehow - about 125 miles ( 200km) to the site of the Neolithic monument on Salisbury Plain.Now, a jaw-dropping" study has revealed that one of Stonehenge's central megaliths is not Welsh at all - it is actually Scottish. Continue reading...
US findings suggesting ageing is not a slow and steady process could explain spikes in health issues at certain agesIf you have noticed a sudden accumulation of wrinkles, aches and pains or a general sensation of having grown older almost overnight, there may be a scientific explanation. Research suggests that rather than being a slow and steady process, aging occurs in at least two accelerated bursts.The study, which tracked thousands of different molecules in people aged 25 to 75, detected two major waves of age-related changes at around ages 44 and again at 60. The findings could explain why spikes in certain health issues including musculoskeletal problems and cardiovascular disease occur at certain ages. Continue reading...
Four-year study of patients finds markedly few' differences in test results between people who have long Covid and those who do notA new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights the difficulty of finding a lab test for long Covid - a novel condition that encompasses dozens of symptoms and is currently considered a diagnosis of exclusion".Long Covid's most common symptoms include brain fog, fatigue and heart palpitations, which can change over time and be disabling when severe. Approximately one in 20 adults reported persistent symptoms of Covid, as of June 2024. Continue reading...
Flight engineer on the International Space Station shares a mesmerising timelapse showcasing the moon setting among vibrant auroras Continue reading...
Five seconds said to be just as effective as 10 or 15 in managing lower-level conflicts and preventing escalationCouples having a row should take a five-second break to stop them reaching boiling point, according to a study.Taking a pause during an argument can act as a firebreak that prevents rows from escalating, defuses disagreements and could save the need for costly counselling. Continue reading...
My treatment for aggressive lymphoma has been successful but severely weakened my immune system. Like many others, antimicrobial resistance could kill me, even if the cancer itself is survivableMy entire professional career, spanning nearly four decades, has been in cancer care. On 12 August 2022, at the age of 64, I was myself diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of cancer that affects the immune system and has a very poor prognosis - I was told that survival without treatment would be only eight weeks.I was fortunate to have access to Australia's world-class care. I received chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, and by World Cancer Day in February 2024, I was in remission. Continue reading...
Lacking life purpose and growth opportunities may raise risk of mild cognitive impairment, a frequent precursor of dementiaLacking purpose in life and having few opportunities for personal growth may increase the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, a study suggests.These aspects of psychological wellbeing noticeably decline two to six years before memory loss and thinking problems are diagnosed, researchers found. Continue reading...
BP hopes deal will help develop earth technologies such as robotics and clean energyBP's technology could one day be used to drill on Mars or the moon after it struck a deal with US space agency Nasa.Under the terms of the agreement, the two have agreed to share their technology and expertise gained from working in hostile environments". Continue reading...
We would like to see your photos from this week and hear what it was like to see the meteors and the northern lightsThe annual Perseid meteor shower is approaching its peak overnight from Monday 12 August to Tuesday 13 August, with some also spotting the northern lights.Active from the middle of July and considered one of the best meteor showers of the year, the Perseids are best viewed in the northern hemisphere. Continue reading...
Exposure to bacteria in landfill sites and polluted rivers may explain prevalence among city-dwelling birdsUrban ducks and crows might offer us a connection to nature, but scientists have found wild birds that live near humans are more likely to harbour bacteria resistant to important antibiotics.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is largely caused by the overuse of drugs such as antibiotics among humans and livestock. Continue reading...
Shooting stars to make stellar reappearance after peaking with northern lights display on MondayStargazers will be granted another opportunity to see the Perseid meteor shower on Tuesday night, after a dazzling display illuminated by the northern lights.Shooting stars darted through skies across the UK last weekend as the meteor shower reached its peak on Monday night. Continue reading...
by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay, sound on (#6PY32)
For the regular drinker it is a source of great comfort: the fat pile of studies that say a daily tipple is better for a longer life than avoiding alcohol completely. But a new analysis challenges that thinking and says it was based on flawed research that compares drinkers with people who are sick and sober. Madeleine Finlay hears from the study's lead author, Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, to find out why scientists (including him) were so convinced, and what the actual risks of alcohol areModerate drinking not better for health than abstaining, analysis suggests Continue reading...
Liquid amounting to a 1-2km-deep ocean may be frozen up to 20km below surface, calculations suggestVast amounts of water could be trapped deep within the crust of Mars, scientists have said, raising fresh questions about the possibility of life on the red planet.Scientists say that more than 3bn years ago, Mars not only had lakes and rivers but oceans on its surface - however, as the planet lost its atmosphere these bodies disappeared. All that is visible today is permafrost ice at the planet's poles. Continue reading...
Science | The Guardian