No one is really too busy to take a break – so why do a third of Brits fail to take four days’ leave a year?It turns out the good people of British Airways are extremely concerned about the wellbeing of the nation’s employees, and have commissioned a study to raise awareness of the fact that we are working too hard. More specifically, the fact that we aren’t taking enough two-week holidays. Let us all take a moment to appreciate their noble altruism.Their survey of 2,000 people found that one-third of working Brits did not use up their annual leave in 2017, losing an average of four days each, and 69% of Brits did not take a two-week holiday. Continue reading...

Temperate House, the Grade I listed building at Kew Gardens, is due to reopen in May after a five-year restoration project. It is home to some of the rarest and most threatened temperate zone plants from around the world Continue reading...

We are destroying the world’s biodiversity. Yet debate has erupted over just what this means for the planet – and us.

Fossil fungi from over 400m years ago have altered our understanding of early life on land and climate change over deep timeMuch of the weirdness depicted in the TV show Stranger Things is distinctly fungal. The massive organic underground network, the floating spores, and even the rotting pumpkin fields all capture the “otherness” of fungi: neither plants nor animals, often bizarre-looking, and associated with decay. As weird as they may seem to us, fungi are integral to the story of the evolution of our landscapes and climate.

Within five years, 15 million people – 80% of the population – were wiped out in an epidemic named ‘cocoliztli’, meaning pestilenceIn 1545 disaster struck Mexico’s Aztec nation when people started coming down with high fevers, headaches and bleeding from the eyes, mouth and nose. Death generally followed in three or four days.

Following the case of a man who ruptured this throat, medics say holding in a sneeze can cause ear damage or a brain aneurysmIn a season where colds are rife, holding your nose and closing your mouth might seem like a considerate alternative to an explosive “Achoo!”. But doctors have warned of the dangers of such a move after a man was found to have ruptured the back of his throat when attempting to stifle a sneeze.Medics say the incident, which they detail in the journal BMJ Case Reports, came to light when a 34-year old man arrived in A&E with a change to his voice, a swollen neck, pain when swallowing and a popping sensation in his neck after he pinched his nose to contain an expulsion. Continue reading...

Increase screening for women who start their periods at a young age or those reaching menopause early, experts suggestWomen who start their periods at an early age, or experience an early menopause, are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, new research suggests.While researchers say it is not clear whether reproductive factors are driving the increased risks, they say that more frequent screening of women whose reproductive history suggests that they might be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease could help to prevent or delay its onset. Continue reading...

People who are flexible, original thinkers show signature forms of connectivity in their brains, study showsDonatella Versace finds it in the conflict of ideas, Jack White under pressure of deadlines. For William S Burroughs, an old Dadaist trick helped: cutting pages into pieces and rearranging the words.Every artist has their own way of generating original ideas, but what is happening inside the brain might not be so individual. In new research, scientists report signature patterns of neural activity that mark out those who are most creative. Continue reading...

The solutions (and hints) for today’s puzzles.In my puzzle blog earlier today, I set you four Garam puzzles.You can see (and print out) the puzzles by clicking on this link.

Rare plants among hundreds of specimens being planted in new beds at world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouseThe scrawny trunk and dull leathery spiky leaves of one of the rarest plants in the world will soon be admired in a new light at Kew Gardens, as Encephalartos woodii flourishes again at the north end of the restored Temperate House, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world.As the £41m restoration of the Grade I-listed building nears completion, the gardeners are dodging the diggers and cranes still trundling through the enormous space, and planting out hundreds of specimens into the new beds. More light than when the house was first built in the 1860s pours in through acres of new glass, and the plants are visibly responding: the bitter orange tree is covered in fruit, and Bauhinia blakeana has thrown out a charming pink flower. Continue reading...

Evidence suggests that older people are more offended by foul language, but perhaps they should embrace it and find something else to complain aboutTaking offence has become hobby number one among the young. According to some, today’s teens and twentysomethings are part of generation snowflake. These fragile souls are supposed to find any intrusion into their carefully curated digital universe a form of “symbolic violence”. To protect themselves, they call for “trigger warnings”, “no-platforming”, and “safe spaces”. Now the older generation have had enough. They want a fair share of opportunities to be easily offended too. But instead of being affronted by extreme racism, misogyny or homophobia, senior snowflakes are upset by the F-bomb.According to a 2010 poll conducted by the Daily Mail, 45% of the over-55s said they were personally offended by an instance of swearing on television in the last year. A 2016 study by Ofcom found that older people had a low tolerance for swearing, and some wanted it banned completely. They are also worried about swearing at work. During a select committee inquiry into discrimination against older workers, a representative from the government arbitration service Acas described how they “had calls where older workers are talking about language used in the workplace and that younger workers are using language now that many of us would not deem appropriate”. The expert went on to explain: “They’re coming out with certain statements or words that many of us in the workplace are quite taken aback with.” Continue reading...

As the flu season begins to ramp up, so too do the annual complaints about the vaccine“The flu jab DOESN’T work, officials admit,” scolded a recent headline from the Daily Mail.Meanwhile, in the comments under that article, and in shadier regions of the internet, conspiracy theorists are having their usual annual field day: the flu vaccine actually makes people sick; the World Health Organisation is in cahoots with Big Pharma; the vaccine is being deliberately sabotaged by its manufacturers to drum up business for more expensive anti-viral therapies. Continue reading...

Savour a new puzzle from across the ChannelBonjour guzzleurs!Today’s puzzle comes from France. It is called Garam, and provides some spice for the brain.... Continue reading...

Want to be less stressed in 2018? The author and broadcaster advises on how to deal with difficult times at workYour strength is not in your resilience, it is in recognising and owning your vulnerability. We need to be ourselves with other people for most of the time, not just the person we feel we ought to be. If you are in a business environment where everyone seems to be wearing a “game-face” and therefore you feel you must wear yours too, you run the risk of feeling unsupported, isolated and disconnected.

We now have a precise way to correct, replace or even delete faulty DNA. Ian Sample explains the science, the risks and what the future may holdSo what is gene editing?

The two planets appear close together this week and are conspicuous in the pre-dawn sky in the constellation LibraA pair of bright planets reward early risers this week. Mars and Jupiter are close together in the constellation Libra. Despite being more than three times closer to Earth, Mars will appear dimmer than Jupiter. This is because Jupiter is 21 times the diameter of Mars, and possesses brightly reflective clouds. Mars’s frozen deserts give the planet a conspicuous red colour to the naked eye, while Jupiter appears bright white. The chart shows the positions for 06:00 GMT on 16 January. To find the planetary pair, look SSE in the pre-dawn sky. The planets were at their closest on 6 January but remain a nice pairing this week. They will continue to be visible through to the end of the month and into early February, although they will be drawing ever further away from one another. Continue reading...

Racist milkshake drinking duck has come to define a particular thread of the internet’s collective ficklenessFinally, justice for milkshake duck.The racist milkshake drinking duck which has come to define a particular thread of the internet’s collective fickleness was announced as the Macquarie Dictionary’s word of the year for 2017 on Monday. Continue reading...

If you both have similar ‘differentiation of self’ scores, your relationship may run more smoothlyDoes absence make the heart grow fonder? Or is it more a case of out of sight, out of mind? Should you and your partner give each other space, or spend every possible moment together? To find out, give the statements below a rating between 1 (not at all true) and 6 (very true), and have your partner do the same. Continue reading...

Fossils found in 113-million-year-old rocks in Victoria lead to discovery of turkey-sized herbivore which lived in rift valleyMore than 10 years after fossils were discovered sticking out of a rock platform in Victoria’s remote south-west, scientists have identified a new dinosaur that once roamed the “lost world” between Australia and Antarctica.Foot and tail fossils found in 113-million-year-old rocks near Cape Otway in 2005 have led to the discovery of a turkey-sized herbivore which lived in the Australian-Antarctic rift valley. Continue reading...

When I had rectal bleeding, I went for a colonoscopy. The doctor prescribed more fiber – but could anxiety be the source of the pain in my backside?The thing about writers – the thing that makes us hated and occasionally liked – is that very often we have our heads up our asses. There are two ways that people in my profession can address this.We could develop a deeper sense of humility, looking beyond ourselves and try to use our voices to amplify the experiences of other people in this cruel, cruel world. Continue reading...

Col McKenzie calls on government to stop funding work of Terry Hughes, saying tourists ‘won’t do long-haul trips when they think the reef is dead’A Queensland tourism representative has called one of the Great Barrier Reef’s leading researchers “a dick”, blaming the professor for a downturn in tourism growth at the state’s greatest natural asset.Col McKenzie, the head of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, a group that represents more than 100 businesses in the Great Barrier Reef, has written to the federal government asking it to stop funding the work of Professor Terry Hughes, claiming his comments were “misleading” and damaging the tourism industry. Continue reading...

Meghan Markle handshake | Apple’s tax payment | No bull | Tabloid Guardian | Philip Hammond | Rude place namesMeghan Markle visits a community radio station and meets staff on a magazine collective, in response to their invitation. She provides both with masses of invaluable publicity and, it appears, generates a great deal of pleasure. But, oh dear me, the magazine’s deputy editor, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, a republican, feels compromised at shaking Meghan’s soon-to-be royal hand (Black women are rooting for Meghan Markle, G2, 11 January). There’s a term for what you feel, Charlie: it’s called having your cake and eating it.

Exclusive: A new study shows that a simple set of CBT exercises can help with symptoms, yet many workplaces have no policies in place to support womenWorkplaces should start catering for the menopause in a comparable way to pregnancy, according to one of Britain’s leading women’s health experts.Myra Hunter, emeritus professor of clinical health psychology at King’s College London said that menopausal symptoms remained a “taboo issue” in many workplaces and, while policies to support pregnant women are now standard, there is still little awareness of the impact that the menopause can have on women who are often at the peak of their career. Continue reading...

Bacteria and parasites often found in raw dog and cat food products can pose health dangers to pets and their owners, researchers warnThe trend for feeding dogs and cats raw meat has been criticised by scientists, who say it often contains bacteria and parasites that could pose dangers to both pets and their owners.A growing trend has seen pet owners plump for products such as meat, bones and organs which can be bought frozen and then thawed before being fed to dogs and cats. Continue reading...

It’s the end of an era. Having written the Guardian’s astronomy column since 1974, Alan Pickup has decided to move on … at a timely moment in the newspaper’s historyAs readers of Starwatch already know, after supplying the monthly star notes to the Guardian for 43 years, Alan Pickup is standing down. We bid him a fond farewell.It all started with a trip to hospital back in 1974. Alan Pickup was visiting the astronomer Norman Matthew, the Guardian’s Night Sky columnist, and found Norman fretting about the column’s rapidly approaching deadline. He volunteered to step in. Continue reading...

As if cancer treatment wasn’t trying enough, a common stress will be unwanted advice. But you can benefit from the wisdom of others

Humanoid robot known as SecondHands to pass spanners and move ladders for technicians at online grocery specialistOcado is to test a humanoid maintenance assistant in its warehouses, in the online grocery specialist’s latest move to reduce reliance on human workers.Artificial Intelligence has various definitions, but in general it means a program that uses data to build a model of some aspect of the world. This model is then used to make informed decisions and predictions about future events. The technology is used widely, to provide speech and face recognition, language translation, and personal recommendations on music, film and shopping sites. In the future, it could deliver driverless cars, smart personal assistants, and intelligent energy grids. AI has the potential to make organisations more effective and efficient, but the technology raises serious issues of ethics, governance, privacy and law. Continue reading...

The new schools champion has done a Tim Farron – only this time the issue that makes a powerful man’s position untenable is not gay sexAre you free to think whatever you like? Of course you are. There are no thought police, though the paranoid right likes to imagine “politically correct” commissars are out to martyr them. But expressing outlandish or dangerous views while holding a public position may create a conflict, forcing you to choose.Look at the very different cases of Tim Farron MP, the former Liberal Democrat leader and Toby Young, still hanging on to a powerful position as head of the New Schools Network (NSN). Continue reading...

The financial and social costs of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s are devastating. It’s essential that big pharma be part of the effort to end themIf you were to go out on the street today and run a straw poll on big pharma, I doubt that it would come back very positive. More often than not, these companies are seen by the public as corporate behemoths committed only to the bottom line, and not particularly patient-focused. This week’s news that Pfizer is pulling out of neuroscience research will likely bolster that impression. It’s a tragedy for the millions suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and the many more who are at risk of developing one of these devastating diseases.But it doesn’t have to be this way. Pharmaceutical companies are absolutely crucial in our war against Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and their input, financial muscle and insight hold the key to better treatments and prevention. Dementia, a general term that describes forgetfulness and a decreasing ability to think about and manage everyday mental functions, is one of the toughest medical and economic challenges facing not just the UK but the global population. Continue reading...

Remains of notorious pirate’s ship in North Carolina yield evidence that it was carrying a copy of Edward Cooke’s Voyage to the South SeaThe notorious 18th-century pirate Blackbeard may have whiled away the hours between raids by curling up with a good book, according to a new discovery.Archaeological conservators in North Carolina working on the wreckage of Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, found 16 tiny fragments of paper “in a mess of wet sludge” that had been in the chamber of a cannon. They worked for months to conserve the fragments, the largest of which was the size of a US quarter, discovering as they worked that a few words were still visible on some of the fragments. Continue reading...

The countdown has begun to send humans to Mars. But what will it take, what have we already planned for – and is it really possible that we’ll be ready?If you ever wanted to visit Mars, 2018 would be a really great time to go.In July this year, the Earth and Mars will come closer than at any other point in the last 15 years. They will be in perihelic opposition, meaning Mars will reach the nearest point in its elliptical orbit while the Earth simultaneously passes directly between Mars and the sun. Continue reading...

David Attenborough’s landmark series inspires programmes exploring the impact of plastics and textiles on environmentThe BBC is to show two major documentaries about challenges facing the environment, and a landmark series in which animals are followed for more than two years, as it looks to build on the extraordinary success of Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II.Drowning in Plastic will air on BBC1 and explore the damage that plastic is doing to the environment – an issue raised by Blue Planet II – while The Truth About What You Wear will investigate the impact of the clothing industry on the environment and wildlife. Continue reading...

Earliest fossil evidence shows the winged insects were alive 200m years ago alongside the early dinosaursThe earliest known fossil evidence of butterflies and moths has been found in Germany, showing they lived at least 50m years earlier than previously believed and challenging one of the most popular beliefs about their evolution.Scales from the wings of at least seven species were found in a sample of just 10g of sediment – the weight of a UK pound coin – and researchers believe there are “many, many more” to be identified. Continue reading...

In the second episode of this mini-series, Ian Sample asks if human-level intelligence is what we should be aiming for. And can we replicate something we can’t even define?Subscribe and review on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud and Acast, and join the discussion on Facebook and TwitterWhen it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), people often obsess about creating “human-level” AI. Some think it will take decades, some centuries – and others say it may never happen at all. But is this the best marker to aim for? Or should we broaden these horizons to include the full expanse of intelligence? And ultimately: what kind of intelligence will AI researchers create? Continue reading...

Pulses may be from a neutron star cocooned by a strong magnetic field – though experts are not ruling out more unorthodox explanations such as alien shipsAstronomers appear to be closing in on the source of enigmatic radio pulses emanating from space that have become the subject of intense scientific speculation.Previous candidates for the origin of the fleeting blasts of radiation – known as fast radio bursts, or FRBs – have included exploding stars, the reverberations of weird objects called cosmic strings or even distant beacons from interstellar alien spaceships. Continue reading...

Norishige Kanai retracts claim as a mistake and says he had in fact grown 2cm since arriving at the International Space StationJapanese astronaut Norishige Kanai, on a mission to the International Space Station, has apologised for saying he had grown 9cm while in space and expressing concern about whether he would be safe on his return to Earth.Most astronauts “grow” during protracted space missions because their spines extend in the absence of gravity, but the gains are usually limited to a couple of centimetres and disappear once they are back on the ground. Continue reading...

Left-hand bias for human mothers is well-known, but new research shows it is more widespread among mammals than thought, suggesting an ancient originThere is more to cradling an infant than meets the eye, according to new research revealing that, like humans, other mammal mothers and babies prefer to keep each other on the left when face-to-face.A new study shows the phenomenon is also seen in Pacific walruses and Indian flying foxes, suggesting it is more widespread than previously thought. Continue reading...

Almost 69% of those who tried smoking went on to smoke daily, analysis of global survey data indicates, highlighting importance of prevention measuresMore than two-thirds of people who try just one cigarette may go on to become regular smokers, new research suggests.Researchers found that just over 60% of adults said they had tried a cigarette at some point in their lives, with almost 69% of those noting that they had, at least for a period, gone on to smoke cigarettes daily. Continue reading...

Disappointment as idalopirdine fails at trial to improve cognition and limit decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s diseaseThe quest to develop drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease has experienced a new setback, with a promising medication failing to show benefits in the latest series of clinical trials.Earlier trials had suggested that the drug idalopirdine, from the Danish international pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, might improve cognition in those with Alzheimer’s disease when taken alongside existing drugs – known as cholinesterase inhibitors – acting to improve symptoms rather than stopping the disease from developing. But the latest trials have dashed such hopes. Continue reading...

The colonic irrigation and coffee enemas promoted on Paltrow’s website Goop are not merely unnecessary, they are potentially dangerousIt seems January is Gwyneth Paltrow’s go-to month for promoting potentially dangerous things that should not go in or near an orifice. January 2015 brought us vagina steaming, January 2017 was jade eggs, and here we are in the early days of January 2018 and Goop.com is hawking coffee enemas and promoting colonic irrigation.I suspect that GP and her pals at Goop.com believe people are especially vulnerable to buying quasi-medical items in the New Year as they have just released their latest detox and wellness guide complete with a multitude of products to help get you nowhere. Continue reading...

Tameside hospital has stopped selling sugary snacks and fizzy drinks in its restaurant, has removed added sugar from meals and provides low-carb optionsA hospital in Manchester has become the first in Britain to ban sugar from its restaurant in an attempt to tackle growing concerns about obesity among NHS staff.Tameside hospital has removed all added sugar from the meals it prepares for visitors and health service workers, and taken sugary snacks and fizzy drinks off its menu. The only drinks visitors can buy are tea, coffee, milk and water. Continue reading...

Scientists from Australia’s RMIT University reveal promising results from human trials of swallowable capsule that transmits data to a mobile phoneAn electronic gas-detecting pill could help in diagnosing gastrointestinal ailments, including irritable bowel syndrome.

High doses of the common painkiller over a long period of time may put men at greater risk of fertility problems and other health issues, research indicatesMen who take high doses of ibuprofen for months at a time may be at greater risk of fertility issues and also other health problems, such as muscle wastage, erectile dysfunction and fatigue, scientists have found.Research on healthy young men who took the common painkiller for up to six weeks showed that the drug disrupted the production of male sex hormones and led to a condition normally seen in older men and smokers.

Researchers to test fast-working spray containing naloxone, a treatment usually given to opiate addicts that blocks production of dopamineCould gambling addiction be treated with a nasal spray? A group of Finnish researchers are launching a study to find out.The fast-working spray contains naloxone, which is commonly used as an emergency treatment for overdoses of opiates such as heroin, opium and morphine. It blocks the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure with a central role in addictions. Continue reading...

Statistical study shows how powerful RhODIS database is in linking forensic evidence to particular animals, say researchersA large database of rhinoceros DNA is successfully being used to prosecute poachers and those trading rhino horns, new research has revealed.

‘Complete feminisation’ of northern population is possible in near future, researchers findRising temperatures are turning almost all green sea turtles in a Great Barrier Reef population female, new research has found.The scientific paper warned the skewed ratio could threaten the population’s future. Continue reading...

The Observer has published an excerpt from Johann Hari’s new book challenging what we know about depression. But do his own claims and arguments stack up?I do not know Johann Hari. We’ve never crossed paths, he’s done me no wrong that I’m aware of, I have no axe to grind with him or his work. And, in fairness, writing about mental health and how it’s treated or perceived is always a risk. It’s a major and often-debilitating issue facing a huge swathe of the population, and with many unpleasant and unhelpful stigmas attached. In recent years there have been signs that the tide is perhaps turning the right way, but a lot of work remains to be done. However, if you’re going to allow an extract from your book to be published as a standalone article for mainstream media with a title as provocative as “Is everything you know about depression wrong?”, you’d best make sure you have impeccable credentials and standards to back it up.Let’s address the elephant in the room: Johann Hari does not have a flawless reputation. He has been absent from the spotlight for many years following a plagiarism scandal, compounded by less-than-dignified behaviour towards his critics. Admittedly, he has since shown remorse and contrition over the whole affair, but even a cursory glance online reveals he’s a long way from universal forgiveness. Logically, someone with a reputation for making false claims should be the last person making high-profile, controversial, sweeping statements about something as sensitive as mental health. And yet, here we are. It’s 2018 after all. Continue reading...

Daniel H Pink’s engaging book reveals the best times of day to make optimum decisionsIn 2011, two Cornell researchers, Michael Macy and Scott Golder, began an unusual project. They gathered approximately 500m tweets that had been posted by more than 2 million users in 84 countries over the previous two years. Then they subjected these tweets to careful analysis.The sociologists’ aim was straightforward. The pair wanted to measure how people’s feelings varied from morning until night and, by using an analysis program called Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), they attempted to measure the emotional states revealed by individuals in the electronic texts they sent. The patterns that were uncovered were striking. Continue reading...

Archaeologists find hundreds of hand-axes used by early humans over half a million years ago at Jaljulia, north-east of Tel AvivIsraeli archaeologists have uncovered next to one of the country’s busiest roads the site of an extraordinarily well preserved prehistoric “paradise” used by stone age hunter-gatherers over half a million years ago, who left behind evidence of hundreds of knapped flint hand-axes.The discovery at about a five-metre depth at Jaljulia, near the town of Kfar Saba, suggests that an extinct species of early human - homo erectus – may have returned to the site repeatedly, perhaps attracted by a water source and abundant game, leaving behind evidence of their primitive stone tools. Continue reading...

If you have trouble sleeping, don’t think you’re a special caseWe spend a third of our lives either asleep or trying to sleep; for most of us, that’s more time than we spend on any other activity, including going to work. Yet we hardly ever talk about – or even think about – our sleep. Unless, that is, it becomes a problem. So, what does your sleep say about you? To find out, score the following statements where 1 = not at all; 2 = once a week; 3 = twice a week; 4 = three or more times a week.In the last month have you had sleep trouble because of…