Graphite particles suggest that the first organisms emerged on Earth more than 4bn years ago during one of the most violent periods in our planet’s historyLife may have gained a foothold on Earth more than 4bn years ago, according to researchers who believe that fragments of carbon found in rocks in Canada are remnants of ancient organisms.Researchers in Japan analysed graphite particles in rocks from the Saglek region of northern Labrador and found that they contained potential traces of life. In work last year, the team dated the band of rocks to 3.95bn years old.
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#33DAJ)
For the first time, astronomers have detail on the 3D pattern of warping that occurs when black holes with masses of 31 and 25 times that of the sun collideAstronomers have made a new detection of gravitational waves and for the first time have been able to trace the shape of ripples sent through spacetime when black holes collide.The announcement, made at a meeting of the G7 science ministers in Turin, marks the fourth cataclysmic black-hole merger that astronomers have spotted using Ligo, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. The latest detection is the first to have also been picked up by the Virgo detector, located near Pisa, Italy, providing a new layer of detail on the three dimensional pattern of warping that occurs during some of the most violent and energetic events in the universe. Continue reading...
Part of a long-term project to send humans to Mars, the Nasa-led programme will see the two countries working to create a crewed spaceport in lunar orbitRussia and the United States have agreed to cooperate on a Nasa-led programme to build the first lunar space station, part of a long-term project to send humans to Mars.The US space agency said earlier this year that it was exploring a programme called the Deep Space Gateway, a multi-stage project to push further into the solar system. Continue reading...
During the Ultra Gobi in 2016, I felt more aware of my own body as it gradually disintegrated. According to scientists, this might be partly why I enjoyed itWhy would anyone want to run 400km across a desert? It’s a good question and one that I confronted last year when I completed the Ultra Gobi, a single stage, self-navigated 250-mile footrace in China. This year I face an even harder question: Why would anyone do it again?In moderation, running improves both your health and physique; in extremes, it does quite the opposite. The feet blister and swell to the point where multiple pairs of shoes in ascending sizes are required. Toenails turn black and fall off or, worse, fill with fluid and require puncturing. Some runners even choose to strike pre-emptively and have theirs surgically removed. Continue reading...
The sponsorship by Shell and BAE Systems of this weekend’s New Scientist Live festival crosses an ethical red line, writes Chris Garrard, a campaigner and member of the Art Not Oil coalitionIn the past month we have witnessed record-breaking storms, provoking pressing questions about our changing climate, while the Cassini probe concluded an almost 20-year journey in space which has shaped our understanding of the solar system. It is perhaps the ideal moment for the New Scientist to be hosting “the world’s most exciting festival of ideas†– New Scientist Live – an event which is “rooted in the biggest, best and most provocative science†and “will touch on all areas of human lifeâ€. But ahead of the festival’s opening, it is not the science that has been provocative. Instead, it is the choice of the oil corporation Shell and the arms company BAE Systems as sponsors.Museums and galleries have come under mounting pressure over the ethics of their fundraising. In 2015, the Science Museum faced tough scrutiny when it was revealed how Shell had attempted to influence the climate science exhibition it was sponsoring. While it normally produces news articles, not exhibitions, New Scientist also needs to demonstrate that is accountable and ethical in how it operates. Today, the importance of fair, balanced and accurate journalism – particularly science journalism – is becoming ever more important. Just last week, respected researchers Myles Allen and Richard Millar felt called to speak out as sceptics in the media misrepresented their research into how much carbon dioxide we can emit into the atmosphere and still hope to achieve the goals set out in the Paris climate agreement. Continue reading...
Emotional, physical or sexual abuse can lie at root of weight problems in later life and, unless targeted, taxes on food types will be cruel to those who self-medicate• Outclassed: The Secret Life of Inequality is our new column about class. Read all articles hereTrinity Wallace-Ellis first recalls associating food with consolation when she was about eight. Her heroin-addicted father could explode in violence, sometimes beating her and her seven younger sisters. Afterwards, he was always regretful – and Trinity would come home from school to find a refrigerator filled with cakes and pies.
by Presented by Hannah Devlin and produced by Max San on (#33BVX)
What does later life look like for the growing population of childhood cancer survivors? And how might their experiences change the way we treat this group of diseases?Subscribe & Review on iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud & Acast, and join the discussion on Facebook and TwitterA diagnosis of cancer is always a life-changing event, but when the patient is a child the blow must feel even more acute. However, childhood cancer is one of the great success stories of oncology. In the US, more than 80% of childhood cancer patients will now survive in the long-term, compared to under 60% in the mid-1970s. And by looking at these survivors and trying to understand their experiences could the way childhood cancers are understood and treated be about to change? Continue reading...
South Pacific landmass may have been closer to land level than once thought, providing pathways for animals and plantsThe mostly submerged continent of Zealandia may have been much closer to land level than previously thought, providing pathways for animals and plants to cross continents from 80m years ago, an expedition has revealed.Zealandia, a for the most part underwater landmass in the South Pacific, was declared the Earth’s newest continent this year in a paper in the journal of the Geological Society of America. It includes Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Continue reading...
Older people more likely to be infected through heterosexual sex and to have more advanced disease when it is finally diagnosed, new study revealsHIV rates are climbing in the over-50s in the UK and across Europe, while the rate of new infections among younger people is dropping, according to new research which warns that the epidemic may be taking a new direction.The study, from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Sweden, says that older people are most likely to be infected through heterosexual sex. They are also likely to have more advanced disease – which will be harder to treat and could be life-threatening – when it is finally picked up. Continue reading...
Dr Mohsen Danaie, who works at the UK’s synchrotron, has valid visa but was sent letter warning of forcible removalThe Home Office is still sending out letters telling lawfully resident immigrants in Britain they must leave the country, a month after the home secretary had to apologise for “an unfortunate error†in mistakenly informing 100 EU nationals that they faced possible deportation.The Home Office had to issue a further apology on Monday to a research scientist, who received a letter out of the blue on Friday telling him his driving licence was being revoked and he “should take steps to leave the UK immediatelyâ€. Continue reading...
Far-sighted government policy means the cost of offshore wind energy has halved. The benefits in terms of climate change and UK jobs will be enormousIn March I went to see Henrik Poulsen, the boss of Dong Energy, in Copenhagen. Never heard of him or his company? You are not alone, but the chances are he is keeping your lights on. The largely unknown story of his company is worth telling because it is genuinely revolutionary.Dong stands for Danish oil and natural gas. It was, like Shell and BP, involved in fossil fuel exploration and production. But in less than a decade it has become an 85% offshore wind company, and is divesting its coal, oil and gas interests. By 2023, Dong Energy will be very close to zero carbon. That is a pretty staggering transformation in a very short space of time. Continue reading...
Those with highest psychopath scores were among the greatest fans of Blackstreet hit No Diggity, with Eminem’s Lose Yourself also rated highlyContrary to the movie trope epitomised by Alex in A Clockwork Orange and Hannibal Lecter in the Silence of the Lambs, psychopaths are no fonder of classical music than anyone else, though they do appear to have other musical preferences, psychologists say.In a study of 200 people who listened to 260 songs, those with the highest psychopath scores were among the greatest fans of the Blackstreet number one hit No Diggity, with Eminem’s Lose Yourself rated highly too. Continue reading...
Unpredictable nature of Antarctic sea ice levels the focus at conference of meteorology experts in Australia this weekSea ice levels in Antarctica dropped to a record low this year, but experts say there is not a clear link to climate change.More than 60 meteorologists and scientists from around the world are holding a week-long meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, to better understand sea ice changes on the frozen continent. Continue reading...
Immunotherapy provides good reason for optimism and even awe. Unfortunately, it does not work in the majority of patientsShe is grunting from the work of breathing. Perched at the edge of a chair, she hunches over her walking frame in order to find a comfortable position to speak the few sentences she can manage. Having watched her decline, I estimate she has weeks to live.
Work is accelerating at site on Hisarlık Hill, formerly a ‘ruin of a ruin’, and a museum will open next yearRüstem Aslan, Troy’s chief archaeologist, grows more animated as he enters the fenced-off area just beyond the southern gate of the ancient city’s ruins. To him it offers tantalising clues that may add to the evidence that this was the scene of the war detailed in Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey.“Priam, Achilles, Hector: [whether] they lived and died here, we cannot prove that 100%,†said the affable Aslan, who started working at the site as a student in 1988. “But if you work inside for 30 years, night and day, winter or summer, surrounded by this landscape, you can feel it. You start to believe.â€
It’s unlikely the new Australian Space Agency will be sending astronauts to the Moon any time soon – but there’s a lot of space work to be done besides that
My sister, Stella McGuire, who has died aged 70 of lymphoma, was an archaeologist who worked on civil defence at the height of the cold war.She was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, the daughter of Eric Strong, an accountant, and his wife, Irene (nee Smith), a secretary, who brought up their children to love walking, reading, nature, history and socialism. She lived in Warwick and Leamington until she was 16, when the family moved to Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Attending Warwick high school for girls and Aylesbury high school for girls, she went on to get a first in French from Sussex University. Continue reading...
by Written by Adrian Owen, read by Andrew McGregor an on (#336KS)
After suffering serious brain injuries, Scott Routley spent 12 years in a vegetative state. But his family were convinced that he was still aware – could a pioneering ‘mind-reading’ technique prove them right?• Read the text version here Continue reading...
The results of today’s number competitionOn my puzzle blog earlier today I invited you play the Nikoli Derby, in which you were asked to submit a number to win a prize. I stated that:The winner is the person who submits the lowest number that no one else also submits. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#3369J)
Stimulation of the vagus nerve allows patient who has been in a vegetative state for 15 years to track objects with his eyes and respond to simple requestsA 35-year-old man who had been in a vegetative state for 15 years has shown signs of consciousness after receiving a pioneering therapy involving nerve stimulation.The treatment challenges a widely-accepted view that there is no prospect of a patient recovering consciousness if they have been in a vegetative state for longer than 12 months. Continue reading...
The newfound neutrality of English in Europe may help it survive Brexit as the EU’s lingua franca ... with the addition of a few distinctly un-British quirksIf your planification isn’t up to snuff, you might need to precise your actorness. English in the EU, spoken primarily by non-native speakers, has taken on a life of its own. While “planification†might be jargon unlikely to pop up outside of Brussels, there are also changes afoot in more everyday spoken English in Europe. You might hear a mobile phone referred to as a “Handyâ€, and be asked to SMS, not text, your friend.
South England and Scottish Highlands have higher prevalence of infected ticks which cause the disease, says health bodyThe south of England and the Scottish Highlands have been earmarked as high risk areas for Lyme disease.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said some areas appear to have higher prevalence of infected ticks which cause the disease. But the health body said prevalence data is incomplete as it called for a large study into the condition in the UK. Continue reading...
The row about the science and technology select committee’s lack of diversity reveals that we are still confused about what such groups are forOn Saturday, hundreds of Labour women - politicians, stakeholders and activists - from across the country met in Brighton, in advance of Labour party conference, for the annual Labour party women’s conference. This year was special, because for the first time it had a formal voice in Labour’s policy-making processes. But as we debated issues ranging from housing and the NHS to the economy and fair pay, I kept thinking about the irony of the recent announcement by the parliamentary select committee on science and technology that the committee will not have any female MPs sitting on it this year.As someone who studies the impact of science and technology on society, it was clear to me that whatever issues motivated us to get involved in politics, they were going to change dramatically over the next five to ten years thanks to science and technology. Digital technologies are already making it harder to fund public services, as they enable companies to benefit from “stateless profitsâ€, depriving the public purse of much needed tax receipts. It will be impossible to come up with a realistic business tax policy for the 21st century without engaging with this. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the advent of robots is going to rapidly transform industry, healthcare and the job market in ways we have never seen before; we need to think deeply about what this means for the skills and education we should offer future generations. And the way highly paid jobs in the tech industry are usually men’s jobs means that the gender pay gap is likely to widen as these industries grow in the future. In short, in the 21st century, science and technology is one of the most powerful drivers of change and shaper of our society. And we cannot govern the country if we don’t understand how to govern these technologies. Continue reading...
It was the Victorians who decided that splitting an infinitive was a grammatical error. Now, researchers says, there is good reason to consign the rule to historyName: The split infinitive.Age: 800 years. Ish. Continue reading...
What to look out for during the coming weeks, including the Orionids meteor shower during the second half of OctoberWith Jupiter now lost in the Sun’s glare, our one remaining naked-eye evening planet sets around one hour before our map times. Saturn, shining at mag 0.5 and now incorporating the ashes of Cassini, is the brightest object low in the SW at nightfall. Continue reading...
Australia is coming out of its most deadly influenza season for more than 10 years and experts say increased vaccination alone will not help enoughAs Australia endures one of its worst flu seasons in more than a decade, questions are being raised about how the public can be better prepared and what can be done to protect the most vulnerable.At least 170,000 influenza cases have been confirmed this season, almost two-and-a-half times more than in 2016. The federal health department logged 72 flu-related deaths by Thursday, including that of eight-year-old Rosie Andersen in Melbourne. Experts say Australia is on track for a record number of confirmed cases.
Synthetic meat and fish can’t, on their own, provide an answer to climate change, argues Iain Climie, while David Ridge envisages technical problems in taking the technology out of the lab, and onto people’s platesSynthetic meat and fish (Is ‘Frankenfish’ the start of a food revolution?, G2, 21 September) could have huge benefits – although there are cheaper and simpler ways to improve food supplies, including better livestock practices, conservation plus careful use, integrated methods, silviculture and using different animals fed more sensibly. These ideas, technology and cutting waste could massively reduce livestock’s impact, but nobody wants the bill while benefits could still be lost.Even dramatic reductions in human emissions may not stop the climate change trend. Those most at risk won’t benefit from technological advances, and the response to climate refugees approaching richer countries can be imagined. More food from less space doesn’t guarantee more room for wildlife; environmentalists often estimate western lifestyles for all would require at least three fully exploited planets. And it isn’t just burgers: biofuels, other cash crops, mineral extraction, suburban sprawl, dams and other developments could outweigh potential gains. Underlying these concerns are free market idiocies. Resources are looted for short-term gain, having enough is an alien concept and “make more money, buy more stuff†rules. Maybe the world needs to chill in more ways than one.
There were a lot of happy neutrino physicists around the UK and the US on Wednesday, as the long-standing partnership between the two countries in particle physics was bolstered by a new agreementDUNE is one of the better particle physics acronyms. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment involves a large, sensitive detector which will indeed be deep underground - in the Sanford Lab at the Homestake goldmine in South Dakota – and will study neutrinos produced from a high-intensity beam of protons at Fermilab in Illinois. UK scientists from several universities are already deeply involved in the experiment, and Cambridge’s Prof. Mark Thomson is one of the two spokespeople who lead the experiment internationally.The science of neutrinos is fascinating, with wide implications for our understanding of the universe and how it operates. Neutrinos are produced copiously in the Sun, and are the second most abundant particle in the universe. In the original conception of the “Standard Model†of particle physics, they were taken to be massless. The discovery that they actually have a - very tiny but non-zero - mass remains the only major modification forced upon the Standard Model since it was established. Fittingly, the first measurement leading to that discovery took place in the Homestake mine, which will now be reoccupied by one of the DUNE detectors. A goldmine in more than one sense. Continue reading...
Leading neuroscientist Matthew Walker on why sleep deprivation is increasing our risk of cancer, heart attack and Alzheimer’s – and what you can do about itMatthew Walker has learned to dread the question “What do you do?†At parties, it signals the end of his evening; thereafter, his new acquaintance will inevitably cling to him like ivy. On an aeroplane, it usually means that while everyone else watches movies or reads a thriller, he will find himself running an hours-long salon for the benefit of passengers and crew alike. “I’ve begun to lie,†he says. “Seriously. I just tell people I’m a dolphin trainer. It’s better for everyone.â€Walker is a sleep scientist. To be specific, he is the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, a research institute whose goal – possibly unachievable – is to understand everything about sleep’s impact on us, from birth to death, in sickness and health. No wonder, then, that people long for his counsel. As the line between work and leisure grows ever more blurred, rare is the person who doesn’t worry about their sleep. But even as we contemplate the shadows beneath our eyes, most of us don’t know the half of it – and perhaps this is the real reason he has stopped telling strangers how he makes his living. When Walker talks about sleep he can’t, in all conscience, limit himself to whispering comforting nothings about camomile tea and warm baths. It’s his conviction that we are in the midst of a “catastrophic sleep-loss epidemicâ€, the consequences of which are far graver than any of us could imagine. This situation, he believes, is only likely to change if government gets involved. Continue reading...
by Robin Dunbar, Angela Saini, Ben Garrod, Adam Ruthe on (#3329Y)
In October 1967, Desmond Morris published his landmark study of human behaviour and evolution. Here four experts assess what he got right – and wrongProfessor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford Continue reading...
With an almost boundless capacity to learn, people are more able to change than we thinkPanta rhei. Everything flows. This aphorism was supposedly coined by Heraclitus nearly 3,000 years ago. It was his belief that nothing remains as it is; the only constant is change. Most of us would agree unreservedly with this idea. After all, we see the world changing every day as we go about our lives – and that’s not only true of everything, but of everyone, too.Children become adults, eloquent professors turn into care-dependent dementia patients, high-school dropouts transform into dotcom billionaires and wallflowers grow into showstopping stars. But we have a tendency to “freeze-frame†our fellow human beings in certain situations. We speak of born orators, artists, or thinkers, but also born losers and born criminals. Continue reading...
Discovery by UK scientists prompts fear that melting ice will allow more plastic to be released into the central Arctic Ocean – with huge effects on wildlifeA British-led expedition has discovered sizeable chunks of polystyrene lying on remote frozen ice floes in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.The depressing find, only 1,000 miles from the north pole, is the first made in an area that was previously inaccessible to scientists because of sea ice. It is one of the most northerly sightings of such detritus in the world’s oceans, which are increasingly polluted by plastics. Continue reading...
At 17, Nicole Kluemper recovered memories of being abused by her mother – and sparked one of the fiercest debates in modern psychology. She tells her story for the first timeNicole Kluemper’s home is filled with mementoes: navy medals, a collage of photographs, a portrait of her old dog. Every wedding anniversary has been carefully celebrated, most recently with a small bronzed statue, for eight years. From her bedroom window, she can see the hill where she and her husband married, and can recite every moment of the day. There is a reason for this careful archive. “My memory,†she says, “is a matter of some debate.â€In precise tones, Kluemper, 39, explains how she came to be part of one of the most controversial cases in modern psychology. This is the first time she has talked to the media about her story. For years, she was known only as Jane Doe. Continue reading...
Research center named after Katherine Johnson, 99, whose story was told in the film Hidden Figures: ‘I liked work. I liked the stars and the stories we were telling’Katherine Johnson, the mathematician whose calculations influenced some of the most important missions of the space age, on Friday helped Nasa open a new research and development facility that bears her name.Related: Hidden figures: the history of Nasa’s black female scientists Continue reading...
This week’s top story brings hope for millions of those who are unable to conceive. British scientists have revealed the role of ‘master gene’ in human embryo development. The study marks a first for the UK and could help uncover the cause of recurrent miscarriages and improve fertility treatments. Scientists used Crispr/Cas9 gene-editing tool to make precise cuts in DNA and deactivate a gene called OCT4. The study showed this gene is critical for the embryo to develop and the results could help produce more effective IVF treatment. Meanwhile, the WHO has warned over the paucity of new antibiotics. In a report it said the world was facing a global crisis of drug resistance as too few antibiotics were being made leading to too many infections becoming untreatable around the world. It cites the spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) that kills 250,000 people a year. The report calls for urgent investment and responsible use of existing antibiotics. Elsewhere, world’s top neuroscientists have launched an ambitious project to unravel the mysteries of brain. Experts from 21 labs in the US and Europe are to uncover how the brain makes decision: where, when, and how neurons take information from the outside world, make sense of it, and work out how to respond. Mind boggling stuff! Continue reading...
Professor Courtenay Norbury debunks some myths about children with this common but poorly understood conditionDevelopmental Language Disorder (DLD) is diagnosed when children fail to acquire their own language for no obvious reason. This results in children who have difficulty understanding what people say to them, and struggle to articulate their ideas and feelings. Recent research has shown that, on average, 2 children in every class of 30 will experience DLD severe enough to hinder academic progress.In a previous post for Head Quarters about DLD, some of the reader comments reflected commonly held misconceptions about children with the condition. It is one of the most poorly recognized and understood disorders of childhood despite its prevalence. Here Prof Courtenay Norbury debunks some of the most common myths. Continue reading...
Mark Boyle argues that a primitive life away from the modern world is healthier, but the evidence strongly suggests that this is a privileged fantasyRomanticising the past is a common human compulsion, and may well have psychological benefits. But some people take it rather far, embracing millennia-old practices and lifestyles, like “paleo dietsâ€, or alternative medicines based on “ancient wisdomâ€, and so on.Some even eschew as many of the trappings of modern life as possible. One such person is Mark Boyle, a man who rejects things like money, technology, electricity, etc, and is a much better person for it. Better than us, at any rate, judging by his books and regular Guardian columns. You might argue adopting an extreme back-to-nature lifestyle then crowing about it via a major website is slightly massively-hypocritical? You wouldn’t be alone. Continue reading...
Pumpkin toadlet frogs are only known case of an animal that continues to make a communication signal even after the target audience has lost the ability to hear itHumans trying to chat each other up in a noisy nightclub may find verbal communication futile. But it appears even more pointless for pumpkin toadlets after scientists discovered that females have lost the ability to hear the sound of male mating calls.
Decaying notebooks discovered in an abandoned research station contain a treasure trove of tree growth data dating from 1930sA cache of decaying notebooks found in a crumbling Congo research station has provided unexpected evidence with which to help solve a crucial puzzle – predicting how vegetation will respond to climate change. Continue reading...
Rare discovery of child’s partial skeleton at 49,000-year-old site in Spain suggests extinct ancestors had similar pattern of growth to modern humansThe first analysis of a Neanderthal boy’s skull uncovered in Spain suggests that he grew much like a modern boy would, in another sign that our extinct ancestors were similar to us, researchers have said.The rare discovery of a child’s partial skeleton was found among the remains of seven adults and five other youths at the 49,000-year-old archeological site of El Sidron. Continue reading...
Lack of internet was bigger problem than personality clashes among six ‘astronauts’ confined in remote hideaway on Hawaiian volcanoLosing internet access was a bigger problem than personality clashes for six “astronauts†confined for eight months on a remote simulated Mars base, a British member of the team has said.Not a single personal insult was uttered by any member of the crew during the whole of the “missionâ€, which ended on 17 September, claimed the astrobiologist Sam Payler, 28, a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. Continue reading...
Analysis of fossilised dinosaur dung suggests some herbivorous dinosaurs may have also eaten crustaceansSome dinosaurs may not have been the strict vegetarians that palaeontologists thought they were.
Taking the stairs and getting off the bus a stop early are more likely to protect against heart disease and early death than working out, research showsIncorporating physical activity into our everyday lives, from taking the stairs to holding “walkaround†meetings in the office, is more likely to protect us from heart disease and an early death than buying a gym membership, according to the author of a major new global study.The study, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that one in 20 cases of heart disease and one in 12 premature deaths around the globe could be prevented if people were more physically active. It compared 130,000 people in 17 countries, from affluent countries like Canada and Sweden to some of the least affluent, including Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Continue reading...