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The answers to today's crunchy teasersEarlier today I set you these two puzzles. Here they are again with answers. Continue reading...

Amid baby boom reports linked to drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, experts say it would be wise' to take extra precautionsClaims that skinny jabs" are fuelling an unexpected baby boom have led experts to warn women to pair their use with effective contraception.Medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic, both of which contain semaglutide, have become hugely popular, not least because they can help people lose more than 10% of their body weight. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Bronze age remains and Roman roads among 12,802 sites discovered using latest technologyBronze age burial mounds, Roman roads and deserted medieval villages are among almost 13,000 previously-unknown ancient sites and monuments that have been discovered by members of the public in recent months, it will be announced this week.Truck drivers and doctors are among more than 1,000 people who participated in Deep Time, a citizen science project" which has harnessed the power of hobbyists to scour 512 sq km (200 sq miles) of Earth Observation data, including high-resolution satellite and lidar - laser technology - imagery. Continue reading...

We fear others' judgment, but the evidence tells us that the things which cause us shame can make us more likableWe all carry some secrets thatwe would rather not share with the people around us. In much the same way that we mayonly invite visitors into the good rooms" of our house whilethe rest is an absolute tip, we often hide the chaosof our personal lives behind a polished facade. This may be a serious mistake, since it's precisely thosevulnerabilities that can offer rich opportunities to bond with the people around us.This is sometimes known as the beautiful mess effect", and one striking example of it playing out in the public sphere is in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales. At the time, even her harshest critics would have admitted that she had an incredible capacity to connect with people. And the widespread admiration for her seems to have arisen because of her vulnerabilities, rather than in spite of them. In her controversial BBC Panorama interview in 1995, for example, she discussed her husband's infidelities, but also her struggles with mental health and her love affairs. Many of Diana's detractors believed that she had provided the material for her own character assassination, but Diana's popularity soared in the days after the interview, with the Daily Mirror reporting that an astonishing 92% of the public supported her appearance on the programme. Continue reading...

Two sweet and crunchy brainteasersUPDATE: Read the answers hereHere's a curious fact taken from The Call of Coincidence, a book by Owen O'Shea about serendipity in maths.The triangle with sides 45, 97 and 56 has an area of 459.756. Continue reading...

Cancer Research UK notes particular rise in diagnoses among older people and says majority of cases are preventableRates of melanoma skin cancer have reached an all-time high in the UK, according to analysis that highlights a substantial rise in the number of cases over the past decade, particularly among older people.New diagnoses increased by almost a third from 21 to 28 in every 100,000 people between 2007-09 and 2017-19, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK) figures, with a 57% rise among the over-80s and a 7% rise in those aged 25 to 49. Continue reading...

Discovery of echidnapus' and two more species show the furry egg-layers predated marsupials

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy do neanderthals have such a bad reputation? Carlo Moretti, VeronaPost your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday. Continue reading...

Finding tunes with a tempo and rhythm to match your heart rate can help you keep the pace when you exercise - and make it more enjoyableAnyone who's ever hefted a dumbbell or laced up a running shoe understands that music, on some level, makes the process more enjoyable. That's why tunes and training are a hit combination: there are playlists, classes and even entire fledgling genres promising to help you push for the burn.Broadly speaking, there are two ways music can help you mid-workout. First, by helping you dissociate from any discomfort you're experiencing and, second, by improving the quality of the training itself. The former seems to work especially well for long, slow efforts. Continue reading...

Former UK chief scientific adviser warns we are not ready yet' and urges next government to prepare

Across the world, medical tests are being adjusted according to patients' skin colour - with shocking consequences. One science writer tells how she helped overturn one of the pernicious assumptions of race-based healthcare

Thousands of children could die after court backs campaign group over GM crop in Philippines, scientists warnScientists have warned that a court decision to block the growing of the genetically modified (GM) crop Golden Rice in the Philippines could have catastrophic consequences. Tens of thousands of children could die in the wake of the ruling, they argue.The Philippines had become the first country - in 2021 - to approve the commercial cultivation of Golden Rice, which was developed to combat vitamin A deficiency, a major cause of disability and death among children in many parts of the world. Continue reading...

Research shows fish oil may increase risk of people developing a heart condition or strokeOmega-3 oils, typically found in oily fish and fish oil supplements, are often said to have numerous health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart attacks, dementia and joint pain.But recent research published in the journal BMJ Medicine shows that while fish oil supplements could reduce the risk for those who already have cardiovascular disease, they may increase the risk of someone developing a heart condition or stroke in the first place. Continue reading...

With second human case of H5N1 reported, CDC launches dashboard to monitor wastewater, and recruits students to helpAmid widespread gaps in US testing for H5N1, a type of bird flu, and as a second case among humans has been detected, scientists are turning to more creative ways of monitoring the outbreak - especially in human and animal feces.Scientists and officials are expanding wastewater monitoring across the US and engaging community members to collect waste samples from birds. They hope to keep tabs on this outbreak while preparing for the next pandemic. Continue reading...

Queensland- and Scotland-based PhD students co-lead team celebrating Eureka moment' spotting Gliese 12bAn Australian university student has co-led the discovery of an Earth-sized, potentially habitable planet just 40 light years away.Shishir Dholakia, a PhD candidate in astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland, is part of an international team that published the discovery in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Continue reading...

Models suggest deaths in poorer countries could be cut by 18% - or about 750,000 a year - with preventive measuresEvery year 750,000 deaths linked to drug-resistant superbugs could be prevented through better access to clean water and sanitation, infection control and childhood vaccinations, research suggests.Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, is a huge global challenge, with the evolution of drug-resistant superbugs, driven by factors including inappropriate and excessive antibiotic use, raising the prospect of a future where modern medicine fails. Continue reading...

The accord - conceived during Covid to prevent and respond to pandemics - will top the agenda at the World Health AssemblyGlobal health leaders will gather in Geneva on 27 May at the annual World Health Assembly, where a new agreement for countries to work together to prepare for, prevent, and respond to pandemics - known as the pandemic accord" - will top the agenda.It was first proposed by world leaders in early 2021, with a promise to avoid the mistakes of the Covid-19 pandemic next time around. Continue reading...

The morning's tea needs to be brewed in the yellow pot, the sheepdog must be scratched repeatedlyAmid the fear and uncertainty of the pandemic lockdowns a few years ago, as I walked the neighbourhood each twilight, I couldn't help observe the little domestic quirks of people I didn't and still don't know.Like everyone else I was finding light and meaning and comfort wherever I might. The early evening - like the early morning and lunchtime - walk with my dogs was part of that.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Wandering worlds are seen deep inside Orion nebula, a giant cloud of dust and gas 1,500 light years awayAstronomers have spotted dozens of rogue planets floating free from their stars after turning the Euclid space telescope to look at a distant region of the Milky Way.The wandering worlds were seen deep inside the Orion nebula, a giant cloud of dust and gas 1,500 light years away, and described in the first scientific results announced by Euclid mission researchers. Continue reading...

Carnivorous predator Radnorscolex latus existed 425m years ago and caught prey with its retractable throatAn ancient worm unearthed in Herefordshire was a carnivorous predator that shoved its throat out to catch and eat prey, according to scientists.The creature, named Radnorscolex latus, was found at a disused Victorian quarry site in the village of Leintwardine, near the Welsh border. Continue reading...

On Tuesday a British man died and several others were injured when their plane encountered severe turbulence between London and Singapore. And it looks like this kind of turbulence is something we'll have to get used to. Last year a study found severe clear-air turbulence had increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020. Ian Sample speaks to Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, to find out why this is happening, and whether there's anything we can do to reverse the trend. Continue reading...

Data from Colorado mountain rivers shows concentrations of copper, zinc and sulphate have doubled in 30 yearsMountain rivers in the US state of Colorado are going rusty and the warming climate is to blame, according to research. An increase in toxic heavy metals has also been observed in Arctic streams, leading to concern that this phenomenon may be more widespread.From the Andes to the European Alps, researchers have seen an increase in heavy metals in mountain streams in recent decades, but it has not been clear what is driving the trend. Analysing 40 years of water chemistry data from 22 of Colorado's mountain streams, researchers found that the concentrations of copper, zinc and sulphate had doubled over the past 30 years. The study, published in Water Resources Research, found that drier weather and reduced stream flow accounted for about half of the rise, but the remaining increase was most likely due to thawing of underground ice, exposing more rocks to groundwater and releasing the metals contained within them. Continue reading...

Electric and hybrid vehicles are quieter than cars with combustion engines, making them harder to hear, especially in urban areasHybrid and electric cars are more likely to strike pedestrians than petrol or diesel vehicles, particularly in towns and cities, according to an analysis of British road traffic accidents.Data from 32bn miles of battery-powered car travel and 3tn miles of petrol and diesel car trips showed that mile-for-mile electric and hybrid cars were twice as likely to hit pedestrians than fossil fuel-powered cars, and three times more likely to do so in urban areas. Continue reading...

My wife, Sylvia Gyde, who has died aged 88, was a medical researcher and NHS administrator. She worked for a number of years in public health, a role in which she consistently argued for the root social, economic and environmental causes of ill health to be better addressed.After a stint as a GP, Sylvia began her research career looking into Crohn's disease at Birmingham general hospital. In the late 1980s she served as medical director of the West Midlands mortality survey, a job that convinced her of the need for better public health medicine. It also led to her appointment as director of public health at North Birmingham health authority (1988-94). Continue reading...

The travel photography site Capture the Atlas has published the seventh edition of its Milky Way photographer of the year collection. The Milky Way season ranges from February to October in the northern hemisphere and from January to November in the southern hemisphere. The best time to see and photograph the Milky Way is usually between May and June, when hours of visibility are at their maximum on both hemispheres - away from light-polluted areas such as cities, and preferably at higher elevation Continue reading...

Catastrophic' global decline due to dams, mining, diverting water and pollution threatens humans and ecosystems, study warnsMigratory fish populations have crashed by more than 80% since 1970, new findings show.Populations are declining in all regions of the world, but it is happening fastest in South America and the Caribbean, where abundance of these species has dropped by 91% over the past 50 years. Continue reading...

Right now, across much of the midwestern and eastern US, trillions of cicadas are crawling out from the soil. And this year is extra special, because two broods are erupting from the ground at once. The first brood hasn't been seen for 13 years, the other for 17 years and the last time they emerged together Thomas Jefferson was president. Ian Sample speaks to entomologist Dr Gene Kritsky to find out what's going on, why periodical cicadas emerge in cycles of prime numbers and how they keep time undergroundClips: CBN NewsEverything you need to know about the US cicada-geddon Continue reading...

Vulnerable birds deviating from migratory routes by up to 155 miles, which could affect breedingEagles that have migratory routes through Ukraine have shifted their flight paths to avoid areas affected by the conflict, researchers have found.GPS data has revealed that greater spotted eagles not only made large detours after the invasion began, but also curtailed pitstops to rest and refuel, or avoided making them altogether. Continue reading...

Improved strength, control and sensation from use of Arc-Ex device described as small but life-changingA device that stimulates the spinal nerves with electrical pulses appears to boost how well people recover from major spinal cord injuries, doctors say.An international trial found that patients who had lost some or all use of their hands and arms after a spinal cord injury regained strength, control and sensation when the stimulation was applied during standard rehabilitation exercises. Continue reading...

Scientists say discovery may be linked to decades-long decline in sperm counts in men around the worldMicroplastics have been found in human testicles, with researchers saying the discovery might be linked to declining sperm counts in men.The scientists tested 23 human testes, as well as 47 testes from pet dogs. They found microplastic pollution in every sample. Continue reading...

Influencers and politicians use snappy cliches to get you on side - but you can fight fire with fireSince the moment I learned about the concept of the thought-terminating cliche" I've been seeing them everywhere I look: in televised political debates, in flouncily stencilled motivational posters, in the hashtag wisdom that clogs my social media feeds. Coined in 1961 by psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, the phrase describes a catchy platitude aimed at shutting down or bypassing independent thinking andquestioning. I first heard about the tactic while researching a book about the language of cult leaders, but these sayings also pervade our everyday conversations: expressions such as It is what it is", Boys will be boys", Everything happens for a reason" and Don't overthink it" are familiar examples.From populist politicians to holistic wellness influencers, anyone interested in power is able to weaponise thought-terminating cliches to dismiss followers' dissent or rationalise flawed arguments. In his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, Lifton wrote that these semantic stop signs compress the most far-reaching and complex of human problems ... into brief, highly selective, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed. They become the start and finish of any ideological analysis." Continue reading...

Moon will be highly illuminated when it rises in a pas de deux with the brightest star in ScorpiusWe are now well into May, and the moon is full and heading for a conjunction with the beautiful red jewel of Antares.From London, this is a really close conjunction - the chart shows the view looking south-east on 23 May 2024 at 22:00BST. The moon's visible surface will be 99.5% illuminated, and will rise virtually coincident with Antares. Continue reading...

Ability to preserve tissue in a special gel solution for at least a week will help doctors identify most effective drug treatmentsScientists say they have a made a potentially gamechanging" breakthrough in breast cancer research after discovering how to preserve breast tissue outside the body for at least a week.The study, which was funded by the Prevent Breast Cancer charity, found tissue could be preserved in a special gel solution, which will help scientists identify the most effective drug treatments for patients. Continue reading...

Ex-air force captain Ed Dwight, passed over by Nasa in 1961, now oldest person to reach edge of space with Jeff Bezo's space firmSixty-one years since he was selected but ultimately passed over to become the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight finally reached space in a Blue Origin rocket - and set a different record.At 10.37am on Sunday, Jeff Bezos's space company launched its NS-25 mission from west Texas, marking Blue Origin's first crewed spaceflight since 2022 when its New Shepard rocket was grounded due to a mid-flight failure. Continue reading...

After drinking and making a fool of herself for 35 years, the writer realised that's not how she wanted to be rememberedHow do you know someone has stopped drinking? Don't worry, they'll tell you. The old vegan joke comes into my mind a lot as yet again I start talking about how my life has transformed since I gave up booze. But people mostly humour me, sometimes even seek me out. It's amazing the number of conversations I've had at parties where friends with whom I used to get hammered now sidle up to me between their fourth and fifth drink and mutter about how they're starting to wonder about whether they should quit, too.As long as I don't use the A-word. Alcoholic. That doesn't make anyone comfortable. You weren't that bad. And if your definition encompasses literal gutters, I wasn't (though I've fallen off a fair few pavements in my time). Leonard Cohen's words from You Want It Darker could have been written for me: I struggle with some demons, they were middle-class and tame." Making a fool of myself on one bottle too many of barolo at a dinner party is hardly alcoholism, after all. Continue reading...

Science Museum's Secret Life of the Home collection, including tea-making machines, early microwave cookers, gramophones and the first flushing toilets will close on 2 JuneThey changed our parents' and grandparents' lives by using technology to tackle the curse of household drudgery. Thanks to the vacuum cleaner, fridge, washing machine and microwave, the lives of householders were transformed in a few generations.But now the UK's principal museum collection of domestic devices - from horse-drawn vacuum cleaners to pop-up toasters - is set to close. On 2 June, London's Science Museum will permanently shut its gallery Secret Life of the Home, a 29-year-old treasure trove of household gadgets that range from early microwaves to the first flushing toilets. Continue reading...

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy are bodies of water so calming? In my experience, this is true whether they are placid or tempestuous. Mary Vogel, VancouverPost your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday. Continue reading...

The scientist leading a study into how the urban environment affects our wellbeing on the surprising and lasting psychological benefits of even just a small dose of natureAndrea Mechelli, a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, is professor of early intervention in mental health at King's College London. He is the project lead on Urban Mind, a research study co-developed with arts foundation Nomad Projects and landscape architects J&L Gibbons which since 2018 has been looking at how aspects of the urban environment affect mental wellbeing globally. Its recent findings suggest that nature - and certain features such as natural diversity and birdsong - can boost our mental health.We know being outdoors - walking, jogging or playing sports - is good for our physical health, but what role does nature play in our mental health?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhat was the first word that humanity uttered? There must have been one ... Raymond Simms, HullSend new questions to nq@theguardian.com. Continue reading...

Dali L Yang's critique of China's response in the early days of the Covid pandemic is thoroughgoing if academic, while poet Liao Yiwu's account mixes fact and fiction to extraordinary effectCast your mind back, if you will, to the beginning of the pandemic, before the World Health Organization had coined the term Covid-19. Back then, it was the Wuhan virus", a mysterious pathogen from a city that few people outside China had visited.On 12 January 2020, China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the virus's genome on an international database, permitting scientists anywhere in the world to see that it was a coronavirus closely related to Sars - the pathogen that had caused a mini-pandemic in 2002-2004. Continue reading...

A new exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London includes tragic' tales of species wiped out from their natural habitatsDouglas Russell, a senior curator at London's Natural History Museum, was examining a collection of nests gathered on the island of Guam when he made an unsettling discovery.The nests had been picked up more than 100 years ago, and I was curating them with the aim of adding them to the museum's main collection. They turned out to be one of the most tragic, saddest accumulations of objects I've ever had to deal with," Russell told the Observer last week. Continue reading...

Four days after my child was born, I began experiencing postpartum psychosis. What I learned changed my lifeThe first time I start hallucinating I am home, alone, with my baby. Drunk from lack of sleep I watch as his features morph in and out of shape. I take photo after photo, trying to capture what I see.A few days later, while I am pushing the pram outside, it happens again. I pull the hood down to hide my baby from prying eyes. I no longer know who I can trust.I am dead, I am dead. And because I am dead it won't matter if I take my own life. No one can miss what was never real. Continue reading...

Tal Danino's day job at Columbia University, New York, is engineering living" medicines. We program microbes for cancer therapy using synthetic biology," he says. As a side hustle he manipulates and photographs the microbial world; his images are collected in a book, Beautiful Bacteria. Taking bacteria from substances such as wastewater, dental plaque or kimchi, Danino lets them multiply in a petri dish, adding dyes. The results are artworks differing from the digital enhancements often made in scientific photography to make images more informative. Indeed, he says, the microbes deserve some credit: They do often deviate from our plans, becoming active collaborators in the creation of the work."

Extreme geomagnetic storm that lit up skies last weekend could recur as 11-year solar cycle reaches its peakAnyone who missed the northern lights last weekend may get another chance to see them as experts predict there could be more soon.Last weekend, bands of pink and green light, known as aurora borealis, lit up the night sky, with rare sightings across the UK, Europe and the northern hemisphere after an extreme" geomagnetic storm caused them to be more visible, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Continue reading...

The Lovatos relocated from Guatemala to Ohio for their son, who has the rare genetic disorder Canavan diseaseThe birth of their first child three and a half years ago completed Natalia and Juan Lovato's lives. Both from Argentina, Juan was a professional soccer player in Guatemala, where Natalia ran a successful Argentinian restaurant.Soon, however, they noticed their son Ciro couldn't hold up his head. Then, they were alarmed that he wasn't making eye contact. Continue reading...

Andy Evans was injecting his own clotting protein at three, and was 13 when he found it had given him HIV. Now he campaigns for fellow survivors - and the truth about the contamination scandal

Scientists point to loopholes in new legislation that have been closed under European Union regulationsNew rules intended to reduce the use of antibiotics in farming in the UK have been criticised as too lax and weaker than their equivalent under EU laws.The updated regulations come into force on Friday. They ban the routine use of antibiotics on farm animals, and specifically their use to compensate for poor hygiene, inadequate animal husbandry, or poor farm management practices". Continue reading...

Discovery of the branch, which ran alongside 31 pyramids, could solve mystery of blocks' transportationScientists have discovered a long-buried branch of the Nile River that once flowed alongside more than 30 pyramids in Egypt, potentially solving the mystery of how ancient Egyptians transported the massive stone blocks to build the monuments.The 40-mile-long (64km) river branch, which ran by the Giza pyramid complex among other wonders, was hidden under desert and farmland for millennia, according to a study revealing the find on Thursday. Continue reading...

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