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by Stephen Curry on (#98KY)
Alok Jha’s The Water Book tells the fascinating and unexpected story of the ubiquitous liquid of life Continue reading...
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| Link | http://feeds.theguardian.com/ |
| Feed | http://feeds.theguardian.com/theguardian/science/rss |
| Updated | 2026-06-29 15:01 |
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by Sean Farrell on (#98HE)
Global broadband satellite service for companies suffers further holdup after latest malfunction at cosmodrome Continue reading...
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by John McConnell on (#98F8)
We have taken these drugs for granted. But as their efficacy wanes, a global response involving governments, pharmaceutical companies and serious investment is vital Continue reading...
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by Annalisa Barbieri on (#9877)
Who knew sitting on the toilet was bad for you? In her best-selling book Charming Bowels, microbiologist Giulia Enders explains how to go to the looIn my large Italian family, I grew up with the subject of poo, bottoms and constipation readily – and far too frequently – discussed at the dinner table. I’d be about to raise a raviolo to my mouth, only to hear how someone’s piles had popped, just that morning.This doesn’t mean I’m anal (sorry) about the subject. It’s fascinating away from the lunch table. Late last year, I read that we are pooing all wrong: we should be squatting, not sitting, on a toilet bowl. Then a book called Charming Bowels by Giulia Enders caused something of a storm in its native Germany and I got fully immersed in the subject. Continue reading...
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by Dean Burnett on (#986H)
Prince Charles’s letters to government figures were recently published following a prolonged legal battle. But who’s to say the Prince’s letter writing was restricted to politicians? What if he wrote to high-profile scientists too? And given his poor grasp of science, this probably wouldn’t have ended well. Continue reading...
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by Nick Davis on (#985V)
Last week’s announcement that a UK company won US approval for device-based treatment of depression is excellent news for taking academic findings into a clinical setting Continue reading...
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by Agence France-Presse on (#98HG)
Correction of orbit of the International Space Station comes after failures which prompted Moscow to launch an inquiry into the space industry Continue reading...
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by Sarah Boseley Health editor on (#97BF)
Combination of lumacaftor and ivacaftor modifies genetic defect that causes half of cases of disease that affects 10,000 UK children Continue reading...
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by Jimmy Whitworth on (#976P)
Scientist whose studies in the Amazon region of Brazil led to significant discoveries about leishmaniasis and other parasitic diseases Continue reading...
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by Quentin Wheeler on (#96GS)
This newly classified frogfish, which inhabits the subtidal waters of New South Wales, has two quite distinct colour phases and an atypical defence strategy Continue reading...
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by Reuters on (#96DW)
All launches of Proton-M carrier rockets of this type will be suspended, according to media reports Continue reading...
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by Guardian Staff on (#95HZ)
Video from ZSL London Zoo shows Kumbuka, one of the zoo's western lowland gorillas, holding out his hand for his favourite snack, brown rice. London zoo's gorilla troop are very partial to the highly nutritious rice that keepers scatter over the enclosure to encourage the apes to forage Continue reading...
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by Suzanne O'Sullivan on (#95BY)
Yvonne went blind overnight, Matthew couldn’t walk, Shahina lost the use of her hand – but doctors found nothing wrong. Were they faking it, or was the mind playing tricks? A neurologist on her most intriguing casesI was a junior doctor when I encountered Yvonne. She was 40 and worked in a supermarket. One Tuesday she was reorganising produce in a refrigerated unit while a colleague cleaned the glass. Yvonne turned to talk to her just as she released a small spray of window cleaner. Yvonne felt the liquid splatter on her face and a burning in both eyes. Another colleague led her to the bathroom and washed her eyes with water. Yvonne was taken by ambulance to hospital, where she was examined and had her eyes bathed. Her husband was called, and by the time he arrived she was feeling better. Her eyes were red and full of tears, but she could see normally and the pain had lessened. Her husband took her home.He told her not to go in to work the next day, and during the morning Yvonne noticed her vision blurring. By lunchtime, she was struggling to read the digital clock. Her husband and children came home that evening and encouraged her to have an early night. When Yvonne woke up and opened her eyes, everything was black. She cried out for help and heard the noise of people entering the room, but could not see them. She was completely blind.I noticed increasingly that when she spoke, she looked me in the eye. It was more than a glance; I felt our eyes connectDo you really think my daughter could hold her hand like this for weeks? She's in pain. I know my own childI can't believe it! I came to this hospital with muscle spasm and now I'm being told I'm doing it on purposeFantastic news: none of his tests had shown evidence of MS. I could see his face darken and his wife's eyes roll Continue reading...
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by Joanna Moorhead on (#95AA)
Motor neurone disease and physics both played a part in her split from her husband Stephen Hawking, she says. She talks about the challenges they faced in their 30-year marriage and about how close The Theory of Everything was to realityHere is Stephen Hawking’s verdict on the movie about his marriage: it needed more science. And here is Jane Hawking’s verdict: it needed more emotion. Those opposing views on The Theory of Everything, which brought Eddie Redmayne an Oscar and a Bafta for his portrayal of Stephen and Felicity Jones Oscar and Bafta nominations for her portrayal of Jane, reveal a great deal about not only the personalities of the world’s most famous scientist and his former wife, but also one of the major strands of difference in their relationship.But the truth is that science is probably more absent from the film than emotion, because what the film represents is a triumph of Jane’s experience and persona after decades in which the family was viewed solely through the prism of Stephen’s genius, who as well as being the world’s best-known scientist is also the world’s best-known sufferer of motor neurone disease (MND).Related: Dear Katie Hopkins. Stop making life harder for disabled people | Lucy Hawking Continue reading...
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by Hannah Ellis-Petersen on (#94DA)
Public invited to experience museums and galleries across UK late at night as festival aims to celebrate diverse and quirky cultural landscape Continue reading...
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by Stefano Vanin on (#947N)
Criminals beware: a new study has shown that germs on phones, shoes and other personal belongings can help trace a person’s whereaboutsThis piece was first published on The ConversationProspective criminals should take note: bacteria are everywhere. A small pilot study has shown that the germs on personal belongings such as shoes and mobile phones are actually a useful way of tracing a person’s whereabouts – something that may prove useful in forensic investigations. Continue reading...
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by Guardian higher education network on (#946K)
As the London Mathematical Society celebrates its 150th anniversary, we look back at some of the key moments and players that helped shape and influence mathematics, including Mary Cartwright, the first female mathematician who founded the chaos theory, and twice president GH Hardy who aptly named his cricket team ‘Hardy’s Mathematicals’ Continue reading...
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by Hannah Devlin on (#93X9)
How the filter bubble is shaping our lives Continue reading...
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by Sally Weale education correspondent on (#93W2)
Reproduction specialist Dr Geeta Nargund wants secondary school pupils to be taught about conception, not just contraception Continue reading...
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by Rebekah Higgitt on (#93V7)
Historians for Britain hope to shape the debate over Europe. We should question their narrative and our own assumptions about Britain’s place in history and the history of scienceReaders of the Guardian Science pages may not have noticed the group called Historians for Britain, or a recent piece in History Today by David Abulafia asserting their belief “that Britain’s unique history sets it apart from the rest of Europeâ€. Since it is a pressure group, connected to Business for Britain, that aims to use history to steer the debate over the EU referendum, it will probably become increasingly vocal. It requires critical scrutiny from everyone with an interest in Britain’s relationship with the rest of the world, and in evidence-based political discussion.Abilafia’s article is a classic example of an old-fashioned “Whiggish†narrative. It claims a uniquely moderate and progressive advance toward the development of British institutions, traced continuously from Magna Carta and isolated from the rages and radicalism of the Continent. There has been a strongly negative response from historians on Twitter, sometimes suggesting their opposition as #HistoriansforEurope or, given the scathing reception of Abulafia’s ‘island nation’ narrative, simply #HistoriansforHistory. A reply is being drafted for the pages of History Today and a piece by Neil Gregor has already appeared in The Huffington Post. Continue reading...
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by Henry Nicholls on (#93M9)
New research demonstrates a remarkable adaptation in a fish. It has a warm heart Continue reading...
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by Jenny Rohn on (#93J9)
A possible solution to one of the world’s most pressing problems might be lurking in my own back garden: my son and I see what we can do about it Continue reading...
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by Guardian Staff on (#93GM)
Footage from Science magazine, released on Thursday, shows the first warm-blooded fish to be discovered. The opah, found off the US, Australia and other countries, swims using its pectoral muscles to generate warmth. The fish's internal system has been compared to a car-radiator system, similar to endothermic mammals and birds that can maintain their body temperature, regardless of their environment Continue reading...
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by Guardian Staff on (#93DT)
Pictures released by Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium shows a dead giant squid, found on Tuesday. The squid was nearly two metres long, with one tentacle reaching an additional five metres. it was found by a man walking his dog at South Bay in Kaikoura. The local marine centre has since moved the squid to a freezer with glass windows so it can be viewed by the public. The aquarium says some samples will go to Auckland and Otago Universities for research Continue reading...
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by Graham Readfearn on (#938Q)
Danish climate contrarian Bjorn Lomborg was rejected by the University of Western Australia. Was this really Australia’s own “Scopes Monkey Trial� Continue reading...
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by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#92HB)
Study shows that modern hunter-gatherer tribes operate on egalitarian basis, suggesting inequality was an aberration that came with the advent of agriculture
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by Mo Costandi on (#92AR)
Neurons in the fruit fly brain track orientation much like ‘head direction’ cells in the mammalian brain Continue reading...
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by Ian Sample, science editor on (#9220)
Gold and white or blue and black? Why did people see The Dress so differently? Researchers believe the key might lie in our exposure to artificial lightThe image of The Dress that went viral this year and split friends and families over the colour of its stripes has sparked a fresh debate among scientists.The close-cropped picture of the garment became an internet sensation when it appeared on Tumblr in late February. Its horizontal stripes were black and blue. Or were they white and gold?
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by Alison Benjamin on (#91PP)
Novice beekeepers need to be vigilant for the moment a queen bee will lead workers to find a new hive, especially in cities and towns where swarms can cause disruption – even if they are harmless and nothing to fuss over Continue reading...
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by Maev Kennedy on (#913X)
Scientists have diagnosed strain of leprosy on man from Scandinavia who died in Essex in the fifth or early sixth centuryA Scandinavian man who died 1,500 years ago in Essex suffered from leprosy, and may have been the first to bring the strain to Britain.
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by Haroon Siddique on (#911R)
US study of more than 16,000 people suggests damage is done by depressive symptoms accumulating over timeLong-term depression in people over 50 could more than double their risk of suffering a stroke, with the risk remaining significantly higher even after the depression allays, research suggests.The US study of more than 16,000 people, which documented 1,192 strokes, found that onset of recent depression was not associated with higher stroke risk, suggesting the damage is done by depressive symptoms accumulating over time. Continue reading...
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by Steve Caplan on (#90ZN)
Has it become harder for graduate students to thrive, and are our best potential scientists giving up on academia? Continue reading...
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by Beth Maher on (#90WW)
The Royal Society has revealed the six contenders in the running for the 2015 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, awarded annually to the best science book for children aged up to 14.The winning book will be chosen by groups of young people from over 100 schools and youth groups across the UK. See the full shortlisted below. Continue reading...
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by Dean Burnett on (#90TK)
Outrage at fox hunting and anti-vivisection campaigns are just two examples of people putting animals first. But why do we favour other species over our own? Continue reading...
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by Reuters on (#90G6)
The British soprano has postponed her trip aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule, citing family reasons Continue reading...
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by Guardian Staff on (#8ZXA)
Trap-jaw ants use their powerful jaws to perform jumps in order to hurl themselves away from waiting antlions. Scientists have found that the enormous power of the trap-jaw ant's mandibles comes from a pair of large, contracting muscles in the head. The ant's jaws open to 180 degrees before snapping shut at more than 60 metres per second (140 miles per hour). The whole action takes place 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye Continue reading...
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by Hannah Devlin, science correspondent on (#8ZTY)
Trap-jaw ants are known as fast biters, but researchers have proved that their astonishing leaps, propelled by 140mph muscle movements, are an escape tacticThey have the fastest bite in the animal kingdom, but the trap-jaw ants’ explosive mandibles also serve a less violent purpose, according to scientists. The insects regularly use their spring-loaded jaws to perform “escape jumps†when face-to-face with a predator.The ant’s jaws open to 180 degrees before snapping shut at more than 60 metres per second (140 miles per hour). The whole action takes place 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye. Continue reading...
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by Stuart Dredge on (#8ZCT)
Emergency Asteroid Defence Project needs funding for its research into spaceships that can ‘deflect or disperse’ asteroids and comets Continue reading...
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by Ashifa Kassam in Madrid on (#8Z5S)
Experts in Valencia investigate death of six-tonne fin whale, which showed no sign of collision with vessel or being caught in netZoologists in Valencia are investigating the death of a six-tonne whale that washed up near the shore this week.
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by Matthew Freeman on (#8YQH)
Of course the EU’s frustratingly bureaucratic, but it pays for much of the UK’s science research and innovation Continue reading...
by Vanessa Heggie on (#8YHT)
Thomas Browne was a seventeenth century doctor who championed rational thinking, challenged established thought, and investigated the natural world. Yet he first became famous for writing about his religious faith. Continue reading...
by Patrick van Zwanenberg on (#8YH7)
Controversy over a new evaluation of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, lifts the lid on aspects of chemical safety regulation that often remain hidden from public view. Continue reading...
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by Henry Nicholls on (#8YFG)
It seems an obvious result: researchers lop off part of an insect’s penis and find it doesn’t work so well. But is this as cut and dried as it seems? Continue reading...
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by Sarah Boseley Health editor on (#8XWJ)
Peter Gøtzsche argues that most prescriptions could be stopped without causing harm, but other experts strongly disagreePsychiatric drugs do more harm than good and the use of most antidepressants and dementia drugs could be virtually stopped without causing harm, an expert on clinical trials argues in a leading medical journal.Given their lack of benefit, I estimate we could stop almost all psychotropic drugs without causing harm Continue reading...
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by Editorial on (#8XJ8)
Freedom of thought must mean freedom of belief and unbelief alike – in Bangladesh and elsewhere Continue reading...
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by Richard Sandling on (#8XF8)
Comedian Richard Sandling explains why science fiction, and the science behind it, should be taken seriously Continue reading...
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by Oliver Geden on (#8X9D)
To ensure scientific integrity in climate policy, advisers need to take a step back from politics. Continue reading...
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by Denis Campbell Health correspondent on (#8X8F)
Firms agreed to make their products healthier, for example by reducing amounts of salt, but few have done so, researchers say Continue reading...
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by Hannah Devlin, science correspondent on (#8X6X)
Increase in immune defences fights infections, but also raises risk of inflammation, causing heart attacks, stroke and diabetes during winter monthsThe increase in deaths during winter months is typically put down to icy weather, bouts of flu and the more sluggish lifestyles we adopt as the days draw in. Now scientists have suggested that our own immune systems may be to blame for the annual peak in conditions from heart attacks to diabetes and schizophrenia.A study has revealed that the immune system has a seasonal cycle, in which its activity is boosted during the winter and relaxes during the summer. Continue reading...
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by Sarah Kendrew on (#8X3G)
Although they speak proudly of our achievements, Conservative policies pose a substantial risk to science and innovation Continue reading...
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