Science | The Guardian

In his first month in office the US president has thrown science in the US into chaos, delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt. To understand everything that has happened in the month since he took office and what its impact could be, Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and Prof Harold Varmus, a Nobel prize winner and former director of the National Institutes of Health under Bill ClintonCritics say Trump's executive orders to reshape the NIH will kill' AmericansSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

China's Zhurong rover finds evidence of shoreline buried deep undergroundMars may not seem like a prime holiday spot with its arid landscape and punishing radiation levels, but it once boasted beaches, researchers have found.While previous discoveries of features including valley networks and sedimentary rocks has suggested the red planet once had flowing rivers, there has been debate among scientists over whether it also had oceans. Continue reading...

Asteroid 2024 YR4 had reached a 3.1% likelihood of impact but further data has rendered it negligibleIt was a discovery that led to panic-inducing headlines: a giant asteroid found to be hurtling towards Earth that, while unlikely to wipe out life, could do some serious damage.But now the world can breathe a sigh of relief. After the odds of a future collision rose earlier this year, the likelihood of an impact is now so low as to be negligible. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Researchers aim to develop new techniques to relieve symptoms after finding strong' link to brain waveScientists say brain stimulation could be used to treat anxiety in people with Parkinson's disease, after they made an exciting" discovery about brain waves.More than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's, and about one in three have troublesome anxiety that affects their daily life. Continue reading...

Scores of people experience complications after change from Tysabri to Tyruko as part of NHS drive to save money

Keep an eye on the western sky for the pairing - and you may also see Mercury hovering over the horizonThis week, we keep an eye on the western sky to catch glorious Venus and a young crescent moon.The chart shows the view looking west from London at 19.00 GMT on the evening of 2 March. At this point, the moon will be just over three days old and have just 10% of its visible surface illuminated. While the pairing will not be particularly close, it will still be a beautiful sight. Venus remains in Pisces, the fishes, which is one of the fainter constellations and, although now on the wane, the planet will still be gloriously brilliant. Continue reading...

Health department orders NIH to hold Federal Register submissions - critical step in process for funding studiesThe Trump administration has blocked a crucial step in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) process for funding medical research, likely in violation of a federal judge's temporary restraining order on federal funding freezes.The NIH has stopped submitting study sections - meetings in which scientists peer review NIH grant funding proposals - to the Federal Register after the Trump administration paused health agency communications. By law, study sections must appear on the register 15 days in advance of meetings. Continue reading...

Startling evidence of the dangers to birds and rivers from over-the-counter drugs should be a wake-up call for owners to press for alternativesWhen I was 10, I succeeded in my campaign for a family dog. Part of her care, and our joy as owners, was the monthly application of spot-on worm and flea treatment. With veterinary medicine on my mind as a career, I relished the theatre of vets-at-home. We bought doses over the counter, scheduling the dog's treatment on the calendar like a five-a-side.We applied these drugs to our dog because every other owner did. Because it was encouraged, because it was easy, because it felt right.Sophie Pavelle is a writer and science communicatorDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

What started as curiosity would turn into an emotional investment - and eventually, a lifelineA few nights ago, my phone lit up with a TikTok notification: WE'RE PREGNANT". The message wasn't from a friend. It was from an Australian couple, complete strangers. But social media knows me well because I felt something sharp and bright - joy and relief - for people I will never meet.It's strange to feel deeply for someone you've never spoken to, whose life is about as geographically far from yours as possible. But I was thrilled to see this pregnancy announcement, shared with millions, from someone I only knew through a few carefully curated moments. As someone who is fundamentally nosy - I will never not notice a baby on board" badge or make up backstories for strangers - social media has always offered an irresistible window into other people's lives. Continue reading...

Pin-prick blood tests that detect possible precursors of Alzheimer's disease are becoming available - but is it right to label people who will never develop the disease?It's difficult to say when he first began noticing the signs, says Chris. He was living abroad and communicated with his parents on Skype. During these calls, his mother would sometimes repeat herself, asking the same question just minutes later. We didn't think much of it, we assumed it was due to technical problems." Then his father mentioned that there was something wrong with her memory. Mum being only 63, I didn't believe him." But two years later, during a Christmas break abroad, when his mother went upstairs to use the toilet and couldn't find her way back down, they knew there was something up.Shirley was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at the age of 67 by a GP using a cognitive test that includes drawing a clock with a certain time on a piece of paper. She received the diagnosis via a letter that consisted of only one line. I look at that letter and I am appalled by it," says Chris. My mother never saw a neurologist. It was such a thin diagnosis. We thought this can't be right, she's too young." Continue reading...

All 24 jobs at Dundee University's Leverhulme research centre could be axed because of 30m budget deficitDundee University's world-leading forensic science research centre, which inspired the hit BBC drama Traces, is under threat of closure as the institution attempts to plug a 30m budget deficit.It is feared all 24 jobs will be axed at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, the largest interdisciplinary team in the UK dedicated to improving the science used to investigate crimes and prosecute those responsible. Continue reading...

2024 YR4, a lump of rock the size of a building, may be heading our way, but don't start stockpiling the tinned carrots yetFollowing the possible trajectory of 2024 YR4 - AKA the scariest asteroid ever detected - is not for the nervous of disposition. Is it going to hit us, or not? Every day, a different answer.Last Tuesday, Nasa calculated it had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032, and so some people set to worrying. Twenty-four hours later, however, the agency provided an update. New observations, made since the passing of the full moon, show it now has a 1.5% chance of impact. Time to exhale? Not necessarily. Continue reading...

The So Hot Right Now conference will put the spotlight on dosages advocated by three headline speakers whose claims are disputed by other experts

A probe to be launched this week aims to pinpoint sites of lunar water, which could help plan to colonise the Earth's satelliteSpace engineers are set to launch an unusual mission this week when they send a probe built by UK and US researchers to the moon to map water on its surface. Lunar Trailblazer's two year mission is scheduled to begin on Thursday when the probe is blasted into space from Florida on a Space X Falconrocket.Its goal - to seek out water on the lunar surface - may seem odd given that the moon has traditionally been viewed as an arid, desiccated world. However, scientists have recently uncovered strong hints that it possesses significant quantities of water. It will be the task of Lunar Trailblazer to reveal just how much water there is near the lunar surface and pinpoint its main locations. Continue reading...

Archaeologist believes his find of the century' - of Pharaoh Thutmose II - could be surpassed by ongoing excavationTo uncover the location of one long-lost pharaoh's tomb is a career-defining moment for an archaeologist. But to find a second is the stuff of dreams.Last week British archaeologist Piers Litherland announced the find of the century - the first discovery of a rock-cut pharaoh's tomb in Egypt since Tutankhamun's in 1922. Continue reading...

Experts say current US outbreak is unlikely to end without intervention with further mutation of virus likelyA newer variant of H5N1 bird flu has spilled over into dairy cows separately in Nevada and Arizona, prompting new theories about how the virus is spread and leading to questions about containing the ongoing outbreaks.The news comes amid a purge of experts at federal agencies, including employees who were responding to the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Department of Agriculture. Continue reading...

Some specialists suspect that constantly filtering out background noise may have unintended consequencesThey are prized for making the commute more bearable and shielding against the din of daily life. But noise-cancelling headphones have come under scrutiny after audiologists raised concerns that overuse might impair people's hearing skills.While the technology has clear benefits, not least in helping people listen to music at lower volume, some specialists suspect that constantly filtering out background noise may have unintended consequences. Continue reading...

Case brought during Biden presidency accused space company of refusing, unlawfully, to hire certain immigrantsThe US Department of Justice on Thursday said it would drop a case accusing Elon Musk's space technology company SpaceX of refusing to hire certain immigrants.The justice department last month signaled it could back away from the case, brought during Joe Biden's term. Musk, a top adviser and donor to Donald Trump, is leading a commission tasked with identifying waste in the federal government, dubbed the department of government efficiency", or Doge. Continue reading...

Experts warn young people should have limited use of devices and spend more time outdoorsEvery hour young people spend in front of screens increases their chance of being shortsighted, researchers have found, with experts warning young children should have limited use of devices and spend more time outdoors.Myopia is caused by having an over elongated eyeball and is a growing problem, with research suggesting about 40% of children and adolescents worldwide could have the condition by 2050. Continue reading...

Doctors in London have become the first in the world to cure blindness in children born with a rare genetic condition using gene therapy. The children had leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a form of retinal dystrophy that causes vision loss due to a defect in the AIPL1 gene. Doctors injected healthy copies of the gene into their eyes using keyhole surgery that took just 60 minutes. Four children can now see shapes, find toys, recognise their parents' faces and, in some cases, even read and writeDoctors in London cure blindness in children with rare condition Continue reading...

Four children can now see shapes, find toys, recognise their parents' faces and some can read and writeDoctors in London have become the first in the world to cure blindness in children born with a rare genetic condition using a pioneering gene therapy.The children had leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a severe form of retinal dystrophy that causes vision loss due to a defect in the AIPL1 gene. Those affected are legally certified as blind from birth. Continue reading...

Definitely maybe but probably not

Executive orders' impact on premier medical research agency has resulted in delayed projects and frozen fundingAcademics and scientists who work with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said the Trump administration's orders have severely disrupted work - delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt as chaos in the agency reigns.An array of orders seeks to fundamentally reshape the NIH, the world's largest public funder of biomedical and behavioral research, in the Trump administration's image. The agency's work is the wellspring of scientific advancement in the US, and helped make the country a dominant force in health and science. Continue reading...

It can help relieve pain and tension, especially for patients recovering from injury or nerve compression conditionsAs a fairly diligent stretcher who tries to get at least five minutes of stretching in a day, I'd like to say that I'm fairly in tune with my body, and all its aches and pains. But recently I've been experiencing a bit of numbness and stiffness in my glutes that none of my usual stretches could address. Could the numbness indicate a possible issue with my nerves?It's possible it could indicate a tight sciatic nerve, said Morgan Sileo, an orthopedic clinical specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the treatment for which could include sciatic nerve flossing. Continue reading...

A dogged account of how the quest for a treatment may have been set back years by fraudulent evidenceLiving to old age is quite literally the best thing that any of us could hope for, given the alternative. It's a cruel irony, then, that many of us who make it that far will begin to lose our sense of who we are due to dementia. If you're 65, you've got about a one in 20 chance of developing the most common form, Alzheimer's disease, in the next decade. At 75, it'sabout one in seven, while those fortunate enough to reach 85 face aone in three chance.Given the toll this illness takes on sufferers and those around them, hundreds of millions of families around the world are desperate for a medical breakthrough - and for years, headlines have suggested that it might be imminent. Scientists had identified the cause of Alzheimer's, they promised, and potential cures werealready being tested. Continue reading...

Scientists are closely monitoring 2024 YR4 - and while it's relatively small, it reminds us of the dangers lurking in space

Paul Laskey now has chance to recover vision in left eye after three amniotic tissue graftsA man whose left eye was melted" during an acid attack has thanked the woman who donated her placenta, giving him the chance to recover his sight.Paul Laskey dashed in to protect his son from being robbed at knifepoint when the attacker squirted him in the face with a corrosive substance, believed to be battery acid. Continue reading...

Science editor Ian Sample joins co-host Madeleine Finlay to discuss some of the most intriguing science stories of the week. From a concerning rise in hospital diagnoses of constipation in children, to research suggesting that the environment is far more important for ageing and longevity than our genes, and how squeaks from genetically engineered mice are providing insight into how human language may have emergedPrimary-age child constipation rates up 60% in EnglandEnvironment more crucial than genes in risk of early death, study suggests Continue reading...

Failed water main or mineshaft most likely culprits as hole opens up in the village of GodstoneResidents of Godstone in Surrey have been evacuated from their homes amid fears that two large sinkholes in their high street could trigger a gas explosion. Here we look at what causes sinkholes, whether they are becoming more common and what can be done to prevent them. Continue reading...

President's call to Make America Healthy Again' has led to slashes in NIH funding - endangering jobs and vital researchThe Trump administration's planned cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) not only threaten essential biomedical research in the US, but the livelihoods of researchers - and some are seriously considering leaving the country.A 27 January memo from the Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to pause funding allocations to ensure they serve Donald Trump's goals, including ending wokeness' and the weaponization of government, promoting efficiency in government, and Making America Healthy Again". Continue reading...

Analysis of UK BioBank data shows importance of factors including living conditions and smoking, say expertsThe environment is about 10 times more important than genes in explaining why some people have a higher risk of an early death than others, research has suggested.The study is based on an analysis of information from almost 500,000 participants in the UK BioBank database, including answers to questionnaires as well as data on deaths and diseases that occurred after people enrolled. Continue reading...

Also aptly known as a dancing plant, the telegraph plant's leaflets move in circular motions for no obvious reasonThe telegraph plant (Desmodium gyrans, also known as Codariocalyx motorius), is very strange. At the base of its larger paddle-shaped leaves are smaller leaflets that can be seen constantly twitching around in circles during the day for no obvious reason. These elliptical movements are driven by special motor cells at the base of each leaflet expanding and contracting with water - the movements grow faster with increasingly bright light or increasing temperatures. At around 35C, the leaflets can make one rotation every 90 seconds or so.Charles Darwin in 1881 called it a vegetable wonder" but was baffled by the plant's movements. No one supposes that the rapid movements of the lateral leaflets of [Desmodium gyrans] are of any use to the plant; and why they should behave in this manner is quite unknown." Continue reading...

Researchers say study, which involved training bream to follow a specific diver for treats, could change the way we treat fishWild fish can tell people apart - at least when they are wearing different-coloured outfits - researchers have found in a study they say could shift our relationship with the creatures.It is known that certain domestic animals - or those that live close to humans - can tell one person from another, a skill researchers say could be tied to particular humans being more inclined to share resources with them or, conversely, pose a danger. However, such discrimination is less well known in wild animals. Continue reading...

Poor diet, obesity and inactivity blamed on decline with Norway the only country seeing a riseLife expectancy improvement is stalling across Europe with England experiencing the biggest slowdown. Experts are blaming this on an alarming mix of poor diet, mass inactivity and soaring obesity.The average annual growth in life expectancy across the continent fell from 0.23 years between 1990 and 2011 to 0.15 years between 2011 and 2019, according to research published in the Lancet Public Health journal. Of the 20 countries studied, every one apart from Norway saw life expectancy growth fall. Continue reading...

Ambitious UK project aims to forecast climate catastrophes using fleets of drones, cosmic ray detection, patterns of plankton blooms and moreAn ambitious attempt to develop an early warning system for climate tipping points will combine fleets of drones, cosmic ray detection and the patterns of plankton blooms with artificial intelligence and the most detailed computer models to date.The UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria), which backs high-risk, high-reward projects, has awarded 81m to 27 teams. The quest is to find signals that forewarn of the greatest climate catastrophes the climate crisis could trigger. Tipping points occur when global temperature is pushed beyond a threshold, leading to unstoppable changes in the climate system. Continue reading...

About 20 people working on medicine devices at Food and Drug Administration dismissed amid government purgeUS Food and Drug Administration employees reviewing Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink were fired over the weekend as part of a broader purge of the federal workforce, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.The cuts included about 20 people in the FDA's office of neurological and physical medicine devices, several of whom worked on Neuralink, according to the two sources, who asked not to be identified because of fear of professional repercussions. That division includes reviewers overseeing clinical-trial applications by Neuralink and other companies making so-called brain-computer interface devices, the sources said. Continue reading...

The chemical compounds that block UV rays may lead to bleaching of coral and a decrease in fish fertilityUrgent investigation is needed into the potential impact sunscreen is having on marine environments, according to a new report.Sunscreens contain chemical compounds, known as pseudo persistent pollutants, which block the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays and can lead to bleaching and deformity in coral or a decrease in fish fertility. Continue reading...

The Scottish first minister, John Swinney, was recently forced to deny plans to ban cats after a report from independent experts said the species was a threat to Scotland's wildlife. In the UK, it is estimated that cats kill or bring home 57 million mammals and 27 million birds every year. Ian Sample hears from cat-owner Madeleine Finlay and the ecologist Prof Robbie McDonald about the best ways to reduce our feline companions' impact on wildlife without affecting welfareClips: Good Morning Britain, Channel 5 NewsSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

The answer to today's triangular teaserEarlier today I set you the following two problems. Here they are again with solutions.1. Tricky triangle Continue reading...

Researchers say woman treated for neuroblastoma as a child is longest known survivor after having CAR T-cell therapyA woman treated with a pioneering type of immunotherapy for a solid tumour has been in remission for more than 18 years with no further treatments, experts have revealed.The therapy involves taking T-cells, a type of white blood cell, from a patient and genetically engineering them to target and kill cancer cells. These modified T-cells are grown in a laboratory and then infused back into the patient. Continue reading...

Discovery of pest in UK raises fears for Sitka spruce, which accounts for half of country's commercial plantationsA beetle that has previously devastated Norway spruce populations across continental Europe has been found to be equally attracted to the Sitka spruce, a finding experts say could have significant implications for commercial forestry.The eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle has now been found in the UK, raising fears for the Sitka, which accounts for a quarter of Britain's forest cover and half its commercial forestry plantations. Continue reading...

Yes, I've made balsamic vinegar pearls and sous-vide swede - but trial and error still produces the most delicious foodTo make pearls of balsamic vinegar, first chill a good amount of olive oil in a tall glass. While it waits in the fridge, in a small saucepan over a medium heat, bring the vinegar and agar-agar to the beginning of a boil - just until the agar-agar has dissolved. Let this mixture cool, remove the oil from the fridge, and use a pipette to drop balls of the agar-stiffened vinegar into the oil to form the pearls. Drain into another container using a small sieve to catch the pearls. Reserve the oil for another use.I remember making these, my first and only foray into what is known as molecular gastronomy", in 2013. It was already a bit passe at that time, but the science experiment aspect of creating a simple acidic garnish for a chocolate and strawberry cupcake that Valentine's Day was undoubtedly fun. The lesson influenced how I'd go on to use agar-agar, a seaweed-derived vegan gelatin, in dishes like panna cotta or flan, but I never made the pearls again. They were a novelty, and now I have a fond memory of cosplaying as Ferran Adria, a Spanish chef who popularised these sorts of processes through the restaurant El Bulli.Alicia Kennedy is a food and culture writer and author of No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating, and a forthcoming memoir On Eating: The Making and Unmaking of My Appetites Continue reading...

The TV reporter's struggles with depression and the suicide of his father, whose own father killed himself, prompt this incisive, highly personal investigationJames Longman is an English broadcast journalist who was the BBC's man in Beirut before joining US network ABC, where he is now chief international correspondent. He has reported from wars in Syria and Ukraine and covered Covid lockdowns, the queen's funeral and the 2018 cave rescue in Thailand.On screen, Longman is the type of British journalist that Americans love: eloquent, charismatic and unflappable. Behind the composure, however, runs a tragic legacy of mental illness. In 1996, when he was nine, Longman's father John, an artist who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in his 20s, died after setting fire to his Notting Hill flat. Longman's paternal grandfather also killed himself, and his mother, too, has endured mental health struggles. Longman's own experiences with depression from his mid-20s onwards have prompted him to wonder: Does sadness run in families? Have I inherited mental illness?"The Inherited Mind by James Longman is published by Hyperion Avenue (25). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply Continue reading...

Despite government efforts, armed groups control many remote areas. Now researchers are caught in the crosshairsRaul*, a biologist from Quito, has been leading conservation projects in the Choco rainforest in north-east Ecuador for more than 20 years. It has not been easy, he says, recalling the threats he has received over the years for reporting illegal hunters and loggers in reserves, but he never considered giving up.Last year, however, tensions in the area escalated after violence soared on the country's coast. Accounts of almost daily killings in the cities of Esmeraldas and Guayaquil emerged as gangs appeared to fight over territory, while forced recruitment in rural areas increased, as did extortions, known locally as vacunas, or vaccines. Continue reading...

A triangle and a rectangle walked into a pubUPDATE: Read the solutions hereToday's two questions test your geometrical smarts. The first is about a triangle, the second about a square.1. Tricky triangle Continue reading...

Dark skies away from street lights are required to view this formation attributed to the astronomer Petrus PlanciusThis week, we track down a faint and often overlooked constellation. Monoceros, the unicorn, spans the celestial equator, which makes it visible from most parts of the world. It often goes unnoticed, however, because it is surrounded by much more prominent constellations such as Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Gemini.The chart shows the view looking south-south-east from London at 20.00 GMT on 17 February, although the view will remain essentially the same all week. Because none of the stars in Monoceros will stand out, the easiest way to zero in on the unicorn is by identifying the brightest stars in the surrounding constellations. First, find Sirius in Canis Major. This is the brightest star in the night sky. From there proceed anti-clockwise to Rigel in Orion, then Betelgeuse. Hop across to Procyon in Canis Minor and you will have virtually encircled Monoceros. Continue reading...

I'm an intractable bedtime procrastinator. Why do the sensible thing when I can just lie on the couch, phone in hand, however exhausted I am?This says nothing good about me, but when I read that Oxford quantum physicists had made an exciting step towards teleportation, my first thought was: Will I live long enough for science to teleport me from the sofa into bed at night?"I'm an intractable bedtime procrastinator. However exhausted I am, once I achieve couch horizontality, bed seems pointless. With a heated blanket and the whole internet in my hand, why do the sensible thing when I can do what feels good right now? Continue reading...

Perhaps the problem might not be the world itself, but the way you see itThe question I am writing to you from the edge of the abyss... Hello! Despite the privileges I've had, my life has been a constant struggle. Since I was four, I've had little joie de vivre, thanks to a stew of mental health issues, a difficult home life and a recent discovery that I'm on the autistic spectrum. I don't blame my autism for everything - my personality would be difficult regardless - but it explains a lot.My life runs in cycles: denial of my feelings, stoicism, breaking point, sabotage and starting over. As a child, I'd bottle up frustrations at school, only to explode at home. In adulthood, these meltdowns have been more dramatic: quitting jobs, a half-baked suicide attempt, tantrums and, my biggest regret, the Pixie Cut Year. I've navigated life like the Charge of the Light Brigade, with little to show for it. I've had a string of odd jobs, television (ended in legal dispute), the Royal Albert Hall (unrequited crush) and living in a caravan in Scotland, where my job was to play chess with an elderly gentleman. Most recently, I worked for a religious leader despite being irreligious. For all my supposed creativity, I'm no closer to being a writer. Continue reading...

Memories emerge earlier in some cultures than others, but researchers have long puzzled over our inability to recall events before two or three years of age

Chrissi Kelly, who says anosmia is a like a bereavement', is trialling a simple procedure that could help those who lost sense of smell during Covid or other viral infectionsSmell loss was a defining symptom of Covid, and for some people, a curse. Most people regain their sense of smell as their infection fades, but some never recover. It means not being able to tell if milk is off, if there's a gas leak or what your newborn baby smells like.But for victims of anosmia and its crueller sibling, parosmia, where ordinary smells are transformed into the stench of rotting flesh or sewage, there is new hope. Researchers have discovered that a simple procedure can help people recover their sense of smell years after losing it to viral infections such as Covid, or even decades later. Continue reading...