RHS fears non-native fungi could alter microbiology of soil when grown in gardens or disposed of in compost heapsA boom in the popularity of mushroom-growing at home could lead to a biodiversity disaster, UK garden experts have warned.There has been a rise in the number of people growing mushrooms in their gardens, and this year, the RHS Chelsea flower show's plant of the year award included a mushroom - the tarragon oyster mushroom, thought to be found only in the British Isles - in its shortlist for the first time, despite it being a fungus, not a plant. Continue reading...
by Jennifer Koplin and Desalegn Markos Shifti for the on (#6N67S)
Vitamin D levels, sanitation, diet and migration patterns are all thought to play a role. But there are trials under way to develop new strategies to prevent food allergiesAustralia has often been called the allergy capital of the world".An estimated one in 10 Australian children develop a food allergy in their first 12 months of life. Research has previously suggested food allergies are more common in infants in Australia than infants living in Europe, the United States or Asia. Continue reading...
AI expected to help researchers unlock two-way communication, say team that includes Tel Aviv UniversityIn the Dr Dolittle books and films, the ability to talk to the animals" captured the imagination. Now scientists are being offered a $10m prize to create real conversations.The Coller Dolittle Challenge for Interspecies Two-Way Communication has been launched by the Jeremy Coller Foundation and Tel Aviv University. While the use of AI is not obligatory, the team say the technology can boost almost all proposals. Continue reading...
Revolutionary ancient DNA evidence indicates that Homo sapiens finished off Neanderthals through deadly infectious diseasesLess than a decade ago, the American anthropologist James C Scott described infectious diseases as the loudest silence" in the prehistoric archaeological record. Epidemics must have devastated human societies in the distant past and changed the course of history, but, Scott lamented, the artefacts left behind reveal nothing about them.Over the last few years, the silence has been shattered by pioneering research that analyses microbial DNA extracted from very old human skeletons. The latest example of this is a groundbreaking study that identified three viruses in 50,000-year-old Neanderthal bones. These pathogens still afflict modern humans: adenovirus, herpesvirus and papillomavirus cause the common cold, cold sores, and genital warts and cancer, respectively. The discovery may help us resolve the greatest mystery of the Palaeolithic era: what caused the extinction of Neanderthals.Jonathan Kennedy teaches politics and global health at Queen Mary University of London and is the author of Pathogenesis: How Germs Made History Continue reading...
Florida scientists use AI and virtual reality to create 3D renderings of brain formations of mice, whose neuron types are like humans'Neuroscientists at a Florida university have pioneered a technologically advanced method of brain mapping they believe can help demystify Alzheimer's disease, autism and related disorders, and offer hope of more effective treatments for traumatic brain injuries.A team at the University of South Florida's (USF) auditory development and connectomics laboratory is using virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence to create a high-definition visual timeline of the journey of billions of neurons in the developing brains of newborn mice. Continue reading...
John Belgrave, 60, uncovered rare sword, axe head and bangle in Dorset after becoming separated from groupAn amateur detectorist has described how he unearthed a bronze age hoard, including a rare sword, after getting lost during a treasure hunters' rally.John Belgrave, 60, became separated from the main group of detectorists and headed to higher ground to try to spot them when he made what he has called the find of a lifetime. Continue reading...
by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay with Al on (#6N5CC)
It's been a busy week in the world of artificial intelligence. OpenAI found itself in hot water with Scarlett Johansson after launching its new chatbot, Sky, drawing comparisons to the Hollywood star's character in the sci-fi film Her. In South Korea, the second global AI summit took place, and a report from the Alan Turing Institute explored how AI could influence elections. The Guardian's UK technology editor, Alex Hern, tells Madeleine Finlay about what's been happeningClips: Today, BBC News Continue reading...
Squeals and growls tend to occur in groups, finds study of infants aged up to 13 monthsIt might sound like a stream of jolly nonsense, but the peculiar sounds babies produce could be an attempt to practise the vocal control necessary for speech, researchers have suggested.A study analysing the sounds made by infants during their first year of life has found squeals and growls tend to occur in groups. Continue reading...
The 11ft tall and 20ft long fossil, nicknamed Apex, could fetch up to $6m as it's celebrated as one of the best unearthed'The largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil ever found is expected to fetch up to $6m (4.7m) when it is sold as the star lot in Sotheby's geek week" auction this summer.At 11ft (3.4 metres) tall and more than 20ft long the virtually complete" fossil, which has been nicknamed Apex", is more than 30% larger than Sophie", the previously most intact stegosaurus specimen which was on display in London's Natural History Museum. Continue reading...
Allen's husband decides the apps she is allowed to use and she decides his. It's one of many approaches people are taking to try to ditch social media and unbreak their brainsAn annoying thing about being a parent is that you have to consistently model good behaviour. You can't just shove crisps in your mouth and stare at your phone when you need a break.I've always spent an unhealthy amount of time staring at my phone, but I didn't worry about my habit until I had a toddler. The thing with toddlers is that they have more sophisticated surveillance techniques than Facebook. Even when you think they're completely absorbed in emptying the contents of your cupboards on to the living room floor, they know when you're looking at your phone and not at them. And, according to various alarming studies, this guarantees a lifetime of therapy bills. One 2023 study, for example, found parental phone use is associated with still face". This means that you look like a depressed robot while scrolling - and it can affect a child's emotionaldevelopment. Continue reading...
Archaeologists trying to determine whether animals were killed in battle or buried as part of a ritualFrench archaeologists have uncovered nine large graves containing the remains of horses from up to 2,000 years ago, in a find described as extraordinary".The 28 stallions, all around six years old, had been buried shortly after they died, each placed in pits on their right side with their head facing south. Nearby a grave contained the remains of two dogs, heads facing west. Continue reading...
Charcoal graffiti believed to have been sketched by children uncovered at ancient Roman cityDrawings of gladiators believed to have been made by children inspired by watching battles at Pompeii's amphitheatre are among the latest discoveries in the ruins of the ancient Roman city.The charcoal drawings were found during excavations at I'Insula dei Casti Amanti, a cluster of homes in Pompeii's archaeological park that opened to the public for the first time on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Children who eat peanut snacks regularly from four to six months onwards 71% less likely to have peanut allergy at 13, research findsFeeding children peanut products from infancy until the age of five cuts their risk of developing a peanut allergy into early adolescence, researchers say.Children who ate peanut pastes or puffed peanut snacks regularly from four to six months onwards were 71% less likely to have a peanut allergy at age 13 than those who avoided peanuts, pointing to a long-lasting effect of early peanut consumption. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay, produced by Holly F on (#6N3MD)
Concrete is strong and durable - which is why it's the basis for so much of our infrastructure. It's also terrible for the planet, due to one key ingredient: cement, which is responsible for almost 90% of concrete emissions. Researchers have now found a way to recover old cement while also reducing the environmental impact of recycling steel. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Julian Allwood, professor of engineering and the environment at the University Of Cambridge, to find out how the process works, and what it could mean for the emissions generated by the construction industryFind more on concrete here in a special series from the Guardian Continue reading...
Cause of accident was operational reliability of engine', says Pyongyang, after two failed attempts last yearNorth Korea's latest attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit ended in a mid-air explosion, Pyongyang said late Monday, hours after its announcement of a planned launch was criticised by Seoul and Tokyo.Japanese broadcaster NHK ran footage of what appeared to be a flaming projectile in the night sky, which then exploded into a fireball. NHK said the footage was taken from northeast China at the same time as the attempted launch. Continue reading...
It has long been thought that psychological tactics can persuade consumers to adopt much healthier habits. But it turns out there is a hitch ...Name: Behavioural nudges.Age: Nudge theory was popularised by the 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. But the term nudge had been used in cybernetics, the science of communications and automatic control systems, in the 1990s. 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...
Earth's satellite and the ringed planet will be easily observable in the early hoursThe moon passes Saturn this week. The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at 04:00 BST on the morning of 31 May 2024.As the sky begins to fill with the dawn twilight, Earth's satellite and the ringed planet will rise to an easily observable altitude. By now, the moon is 22.6 days old, and has arrived at its last quarter phase with 45.6% of its visible surface illuminated. This puts it just into its waning crescent phase. 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...
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...
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...
by Kat Lay Global health correspondent on (#6N0YJ)
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...
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Madeleine Fin on (#6N0HQ)
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...
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Madeleine Fin on (#6MYR2)
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...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6MY6S)
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...
