A science writer charts the monumental impact of having children from every angleMotherhood changes a person. We all know this. Yet in so-called Weird countries (western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic) there is very little in the way of ritual to acknowledge this rite of passage, this fundamental transformation. How can this be, Lucy Jones asks, when it is a transition that involves a whole spectrum of emotional and existential ruptures"?Unlike adolescence, matrescence" is scarcely marked. Instead, we are expected to get on with it, sublimate all our needs to our new baby, and weather this most fundamental of human shifts without making too much of a fuss. We don't properly recognise the psychological and physiological significance of becoming a mother: how it affects the brain, the endocrine system, cognition, immunity, the psyche, the microbiome, the sense of self". Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample with Andrew Pontzen, produ on (#6CJRP)
Ian Sample speaks to the cosmologist Dr Andrew Pontzen about the European Space Agency's Euclid mission, which hopes to uncover more about two of the universe's most baffling components: dark energy and dark matter. Pontzen explains what the probe will be looking for and how its findings will contribute to our understanding of the structure and evolution of the cosmosClips: BBC, CBSRead more coverage of the Euclid mission here. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6CJPG)
Sound comes from the merging of supermassive black holes across the universe, according to scientistsAstronomers have detected a rumbling cosmic bass note" of gravitational waves thought to be produced by the slow-motion mergers of supermassive black holes across the universe.The observations are the first detections of low-frequency ripples in the fabric of spacetime and promise to open a new window on the monster black holes lying at the centres of galaxies. Continue reading...
The largest study of its kind may prove a link between vitamin D levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseaseVitamin D supplements may cut the risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks in older people, according to the largest study of its kind.Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the main causes of death globally. The number of cardiovascular events is predicted to surge as populations continue to age and chronic diseases become more common. Continue reading...
Discovery could pave way for new treatments for condition that affects 2.9m people worldwideResearchers have discovered a genetic variant that appears to influence the speed at which multiple sclerosis (MS) progresses, potentially paving the way for new treatments.According to the MS International Federation, about 2.9 million people worldwide have MS, a condition in which the insulating coating of the nerves in the brain and spinal cord is damaged by the immune system. The nerve fibres themselves can also become damaged. Continue reading...
Scientists in India believe they can explain why the region has less gravitational pullSomewhere roughly in the middle of the Indian Ocean is the deepest dent in Earth's gravitational field - the place where Earth's gravitational pull is the weakest. That's because there is less mass under that spot on our planet - but why?Many possible explanations have been put forward, but proving any of the theories has turned out to be tricky. Now Debanjan Pal and Attreyee Ghosh, of the Centre for Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, India, think they have the answer. They reconstructed the last 140m years of plate tectonic movements and the stirring in the underlying mantle that accompanied the rearrangement of Earth's crustal jigsaw. Continue reading...
US space agency plans to send Americans to the moon by 2025, including the first women and person of colorUS space agency Nasa has ambitions to mine resources on the moon in the next decade, with the goal of excavating the soil there by 2032.Nasa plans to send Americans back to the moon by 2025 for its Artemis mission, including the first women and person of color, the first humans to land on the moon since Nasa's Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972. Continue reading...
Discovery means targeted solutions can be directed to avian flu viruses sooner to prevent spillover into humans, say scientistsScientists have discovered that a gene present in humans is preventing most avian flu viruses moving from birds to people. The gene is present in all humans and can be found in the lungs and upper respiratory tract, where flu viruses replicate. It was already known to scientists, but the gene's antiviral abilities are a new discovery.A six-year investigative study led by the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research found that the BTN3A3 gene is a powerful barrier against most avian flu viruses. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6CJ62)
Social and economic upheaval since the pandemic has resulted in many more families strugglingThe reasons for increased levels of pupil absence in England are multiple and complex. Some were an issue before the Covid pandemic closed schools and disrupted the education of millions, but all have become more acute since, affecting huge numbers of pupils and their families. They include: Continue reading...
Scientists say the cephalopods have stages similar to REM sleep seen in vertebrates including humansOctopuses may be the subject of many mariners' nightmares but new research has added to growing evidence the cephalopods may themselves dream while asleep.Octopuses are thought to undergo two different stages of sleep: quiet sleep" and active sleep", the latter of which involves twitching body parts and rapid changes in the texture and patterning of the skin. Continue reading...
As the climate crisis forces migration, so native tongues wither, too. But it's not too late to interveneRising sea levels already pose an existential threat to the populations of Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and other low-lying Pacific atolls. In these places, however, it is not just homes, crops and community cohesiveness that are at risk: it is Tuvaluan, Kiribati and Marshallese - the languages native to these islands.The impact of the climate crisis on languages may be new, but the relationship between language and climate is old. As humans populated the Earth, climate and geography were enormous factors in where they settled and flourished. The equatorial region, with its consistent temperatures, predictable rainfall and abundant agricultural opportunities, was particularly agreeable. Continue reading...
Metals could be extracted from magmatic brines while producing geothermal power at same time, say scientistsOne hurdle in the transition to a low carbon future is the huge increase in demand for metals associated with renewable energy technologies. By 2050, it is anticipated lithium production will need to have increased by tenfold, cobalt by sixfold and silver by half as much again. Even the most efficient recycling system cannot meet this demand, and conventional mining practices are energy-intensive and environmentally damaging.Some mining companies are looking to the deep sea, but as well as being technically challenging, this risks irreversible damage to unique ocean environments. Writing in Geoscientist, Olivia Hogg and Jon Blundy suggest harnessing the power of volcanoes instead. Volcanic magmas are rich in metals, with active volcanoes such as Mount Etna in Italy releasing about 20 tonnes of copper and 10kg of gold a day in volcanic gases. Extracting metals from volcanic gas is implausible, but mining it from the underlying hot magmatic brines does have real potential. Metals are super-concentrated in these brines and the hot fluids could be used to produce geothermal power, potentially making the mining process carbon neutral. Continue reading...
Finding may help fight against diseases spread by flies and make traps more effectiveBiting flies are strongly attracted to blue objects because they mistake the colour for an animal they want to feast on, scientists have said.The finding may help the fight against diseases that are spread by flies, such as sleeping sickness, by making traps more effective. Continue reading...
I want to see films that respond to our real-life experiences. But few film-makers are willing to tackle this shared traumaIn March 2022, I went with some friends to see The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier's wistful film about a young woman's flailing search for fulfilment. In the epilogue - set some time after the film's events - the protagonist, Julie, is wearing a face mask, as are others onscreen.Leaving the cinema, I struggled to articulate why I found this detail moving. The mask signalled that Julie was now on the other side of not just profound personal losses, but also the global shutdown that rattled us all. It anchored the film's uncertain heroine in an uncertain present. As Paul Thomas Anderson remarked: Something about it made me feel like I had seen something that had genuinely happened." For those of us who turned 30 amid the agonies of lockdown, this little nod to the pandemic deepened the movie's elegy to millennial youth. Continue reading...
A new book, I Feel Love, explores the rollicking history of the 90s club drug turned 21st-century therapeutic treatmentIt was in 1975, when Carl Resnikoff and his girlfriend, Judith Gipson, took a bucolic ferry ride to Sausalito, a city located on the north end of Golden Gate Bridge, that a revolution in youth culture, music, emotion and imagination would take place. It was on that ride that the two undergraduates took capsules filled with MDMA powder for the very first time. Resnikoff, a biophysics major at Berkeley, had synthesized the drug himself. As the boat cut through the water of the San Francisco Bay, Gipson began to feel a floating sense of euphoria ... like some guy could come walking up to us asking for help and his guts are spilling out, and we'd be grooving on how beautiful it was.'"According to Rachel Nuwer's book I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World, Resnikoff and his girlfriend's romp was the first-ever documented instance of people taking MDMA recreationally. Continue reading...
Nice says more evidence needed on effectiveness of tirzepatide, sold under brand name MounjaroA weight-loss jab has been rejected for NHS use by England's drugs watchdog.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which provides recommendations and guidance to health practitioners, said further evidence was needed on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of tirzepatide, which is sold under the brand name Mounjaro, before it could be recommended for NHS use. Continue reading...
by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay, sound on (#6CGGZ)
Since 2020, orcas off the coast of Spain and Portugal have been ramming boats, biting rudders and, in a few cases, sinking entire vessels. Now it has been reported that a similar encounter has happened off Shetland. Madeleine Finlay speaks to marine biologist and orca expert Hanne Strager about what might be behind these incidents and where our fascination with orcas comes fromThis podcast was amended on 27 June 2023. An earlier version contained audio of the calls of a humpback whale, not an orca. This audio has now been removed.Clips: CBC News, The Ocean RaceWatch orcas nudge the rudder of a yacht near Gibraltar Continue reading...
New species named Pinanga subterranea as Kew botanists admit they have no idea how its flowers are pollinatedA new-to-science palm species has been discovered in Borneo with the remarkable ability to flower and fruit underground. How the rare palm - named Pinanga subterranea - has survived is a mystery, as most plants have evolved to develop their flowers and fruit above ground to facilitate pollination and the dispersal of seeds.Pinanga subterranea is the only known species of palm to flower and fruit below ground," said Dr Benedikt Kuhnhauser, a future leader fellow at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who was part of the research team that collected specimens and ascertained that it was a new species. Flowering and fruiting below ground is mind-boggling and seemingly paradoxical because they appear to prevent pollination and dispersal. We now know bearded pigs eat and disperse Pinanga subterranea's fruits, but we've yet to find out how and by whom the flowers are pollinated." Continue reading...
The answers to today's stencil stumpersEarlier today I set you these six stencil puzzles, based on a IQ test for children devised by the American psychologist Grace Arthur in the 1920s.In each puzzle there is a patterned square at the top. The challenge is to work out how to create this square by placing some of the available stencils and coloured blocks on top of each other. Continue reading...
One in three products including shampoos, deodorants and wet wipes found to contain skin allergensMore than a third of personal care products, such as shampoos and body washes, marketed as hypoallergenic at Boots and Superdrug have been found to contain common skin allergens, research shows.As a large proportion of the population have sensitive skin or allergies, products are increasingly using the term hypoallergenic" to advertise goods. But the British Association of Dermatologists said there needed to be more regulation as some brands were stretching the terms to their limit" and could not match these claims. Continue reading...
The stencil puzzle that revolutionised IQ testingUPDATE: The answers can be read hereToday's puzzles are an intelligence test for children invented a century ago by an American psychologist, Grace Arthur.You will be presented with a patterned square. The challenge is to work out how to create this square by placing some of the available stencils and coloured blocks on top of each other. Continue reading...
The giant planets are not favourably placed right now, but in the pre-dawn light they are visible while few stars areIt is easy to forget the two giant planets of the solar system at the moment. Neither Jupiter nor Saturn are favourably placed, but for early risers they are both visible in the pre-dawn sky.The chart shows the view looking southeast at 04.00 BST on 30 June, although the view will not charge markedly throughout this week. As the breaking dawn light fills the sky, few stars will be visible, but Jupiter and Saturn will be shining. Jupiter will be the brighter of the two, shining its white light off to the east. It is located in the constellation of Aries, the ram. Meanwhile, Saturn will be dimmer and yellow in colour off to the south-south-east. It is located in the constellation of Aquarius, the water bearer. Continue reading...
The Italian physicist puts the fiendishly tricky theory of complex systems in terms of birds and bus rides, as his new book aims to make his branch of science accessible to allThe multi-prize-winning theoretical physicist Giorgio Parisi was born in Rome in 1948. He studied physics at the Sapienza University in the city, and is now a professor of quantum theories there. A researcher of broad interests, Parisi is perhaps best known for his work on spin glasses" or disordered magnetic states, contributing to the theory of complex systems. For this work, together with Klaus Hasselmann and Syukuro Manabe, he won the Nobel prize in physics in 2021. His first popular science book, In a Flight of Starlings: The Wonder of Complex Systems, which charts some of the highlights of his life's work and makes a passionate case for the value of science, is published on 11 July.How did you get interested in physics?
Most people are honest, but when I was lied to it left me questioning all my own opinionsWhen were you last lied to? To your knowledge, obviously. Was the lie something that mattered? Was the liar convincing? Did they confess, or did you find them out? And how did you react? Maybe with anger. Maybe with hurt bemusement. Or contempt - like my grandmother, who had a stock retort for anyone who tried to pull the wool over her eyes: I hate liars. They're worse than thieves."Did you feel, afterwards, that you'd been easy to fool? If so, you'd be in good company. It's the norm to assume communication is honest - and that's something to be thankful for, because we'd live in a miserable, suspicious world otherwise. Less helpfully, it's common to assume that body language gives away dishonesty when it does arise. Liars look shifty, in the popular imagination. They cough before they speak, fidget and don't look you in the eye. Unfortunately, none of these cues are very reliable. Continue reading...
A series of surprising studies in psychology shows how deeply our own beliefs influence the outcome of experiments, turning the science on its head. The self-help industry should take noteWant to lose weight? Buy smaller plates." Mindfulness at work: a superpower to boost productivity." Leaving Facebook can make you happier." That's what the headlines and Ted Talks would have you believe. But are any of these psychological tricks - or life hacks, as they are often called these days - actually true? The truth is, we don't know; and, in a very real sense, we can't ever know, because of limitations that are inherent in the design of the relevant experiments - not just those on weight loss, mindfulness or social media, but just about all experiments in what we might call lifestyle science". That, at least, is the implication of a new study by a pair of Stanford psychologists, Nicholas Coles and Michael Frank. We'll get to their work in a minute, but first I'd like to take you back to the German city of Mannheim in 1988.It was here that psychologist Fritz Strack conducted a study that has since been cited almost 3,000 times and become a staple of psychology textbooks and New York Times bestsellers, including Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow. In the experiment, participants were given a cover story: that previous research using questionnaires had excluded participants who were unable to use their hands to fill in the form, and that this study would explore the feasibility of instead holding the pen in your mouth. Half the participants were asked to hold the pen in their teeth (which forced their mouth into a smile) and half in their lips (which forced their mouth into a neutral pout) while they viewed a selection of cartoon strips. Sure enough, the participants who were smiling when they saw the cartoons rated themselves as more amused than the participants who were pulling a neutral (if slightly odd) expression. Importantly, when they were asked afterwards whether they'd suspected anything fishy was going on, none of the participants showed any sign of realising that the pen-in-mouth cover story was simply a way to get them to smile. Strack seemed to have shown that - at least sometimes - our facial expressions determine our moods, rather than vice versa. Continue reading...
Perhaps we don't need to know why someone inscribed an everyday pot as it dried in a workshop: it is enough to know they did itThere are moments when an ancient object emerges from the soil and seems, for a second, to close the gap between you and the deep and slumbering past. Then, almost as soon as a picture has shifted into bright focus, the illusion of connection passes: one is left with the same old sensation of puzzle, of seeing a long-distant world indistinctly and partially, as if through a misted-up pane of glass.This week, one of those moments of brief and magical clarity arrived in the form of an unassuming shard of Roman terracotta, 6cm by 8cm, found in Andalucia's Guadalquivir valley. Continue reading...
Four-page declassified report said while extensive work' had been conducted, no evidence of an incident at the Wuhan lab was foundUS intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified on Friday said.The four-page report by the office of the director of national intelligence (ODNI) said the US intelligence community still could not rule out the possibility that the virus came from a laboratory, however, and had not been able to discover the origins of the pandemic. Continue reading...
Study with 2,155 participants at Sainsbury's stores leads to atrial fibrillation diagnosis for 39 people unaware they had conditionSupermarket trolleys may be known for their wonky wheels and rusty frames, but researchers say the carts could be used to save lives by helping to identify people at risk of stroke through sensors in their handles.According to the British Heart Foundation, one in 45 people in the UK are living with atrial fibrillation (AF), which causes an abnormal heart rhythm and can increase the risk of stroke. While people may be unaware they have the condition, early detection and diagnosis is important as treatments are available. Continue reading...
Number worldwide expected to double, with rises in every country and across every age groupThe number of adults living with diabetes worldwide will more than double by 2050, according to research that blames rapidly rising obesity levels and widening health inequalities.New estimates predict the number will rise from 529 million in 2021 to more than 1.3 billion in 2050. No country is expected to see a decline in its diabetes rate over the next 30 years. The findings were published in The Lancet and The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journals. Continue reading...
by Jonathan Watts Global environment editor on (#6CCTR)
Amazon rainforest and other ecosystems could collapse very soon', researchers warnEcological collapse is likely to start sooner than previously believed, according to a new study that models how tipping points can amplify and accelerate one another.Based on these findings, the authors warn that more than a fifth of ecosystems worldwide, including the Amazon rainforest, are at risk of a catastrophic breakdown within a human lifetime. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay with Hannah Devlin; on (#6CC75)
Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells in a groundbreaking advance that sidesteps the need for eggs or sperm. Madeleine Finlay speaks to science correspondent Hannah Devlin about her world exclusive story on this development, what it could mean for medical research, and whether the ethical and regulatory classifications of these embryos are keeping pace with the scienceRead more of Hannah Devlin's reporting on this story here. Continue reading...
Hundreds of faint stripes, dots and wavy lines at Loire valley site were created more than 57,000 years ago, say scientistsHundreds of faint stripes, dots and wavy lines that adorn a cave wall in central France are the oldest known engravings made by Neanderthals, according to scientists who analysed the ancient markings.The patterns, called finger flutings, appear on sections of the longest and most even wall of the cave in La Roche-Cotard in the Loire valley, and were created more than 57,000 years ago, before modern humans arrived in the region, the researchers say. Continue reading...
Survey shows the impact of Covid on frontline workers, with one in 25 NHS staff attempting suicide for first timeOne in 10 health workers in England had suicidal thoughts during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research that highlights the scale of its mental impact.The risk of infection or death, moral distress, staff shortages, burnout and the emotional toll of battling the biggest public health crisis in a century significantly affected the mental wellbeing of health workers worldwide. Continue reading...
Religious site contains burial mound serving as a solar calendar as well as remains of about 60 peopleDutch archaeologists have unearthed an approximately 4,000-year-old religious site - nicknamed the Stonehenge of the Netherlands" - that includes a burial mound that served as a solar calendar.The mound, which contained the remains of about 60 men, women and children, had several passages through which the sun shone directly on the longest and shortest days of the year. Continue reading...
Excerpt from the Georgics was carved into vessel used for olive oil 1,800 years agoA tiny fragment of a Roman jar that once held olive oil, produced in what is now southern Spain, has left archaeologists delighted, puzzled and saucer-eyed" after they deciphered a quote from the ancient poet Virgil that was cut into its clay by an unknown but erudite hand 1,800 years ago.The highly unusual find, thought to be the first time a literary quotation has been discovered on a Roman amphora, was turned up by researchers from the universities of Cordoba, Seville and Montpellier who were excavating a site in the town of Hornachuelos, in Andalucia's Cordoba province, seven years ago. Continue reading...
Forget your inhibitions this summer. Instead, wear colourful clothes, get enough rest and celebrate every personal bestUnless your body is morgue-ready - in which case, please remain in situ - then your living, breathing human self is beach-ready just the way it is. If you have a pulse, you already have a bikini body. Or indeed a mankini body. We all know this in theory. Yet these sensible thoughts are easily spouted but not so easily, um, embodied. Many of us find it relatively straightforward to be kind (and relatively less judgmental) towards other people. Because all you have to do is remember not to be a cruel git. But when it comes to our view of ourselves, we can be over harsh and critical, submitting ourselves to a level of scrutiny that we wouldn't dream of applying to others.But the 1980s idea that we must all prepare ourselves for the Great Unveiling of the Socially Acceptable Flesh and improve our aesthetic qualities before we venture near a beach or swimming pool ... Well, that has kind of had its day. How often do we have the chance to get the sun on the bits of us that rarely make contact with the outside world? Why would you squander that chance? Here's how to feel confident with your body this summer and all year round. Continue reading...
Findings suggest that becoming pregnant naturally after IVF not as unusual as thought, say scientistsAbout one in five women become pregnant naturally after having a baby using fertility treatment such as IVF, according to research.
Vilified as the scourge of perfect lawns, these tiny plants fight air pollution and keep soils healthyMosses are tiny plants often ignored or treated as the scourge of perfect lawns, and yet they are superheroes of the plant world. They help fight air pollution and the climate crisis, keep soils healthy, colonise bare ground paving the way for other plants to grow, and can survive harsh environments ranging from deserts to polar regions.They lack proper roots and absorb all their nourishment like sponges through their leaves, which makes them particularly good at feeding on pollutants and fine particles of dust in the air. They soak up to 20 times their own weight in water, and when this evaporates it cools the surrounding air by up to 2C. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6CB56)
Patients exposed to dirty air spent four days longer in hospital, the same impact as if they had been a decade olderPeople exposed to air pollution experienced Covid-19 as if they were 10 years older, according to research. It found people recently exposed to dirtier air before contracting the illness spent four days longer in hospital, the same impact as on those 10 years their senior.The Belgian study also showed that air pollution levels measured in patients' blood were linked to a 36% increase in the risk of needing intensive care treatment. A separate study in Denmark showed air pollution exposure was linked to a 23% increase in the risk of death from Covid-19. In both studies, the level of air pollution was below legal EU standards. Continue reading...
Former CMO for England was previously told coronavirus won't come here' after asking for preparedness reviewThe former chief medical officer (CMO) for England has issued an emotional apology to the Covid bereaved as it emerged she had asked for a preparedness review following an earlier coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong but was told it won't come here".Prof Dame Sally Davies, who described her role as CMO from 2010 to 2019 as the nation's doctor", was being cross-examined at the UK Covid-19 public inquiry about shortcomings in the nation's preparedness when she said maybe this is the moment to say how sorry I am to the relatives who lost their families". Continue reading...
Bernard Kay says leading scientists have many questions to answer, while Mary Evans is astonished those who attended lockdown parties were not worried about getting CovidYes, Devi Sridhar, scientists advise and ministers decide (Don't blame scientists for what went wrong with Covid - ministers were the ones calling the shots, 13 June). But there is still much for the Covid inquiry to inquire about. Did we have the best mechanism for obtaining the best advice? Did the scientists give the right advice?What were we to conclude from the appearance of the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, the chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, and the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, at the 12 March 2020 press conference? When they told us we might need to lock down but not yet, was that the scientific advice or government policy? When the epidemiologist John Edmunds gave the same message to Channel 4 on 13 March, was he telling us scientific facts or straying into policy? Continue reading...
The immunologist who runs Scancell is trialling novel treatments to attack tumours, as well as needle-free Covid jabsCancer is my game," says Prof Lindy Durrant, an immunologist, founder and chief executive of Scancell, which is developing vaccines that could offer a needle-free protection against Covid as well as novel treatments against cancer. Founded in 1997 on the back of her Nottingham University research, the Oxford-based company's work on treatments that stimulate the body's immune system to fight cancer and infectious disease has put it in a cluster of promising British biotechnology firms.While most vaccines are taken preventively, there is no jab to avoid cancer (apart from the HPV one for the virus that triggers most cervical cancer). Probably 50% to 60% of people will get cancer and die of it," says Durrant. There are probably 200 different types of cancer. Each of them has a very different signature. So to design a vaccine that covers them all is really hard." Continue reading...
Experts say restrictions on socialising during Covid crisis may have led more women to seek to preserve fertilityThere has been a dramatic rise in the number of women freezing their eggs in the UK, while more single people are opting for IVF, figures show.A report from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HEFA) found that more people than ever are undergoing procedures, with egg- and embryo-freezing the fastest-growing fertility treatments in Britain. Continue reading...
Brief doze may delay brain shrinkage, which occurs faster in people with neurodegenerative diseasesTaking a short nap during the day may help to protect the brain's health as it ages, researchers have suggested after finding that the practice appears to be associated with larger brain volume.While previous research has suggested long naps could be an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease, other work has revealed that a brief doze can improve people's ability to learn. Continue reading...
Evidence suggests slender necks of some ancient marine creatures were a deadly weaknessFor nearly two centuries, fossil hunters have mused that the improbably long necks of some ancient marine reptiles made them tempting targets for hungry predators.Now, researchers have uncovered grisly evidence that sticking one's neck out really was a deadly weakness: the remains of two creatures whose heads were snapped off in acts of Triassic violence. Continue reading...
Last week New York and Detroit were listed among the five most polluted cities in the world because of smoke from Canada. What does that mean?Last week, smoke from more than 100 wildfires burning across Canada rolled into North American cities far from the flames. New York City and Detroit were listed among the five most polluted cities in the world because of the fires on 7 June. The smoke has triggered air quality alerts in several states in recent weeks.We asked Chris Migliaccio, a toxicologist at the University of Montana who studies the effect of wildfire smoke on human health, about the health risks people can face when smoke blows in from distant wildfires.Christopher T Migliaccio is a research associate professor of toxicology at the University of MontanaThis article is republished from the Conversation, a non-profit news organization dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts Continue reading...
Science | The Guardian