Finding creative solutionsUPDATE: To read the solutions click hereSometimes it pays to approach a problem sideways. Each of today's puzzles requires some lateral thinking, in that the first step of the solution is perhaps not the obvious one.1. Three cloves on an orange Continue reading...

The stories people tell me about their lives can be funny, surprising, tragic or shocking - and some stay with me for yearsI can distinctly remember being in the back seat of the family car on a long journey (to Devon probably - that drive felt interminable), looking at all the other cars full of people and thinking, Where on earth are they all going and why?" As my eyes went funny trying to keep up with the traffic flicking past, it blew my mind to imagine everyone as the main character in the dramas of their own lives, with a busy morning behind them and a plan for the afternoon ahead. It's a thought which has never really left me. As a middle-aged woman, one of my ideas of top entertainment is to people-watch. You'll find me at it in cafes, bars, on trains. I'm completely contented when I'm losing myself in the passing tide of main characters, imagining the scenes of their lives unfurling around them. The only thing that can beat it is to take the extra step and strike up a conversation. Not the drinks party kind with all that, Did you come on the B359 or via Porchester?" The conversation with strangers I like is the bigger sort, with feelings and explanations of passions, maybe with a bit of childhood thrown in.Early on in my career as a radio reporter, this preference for the personal over the professional was obvious. I didn't make the greatest of newshounds, as I was often completely diverted by the lives which surrounded the headline. On one occasion, I was sent to interview an elderly couple on the outskirts of Peterborough. I remember their welcoming bungalow with ornaments carefully arranged on a mantel and a calendar of cat photos hanging in the kitchen. After switching off the recorder, instead of hurrying back to file my piece, I ended up chatting some more and the conversation meandered around to how the couple first met... It is a story I have never forgotten. Continue reading...

Research is growing into computational models that will move medicine beyond what works on the average patientImagine having a digital twin that gets ill, and can be experimented on to identify the best possible treatment, without you having to go near a pill or a surgeon's knife. Scientists believe that within five to 10 years, in silico" trials - in which hundreds of virtual organs are used to assess the safety and efficacy of drugs - could become routine, while patient-specific organ models could be used to personalise treatment and avoid medical complications.Digital twins are computational models of physical objects or processes, updated using data from their real-world counterparts. Within medicine, this means combining vast amounts of data about the workings of genes, proteins, cells and whole-body systems with patients' personal data to create virtual models of their organs - and eventually, potentially their entire body. Continue reading...

Indigenous peoples already had their own names for the galaxies named after the 16th-century Portuguese explorerFor centuries Ferdinand Magellan has been accorded a rare privilege. The explorer's name has been written in the stars. Two satellite galaxies of our own Milky Way, which sparkle conspicuously over the southern hemisphere, are labelled the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.Now astronomers want to erase this celestial distinction. They say that Magellan, the 16th century Portuguese sailor, was a murderer who enslaved and burned down the homes of Indigenous peoples during his leadership of the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. They insist his name should no longer be honoured by being associated with the clouds. Continue reading...

Cambridge University scientists develop a device to defossilise' the economy using sunlight, water and carbon dioxideAutomated floating factories that manufacture green versions of petrol or diesel could soon be in operation thanks to pioneering work at the University of Cambridge. The revolutionary system would produce a net-zero fuel that would burn without creating fossil-derived emissions of carbon dioxide, say researchers.The Cambridge project is based on a floating artificial leaf which has been developed at the university and which can turn sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into synthetic fuel. The group believe these thin, flexible devices could one day be exploited on a industrial scale. Continue reading...

The soaring price-tag of a plan to fly rock samples back to Earth is jeopardising other space projects, say criticsIt is one of the most complex space missions ever contemplated. A flotilla of unmanned probes and robot rovers will be flown to Mars to gather rock samples which will then be blasted back to Earth for study for signs of life.This is Nasa's Mars Sample Return and it would involve the first-ever space launch from another planet, as well as the first-ever rendezvous in orbit around another planet. Continue reading...

Association of Clinical Psychologists must pay 20,000 after intervening in family justice case where it mounted critique of expert'A professional body ordered to pay costs of 20,000 by the president of the family division after intervening in an appeal regarding the qualifications of a court-appointed expert has said the ruling was unfair" and could have a chilling effect".The Association of Clinical Psychologists UK (ACP-UK) said it had acted in good faith on a matter of public protection", after being criticised for conducting itself in a wholly exceptional manner" during an appeal before the most senior family judge in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Toolbag not the first item to float into the abyss, after a spatula and multiple other toolbagsSkywatchers have a new space object to train their sights on: a toolbag that is now floating through space around Earth.Nasa astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara were conducting a rare all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on 1 November when their toolbag gave them the slip, according to Nasa. Continue reading...

The condition affects up to 6% of all pregnancies yet understanding of its causes and how to treat it remains basicHaving had one normal pregnancy, Emma Bailey assumed that her second experience of childbirth would progress relatively smoothly. But, at 34 weeks, she began to suffer sudden bursts of stabbing pain just underneath her ribcage.It was really excruciating pain," she remembers. I was admitted to hospital, but they sent me home, saying it was probably just anxiety. I then had to be readmitted the very next day because I was in agony." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Researchers looking at the environment, plastics and pollution as factors as they try to fill big gaps' in their knowledge of the disease

Boundary-pushing 21-hour surgery follows series of extraordinary advances including pig heart transplantsUS surgeons have announced the world's first whole-eye transplant after a boundary-pushing 21-hour surgery. While the 46-year-old patient, Aaron James, cannot yet - and may never - see through his new eye, the organ is showing signs of health and even this partial success takes transplantation into entirely new territory.It marks the latest in a series of extraordinary advances in the field. Last year, the first genetically modified pig heart transplant was performed, with a second patient treated. Modified pig kidneys have been observed to function successfully in a human body. Womb transplants have become more widely available, with the first UK procedure announced in August, as have hand and arm transplants and intestine transplants. And scientists have developed new techniques to recondition donated organs that previously would have been discarded. Continue reading...

Astronaut who led the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, and the first person to spot an Earthrise'On Christmas Eve 1968, as commander of Apollo 8 - the first manned lunar orbital mission - Frank Borman, who has died aged 95, came out with words that, alongside Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind", from Apollo 11 in 1969, and Jack Swigert and Jim Lovell's OK, Houston, we've had a problem", from Apollo 13 in 1970, defined an era.In that moment before the moon programme became mundane, when astronauts were prime time, Apollo 8's broadcast ended with the crew - Bill Anders, Lovell and Borman - reading the story of Earth's creation as written in the book of Genesis. Continue reading...

Astronaut and his crew were the first people to see Earth as a distant sphere in spaceFrank Borman, the astronaut who commanded Apollo 8's historic Christmas 1968 flight that circled the moon 10 times and paved the way for the lunar landing the following year, has died aged 95.Borman died on Tuesday in Billings, Montana, according to Nasa. He also led the troubled Eastern Airlines in the 1970s and early 80s after leaving the astronaut corps. Continue reading...

Tests exploring how birds navigate gaps smaller than their wingspan shed new light on their amazing abilities'When it comes to mind-bending aerial manoeuvres, it turns out hummingbirds can give Top Gun's Maverick a run for his money.Researchers have discovered that the diminutive creatures have two different strategies they can deploy to squeeze through gaps that are smaller than their wingspan. Continue reading...

US researchers suggest that better work-life balance particular beneficial for those over 45 or at higher riskFlexible working can reduce someone's risk of having a heart attack or stroke, new American research has found.Having a better work-life balance is so beneficial to health that some employees who work flexibly end up with heart health equivalent to what they had 10 years earlier. Continue reading...

Method could be used to stop people from unlocking cars or to support bartenders serving alcoholWhether it is the story of Peter Piper and his pickled peppers or a woman selling sea shells on the seashore, tongue-twisters tackled when sober can sound rather different after a drink.Now researchers believe such changes, in particular those relating to pitch and frequency, could be used to alert people to their level of intoxication. Continue reading...

5m project launched with aim of having reliable tests within five years to provide quick diagnosisScientists are to begin piloting simple blood tests for dementia that could revolutionise detection of the disease and within five years lead to people being diagnosed in seconds by the NHS.Currently, getting a formal diagnosis in the UK relies on mental ability tests, brain scans or invasive and painful lumbar punctures, where a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is drawn from the lower back. Continue reading...

Ian Sample talks to Guardian global environment editor Jon Watts about the withering drought currently devastating the Amazon rainforest. Jon explains the complex mix of factors that are driving the drought, and considers whether it might be a catalyst for more concerted climate action in Brazil and beyondClips: Freesounds archive Continue reading...

Japan has gained another island after an undersea volcanic eruption 1,200 km south of Tokyo created a new landmass. The tiny island emerged following a series of eruptions that began last month near Iwoto island, part of the Ogasawara island chain in the western Pacific, according to experts

New research on insects - without which the planet would not survive - shows a higher proportion are at risk of disappearingRead more: How the extinction of insects would transform our planetTwo million species are at risk of extinction, a figure that is double previous UN estimates, new analysis has found.While scientists have long documented the decline of species of plants and vertebrates, there has always been significant uncertainty over insects, with the UN making a tentative estimate" of 10% threatened with extinction in 2019. Continue reading...

When I felt lonely growing up, my grandmother's company and cuisine were a soothing balmMy grandmother collected me from school every day and invariably brought me along to pick up any missing ingredients for dinner. I was a dark-skinned child with thick, curly hair, and she could have passed for white. People often didn't know what to make of us, but rarely questioned our relationship aloud.Once, at Schwegmann's, our local grocery store, the cashier looked from me to my grandmother several times, a quizzical expression on her face. How you come to be together?" she finally asked. My grandmother beamed at her, tousled my hair. That's my granddaughter," she said, as if I was a hard-earned prize she had won. That's my granddaughter," she repeated, accepting her change, retrieving her shopping bag and walking me to the car. Continue reading...

Thousands of specimens from the 1500s show huge changes to Bologna's flora due to climate crisis and migration, say researchersA collection of pressed flowers taken from the hillsides of Bologna 500 years ago is unlocking knowledge about how the climate crisis and human migration is changing landscapes in northern Italy.Picked between 1551 and 1586 by the Renaissance naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi, the 5,000 delicately cut and dried plants form one of the richest collections of its time. Continue reading...

Last month was hottest October since records began, with average global temperature thought to be 1.7C above late-1800s levelsThe world is set to have been hotter in 2023 than in any other year on record, scientists have declared, before a landmark climate summit this month.We can say with near certainty that 2023 will be the warmest year on record, and is currently 1.43C above the pre-industrial average," said Samantha Burgess, the deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The sense of urgency for ambitious climate action going into Cop28 has never been higher." Continue reading...

Scientists find average levels of nitrogen dioxide almost twice as high in homes cooking with gas as in those cooking withoutGas cookers are pumping pollutants linked to childhood asthma into kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms across Europe, a report has found.Dutch scientists measured the air quality in 247 homes and found average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO) were almost twice as high in those cooking with gas as in those cooking without. One in four homes with gas cookers breached hourly pollution levels set by the World Health Organization, while none of the homes in the control group, which used electric cookers, broke the limits. Continue reading...

Just as frogs and crickets alter calls to attract mates, study shows male singers boost vocals in front of female onlookersBehind the rousing song of an all-male choir lies an evolutionary force that is better known for shaping the sex lives of hopeful frogs and crickets, research suggests.Recordings of an elite boys' choir once directed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, Germany, reveal that the more physically mature boys in the group boosted their vocals with an appealing ring when girls were in the audience. Continue reading...

Findings may enable earlier treatment before severe damage happens requiring life-changing surgerySigns of the debilitating bowel condition Crohn's disease can be detected in routine blood tests up to eight years before the onset of symptoms, and up to three years before a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. The discovery suggests that early stages of inflammatory bowel diseases may begin far earlier than previously assumed, and may eventually enable doctors to intervene before severe damage occurs.Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that affect more than 500,000 people in the UK alone. They are caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the gut, resulting in painful sores, inflammation and symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Continue reading...

Move to make more than half of those living with condition in England and Wales eligible for device hailed as gamechangerMore than 150,000 adults and children with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales are to be offered an artificial pancreas on the NHS, which experts are hailing as a gamechanger" that will save lives and heartbreak".The groundbreaking device, also called a hybrid closed-loop system, uses a hi-tech algorithm to determine the amount of insulin that should be administered and reads blood sugar levels to keep them steady. A world-first trial on the NHS showed it was more effective at managing diabetes than current devices and required far less input from patients. Continue reading...

Perseus cluster and Horsehead nebula captured in dazzling detail as part of effort to create cosmic 3D mapThe Euclid space telescope has beamed back its first images in a mission that promises to lift a veil on the dark universe".The 1bn (850m) European Space Agency (Esa) mission is focused on dark matter and dark energy, which together make up 95% of the universe but their natures are almost entirely mysterious. The first images show the Perseus galaxy cluster and Horsehead nebula in dazzling detail and capture approximately 100,000 galaxies in a single snapshot, showcasing the telescope's unmatched ability to make razor-sharp observations across a vast expanse of space. Continue reading...

Anastrozole to be made available to women who have been through the menopause and have family history of breast cancerAlmost 300,000 women at higher risk of developing breast cancer are being given access to a drug that can halve their risk in a major step forward" in the fight against the disease.An estimated 289,000 women in England who are at moderate or high risk of breast cancer will from Tuesday be able to take the tablet to try to prevent it from developing, NHS bosses said. Continue reading...

After Matthew Perry's death was announced, a clip of the actor debating the science of addiction on the BBC's Newsnight programme went viral. To find out where we've got to in our understanding of addiction, Ian Sample talks to Dr Nora Volkow, director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. She explains how brain imaging has advanced our understanding of this chronic diseaseClips: NBC, BBC Continue reading...

Former president takes stand in New York Trump Organization trial as judge asks lawyer to control your client'

The first patient to receive a spinal implant to treat advanced Parkinson's disease has described experiencing 'a rebirth' after the treatment allowed him to walk again without falling over. Marc, 63, from Bordeaux, France, was diagnosed with the degenerative disease more than 20 years ago and had developed severe mobility problems, including balance impairments and freezing of gait. After receiving the implant, which aims to restore normal signalling to the leg muscles from the spine, he has been able to walk more normally and regained his independence.

Marc, 63, had freezing of gait before becoming first with advanced Parkinson's to be fitted with device restoring normal signallingThe first patient to receive a spinal implant to treat advanced Parkinson's disease has described experiencing a rebirth" after the treatment allowed him to walk again without falling over.Marc, 63, from Bordeaux, France, was diagnosed with the degenerative disease more than 20 years ago and had developed severe mobility problems, including balance impairments and freezing of gait. After receiving the implant, which aims to restore normal signalling to the leg muscles from the spine, he has been able to walk more normally and regained his independence. Continue reading...

Bronze coins dating from fourth century are in exceptional state of preservation, Italy's culture ministry saysAn Italian diver's sighting of something metallic near the coast of Sardinia has led to the discovery of tens of thousands of Roman bronze coins, Italy's culture ministry has said.After the man alerted the authorities, divers from an art protection squad and the ministry's undersea archaeology department were sent to investigate. The coins, which date back to the first half of the fourth century, were found among sea grass not far from the north-east shore of the Mediterranean island. Continue reading...

The sun is expected to reach solar maximum' between January and October 2024, bringing spectacular aurora displaysThis winter is likely to be a blockbuster year for seeing the Northern Lights as scientists predict the best displays in 20 years, which have already been seen in southern England.The sun is predicted to reach the peak of its approximately 11-year activity cycle - known as solar maximum" - between January and October 2024, bringing with it spectacular aurora displays both in lower polar regions and further south in Europe. Continue reading...

We focus on friendships, but encounters with those we hardly know are vital tooThe stranger struck up conversation on a delayed flight between Florida and New York. We were both struggling to entertain our toddlers, and we commiserated awhile. After the children fell asleep, he told me he'd recently left the Mormon church. He said he missed the community and the certainty he once felt. He was still figuring out how to raise a child without faith: for example, would I say there was a heaven if my daughter asked, even if I didn't fully believe it?Maybe it feels more natural to speak intimately with a stranger on a flight, when you are both uprooted and disoriented, not quite sure if it's night or day or where the sun should hang in the sky. Maybe it's more natural for your mind to turn to existential questions when you're hurtling through the atmosphere at great speed, held up by forces you can't fully understand. For a few hours we talked about fear and loss, and I later thought that while this kind of intensity is discouraged, maybe such subjects are actually best explored with someone completely unfamiliar to you, who sees the world quite differently. Continue reading...

Measures including healthy sleep and regular exercise may slow pace of body's biological ageingScientists have named eight health measures that can slow the body's ageing process by six years.Keeping body weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure in check while maintaining healthy sleep and eating regimes, doing regular physical activity and not smoking may slow the ageing process by around six years, US experts say.Eat a healthy dietBe more activeQuit smokingGet healthy sleepMaintain a healthy weightControl cholesterolWatch blood sugarManage blood pressure Continue reading...

Daye's product doubles as PCR test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and other common infectionsA tampon is being repurposed to screen for sexually transmitted infections, with the at-home test aiming to encourage more women to seek treatment.The gynaecological health startup Daye has launched an STI diagnostic tampon, which uses a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to check for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomonas, mycoplasma and ureaplasma, with the tampon used in place of a swab or speculum. Continue reading...

Researchers designing lateral flow test that patients could use at home and avoid six-month wait for MRI scanScientists are developing the world's first finger-prick test to spot brain tumours. More than 300,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with brain cancer each year, and while treatments have improved over the last few decades, recurrence remains a risk.The unpredictable timing of tumours coming back makes them difficult to detect early. Researchers are designing a lateral flow test to pick up signs of recurrence that could be used by patients at home. Continue reading...

The UK excels at longevity research'. Could it become part of an industry that fascinates the wealthiest people in the world?About a decade ago, 125 amateur cyclists from all over the UK filed into the laboratories at King's College London. Aged between 55 and 79, they were there to participate in a long-term study examining how regular physical activity affects the ageing process.Janet Lord, professor of immune cell biology at Birmingham University, who conducted the study in collaboration with King's professor Steve Harridge, said the team were surprised by some findings when they examined the cyclists' bodies and took blood samples over several years. Continue reading...

Some scientists say the rules must be changed so plants and animals are not tagged with objectionable' namesIn 1937, a brown, eyeless beetle was found in a few caves in Slovenia. The new species was unexceptional apart from one feature. Its discoverer decided to name it after Adolf Hitler.Anophthalmus hitleri has an objectionable sound to modern ears. Nor is it alone. Many species' names recall individuals or ideas that offend: the butterfly Hypopta mussolinii, for example, while several hundred plant species carry names based on the word caffra which is derived from a racial slur once used in Africa. Similarly Hibbertia, a genus of flowering plants, honours George Hibbert, an English slave owner. Continue reading...

Women form just 16% of the nominees for next year's award, but Nobel laureate Prof Frances Arnold says gender balance will come through girls working in science from a young ageAs a Nobel laureate, Prof Frances Arnold is not short of accolades. Yet being the only woman to so far win the Millennium Technology Prize - the Nobel equivalent for engineers - is one of the least appealing.Nominations for the 1m 2024 prize closed last week, and the organisers have revealed that women formed just 16.3% of nominees, the highest of any year since the biennial award's launch in 2004, apart from the 28.1% put forward in 2022. Continue reading...

In the NSW southern highlands, Horse Aid is working to un-soldier' former defence personnel and un-race' thoroughbreds

An imaginary starship trip beyond the solar system to the edge of the Milky Way offers new perspectives on the wonders of spaceAstronomy and cosmology can feel detached from everyday reality. But what if we could take a 23rd-century starship tour through the Milky Way and experience the cosmos like an Earth-bound tourist visiting exotic destinations? What would we see from our window?Although physicists enjoy speculating about warp drives, or using wormholes to jump between locations, there is no way to travel faster than light at present. So we're assuming a fictional ability to do this - but beyond that, everything we will encounter on our voyage is based on best current theories. Continue reading...

Helen MacNamara painted a picture of a homogenous, unpleasant top table. Experts says this lack of diversity can matter beyond the workplace itselfHelen MacNamara, the UK's second-most senior official at the height of the Covid pandemic, lifted a lid this week on a toxic environment" at the heart of Downing Street, in which female civil servants became invisible overnight" and were routinely spoken over or ignored. A picture emerges of an unpleasant and unequal workplace, but experts say that the apparent exclusion of women from decision-making is also likely to have impaired the UK's response to the pandemic.At the most basic level, a lack of representation at the table excludes gender-related insights and expertise. MacNamara highlighted specific issues that were overlooked including the lack of provision for domestic abuse victims during the first lockdown, concerns about oversized PPE not fitting and endangering female frontline staff and unnecessarily restrictive rules around pregnancy care and childbirth. She said the WhatsApp group for her children's school - typically the domain of mothers - provided a barometer of public sentiment from which leadership appeared disconnected. Continue reading...

Dinkinesh - Amharic for you are marvelous' - lies beyond orbit of Mars and has its own dinky sidekick barely 220 metres acrossYou could call it a mini moon".In one of the smallest, but still exciting, discoveries by Nasa in recent years, a spacecraft visiting a minor asteroid way out in the solar system has discovered that the chunk of space rock has its own tiny sidekick. Continue reading...

I told Chris Whitty at the time that scientists were providing cover for weak leaders taking harmful decisions

Reanalysis of skeletal remains in Spain suggests conflicts took place about 5,000 years ago in neolithic period, say researchersThe earliest period of warfare in Europe might have occurred more than 1,000 years before what was previously thought to be the first large-scale conflict in the region, researchers have suggested.Reanalysis of more than 300 sets of skeletal remains uncovered in Spain - radiocarbon dated to between 5,400 and 5,000 years ago - indicates that conflicts took place long before powerful states formed in the region. Continue reading...

Scientists say that like humans the rodents can navigate through a space using only their thoughtsWhether dreaming of a white Christmas or simply pondering how best to rearrange the furniture, humans are able to conjure up myriad situations that are not in front of us. Now it seems rats may be able to do something similar.Researchers have found that rats can navigate their way through a space they have previously explored using their thoughts alone, suggesting the rodents have some sort of imagination. Continue reading...

Discovery of hidden transmission of disease formerly know as monkeypox leads to calls for improved surveillanceThe disease formerly known as monkeypox, which spread around the world in an unprecedented outbreak in 2022, was circulating in humans for more than five years before the explosion of cases triggered a global public health emergency, researchers say.The discovery of longstanding, hidden transmission between humans has led to calls for improved global surveillance of the MPXV virus to eliminate the disease, renamed mpox last year, from humans and prevent it from re-emerging. Continue reading...