Previously, the only way to reduce levels of Pfas was by bloodletting or a drug with unpleasant side effects

Centre for animal sentience to look into animal consciousness and the ethical use of AI in how we treat themIf your cat's sulking, your dog's whining or your rabbit's doing that strange thing with its paws again, you will recognise that familiar pang of guilt shared by most other pet owners.But for those who wish they knew just what was going on in the minds of their loyal companions, help may soon be at hand - thanks to the establishment of the first scientific institution dedicated to empirically investigating the consciousness of animals. Continue reading...

The International Space Station has been flying over the country this week and excited children tracking Shubhanshu Shukla's every move will be hoping for a glimpse of his temporary home on Saturday nightAs the International Space Station passes over India this weekend, many of those looking up to catch a glimpse as it goes by will be excited schoolchildren, who, like millions across the country, have their eyes, hopes and dreams pinned on astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the ISS.What if the astronauts find evidence of intelligent life forms in space? Or even better, what if Shubhanshu Shukla's experiments help humans discover a way to survive on other planets?" says Deborshi Halder, an excited 15-year-old. His classmate, however, is concerned. But if places beyond Earth become habitable, we humans may land up exploiting them too, leading to space pollution," says Sabnam Sireen. Continue reading...

My father, Arthur Callaghan, who has died aged 93, was a biology lecturer at Staffordshire University and passionately committed to blue sky" research: scientific endeavour for its own sake. His investigation of the natural world, in particular the study of fungi and their interactions with microscopic organisms, sustained a deep fascination that lasted throughout his life.Part of his research involved the study of the fungi Conidiobolus and Basidiobolus, and their saprotrophic and pathogenic qualities (ie species' ability to colonise and obtain nutrients from dead microscopic animals such as mites and springtails, or infect and kill them). In 1989, he co-discovered and named, with Steve Waters, a new species, Conidiobolus iuxtagenitus. Continue reading...

From cows and cats to squirrels and birds, all have their own methods but may need more help as heatwaves intensifyWith the UK bracing for its third heatwave of the summer, 2025 is on course to be a record-breaking year for temperature. As people retreat into paddling pools and beneath the breeze of pedestal fans, a quieter and less visible struggle is playing out across the country's fields, forests and hedgerows. So how are Britain's animals weathering the heat?From cows and cats to herons, horses and even earthworms, each species has evolved its own tactics for staying cool - some more effective than others. But as extreme heat events become more frequent and intense, scientists are beginning to question the longer-term resilience of UK wildlife, and what we can do to help. Continue reading...

Colossal Bioscience is adding the extinct animal to its revival wishlist, joining the woolly mammoth, dodo and thylacine. But scepticism is growingStanding more than three metres (10ft) high, the giant moa is the tallest bird known to have walked on Earth. For thousands of years, the wingless herbivore patrolled New Zealand, feasting on trees and shrubs, until the arrival of humans. Today, records of the enormous animal survive only in Mori oral histories, as well as thousands of discoveries of bone, mummified flesh and the odd feather.But this week, the US start-up Colossal Biosciences has announced that the giant moa has joined the woolly mammoth, dodo and thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, on its list of animals that it is trying to bring back from the dead. The announcement has provoked public excitement - and deep scepticism from many experts about whether it is possible to resurrect the bird, which disappeared a century after the arrival of early Polynesian settlers in New Zealand about 600 years ago. Continue reading...

A hole drilled 750ft deep to study museum's geothermal potential yielded an unexpected surpriseA Denver museum known for its dinosaur displays has made a fossil bone discovery closer to home than anyone ever expected: under its own parking lot.It came from a hole drilled more than 750 ft (230 meters) deep to study geothermal heating potential for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Continue reading...

Transportation secretary named as interim administrator of space agency as it faces crisis amid Trump's budget cutsDonald Trump has appointed his transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, as interim administrator of Nasa, six weeks after withdrawing the nomination of the Elon Musk ally and billionaire Jared Isaacman for the permanent role.The president announced the appointment on Truth Social on Wednesday evening, praising Duffy's work on transportation infrastructure and describing him as someone who would be a fantastic leader of the ever more important space agency, even if only for a short period of time". Continue reading...

Neuroscientist, author, political activist and advocate for social responsibility in scienceScience and politics can make awkward bedfellows, with the very question of whether it is possible to make purely objective observations about the world drawing forth highly politicised positions. The neurobiologist Steven Rose, who has died aged 87, took a broadly reductionist approach to his research into biochemical mechanisms of memory, while at the same time adopting a high-profile political stance against the idea that human behaviour is determined by our genes.Less publicly but equally influentially, as the first biology professor to be appointed at the Open University - the distance-learning institution founded through a Labour government initiative in 1969 - Rose helped to pioneer a democratic and distributed approach to teaching practical science. He developed experiments that students could complete at home, pooling their results and prefiguring many of the citizen science" projects that have become popular in recent years. Continue reading...

Curbs on LGBTQ+ rights and a halt to US funding may reverse decades of progress in fight to end Aids epidemic, warns UNAidsPeople at higher risk of HIV, such as gay men and people who inject drugs, are facing record levels of criminalisation worldwide, according to UNAids.For the first time since the joint UN programme on HIV/Aids began reporting on punitive laws a decade ago, the number of countries criminalising same-sex sexual activity and gender expression has increased. Continue reading...

Cuts further the push to slash federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignationsThe Trump administration is reportedly planning to cut at least 2,145 high-ranking Nasa employees with specialized skills or management responsibilities.According to documents obtained by Politico, most employees leaving are in senior-level government ranks, depriving the agency of decades of experience as part of a push to slash the size of the federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations. Continue reading...

Scientists spot traces of 10,000 miles of rivers in area where many believed there wasn't any evidence for water'Thousands of miles of ancient riverbeds have been discovered in the heavily cratered southern highlands of Mars, suggesting the red planet was once a far wetter world than scientists thought.Researchers spotted geological traces of nearly 10,000 miles (16,000km) of ancient watercourses, believed to be more than 3bn years old, in high resolution images of the rugged landscape captured by Mars orbiters. Continue reading...

AI-trained robot carries out procedures on dead pig organs to remove gall bladders without any human helpAutomated surgery could be trialled on humans within a decade, say researchers, after an AI-trained robot armed with tools to cut, clip and grab soft tissue successfully removed pig gall bladders without human help.The robot surgeons were schooled on video footage of human medics conducting operations using organs taken from dead pigs. In an apparent research breakthrough, eight operations were conducted on pig organs with a 100% success rate by a team led by experts at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in the US. Continue reading...

In the days since the deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country, speculation has grown about whether cuts to US weather agencies may have contributed to the the number of casualties. Ian Sample talks to the meteorologist and climate journalist Eric Holthaus to find out whether this narrative stacks up and what the consequences could be for extreme weather prediction in the futureClips: NBC news, ABC news, Forbes, White House audioTexas floods reveal limitations of disaster forecasting under climate crisis Continue reading...

European Commission unveils strategy for storing medicine, generators and raw materialsThe EU should develop stockpiles of medicine, generators and raw materials to be better prepared for a military invasion, pandemic or natural disaster, the European Commission has said.Outlining its first-ever strategy on stockpiling, the EU executive said on Wednesday member states should also consider emergency supplies of water purification products, equipment to repair undersea cables, drones and mobile bridges for use in conflicts. Continue reading...

Will we all fly off into space? Sadly no

Satellite built to track emissions fails just as New Zealand scientists about to take control and reap returns of NZ$29m government investmentFor scientist Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, the news that a methane-tracking satellite was lost in space last week left her feeling like the air had been sucked from her lungs.It happened just days before New Zealand was due to take control of the spacecraft, known as MethaneSat, which was designed to name and shame" the worst methane polluters in the oil and gas industry. Continue reading...

Watchdog releases nine new rulings setting clear precedents for online sellingOnline pharmacies are no longer allowed to run adverts for weight loss injections, the advertising watchdog has ruled, as part of a crackdown on what has been described as a wild west" culture of online selling.In the UK, advertising prescription-only medications (POMs) - which includes all weight loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro - to the public is illegal. However, a Guardian investigation previously found some online pharmacies either breaking these rules outright, or exploiting grey areas to peddle the medications to the public. Continue reading...

A standard Earth day is 86,400 seconds, but over three days in July and August, scientists expect the planet's rotation to quicken relative to the sunTime flies, and three days in July and August could flit by faster than usual this year - but only if your clocks are set to astronomical time.A standard Earth day is 86,400 seconds. But on 9 July, 22 July and 5 August, scientists expect the planet's rotation to quicken relative to the sun, truncating the days by a millisecond or more. Continue reading...

Experts scrambling to understand losses in hives across the country are finally identifying the culprits. And the damage to farmed bees is a sign of trouble for wild bees tooBret Adee is one of the largest beekeepers in the US, with 2 billion bees across 55,000 hives. The business has been in his family since the 1930s, and sends truckloads of bees across the country from South Dakota, pollinating crops such as almonds, onions, watermelons and cucumbers.Last December, his bees were wintering in California when the weather turned cold. Bees grouped on top of hives trying to keep warm. Every time I went out to the beehive there were less and less," says Adee. Then a week later, there'd be more dead ones to pick up ... every week there is attrition, just continually going down." Continue reading...

The actor recently posted a photo of himself undergoing a 10,000 procedure at a London clinic that claims to remove microplastics, forever chemicals and herbicides from the blood. But how settled is the science around the health risks of microplastics? To find out, Ian Sample speaks to Dr Stephanie Wright, associate professor of environmental toxicology at Imperial College London's school of public health. She explains what we know so far about the effects of microplastics in the body, why the science is still evolving, and what we can do to reduce our exposureAre microplastics really in everything - even my brain?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Research in Chile suggests climate crisis makes eruptions more likely and explosive, and warns of Antarctica riskThe melting of glaciers and ice caps by the climate crisis could unleash a barrage of explosive volcanic eruptions, a study suggests.The loss of ice releases the pressure on underground magma chambers and makes eruptions more likely. This process has been seen in Iceland, an unusual island that sits on a mid-ocean tectonic plate boundary. But the research in Chile is one of the first studies to show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended. Continue reading...

The brilliant planet will move across the invisible line between the pair and appear 3 degrees away from the star AldebaranThis week, Venus will pass through the so-called Golden Gate of the Ecliptic. Although the name has risen to prominence with science popularisers in recent decades, its exact origin is unknown.It references two star clusters in the constellation Taurus, the Bull. The Hydes and the Pleiades lie on either side of the ecliptic, which is the plane of the solar system. As such, the sun, the moon and the planets all follow this line in their passage through the sky. The constellations the ecliptic passes through are known as the zodiacal constellations, referred to in popular culture as the signs of the zodiac. Continue reading...

Detectorists and archaeologists sometimes clash, but the recent find of two Roman swords was the thrilling result of collaborationThe discovery of two swords at a dig in Gloucestershire has fuelled speculation that a Roman villa may once have stood there, at a period in the second or third century AD when Saxons were making inroads in the region. Experts think that the blades may even have been deliberately hidden - but not deep enough to concealthem from a novice metal detectorist, GlennManning. Next month, the public will get a chance to see the weapons when they go on display at the Corinium museum in Cirencester, to which they havebeen given.The items join a growing list of striking finds by hobbyists. These include a gold nugget found in the Shropshire Hills by Richard Brock, who located it with the help of an old machine that was only half working". Another newcomer dug up a gold necklace bearing the initials of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, which is now in the British Museum. Continue reading...

Cardiologist who empowered paramedics and the general public to restart hearts and save livesIf you had a cardiac arrest before the 1970s, an ambulance might arrive quickly, but almost all its crew could do was transport you to hospital, where your treatment would begin - if indeed you survived the journey. The cardiologist Douglas Chamberlain, who has died aged 94, realised that in order to start resuscitation in the vital five-minute window after the heart stopped beating, the ambulance crew needed the tools and skills to do it themselves.Chamberlain's initiative laid the foundations for the paramedic profession nationally and internationally. Working from a district general hospital in Brighton, he set up an intensive training programme for ambulance crews, equipped ambulances with defibrillators and electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, and demonstrated through a series of rigorously documented studies that the service saved lives. The only other city in the world where non-medical professionals were using defibrillators at the time was Seattle in the US. Continue reading...

Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries. The US has resisted calls to regulate itThe herbicide ingredient used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, new research shows.The ingredient, diquat, is widely employed in the US as a weedkiller in vineyards and orchards, and is increasingly sprayed elsewhere as the use of controversial herbicide substances such as glyphosate and paraquat drops in the US. Continue reading...

Testing is difficult for drugs for rare diseases, and new rules may make it harder for sufferers to obtain life-saving drugsUS drug regulators have increasingly signaled a focus on faster approvals and rare diseases, but patients with ultra-rare ailments fear they are falling through the cracks, especially given challenges to conducting clinical trials.One drug, elamipretide, garnered a narrow recommendation from independent advisers for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the agency rejected the drug's application in May and recommended another potential pathway for approval. Continue reading...

Sought-after status moves in mysterious ways that elude rules and norms, say the initiatedIt has puzzled philosophers, scholars and those aspiring to be cool for generations: what is it that makes someone cool? Now it appears that the alchemical code has finally been cracked.There are six specific attributes needed to be cool, according to a study published this week by the American Psychological Association.ChatGPTPretending not to be on the pen" (using weight loss jabs) when you areCowboy bootsLabubusUsing corporate jargon outside work. For example, posting holiday photos on Instagram with the caption highlights from Q1"Talking about sleep scoresGiant adult sippy cupsLinkedInBirkin bagsIncluding your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator result in your dating bioBeing a member of a libraryGood service - anywhereThe Row's monthly Spotify playlistsAsking questionsRestaurants where you don't have to shout at each another to be heardCuraprox's colourful toothbrushesOrdering an object to view at the V&A East StorehouseNot being a TV snobUsing lamps rather than the big light" in a roomBeing OK with ageing Continue reading...

We may believe we see the world exactly as it is - but as studies of optical illusions show, it's far more complex than that

Quest to create viable human sex cells in lab progressing rapidly, with huge implications for reproductionScientists are just a few years from creating viable human sex cells in the lab, according to an internationally renowned pioneer of the field, who says the advance could open up biology-defying possibilities for reproduction.Speaking to the Guardian, Prof Katsuhiko Hayashi, a developmental geneticist at the University of Osaka, said rapid progress is being made towards being able to transform adult skin or blood cells into eggs and sperm, a feat of genetic conjury known as in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG). Continue reading...

Fish or bird ownership showed no significant link to slower cognitive decline in study with implications for ageing societiesAs global population ages and dementia rates climb, scientists may have found an unexpected ally in the fight against cognitive decline.Cats and dogs may be exercising more than just your patience: they could be keeping parts of your brain ticking over too. In a potential breakthrough for preventive health, researchers have found that owning a four-pawed friend is linked to slower cognitive decline by potentially preserving specific brain functions as we grow older. Continue reading...

From blockbuster movies like Jurassic World Rebirth to documentary series, the appetite for these ancient creatures appears inexhaustibleOn-screen discussions of DNA and off-screen scientific consultants notwithstanding, no one goes to see a Jurassic Park movie for its realism. Yet one of the less convincing moments in Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest in the franchise, is unrelated to oversized velociraptors. It's the palaeontologist Dr Henry Loomis complaining of shrinking public interest in his field.This spring, the BBC revived its 1999 hit series Walking With Dinosaurs. Not a week goes by without headlines announcing the discovery of a new species or new theories on how they behaved. Publishers produce an endless stream of dino-related fact and fiction, particularly for children. Palaeontology - at least when focused on the dinosaurs of the Mesozoic, or our hominin forebears - has long exerted an extraordinary hold on the public imagination.Do 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...

Rachel Reeves's distress may help destigmatise an emotional response to pressure or professional frustrationRachel Reeves's tears this week triggered a fall in the pound and attracted widespread derision from political columnists, mostly male. What is wrong with Rachel Reeves?" the Telegraph asked. In an article headlined The meaning of the chancellor's tears", a New Statesman columnist told readers that Reeves's authority was beginning to melt away". The Daily Mail spoke disdainfully of her waterworks".But in the longer term the chancellor's display of distress may prove to have an unexpectedly positive legacy, helpfully normalising a still hugely stigmatised phenomenon: women's tears in the workplace. Continue reading...

The healing power of exercise should never be underestimated, but be cautious about what recent headlines seem to suggest

When Glen Manning discovered two cavalry swords, a later dig revealed two distinct chapters of British historyIt began with an extraordinary piece of fortune: a metal detectorist on only his second expedition coming upon two very rare cavalry swords on the brink of being lost for ever.A dig by professional archaeologists and volunteers at the spot in Gloucestershire has now found that the swords may have been buried in the grounds of a grand Roman villa built on the site of an iron age settlement. Continue reading...

Local clinics and technology could drive improvement if reorganisation doesn't slow things downThe NHS is a totemic institution in Labour's history and that of the country, and voters care more about it than most things the government does. So the publication of Labour's 10-year plan for health in England was a crucial opportunity for ministers to show that they are in tune with the public. Given that satisfaction with the health service has hit a record low of 21%, and doctors are again threatening to go on strike, the announcement was also a moment of peril - even before the damage suffered by the prime minister and chancellor earlier this week, when rebels forced a U-turn on planned cuts to welfare.The overarching principles of Labour's reforms were set out last year: more prevention, more technology, more care delivered in the community (as opposed to in hospital). So the challenge was to find something fresh, original and hopeful to say. The promise of science and the potential of localism are what Wes Streeting's team has come up with. The strand of DNA pictured on the document's cover points to high expectations of genomic medicine and other cutting-edge technology. Neighbourhood clinics, by contrast, represent a prosaic recognition of demand for more ordinary services and treatments, from an ageing and increasingly unhealthy population. The aim is to deliver most outpatient care away from hospitals by 2035.Do 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...

Astronomer says object could be further evidence that interstellar wanderers' are common in galaxyIt isn't a bird, it isn't a plane and it certainly isn't Superman - but it does appear to be a visitor from beyond our solar system, according to astronomers who have discovered a new object hurtling through our cosmic neighbourhood.The object, originally called A11pl3Z and now known as 3I/Atlas, was first reported by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (Atlas) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Political interference and chaotic cuts to staff, programs and grants at the National Science Foundation are producing devastating consequences'A generation of scientific talent is at the brink of being lost to overseas competitors by the Trump administration's dismantling of the National Science Foundation (NSF), with unprecedented political interference at the agency jeopardizing the future of US industries and economic growth, according to a Guardian investigation.The gold standard peer-reviewed process used by the NSF to support cutting-edge, high-impact science is being undermined by the chaotic cuts to staff, programs and grants, and by meddling by the so-called department of government efficiency (Doge), according to multiple current and former NSF employees who spoke with the Guardian. Continue reading...

Document detailing the new program says zebrafish and rats from a North Carolina lab will be up for adoptionThe US Environmental Protection Agency is launching a new program to adopt some of its 20,000 lab animals in the wake of Trump administration plans to dramatically cut the regulator's research arm.The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer) non-profit obtained and revealed an EPA document announcing the adoption program. The document announced adoptions for zebrafish and rats from an EPA lab in North Carolina. Continue reading...

The number of women choosing to freeze their eggs has increased sharply, according to figures from the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). The number deciding to embark on the process abroad also appears to be rising. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian journalist Lucy Hough, who recently travelled to Brussels to freeze her eggs. She explains what prompted her decision and how she feels now that the procedure is over. Madeleine also hears from Joyce Harper, a professor of reproductive science at University College London, about what the freezing of eggs involves and why the small odds of success could be driving women to travel to do itSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Chef with 10 Michelin stars has designed meals for Sophie Adenot's trip to International Space Station next yearWhen the French astronaut Sophie Adenot travels to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, she will be heading for the stars - not quite in celestial but certainly in gastronomic terms.Adenot will dine on not just freeze-dried space food staples but also French classics such as lobster bisque, foie gras and onion soup prepared specially for her by a chef with 10 Michelin stars, the European Space Agency (Esa) announced on Wednesday. Continue reading...

I'm not sure there is anything more terrifying than chatting to parents at the school gates - then lying awake at night reliving my most embarrassing momentsThe importance of 31 December is well documented, but no one ever talks about the angst of 22 July. Or 23, or 25, depending on where you live. But while the date may vary, the bittersweet feelings are surely universal. The end of the school year is an oddly profound moment.This one's hitting different in our house too, as our son is about to finish primary school. It's poignant and nostalgic - wasn't he just a baby yesterday? There is, however, one part of his cosy little school that I won't miss. Continue reading...

Unusual burial of man, thought to have been a potter, in sealed vessel may have helped DNA survive past four millenniaA man whose bones were shaped by a lifetime of hard labour more than 4,500 years ago has become the first ancient Egyptian to have his entire genetic code read and analysed by scientists.The skeleton of the man, who lived at the dawn of the Age of the Pyramids, was recovered in 1902 from a sealed pottery vessel in a rock-cut tomb in Nuwayrat, 165 miles south of Cairo, and has been held in a museum since. Continue reading...

Research finds that the higher the levels of air pollution in a region, the more cancer-promoting mutations are presentAir pollution has been linked to a swathe of lung cancer-driving DNA mutations, in a study of people diagnosed with the disease despite never having smoked tobacco.The findings from an investigation into cancer patients around the world helps explain why those who have never smoked make up a rising proportion of people developing the cancer, a trend the researchers called an urgent and growing global problem". Continue reading...

Ellie Wilson's piece titled Moth x Human assigns different sounds to the species on Parsonage Down in SalisburyThey are vital pollinators who come out at night, but now moths have emerged into the bright light of day as co-creators of a new piece of music - composed using the insects' own flight data.Ellie Wilson composed Moth x Human in a protected habitat on Parsonage Down in Salisbury, Wiltshire. She assigned each of the 80 resident moth species a different sound, which was triggered when it landed on her monitor. Continue reading...

News comes as research finds record lows of Antarctic sea ice had seen more icebergs splintering off ice shelvesScientists analysing the cascading impacts of record low levels of Antarctic sea ice fear a loss of critical US government satellite data will make it harder to track the rapid changes taking place at both poles.Researchers around the globe were told last week the US Department of Defence will stop processing and providing the data, used in studies on the state of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, at the end of this month. Continue reading...

In an interview last weekend, Iran's ambassador to the UN said his country's nuclear enrichment will never stop' because it is permitted for peaceful energy' purposes. It is the latest development in an escalation of tensions over Iran's nuclear programme, which erupted when Israel targeted the country's nuclear facilities in June. To understand why enrichment is so important, Madeleine Finlay talks to Robin Grimes, professor of materials physics at Imperial College London. He explains what goes into creating a nuclear weapon, and why getting to the stage of weaponisation is so difficultIran's nuclear enrichment will never stop', nation's UN ambassador saysSupport the Guardian Continue reading...

Scientists have warned loss of data access to Noaa and Nasa experts could set hurricane forecasting back decades'The Trump administration on Monday announced a delay of one month to a plan to cut forecasters out of an atmospheric satellite data collection program that is seen as crucial for hurricane forecasting.There has been alarm among scientists about the plan to cut access to the data after it emerged last week in a public notice sent by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Continue reading...

Firm says results of research create path to medical superintelligence' but plays down job implicationsMicrosoft has revealed details of an artificial intelligence system that performs better than human doctors at complex health diagnoses, creating a path to medical superintelligence".The company's AI unit, which is led by the British tech pioneer Mustafa Suleyman, has developed a system that imitates a panel of expert physicians tackling diagnostically complex and intellectually demanding" cases. Continue reading...

These supposedly serious cetaceans have been spotted massaging each other with kelp stalks. This is the sort of performative nonsense you'd expect from dolphinsI've thought for a while that it would be nice to be an orca. Not because I hate boats and they sink them (though I get it - the briny depths are none of our human business). What actually appeals is the idea of being charismatic megafauna - I love that phrase - and also important as a post-menopausal female. Orcas are one of very few species that go through menopause, living for decades after their reproductive years. These older matriarchs remain an integral part of the community, improving pod survival rates thanks to being repositories of ecological knowledge", caring for young and even, research suggests, keeping their giant adult sons safe from being attacked. The fact that they're fashion-conscious is a bonus: the 80s orca trend for wearing jaunty salmon fascinators was revived, intriguingly, in some pods last December; other orcas have been observed draping themselves artistically in kelp.But new research is giving me pause. Now orcas in the Salish Sea off the coast of Washington state have been filmed picking kelp stalks and massaging" each other with them. In sightings of this behaviour, reported and dubbed allokelping" by the Center for Whale Research, the two whales then manoeuvre to keep the kelp between them while rolling it across their bodies ... During contact, whales roll and twist their bodies, often adopting an exaggerated S-shaped posture." Continue reading...