Newly discovered species with vivid orange and black markings named for evil ruler of Mordor to pique interest in conservationResearchers have uncovered a new genus of butterfly, with distinctive orange wings and dark eyespots. It is a striking appearance that has led the international team to label the genus Saurona, after Sauron, the evil lord of Mordor whose all-seeing fiery eye brought terror to Middle-earth and the Shires in The Lord of the Rings.It is an intriguing monicker. As JRR Tolkien describes it: “The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.” Continue reading...
Cohen Irwin is part of a group of former addicts in New Zealand working with researchers to trace signs of healing in the brains of those who stop smokingEvery few months, Cohen “Coey” Irwin lies on his back and lets the walls close in. Lights move overhead, scanning over the tattoos covering his cheeks. He lies suspended, his head encased by a padded helmet, ears blocked, as his body is shunted into a tunnel. The noise begins: a rhythmic crashing, loud as a jackhammer. For the next hour, an enormous magnet will produce finely detailed images of Irwin’s brain.Irwin has spent much of his adult life addicted to smoking methamphetamine – or P, as the drug is known in New Zealand. He knows its effects intimately: the euphoria, the paranoia, the explosive violence, the energy, the tics that run through his neck and lips. Stepping outside the MRI machine, however, he can get a fresh view for the first time – looking in from the outside at what the drug has done to his internal organs. Continue reading...
Declaration a major step towards end of pandemic that has killed more than 6.9m peopleThe Covid-19 pandemic, which has sickened or killed almost 800 million people over three years, no longer constitutes a global health emergency, the head of the World Health Organization has said.The WHO first gave Covid its highest level of alert on 30 January 2020, and its panel has continued to apply the label at meetings held every three months. Continue reading...
Covid deaths trailed those caused by heart disease, cancer and injuries, while in 2020 and 2021 it was the third leading causeUS deaths fell last year, and Covid-19 dropped to the nation’s No 4 cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported.Covid-19 deaths trailed those caused by heart disease, cancer and injuries such as drug overdoses, motor vehicle fatalities and shootings. In 2020 and 2021, only heart disease and cancer were ahead of the coronavirus. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6BEW1)
Discovery of ‘anti-cannibalism’ pheromone raises possibility of spraying crops with similar chemical as non-toxic insecticideLocusts are voracious eaters with appetites that extend to members of their own species. Now scientists have discovered an “anti-cannibalism” pheromone used by the insects to protect themselves in dense swarms, which could pave the way for novel pest control strategies.Scientists said the discovery raises a host of possibilities, including spraying crops with something similar to the protective pheromone as a non-toxic insecticide, or finding a way to reduce its impact among locusts and make them turn on each other more. Continue reading...
‘Fascinating’ discovery could prove a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool to apply to other species, say scientistsThe vivid blue irises of northern gannets turn black if they survive avian flu, according to a study which provides evidence that some wild birds are shaking off the deadly virus.Avian flu has killed wild and domestic birds for decades but the current strain (H5N1) severely affected seabird populations across the North Atlantic last year, with particularly high death rates among gannets. Continue reading...
A cognitive philosopher explains how prediction, rather than perception, is the mind’s secret weaponDo we see the world directly, or do we make some of it up? It was the great 19th-century scientist Hermann von Helmholtz who first argued that some unconscious process of logical reasoning must be inherent in optical and auditory perception. That insight was rediscovered in the late 20th century, leading to the modern consensus of cognitive science: we think we see and hear the outside world directly, but most of our experience is created by the brain, meaning its best guesses are based on limited information as to what might really be out there. In other words, we are constantly filling in gaps with predictions.The Sussex-based cognitive philosopher Andy Clark provides an engaging overview of what he slightly over-claims to be this “new theory” of predictive processing. It is demonstrated in enjoyable and surprising ways: for example, by “Mooney images”, which at first look like random monochrome noise, until you are shown a more detailed second version; you can then “see” (and can’t unsee) the real image in the original. Your predictions have now been updated to be more accurate. People, it turns out, can also be primed to hallucinate Bing Crosby singing White Christmas while listening to pure white noise. Continue reading...
No one wants to end a long-term friendship – but sometimes a rift is unavoidable. Experts suggest the most ethical ways to approach the conversationIn a recent viral video, New York psychologist Arianna Brandolini was called “callous” by some after she posted a TikTok guide to breaking up with a friend. While she claimed that phrases such as “I’ve treasured our season of friendship” and “I have no capacity to invest” could be useful, others disagreed. Some even found her approach so “cold and insincere”, they said they would rather be ghosted.While the clinical approach is clearly not for everyone, leaving a friendship is rarely easy, no matter how you choose to do it. So, what are the best and most ethical options for ending it? Can you ever resolve your differences? And when is it essential to leave? Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Joshan Chana, on (#6BE4A)
For the first time, researchers have found a way to non-invasively translate a person’s thoughts into text. Using fMRI scans and an AI-based decoder trained on a precursor to ChatGPT, the system can reconstruct brain activity to interpret the gist of a story someone is listening to, watching or even just imagining telling. Ian Sample speaks to one of the team behind the breakthrough, the neuroscientist Dr Alex Huth, to find out how it works, where they hope to use it, and whether our mental privacy could soon be at riskClip: BBCRead Hannah Devlin’s coverage of the research here. Continue reading...
Elk tooth pendant unearthed in Siberia is first prehistoric artefact to be linked to specific person using genetic sleuthingScientists have used a new method for extracting ancient DNA to identify the owner of a 20,000-year-old pendant fashioned from an elk’s canine tooth.The method can isolate DNA that was present in skin cells, sweat or other body fluids and was absorbed by certain types of porous material including bones, teeth and tusks when handled by someone thousands of years ago. Continue reading...
Our culture is full of lessons about individual survival. But it is the people around us who make the difference between sink and swimI won’t give my dog a cooked bone. At family gatherings, when such a thing is waved in his direction, I will raise the palm of my hand to close off this avenue of pleasure. The dog’s disappointment will be hard to bear, as will the scorn of the relatives who will say something along the lines of, “Ah rubbish. Look at all the strays you see fending for themselves on beaches abroad and whatnot! They get thrown all sorts of scraps and they’re just fine!”This is right and wrong. But mainly wrong. Yes, the dogs you see might be doing OK, but they’re the survivors, the most resilient of their litters. We don’t see those who didn’t make it, so it’s only the survivors’ tales that are told; the less fortunate are forgotten. The narrative of resilience is skewed, as we only tend to hear one side of it.Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6BDED)
UK’s outgoing chief scientist urges ministers to ‘get ahead’ of profound social and economic changesThe new genre of AI could be as transformative as the Industrial Revolution, the government’s outgoing chief scientific adviser has said, as he urged Britain to act immediately to prevent huge numbers of people becoming jobless.Sir Patrick Vallance, who stood down from his advisory role last month, said government should “get ahead” of the profound social and economic changes that ChatGPT-style, generative AI could usher in. Continue reading...
Flavour molecules cause champagne bubbles to rise in straight line – unlike those in other drinksFrom the pop of its cork to its delicate golden hue, champagne has many features that make it a celebratory tipple – but none are as recognisable as its fine fizz.Now researchers have shed new light on the quintessential sparkle, revealing why champagne bubbles rise in a straight line, unlike those of many other drinks. Continue reading...
Scientists believe planet the size of Jupiter plunged into star, causing ‘insanely bright’ burst of lightAstronomers have witnessed the intense burst of light from a planet being swallowed by its host star, the same dramatic fate that awaits Earth when the sun expands rapidly near the end of its life.It is the first time researchers have captured the moment when an ageing star swells so much that a nearby planet starts to skim the surface, sending streams of gas and dust into space, before finally plunging into the fiery depths. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6BD70)
Climate crisis is exacerbating damage caused by crop-destroying fungi, risking ‘global health catastrophe’Fast-rising fungal attacks on the world’s most important crops threaten the planet’s future food supply, scientists have said, warning that failing to tackle fungal pathogens could lead to a “global health catastrophe”.Fungi are already by far the biggest destroyer of crops. They are highly resilient, travel long distances on the wind and can feast on large fields of a single crop. They are also extremely adaptable and many have developed resistance to common fungicides. Continue reading...
Remains of once vast riverside structure granted legal protection against unauthorised changeThree sections of a huge but little-known Roman wall, discovered under the City of London, have been given protected status as scheduled national monuments.The riverside wall was a once vast stone structure that formed part of the defences of Roman London. Built in the third century AD along the Thames, it connected to the city’s landward fortifications, large sections of which still exist. Continue reading...
Millions of children have missed routine immunisations due to the pandemic. But saving lives is about more than logisticsThe horror of the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it one small cause for optimism: the crisis accelerated the development of new vaccine technologies, with the potential to protect against other diseases. Yet this leap forward was accompanied by a dramatic backsliding in the delivery of existing vaccines, with 23 million children missing out on routine immunisations in 2020 and 25 million in 2021 – the largest sustained decline in three decades.The World Health Organization reports that more prevalent and severe outbreaks of preventable diseases, including diphtheria and polio, are already occurring. While three-quarters of the children who missed out lived in just 20 countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and Latin America, there were declines in richer nations too. The UK Health Security Agency has warned that uptake of the meningococcal vaccine, and the last routine dose of the combined polio, diphtheria and tetanus vaccine, fell significantly last year among adolescents. Covid-19 overwhelmed healthcare systems and personnel, while lockdowns kept people away from facilities used to deliver shots. Supply chain disruption affected the availability of doses and syringes.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...
Research shows that people recently exposed to awe are kinder, more environmentally friendly, and better connected to othersAwe is the feeling we experience when we encounter vast mysteries we cannot understand. We find awe, I report in my new book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life, in “eight wonders of life”: the moral beauty of others, nature, collective movement, music, visual design, spirituality and religion, big ideas, and the cycle of life and death.Empirical research by me and other psychologists has found that the cultivation of awe can be done, as with mindfulness practices, anywhere, and only takes a minute or two. You don’t need a lot of money, nor to travel to exotic locales, to find awe; it literally is always around you, if you just take a moment to pause and open your mind to what is vast and mysterious nearby. Still other studies suggest that awe is up to the task of responding to the crises of individualism, of excessive self-focus, loneliness, and the cynicism of our times, and even to some extent to rising problems of physical health.Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life Continue reading...
Since being laid low with the virus more than a year ago, Catherine Heymans can only operate in half-hour bursts. But her work could still change the way we understand the universeLast September, Catherine Heymans, one of the world’s leading cosmologists, was supposed to board a ferry for the northernmost island in the Orkney archipelago. The island, North Ronaldsay, is among the darkest inhabited places on earth. On a clear winter’s night, it is easy to be awed by the thousands upon thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, which spill their unpolluted light upon the Earth. Heymans, who is the first woman appointed astronomer royal for Scotland, was planning to explain to the island’s 60 or so residents that those stars, and the rest of the perceptible universe, represent a mere fraction of the stuff that makes up our cosmos. What she studies is everything we cannot see: the darkness.Over the past two decades, Heymans, who is 45, has advanced our understanding of a vast, invisible cosmos that scientists are only beginning to comprehend. That “dark universe” is thought to constitute more than 95% of everything that exists. It is made up of entities more mysterious than the ordinary matter and energy – the light, atoms, molecules, lifeforms, stars, galaxies – that have been the subject of scientific inquiry throughout history. In the past 10 years, Heymans has learned that the dark universe shapes the visible cosmos in unexpected ways, and may not follow all the standard rules of physics. Her discoveries are unsettling a broad consensus on how our world works on its grandest scales. “I believe that, to truly understand the dark universe, we will need to invoke some new physics that will for ever change our cosmic view,” she has written. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay with Ben Wilson, Pro on (#6BBRM)
As the planet warms, and intense heatwaves become the norm, our urban environments need a radical rethink to keep them habitable. So what do we want the cities of the future to look like? Madeleine Finlay speaks to author and historian Ben Wilson, Prof Jessica Davies and Prof Diane Jones Allen about how to create cities that are fairer, greener and more self-reliant.Clips: ITV, BBC, WIONRead about the recent City Nature Challenge here Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6BBCQ)
‘Potential neuro-signatures of consciousness’ observed in unresponsive patients at time of death, scientists saySome recall bright lights at the end of a tunnel, feeling the presence of loved ones or floating above their body after a near-death experience. Now, scientists say they have captured “conscious-like” brain activity in dying patients in findings that give new insights into the process of death.“How vivid experience can emerge from a dysfunctional brain during the process of dying is a neuroscientific paradox,” said Jimo Borjigin, of the University of Michigan, who led the study. “We saw potential neuro-signatures of consciousness.” Continue reading...
Discovery could help plug gaps in understanding of evolution after Cambrian explosion more than 500m years agoMany people discovered new interests closer to home as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns. For Dr Joseph Botting and Dr Lucy Muir, it was a 10-metre-wide quarry in a sheep field near to their home in Llandrindod, central Wales, which appeared to be teeming with tiny fossils.Now researchers believe the site could help plug gaps in scientific understanding of how evolution proceeded after the Cambrian explosion – the period when the ancestors of most modern animals are believed to have evolved. It could even prove to be as important as the Burgess Shale in Canada that preserves one of the world’s first complex marine ecosystems, experts say. Continue reading...
The answers to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set you these puzzles, in memory of Ivan Moscovich, the toy and puzzle maestro who died last week. (Click here to find out more about him.)Here are the puzzles again, with solutions. Continue reading...
The particles could be linked to cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’sResearchers at the University of Vienna have discovered particles of plastic in mice’s brains just two hours after the mice ingested drinking water containing plastic.Once in the brain, “Plastic particles could increase the risk of inflammation, neurological disorders or even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s,” Lukas Kenner, one of the researchers, said in a statement, although more research is needed to determine the relationship between plastics and these brain disorders. In addition to potentially severe degenerative consequences, the researchers also believe that microplastic contamination in our brains can cause short-term health effects such as cognitive impairment, neurotoxicity and altered neurotransmitter levels, which can contribute to behavioral changes.Adrienne Matei is a freelance journalistDo 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...
Brain games from a master puzzlerUPDATE: To read the answers click hereToday’s column is a tribute to Ivan Moscovich, a legend in the world of puzzles, who died last week aged 96. Ivan was a prolific inventor of toys and games, a pioneer of interactive science museums and a bestselling author of puzzle books. The following questions are taken from his magnum opus, The Big Book of Brain Games, which sold around half a million copies.(More about Ivan’s amazing life below.) Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6BAQ9)
Study of 200,000 Chinese hospital admissions finds acute exposure to air pollution raises risk of heart arrhythmiasSpikes in air pollution increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, a large study has found.The research, based on nearly 200,000 hospital admissions in China, found a significant increase in risk of arrhythmias in the first few hours after an increase in air pollution levels. Heart arrhythmias can increase the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death. Continue reading...
Spica, the 16th brightest star in the night sky, is 11 times larger than the sunWe start the month with the almost full moon making a close pass of Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, the virgin. The conjunction takes place across the evening of Wednesday 3 May, continuing past midnight into the pre-dawn hours of Thursday.The chart shows the view looking south from London at 23.00BST. The moon will be virtually full with 96% of its visible surface illuminated – it is considered full when 98% or more of its visible surface is lit. On Wednesday night the moon will pass several degrees away from Spica, which is the 16th brightest star in the night sky and fully 11 times larger than our sun. Continue reading...
Exclusive: algorithm performs more efficiently and effectively than current methods, according to a studyDoctors, scientists and researchers have built an artificial intelligence model that can accurately identify cancer in a development they say could speed up diagnosis of the disease and fast-track patients to treatment.Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. It results in about 10 million deaths annually, or nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization. In many cases, however, the disease can be cured if detected early and treated swiftly. Continue reading...
On his wedding day, Tim Sullivan’s much-loved dad suddenly collapsed and died on what should have been the happiest of days. But what he learned has shaped his lifeIt was all set to be one of the happiest days of my life, 9 September 1989. I was getting married. Everything leading up to the date had gone smoothly. The wedding was taking place in a small church, St Teilo’s in Bishopston Valley on the Gower peninsula. About 130 friends and family had made the trip down to South Wales. After the ceremony, Rachel and I were going to process up the hill from the church to the reception at my in-laws’ home, led by a small jazz band and followed by our guests. But as we left the church, my father suddenly collapsed and died in my arms. He was 65, exactly the age I am now as I write this.It’s a moment I remember vividly. A moment that affected what I went on to write about in my career and how I wrote it. A moment that demonstrated how tragic things have a habit of occurring at the happiest and most unexpected of times. Continue reading...
Department of Health asks watchdog to assess effectiveness of giving semaglutide to obese youngsters aged 12 to 17Children as young as 12 in England could be given weight-loss injections on the NHS after the government asked medical watchdog Nice to assess the potential benefits of prescribing them to under-18s.Department of Health officials have asked the watchdog to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of giving semaglutide injections to obese children aged 12 to 17, “in addition to healthy nutrition and increased physical activity”, the Observer can reveal. Continue reading...
The founders of Melbourne’s Steam Room program believe scientists can make their work more accessible through humour. Will their hypothesis prove true?
While politics as usual dominates the Commons, thankfully a few people from the upper chamber are thinking about the big pictureThe most interesting TV I’ve watched recently did not come from a conventional television channel, nor even from Netflix, but from TV coverage of parliament. It was a recording of a meeting of the AI in weapons systems select committee of the House of Lords, which was set up to inquire into “how should autonomous weapons be developed, used and regulated”. The particular session I was interested in was the one held on 20 April, during which the committee heard from four expert witnesses – Kenneth Payne, who is professor of strategy at King’s College London; Keith Dear, director of artificial intelligence innovation at the computer company Fujitsu; James Black from the defence and security research group of Rand Europe; and Courtney Bowman, global director of privacy and civil liberties engineering at Palantir UK. An interesting mix, I thought – and so it turned out to be.Autonomous weapons systems are ones that can select and attack a target without human intervention. It is believed (and not just by their boosters) that these systems could revolutionise warfare, and may be faster, more accurate and more resilient than existing weapons systems. And that they could, conceivably, even limit the casualties of war (though I’ll believe that when I see it). Continue reading...
The Juan Fernández fur seal, once thought extinct, can ingest cadmium without ill effects – though no one knows howA creature that humans came very close to obliterating now offers hope that we may be able to find ways to tackle one of the most pernicious environmental poisons, say scientists.Their research has revealed that one of the world’s most isolated aquatic mammals, Arctocephalus philippii, can tolerate high levels of cadmium, as well as other metallic pollutants, without suffering ill effects. Continue reading...
Nation’s guidelines say no donor should father more than 25 children in 12 familiesDutch judges have ordered a man suspected of fathering more than 550 children through sperm donations to stop donating, in the latest fertility scandal to shock the Netherlands.The man, identified in Dutch media only as Jonathan M, 41, was taken to court by a foundation protecting the rights of donor children and by the mother of one of the children allegedly fathered from his sperm. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6B8HQ)
ChatGPT rated higher in quality and empathy of written advice, raising possibility of medical assistance roleChatGPT appears to have a better ‘bedside manner’ than some doctors – at least when their written advice is rated for quality and empathy, a study has shown.The findings highlight the potential for AI assistants to play a role in medicine, according to the authors of the work, who suggest such agents could help draft doctors’ communications with patients. “The opportunities for improving healthcare with AI are massive,” said Dr John Ayers, of the University of California San Diego. Continue reading...
Habitat loss blamed as study finds 19% of bryophyte species at risk and at least four have become extinct in Great BritainAlmost one-fifth of bryophytes – the plant group that includes mosses, liverworts and hornworts – in Great Britain are threatened with extinction, according to a new red list assessing their conservation status.The red list, published in the Journal of Bryology, was compiled based on criteria and categories set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Continue reading...
Humans with condition can have disturbed sleep, and similar symptoms in dogs indicate cognitive decline is under wayFrom loud snores to twitching paws, dogs often appear to have a penchant for a good snooze. But researchers have said elderly canines with dementia appear to spend less time slumbering than those with healthy brains – mirroring patterns seen in humans.It has long been known that people with dementia can experience sleep problems, including finding it harder to get to sleep. Researchers have also found changes in the brainwaves of people with dementia during sleep – including decreased slow brain waves that occur during non-rapid eye movement deep sleep. These are important in memory consolidation and appear to be linked to the activity of the brain’s system for clearing away waste. Continue reading...
Misguided introduction of alien predator saw partula snails driven from their habitat – but zoos have reared new populationsWhen French Polynesia was overrun by the invasive African giant land snail, another alien species, the predatory rosy wolf snail, was introduced to solve the problem.Unfortunately the rosy wolf snail devoured tiny, endemic partula snails instead, hunting down the scent of their slime trails at three times the speed of a normal snail. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay with Sandra Laville, on (#6B6S7)
The environmental law charity ClientEarth and 13 other groups headed into a Flemish court this week in an effort to stop Ineos building a petrochemical plant that would be the biggest project of its kind in Europe for 30 years. Madeleine Finlay hears from correspondent Sandra Laville about how plastics are made, the environmental and health impacts of the process and what needs to be done to get a handle on plastic pollutionClips: CBS, PBSRead Sandra Laville’s reporting on this story here Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6B65J)
Study concerns Messier 87 galaxy, 55m light years away from Earth, and a black hole 6.5bn times more massive than the sunAstronomers have captured the first image showing a powerful jet being launched from the edge of a black hole’s event horizon into intergalactic space.The observations of the black hole at the centre of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87) could help reveal how black hole jets, which are among the brightest objects in the universe, are created. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6B62E)
Today’s generation of older people could be last to face untreatable Alzheimer’s – but only if NHS overhauls careToday’s generation of elderly people could be the last to face the spectre of untreatable Alzheimer’s disease, according to the co-chair of the government’s new dementia mission.Hilary Evans, the chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, appointed by ministers last month, said the world was “on the cusp of a new dawn” for dementia treatments that meant devastating neurodegenerative illness would no longer be regarded as an inevitable part of old age. Continue reading...
‘Unprecedented’ warming indicates climate crisis is taking place before our eyes, experts sayTemperatures in the world’s oceans have broken fresh records, testing new highs for more than a month in an “unprecedented” run that has led to scientists stating the Earth has reached “uncharted territory” in the climate crisis.The rapid acceleration of ocean temperatures in the last month is an anomaly that scientists have yet to explain. Data collated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), known as the Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) series, gathered by satellites and buoys, has shown temperatures higher than in any previous year, in a series stretching back to 1981, continuously over the past 42 days. Continue reading...
Hakuto-R may have miscalculated altitude, says company after losing contact with spacecraftJapan’s ispace said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander when it unexpectedly accelerated and probably crashed on the lunar surface.The startup said it was possible that as the lander approached the moon, its altitude measurement system had miscalculated the distance to the surface. Continue reading...
Half of women have dense breast tissue that does not show up on mammograms and can only be seen with extra screeningIn July 2022, I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer after having had a “normal” mammogram just nine months earlier at the age of 42. Other than a small thyroid disorder, I have been extraordinarily healthy my entire life, running half marathons, practicing yoga and doing a 30-mile backpacking trek only two months earlier. I had no known family history and never missed a screening in my short life of mammography.So how did the cancer advance so far without detection, despite top-notch medical care in one of the biggest cities in America? The answer for me and millions of other women is the dense breast phenomenon – which, at long last, is finally becoming a part of the conversation around women’s health.Elizabeth L Silver is the author of the forthcoming novel The Majority (Riverhead), as well as the novel The Execution of Noa P Singleton and the memoir The Tincture of Time. Also an attorney, she teaches creative writing with the UCLA Writers Program and lives in Los Angeles with her family Continue reading...
Pressures on the NHS, a lack of doctors and post-Brexit delays are hampering our ability to develop cutting-edge drugsThe UK’s remarkable capability and capacity in clinical research was catapulted on to the world stage during the pandemic. The Recovery trial, led by Oxford University, studied existing drugs in seriously ill patients with Covid-19 and identified the first proven and effective life-saving treatments.The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was tested in a trial of more than 10,000 people across the UK, using repurposed research infrastructure in our hospitals and universities, and saved more lives globally than any other vaccine. The mix-and-match vaccine studies known as Com-Cov showed the world how different types of Covid-19 vaccines could be used together, while Cov-Boost provided key data on booster doses that has informed global vaccine policy.Prof Sir Andrew Pollard was chief investigator of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trials and is director of the Oxford Vaccine Group Continue reading...
Research points to danger of tiny metal ions breaking off from implants and leaking into the bloodPatients who have had older types of hip replacement may be at greater risk of heart damage than previously thought, researchers have said, because of cobalt leaching out of so-called metal-on-metal implants.Tens of thousands of UK patients were fitted with these devices during the 2000s, when they were marketed as a solution for young, active patients who needed a hip replacement that would last a lifetime. Continue reading...
Study of seismic activity in southern Turkey shows even small fluctuations can have a big impactMost earthquake faults require a huge input of energy to make them shift but occasionally a tiny shove is enough. Recent data from the Armutlu peninsula, on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey, show the small stress changes associated with sea level fluctuations are enough to trigger quakes up to magnitude 4.5.Scientists monitored seismic activity and sea level change in the region for six months and found the likelihood of earthquakes on the peninsula increased significantly when the sea level was rising. The effect was amplified during the winter, when the variations in sea level were greater. Continue reading...
by Written by Jennie Agg, read by Emma Powell and ori on (#6B5HQ)
We are exploring the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2020: After losing four pregnancies, Jennie Agg set out to unravel the science of miscarriage. Then, a few months in, she found out she was pregnant again – just as the coronavirus pandemic hit Continue reading...
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