Science | The Guardian

More than ever, the relationship between our two worlds has been disrupted, says the historian. If we don’t mend our ways, will we face even deadlier threats than Covid, Sars and Mpox?In March 2021, the 13th month of the Covid confinement, the peepers, in their vast multitudes, sang out again. Down in the swampy wetlands below our house in Hudson Valley, New York, millions of Pseudacris crucifer (“cross-bearing false locusts” but actually minute frogs) puffed up their air sacs and warbled for a mate. That’s spring for you. The peepers are so tiny – an inch or so long – that you’ll never see one, no matter how carefully you creep up on them. Their blown-out song bags are nearly as big as the rest of them; it’s all they are: innocently inflated peeps of expectation.They are not alone. In recent years, the soprano peepers have been accompanied by a bass rhythm section – wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, a tattoo of deep quacking, punctuated by raspy burps. They and the peepers survive bitter winters by means of antifreeze cryoprotectants stored within their bodies. When ice crystals begin to form on their skins, their livers flood the bloodstream with glucose, sending vital organs like the heart, its beating paused, into a dormant but protected state. Seventy per cent of the frogs’ body water can then freeze without compromising the organs that will magically reawaken in the spring. Continue reading...

Scientists at Southampton University say they accidentally stumbled upon the largest explosion ever recorded in the cosmos. Philip Wiseman, a lead researcher at the university, says his team believed the explosion, known as AT2021lwx, happened around 8bn years ago. Wiseman said it was only detectable from the earth because of the sheer magnitude of the explosion, which they believe was caused by a giant gas cloud plummeting into a black hole. Wiseman said: ‘A giant cloud of material far bigger than a normal star that is being shredded by or partially shredded by the black hole and that shredding is sending some kind of shock through the rest of the cloud, that shock is about 100 times the size of our solar system so it’s absolutely gargantuan’

Discovery of 62 new moons restores ringed planet’s lead after it was briefly overtaken by JupiterSaturn has regained its crown as the planet with the most moons in the solar system, just months after being overtaken by its fellow gas giant Jupiter.The leap-frog comes after the discovery of 62 new moons of Saturn, bringing its official total to 145. Jupiter, which added 12 moons to its tally in February, has 95 moons that have been formally designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Continue reading...

Patients to be treated with medicines used for arthritis and lupus in relaunch of pioneering UK trialOne of the UK’s leading psychiatrists is calling for an overhaul of the diagnosis and treatment of psychotic disorders following evidence that a small but significant fraction of cases could be triggered by an autoimmune response.Speaking before the relaunch of a groundbreaking trial in which psychosis patients are being treated with medicines normally reserved for autoimmune conditions such as arthritis and lupus, Prof Belinda Lennox, the head of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said she hoped the work would pave the way for new, more targeted approaches to treating conditions such as schizophrenia. This could include some patients being given immunotherapies to treat psychotic symptoms. Continue reading...

Cavendish made to resist fungus threatening variety worldwide is seen as safety net for growers if industry wiped out

Fireball ‘100 times the size of the solar system’ thought to have been caused by gas being sucked into supermassive black holeIt started as an unremarkable flicker in the night sky. But closer observations revealed that astronomers had captured the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed, an event thought to have been triggered by a giant cloud of gas being gobbled up by a supermassive black hole.The flare-up, traced to 8bn light years away, is more than 10 times brighter than any known supernova and has so far lasted more than three years, making it the most energetic explosion on record. Continue reading...

Vaccines and medication will remain available for free ‘while supplies last’ but most Americans will have to pay for testingThursday marked the end of Covid-19’s public health emergency status in the US, concluding more than three years of free access to testing, vaccines, virtual accommodations and treatment for the majority of Americans.The end of the emergency designation comes just weeks after the World Health Organization declared an end to the global health emergency. But the nation’s leading health officials also wanted to be sure Americans don’t confuse this marker for the end of Covid-19 concerns. Continue reading...

Researchers say wipes contain chemical group called ‘quats’, which are linked to serious health problemsSince the pandemic’s outset, the global use of disinfectants has gone through the roof. Clorox dramatically boosted production of its wipe packs to 1.5m a day by mid-2021, and an industry trade group said 83% of consumers surveyed around the same time reported they had used a disinfectant wipe in the last week.But as schools reopened, a group of toxic chemical researchers grew concerned as they heard reports of kids regularly using disinfectant wipes on their classroom desks, or teachers running disinfectant foggers. Continue reading...

The course focuses on taming a ubiquitous emotion. But what about addressing its root causes?There are six rules of anger management, says my anger workbook. The first rule: “STOP, think, take a look at the BIG picture.” Then, because why use lower-case when you’ve got capitals: “ANGER MANAGEMENT IS A THINKING PERSON’S GAME!”But thinking, it turns out soon into the course, is discouraged. “I’m not here to psychoanalyze you,” says our group leader, a self-styled anger management guru. “I’m just here to help you follow the program. If you follow the program, you’ll see results.” Later, after one question too many, he tells me: “The problem with you, Olivia, is that you like to complicate things.” Continue reading...

Hunterian Museum collection amassed by 18th-century surgeon-anatomist John Hunter includes body parts of humans and animalsThe relaunch of an extraordinary collection of human and animal specimens gathered in the 18th century by a medical pioneer has prompted the Royal College of Surgeons in England (RCS) to commission research into complex questions about provenance and consent.The collection amassed by the surgeon-anatomist John Hunter includes human organs alongside the bodies and body parts of creatures ranging from bees to elephants. Human foetuses in glass jars, from nine weeks gestation to full term, pickled penises and female reproductive organs are preserved in carefully labelled glass jars. Continue reading...

The pioneering IVF procedure known as mitochondrial donation therapy (MDT) could prevent children from being born with devastating mitochondrial diseases. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Prof Darren Griffin, an expert in genetic diseases and reproduction, about how MDT works, the ethical considerations attached, and what techniques like it could mean for the future of reproductionRead science editor Ian Sample’s exclusive coverage of this story hereClip: Sky News Continue reading...

Researchers say mosquitoes may be attracted to soap because when not feeding on blood they supplement sugar intake with nectarLathering up with soap might seem a reasonable mosquito-evasion strategy on the basis that if they can’t smell you, they can’t bite you.However, a study suggests that rather than helping you go incognito, soapy fragrances could make you a more attractive target, with mosquitoes favouring the scent of volunteers who washed with three out of four popular soap brands tested. Continue reading...

Industry says the Albanese government is ‘defunding space programs without explanation’

Scientists have found microbes that can do this at 15C, in a potential breakthrough for recyclingMicrobes that can digest plastics at low temperatures have been discovered by scientists in the Alps and the Arctic, which could be a valuable tool in recycling.Many microorganisms that can do this have already been found, but they can usually only work at temperatures above 30C (86F). This means that using them in industrial practice is prohibitively expensive because of the heating required. It also means using them is not carbon neutral. Continue reading...

New genetics study finds some of the first arrivals came during the last ice age, and shortly after, in two distinct migrationsSome of the first humans to arrive in the Americas included people from what is now China, who arrived in two distinct migrations during and after the last ice age, a new genetics study has found.“Our findings indicate that besides the previously indicated ancestral sources of Native Americans in Siberia, the northern coastal China also served as a genetic reservoir contributing to the gene pool,” said Yu-Chun Li, one of the report authors. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mitochondrial donation treatment aims to prevent children from inheriting incurable diseasesThe first UK baby created with DNA from three people has been born after doctors performed a groundbreaking IVF procedure that aims to prevent children from inheriting incurable diseases.The technique, known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT), uses tissue from the eggs of healthy female donors to create IVF embryos that are free from harmful mutations their mothers carry and are likely to pass on to their children. Continue reading...

Improving ties between the UK and EU could lead to agreements on youth mobility and research collaborationIt’s official. Relations between the EU and the UK have been reset. In an article for the Guardian, ambassadors and high commissioners of all 27 member states declared there had been a “regain in trust”.After seven years of tension, mistrust and sometimes downright contempt, the outbreak of civility is no small thing. “The task ahead is therefore to build on this re-engagement and to develop further the ties between the EU and the UK,” the ambassadors said. Continue reading...

Scott Knudsen was holding his baby when a strike tore through his body. He reflects on the challenging, laughter-filled path to reclaiming his health and identityFor Scott Knudsen, it was shaping up to be a good day. It was his daughter’s first birthday, and his wife Tracy had just called to say she had a surprise for him. Knudsen had been in town, fetching hay and running chores for their ranch in rural Texas. He thought Tracy might have got him another horse. But when he got home, it was even better: Tracy was there, with baby Hailey and they had washed his dirty tractor. Now, nearly 20 years later, still on the same ranch, Knudsen smiles at the memory. “Oh my goodness, it made me so happy.”It was mid-afternoon, on a July day in 2005. Knudsen was 37 years old. In the distance there was a thunderstorm – he could see the rain clouds, 15 or so miles away – but where they stood there were blue-skies and calm. Several of their horses were out to pasture; there were chickens around, pecking at the dirt. Tracy handed Hailey to Knudsen to hold. Continue reading...

Leaks of potent greenhouse gas could be easily fixed, say experts, and would rapidly reduce global heatingMethane leaks alone from Turkmenistan’s two main fossil fuel fields caused more global heating in 2022 than the entire carbon emissions of the UK, satellite data has revealed.Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from the oil- and gas-rich country are “mind-boggling”, and an “infuriating” problem that should be easy to fix, experts have told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Psychedelic drugs have long been been used for their mind-altering effects. Now, they are making their way into western medicine as a treatment for mental health disorders. From July, psychiatrists in Australia will be able to prescribe MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder, making it the first country in the world to recognise psychedelics as medicines. The US could soon follow, with plans for the US Food and Drug Administration to be asked for approval to treat PTSD with MDMA this year. Ian Sample speaks to correspondent Hannah Devlin about how the science behind psychedelic therapy has progressed, and hears from Prof Celia Morgan about what treatment is actually like, what we know about the risks and what’s left to learnRead about the University of Exeter launching a postgraduate course in the clinical use of psychedelics.Listen to the podcast series Cotton Capital, which explores how transatlantic slavery shaped the Guardian. Continue reading...

High-resolution images from James Webb space telescope reveal two rings of debris around FomalhautAstronomers have spotted an asteroid belt and an enormous dust cloud around one of the nearest and brightest stars in the night sky.Known as Fomalhaut, the star lies 25 light years from Earth in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, or the southern fish. Though best seen from the southern hemisphere, it can be viewed from a large part of the northern hemisphere, especially in the autumn. Its brightness and position mean it is still used for navigation. Continue reading...

Startups say their AI-powered, therapist-trained bots can help us navigate life’s challenges. I decided to put them to the testFor the last several months I have been a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. We moved to a new house last year only to find the place next door was about to undergo a massive construction project. Since then we’ve been living with a constant soundtrack of hammering and drilling. I’ve tried various coping methods – everything from saunas to noise-cancelling headphones to fantasies of revenge – but the noise and dust still raise my blood pressure to dangerous levels every day.Yet there was one thing I hadn’t tried until this week: An “emotional support chatbot”. Yes, those are a thing now: in our brave new world, where artificial intelligence is seemingly on the verge of disrupting every industry, not even therapists are safe from having their jobs taken by technology. On Tuesday a prominent startup called Inflection AI launched a chatbot called Pi (short for “personal intelligence”) which is designed to give friendly advice. It’s obviously not meant to replace a real-life therapist (not yet anyway), but is pitched as a supportive companion that can help you talk through your problems. The algorithm has been trained by about 600 “teachers”, including mental health professionals, to be sensitive and conversational. Continue reading...

Can long Covid make it harder to identify acquaintances, friends, even close relatives? Scientists are investigating a possible linkThe other day a man waved at Stanley Chow, and went over to him. “I said: ‘Have we met before?’ Which is kind of the last thing you want to say.” It happens a lot – he finds it hard to remember new people’s faces. “Anyone I’ve spoken to once or twice I do forget quite instantly,” he says. “If I meet someone new, I’ll make a point of following them on Instagram or Facebook so their face becomes ingrained in my memory somehow.”Around six months ago, a friend phoned Chow to complain he had “blanked” a mutual friend, but the 48-year-old illustrator just hadn’t recognised him. “That unsettled me for a few weeks.” Now, he says, “I always make an excuse, like: ‘Since Covid I can’t remember faces as well as I could.’” He’s not plucking that idea out of thin air. He says he has always had a small degree of face blindness – where people have difficulty recognising or remembering faces – but he believes the Covid infection he got in early 2021 made it worse. Continue reading...

Real-time data will be displayed for Dr Alyssa Schwartz to play at Atlanta conferenceMove aside Metallica and Led Zeppelin: scientists are planning to make “rock” music by letting seismic activity headline in a live flute performance.On Tuesday, Dr Domenico Vicinanza of the UK’s Anglia Ruskin University will use a computer program he has developed to turn real-time data, recorded by a seismograph at Yellowstone national park in the US, into a musical score. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Research comes amid evidence that driving on less than five hours’ sleep is as dangerous as drink-driving

Development of biomarkers to detect sleepiness could affect the way we use vehicles – and even how we work

Ptolemy originally regarded the stars of Coma Berenices as the tuft of Leo’s tail and saw Canes Venatici as part of the great bearThis week, we can track down two faint northern springtime constellations.Canes Venatici is the Latin for “hunting dogs”. It is associated with the neighbouring constellation of Boötes, the herdsman, and sits below the handle of the plough asterism in the constellation of Ursa Major, the great bear. Continue reading...

The rationalist in me knows that coincidences are inevitable, mundane, meaningless. But I can’t deny there is something strange and magical in them, too Continue reading...

A therapist or counsellor can help identify the root cause of the pattern and provide tools to manage triggers

From repellants to app-based mosquito monitoring and a new malaria vaccine, researchers are making important breakthroughs in the fight against the biting insectsThe earliest signs of summer herald my annual metamorphosis – from woman to lifesize pincushion. Whether at home or abroad, when mosquitoes begin their hunt for blood I am reminded, via a blanket of red blotches that have more than once swelled to the size of a golf ball, that mine is a godlike nectar. On a single day last December, a tropical Christmas trip quickly became a less-than-festive scratchathon after a glut of bites arrived, following which I was stung by jellyfish, then wasps. At this point, I can only assume the mosquitoes are giving other species ideas.But there are signs that a solution for the 20% of the population who receive above-average numbers of bites may soon be at hand. Earlier this month, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) developed a new repellant capable of reducing the number of mosquitoes feeding by 80%. Applying a thin coating made from naturally occurring cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), a renewable raw material found in the likes of cotton and wood, and indole, an organic compound with an unpleasant odour, to skin served as “chemical camouflage”, said the study published in PNAS Nexus. This combination – which derails the cues that mosquitoes use to select their victims – is “unprecedented”, according to Jonathan Bohbot, a senior lecturer at HUJI and one of the paper’s co-authors. Indeed, the results are considered so promising that further human studies are planned, with a view to having the coating approved by regulators ahead of commercial use. “The CNC-repellant combination will have a longer efficacy and range of action than other products currently available on the market,” says Bohbot, adding that they expect “high levels of product adoption” if and when it does hit shelves. Continue reading...

If you feel stuck, a trip can put you back in touch with your sense of adventureOn family holidays, my father transformed himself. Perhaps it was the sunny climate, the change of scene or simply the long-awaited break from work, but almost as soon as the plane landed on the runway, his ordinarily reserved personality was discarded like a winter coat. He became sociable and gregarious. There was a lightness about him as he chatted to strangers on the beach, inviting them to join us for dinner, where he’d entertain them with an endless repertoire of stories and jokes. Two weeks later, clutching a bottle of ouzo as we landed in Heathrow, perhaps he hoped this version of himself might travel home with him. But as he got back to normal life and a busy hospital job, the unopened ouzo was soon pushed to the back of the cupboard to gather dust.When I left my job as a psychologist and went on a round-the-world trip in search of adventures after a difficult time in my life, maybe I, too, was hoping to become a new person – or, like my father, a different version of myself. I was soon disappointed. It was nerve-racking to land in a strange place and know nobody. Away from the routines of life, the identity of my job and the security of my network of friends and family, I felt lonely and untethered. And, to my horror, despite visiting eye-wateringly beautiful places, I still felt miserable. Somehow, in the flurry of packing for the trip, I’d forgotten that the thing you don’t choose to bring, but can’t leave behind, is yourself. I felt a very long way from home. I missed my friends. What was I thinking? Continue reading...

Homo sapiens forced out Neanderthals between 54,000 and 42,000 years ago, according to controversial new researchIt took three separate waves of modern humans to colonise Europe between 54,000 and 42,000 years ago. That is the key conclusion of scientists who have been studying caves in the Rhone valley where they have discovered evidence that Homo sapiens had to make a trio of determined attempts to head westwards and northwards from western Asia before they could establish themselves in the continent.“The first two of these waves failed but the third succeeded around 42,000 years ago,” said Ludovic Slimak of the University of Toulouse, who is leading the excavations in France. “After that, modern humans took over in Europe. The Neanderthals, who had evolved on the continent, died out.” Continue reading...

Although the acute phase of the pandemic may have passed, experts agree that the virus’s effects will remain profoundThe global public emergency caused by Covid-19 may be officially over but the pandemic will still be with us for many years. Nor is it clear that governments have learned sufficiently from the outbreak to be ready to fight off new emerging microbes that could trigger worse calamities.These are the stark conclusions of scientists reacting to last week’s news that the World Health Organization (WHO) no longer considers Covid-19 – which has killed more than 7 million people over the past three years – to be a public health emergency of international concern. Continue reading...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...