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21 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Arnold Bodmer obituary

My father, Arnold Bodmer, who has died aged 90, fled Nazi Germany as a child refugee. In Britain and later in the US he was a scientist renowned for formulating many innovations in nuclear physics, notably through his work on the behaviours of nuclei.His pioneering work, which he completed while on sabbatical at Oxford University in 1970-71, suggested the possibility of collapsed nuclei – a...

Bones found in Kent church likely to be of 7th-century saint

Experts hail identification of St Eanswythe, granddaughter of King EthelbertBones discovered more than a century ago in a Kent church are almost certainly the remains of an early English saint who was the granddaughter of Ethelbert, the first English king to convert to Christianity, experts have concluded.Saint Eanswythe, the patron saint of the coastal town of Folkestone, is thought to have...

The coronavirus challenge: how not to not touch your face

Scarves, friends, the example of the US president, can any of them help you follow the latest health advice?“I haven’t touched my face in weeks,” said Donald Trump, at a meeting with airline CEOs about the coronavirus crisis on Wednesday. “I miss it.”Twitter users promptly found recent photos of the president with his hands all over his chops, claiming to have caught him in a lie. But in...

We can’t wait until 2024 to tackle the climate crisis – let’s fight for a green new deal now | Keir Starmer

Labour may have lost the election but we are still a movement that can fight for change, and that starts at Cop26We are on the threshold of an extraordinary decade. Before now the effects of climate and environmental breakdown were mapped on to the future, but today we can see them all around us.Across England and Wales, towns and villages are under floodwater; fires have raged from Australia to...

Boris Johnson must be hating being PM – and these days that counts as good news | Marina Hyde

Have you seen his inbox? It’s all pandemic and Brexit blowback. Don’t tell me he doesn’t want his old life backFace it: “Matt Hancock stars as Pandemic Minister” is one of the all-time WTF pieces of science-adjacent casting. Not since the Bond movie where Denise Richards played a nuclear scientist disabling warheads will you have felt quite so unconvinced. “What do I need to defuse...

Coronavirus facts: what's the mortality rate and is there a cure?

Covid-19 essential guide: can it be caught on public transport, how is it different from the flu, and how sick will I get? Coronavirus – follow the latest updatesShare your experiencesCoronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor?The Covid-19 virus is a member of the coronavirus family that made the jump from animals to humans late last year. Many of those initially infected...

Flybe won’t be the last business to be downed by the coronavirus | Josie Cox

Other high-profile casualties that rely on the travel sector may follow – but smaller businesses will take the biggest hitAs the infection and death toll from coronavirus continues to creep higher, sending ripples of panic through communities and financial markets, the first high-profile corporate casualties are starting to emerge. Related: We don’t need another Flybe – we need a radical...

Why I’m taking the Coronavirus hype with a pinch of salt | Simon Jenkins

We’ve been here before, and the direst predictions have not come to passNever, ever, should a government use war as a metaphor in a time of peace. Britain is not at war with coronavirus. The phrase and its cognates should be banned. Those who exploit them to heighten panic and win obedience to authority should be dismissed from public office. Related: No, you won't get the coronavirus from...

Coronavirus facts: a more deadly strain? Busting the Covid-19 myths

The truth about the protective value of face masks and whether it’s easy to catch Covid-19 Follow our latest coronavirus blog for live news and updatesHow to protect yourself against coronavirusWhat is coronavirus and what should I do if I have symptoms?All viruses accumulate mutations over time and the virus that causes Covid-19 is no different. How widespread different strains of a virus...

Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor?

What is coronavirus, how does it spread, what are the symptoms, and should you call a doctor?Find all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionCoronavirus latest updatesIt is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. Many of those initially infected either worked or frequently...

The Trump administration ‘brain drain’ is impeding the coronavirus response

Efforts to address the outbreak risk are being undermined by an exodus of scientists and a leader who regularly distorts factsThe Trump administration’s jettisoning of scientific expertise and the president’s habit of spreading misinformation means the US is in a much weaker position to deal with the threat of coronavirus, experts have warned.There are now at least 149 known coronavirus cases...

My coronavirus battle plan: keep calm and eat apricots | Emma Brockes

While the authorities implore New Yorkers to respond to facts not fear, I’ve taken to eating my stockpileAs of Thursday morning there were 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York state (population: 20 million) and the phony war against the virus was well under way. In the city, people tried to find a proportionate response while honouring the need to be Doing Something. This mostly took...

Don't let coronavirus tip society into panic, say psychologists

Science behind spread of virus must be clear to avoid public discordThe looming arrival of a new disease as it spreads across international borders is, naturally, a source of some anxiety. But psychologists warn that the coronavirus outbreak has the ingredients to tip society into a state of panic if not carefully handled.“If you look at the historical record you’ll find that when outbreaks of...

Why we need worst-case thinking to prevent pandemics

Threats to humanity, and how we address them, define our time. Why are we still so complacent about facing up to existential risk? By Toby OrdThe world is in the early stages of what may be the most deadly pandemic of the past 100 years. In China, thousands of people have already died; large outbreaks have begun in South Korea, Iran and Italy; and the rest of the world is bracing for impact. We do...

Space-grown lettuce to give astronauts a more varied diet

Nasa’s Veggie system will enable astronauts to safely grow nutritious fresh foodExperiencing weightlessness, gazing back at the Earth as a pale blue dot and the adrenaline rush of being propelled into orbit at 20,000mph: life as an astronaut has various unique attractions.The food is not among them, with space travellers over the years enduring delicacies such as freeze-dried ice-cream, liquid...

The Gene Gap: can we trust science to police itself? – Science Weekly podcast

This week on the podcast, we’re bringing you the third and final episode from our Common Threads series, this time about trust in science. In particular, we ask how past controversies have led many to question gene editing, science and medicine, and if by focusing on the past, we can move forward.To listen to episodes one and two, search ‘The Gene Gap: Common Threads’ wherever you get your...

'More scary than coronavirus': South Korea's health alerts expose private lives

‘Safety guidance texts’ sent by the authorities contain an avalanche of personal information and are fuelling social stigmaCoronavirus latest updatesAs the number of coronavirus cases in South Korea exceeded 6,000 this week, there was a rise, too, in complaints about information overload in the form of emergency virus text alerts that have included embarrassing revelations about infected...

Coronavirus latest updates: Trump admits outbreak 'might' impact US economy

Pence acknowledges shortage of testing kits; WHO warns of sustained community transmission; first death in UK. Follow live news:Greece shuts schools as WHO warns about local transmissionVietnamese curator dropped because of ‘coronavirus prejudice’Cruise ship held near San Francisco for testing as city confirms two casesHas Covid-19 mutated into a more deadly strain? Busting the mythsTrump...

Coronavirus: cruise ship held near San Francisco as US ramps up response

Pence says 4m test kits will be delivered by next weekWashington state reports 70 casesFollow for live updates on the coronavirus outbreakPassengers on a Grand Princess cruise ship linked to the first death from coronavirus in California remained off the coast on Thursday as the first two cases were confirmed in San Francisco.A coast guard helicopter was delivering test kits to the cruise ship...