Less spectacular than a total eclipse but no less interesting, the penumbral lunar eclipse to be seen on Friday will be well worth watchingThis week’s astronomical event will be easy to see but hardly anyone will notice it. On 5 June, the full moon will clip the outer portion of Earth’s shadow, creating a penumbral lunar eclipse. This is much subtler than a total lunar eclipse, in which the...
Many opt for caution amid concerns restrictions are being loosened too quicklyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFor the last 10 weeks, Graham Bell has been sleeping in a hotel near the Devon hospital where he works as an intensive care nurse, away from his wife and toddler triplets. His wife, Hannah Gallagher-Bell, another nurse, is shielding because of diabetes and...
Testing capacity hit 205,634 on Saturday but full figures for tests carried out not releasedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government claims to have exceeded its goal of a daily Covid-19 test capacity of 200,000 by the end of May.Boris Johnson set a target 200,000 tests a day earlier this month, but aides later said this referred to operational capacity rather...
A milestone for two Nasa astronauts in historic missionFirst such rendezvous by US spacecraft since 2011A mere 19 hours after blasting off from Florida, and with a short break for some Black Sabbath music in between, two Nasa astronauts docked the SpaceX Dragon crew capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday in another milestone moment for their historic mission. Related: Trump...
A rocket ship named Dragon breathed new fire into the US’s human spaceflight programme on Saturday, carrying two astronauts on a much-anticipated mission. The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon crew capsule from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station was the first time since 2011 that humans had blasted off into orbit from US soil.It also heralded a new...
The neuroscientist who advises Independent Sage on Covid-19 discusses the predictive power of his mathematical modelling and the risk of a second waveCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNeuroscientist Karl Friston, of University College London, builds mathematical models of human brain function. Lately, he’s been applying his modelling to Covid-19, and using what he...
There are more than 130,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the continentCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice across swathes of Africa have failed to find more than a fraction of hundreds of people who have escaped from often unsanitary and uncomfortable Covid-19 quarantine centres in recent weeks.There are more than 130,000 confirmed...
Ministers accused by city leaders and local councils of launching operation before it is ready to contain local outbreaks Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters have been accused of creating a “false sense of security” by launching a test and trace system that is not yet capable of controlling local outbreaks.A series of concerns have been raised over the gaps...
The NHS test and trace app fails on several counts; no wonder ministers are resorting to peer pressure to encourage uptake Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe NHS Covid-19 alert app will be available nationwide in June. It’s voluntary, so those of us with smartphones must decide: should we download the app?The health secretary, Matt Hancock, thinks we should,...
Boris Johnson’s lack of transparency suggests he is more concerned with a political crisis than a health oneCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThroughout this pandemic, Boris Johnson has claimed to have been “following the science”. By parroting this epistemological nonsense, ministers are encouraging us to believe that they are only doing what the scientists tell...
Animal rights groups have been pushing a synthetic alternative to horseshoe crab blood in drug safety testingHorseshoe crabs’ icy-blue blood will remain the drug industry’s standard for safety tests after a powerful US group ditched a plan to give equal status to a synthetic substitute pushed by Swiss biotech Lonza and animal welfare groups.The crabs’ copper-rich blood clots in the presence...
Brazil cases near 500,000; Pope asks world leaders to provide Covid relief; lockdown eased for clinically vulnerable in UK. Follow the latest updatesPope Francis calls on world leaders to provide coronavirus reliefGlobal cases pass 6 millionBrazil sees record one-day increase in casesSenior UK adviser has broken trust in policy, say top scientistsCoronavirus latest: at a glance 1.34am BST There...
SATURDAY 30. MAY 2020
Donald Trump and Mike Pence witness launch in FloridaFirst attempt was cancelled minutes from blast-offA rocketship named Dragon breathed new fire into America’s human spaceflight programme on Saturday, carrying two astronauts on a much-anticipated adventure. Related: Trump wants America looking at the stars as he drags it through the gutter Continue...
As more of us wear face masks and rely on eye contact, how will it change the way we relate to each otherA conversation with a girlfriend when I was in Italy a few weeks ago got me thinking about the latest new norm of the post-coronavirus society: enhanced eye contact. She had told me how, standing in the endless queue for the supermarket, wearing her mask, she had caught the eye of a handsome...
As studies confirm many infected people show no symptoms, contact tracing and face masks assume even greater importance Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhen Noopur Raje’s husband fell critically ill with Covid-19 in mid-March, she did not suspect that she too was infected with the virus.Raje, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, had been caring...
A summary of the biggest developments in the global coronavirus outbreakFollow our latest coronavirus blog for live news and updatesKey developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include: Continue...
The team behind our popular podcast reflect on how the threat of Covid-19 has galvanised the scientific communityNicola Davis is one of Science Weekly’s presenters, alongside Ian Sample and Hannah Devlin. Madeleine Finlay is one of its regular producers, alongside Max Sanderson and David Waters Continue...
More Sage scientists express concerns that Boris Johnson is easing lockdown too soonCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government is facing increasing pressure from its scientific advisers over the decision to ease England’s lockdown.Prof Peter Horby has become the latest adviser to express his concerns, saying on Saturday that while thousands of people a day are...
Elon Musk’s firm plans flight with Nasa astronauts, following Wednesday’s cancellationElon Musk’sSpaceX is due to undertake a repeat attempt at launching two Americans into orbit from Florida, in a mission that would mark the first spaceflight of Nasa astronauts from US soil in nine years.The mission’s first launch attempt on Wednesday was called off with fewer than 17 minutes remaining on...
A summary of the biggest developments in the global coronavirus outbreakFollow our latest coronavirus blog for live news and updatesKey developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include: Continue...
Baffled investigators hope to reveal how many people in Blackwater may have been exposed or unknowingly have the virusScientists will sift through the sewage of a central Queensland town to try and determine the source of a Covid-19 infection that claimed the life of a 30-year-old man.As Queensland recorded no new Covid-19 cases and only six active cases on Saturday, authorities remain baffled by...
President claims body has ‘failed to reform’; UK expert says country not ready to ease lockdown; Australia to relax rules on 1 June. All the developments liveTrump announces severing of ties with WHOCoronavirus latest: at a glance 1.57am BST Mexico recorded 3,227 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday and 371 more deaths, bringing the total numbers to 84,627 cases and 9,415 fatalities, Reuters...
FRIDAY 29. MAY 2020
394ft rocket designed to carry humans and cargo to moon and MarsNo immediate indication of injuries after explosion in TexasA prototype of SpaceX’s upcoming heavy-lift rocket, Starship, exploded on Friday during ground tests in south Texas as Elon Musk’s space company pursued an aggressive development schedule to fly the launch vehicle for the first time.The testing explosion was unrelated to...
Number of people tested for coronavirus for seventh day running has not been disclosedThe government has failed to disclose the number of people tested for Covid-19 for the seventh day running, prompting criticism from senior scientists who said this risked a perception that there is “something to hide”.On Friday, figures showed that less than 131,500 daily tests were carried out the previous...
Though they display less viral shedding, asymptomatic people can still spread Covid-19Since the Covid-19 outbreak began, many have been concerned about asymptomatic spread – that is, people who have the virus but show no symptoms, so therefore don’t take measures to quarantine themselves.As the virus spreads throughout the world more research can be gathered, and scientists are learning more...