Japanese farming folklore says lightning makes mushrooms multiply – and research shows there is truth in itA few years ago, I attempted to grow my own shiitake mushrooms. I purchased a special log, which had been seeded with mushroom spores, and followed the instructions to soak it and then keep it in a shady spot. Sadly no mushrooms ever fruited on my log, but maybe I would have had more luck...

It is time Australian governments started to listen to experts when it comes to climate change and pandemicsThe past 18 years has been a period of significant disengagement and disinterest by the community in Australian political affairs. The political shenanigans described in Malcolm Turnbull’s recent book A Bigger Picture ought to be a wake-up call that as our political leaders have jostled...

Archaeologists face surfeit of mammoths after bones found at airport under construction north of Mexico CityArchaeologists have found the bones of about 60 mammoths at an airport under construction just north of Mexico City, near human-built “traps” where more than a dozen mammoths were found last year.Both discoveries reveal how appealing the area – once a shallow lake – was for the...

Herd immunity represents the percentage of people in a population who need to be immune to a disease in order to protect those who aren’t. Early on in the pandemic, researchers estimated the herd immunity threshold for Covid-19 to be 60%. Following a question from a listener, Ian Sample speaks to Rachel Thomas to explore the maths and find out exactly how herd immunity is calculated Continue...

Despite some fine words about the environmental crisis, ministers are pushing ahead with a trade bill that threatens to damage the planet The dust storms that devastated the US prairie during the Great Depression were the worst ecological disaster in American history. They were also, partly, manmade. Decades of farming in the Great Plains had rid the topsoil of its native grass, leaving nothing to...

Malaria drug should not be used to treat coronavirus, scientists say, after study shows high death rateCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug Donald Trump is taking to prevent Covid-19, has increased deaths in patients treated with it in hospitals around the world, a study has shown.A major study of the way hydroxychloroquine and...

Women are naturally more cautious: would the government have made so many missteps over the lockdown if it was more inclusive?Coronavirus – latest updatesTell us: have you been affected by the coronavirus?Don’t go out alone in the dark. Don’t get carried away in the heat of the moment. Work twice as hard in order to be taken half as seriously, but don’t work so hard that you somehow forget...

Documents reveal that PM’s current plan was not among those modelled for scientistsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA low-risk scenario where pupils in England would attend school on alternating weeks was presented to the government as the most likely way to gain popular support before ministers instead settled on their plan for a widespread reopening on 1 June,...

A YouTube channel dedicated to solving tricky sudoku puzzles has become an unlikely viral hit. Cracking the Cryptic has become a lockdown fixture for millions who tune in to watch Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe work through seemingly impossible puzzles. The channel's latest hit is The Miracle Sudoku, a strangely compelling 25-minute video in which Anthony takes on what he believes to be an...

Under-20s appear 56% less likely to contract Covid-19, preliminary evidence suggests Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageChildren are about half as likely to become infected with coronavirus than adults, according to scientists who reviewed data gathered by contact tracing and population screening studies around the world.The study, which will feed into the debate on when...

Debris from what is believed to be a Russian Soyuz rocket re-entering Earth’s atmosphere created a light show across the sky in parts of Victoria, south-east Australia, on Friday evening.Residents reported seeing a meteor-like streak in the sky above Rochester, Kyneton, Echuca and Cashmore. Continue...

Politicians have become more cautious about immunisation prospects. They are right to beCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt would be hard to overstate the importance of developing a vaccine to Sars-CoV-2 – it’s seen as the fast track to a return to normal life. That’s why the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the UK was “throwing everything at it”.But...

From drug treatments to preventive measures like wearing masks, we don’t yet have the evidence we need for effective policymakingSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus – latest updatesThis pandemic is frightening for many people – especially those at the highest risk – and the need for effective prevention and treatment is pressing.When there is no direct evidence about what is best...

Latest figures from public health authorities on the spread of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. Find out how many confirmed cases have been reported in each of England’s local authoritiesCoronavirus - live news updatesFind all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionPlease note: these are government figures on numbers of confirmed cases – some people who report...

Poverty, hunger and the threat of being shot by police make life under strict lockdown harder for one expectant motherCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMillions of people in the Philippine capital, Manila, have spent more than two months under lockdown. The densely populated city, once notorious for its heaving traffic, has been transformed into a ghost town. Residents...