Study shows groups crossed vast ocean in about the year 1200 Proof of encounter found in DNA of present-day populations Indigenous Americans and Polynesians bridged vast expanses of open ocean around the year 1200 and mingled, leaving incontrovertible proof of their encounter in the DNA of present-day populations, new studies have revealed.Whether peoples from what is today Colombia or Ecuador...
WHO adviser says results from well-designed studies are needed before it changes its adviceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA major research effort is under way to understand whether Covid-19 can spread through tiny airborne particles that are released by infected people and remain suspended in the air for hours.Scientists are working alongside sanitary engineers at...
Your questions answered on what type of mask to wear to cut the risk of getting Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageYes. Different types of mask offer different levels of protection. Surgical grade N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection against Covid-19 infection, followed by surgical grade masks. However, these masks are costly, in limited supply,...
This absorbing documentary tracks how participants in the Biosphere 2 project lived, grew food and disagreed in giant biodomesIf ever a documentary was in tune with the spirit of lockdown it is this very absorbing film about Biosphere 2 – a colossal eco-experimental project in the Arizona desert in the early 90s, which had its roots in 60s counterculture and which I knew nothing about before...
Anti-trafficking organisations say widespread trust in white outsiders makes children an easy target for abusers from the westChild protection organisations in Kenya say more needs to be done to protect young people from exploitation by overseas perpetrators, as the country reports a rising number of abuse cases.The warning follows the arrest of Gregory Dow, a 61-year-old missionary, who last...
UK neurologists publish details of mildly affected or recovering patients with serious or potentially fatal brain conditions Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDoctors may be missing signs of serious and potentially fatal brain disorders triggered by coronavirus, as they emerge in mildly affected or recovering patients, scientists have warned.Neurologists are on...
Man charged over latest breach of quarantine as country deals with influx of returning citizens during the coronavirus pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA man in compulsory isolation has absconded from a quarantine hotel in New Zealand to make a late-night “spur-of-the-moment” dash to the supermarket before testing positive for Covid-19 the following...
Actions by Hamish Walker have dealt a blow to the National party weeks away from an electionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAn opposition MP in New Zealand has announced he will not stand at September’s election after he confessed to leaking private details about all of the country’s active Covid-19 cases to several news outlets.The leak by Hamish Walker, a member...
US gives notice of withdrawal next year; Joe Biden says he would return the US to the WHO if elected; Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19. Follow the latest updatesWHO acknowledges ‘evidence emerging’ of airborne spreadUS officially notifies World Health Organization of its withdrawalBrazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirusAustralia: Melbourne returns to...
Study claims tiny creatures can order things in sequence, but researchers say it does not confirm they can countHummingbirds are not only bright in appearance but also in brain, it would seem, with new research suggesting the tiny creatures are able to understand a numerical concept of order.While hummingbirds have previously been found to visit flowers in particular sequences when foraging,...