24 articles from SUNDAY 12.7.2020

Starwatch: Jupiter at its brightest in opposition

Jupiter is at its closest to Earth and directly opposite the sun – so will be conspicuous for its brightnessOn 14 July at 09:00 BST, Jupiter will be directly opposite the sun in the sky. Known as opposition, it marks the middle of the weeks when the planet is at its best for observing because it is closest to Earth. From Jupiter’s perspective, our world will be at inferior conjunction, meaning...

As Covid-19 persists around the world, death is not the only outcome to fear | Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz

There are worrying trends about long-term damage, even in those with milder symptomsDownload the free Guardian app to get the most important news notificationsCoronavirus Australia maps and cases: live numbers and statisticsThere are a lot of unknowns about Covid-19. This makes sense, because despite six months of the most amazing scientific effort of our lifetimes, the coronavirus is a novel...

Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests

Exclusive: King’s College London team found steep drops in patients’ antibody levels three months after infectionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople who have recovered from Covid-19 may lose their immunity to the disease within months, according to research suggesting the virus could reinfect people year after year, like common colds.In the first longitudinal...

How to Reopen Schools: What Science and Other Countries Teach Us

As school districts across the United States consider whether and how to restart in-person classes, their challenge is complicated by a pair of fundamental uncertainties: No nation has tried to send children back to school with the virus raging at levels like America's, and the scientific research about transmission in classrooms is limited.The World Health Organization has now concluded that...

Are breathing techniques good for your health?

The market is flooded with books and classes claiming ‘breathwork’ can help with mental health, sleep and even Covid-19. But are experts convinced?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAlan Dolan couldn’t afford market research when he started out as a breathing instructor in 2005. Instead, he took soundings from London taxi drivers. “I’d tell them I taught people...

What kind of face mask gives the best protection against Covid-19?

Your questions answered on what type of mask to wear to cut the risk of contracting coronavirusCoronavirus – 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...

Enough of the psychobabble. Racism is not something to fix with therapy

Unconscious bias training is a lucrative industry, but it won’t change consciously hostile policiesAre you racist? And, if so, how would I know? I used to think that a good gauge may be whether you call me a “Paki”, or assault me because of my skin colour, or deny me a job after seeing my name. But, no, these are just overt expressions of racism. Even if you show no hostility, or seek to...

Ministers have struggled to wear a mask. Do they think it makes them look weak? | Catherine Bennett

The chancellor missed an opportunity to deliver a life-saving message along with Wagamama’s chickenWhatever he has done to Wagamama’s previously enviable reputation, Rishi Sunak has demonstrated that, even in one of those countries where the leadership is also a recognised disease vector, some hygiene failures can still shock.We might be resigned to a clammy-looking Boris Johnson transmitting...

Theatres saved from bulldozer by new rules in lockdown

Communities secretary announces new planning rules forcing councils to take impact of Covid-19 into accountCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEmpty theatres and live music venues that risk falling into disrepair – and, ultimately, into the hands of redevelopers – have been offered a lifeline.This weekend, the government is revealing new planning rules aimed at...

'We are all Martians!': space explorers seek to solve the riddle of life on Mars

With the red planet’s launch window about to open, the US, China and the UAE are all sending craft to look for answersIn the next few weeks, a flotilla of probes will be blasted into space from launch pads round the world and propelled towards one of the solar system’s most mysterious objects: the planet Mars. Within days of each other, spacecraft built by the USA, by China and by the United...

Egalitarians be warned: wealth begets wealth | Torsten Bell

New research from Sweden reveals that good genes don’t make you a success but family money, or marrying into it, doesWealth matters in 21st-century Britain, in part because there’s lots of it around. British household wealth was three times GDP in the 1970s. It’s seven times today. Falling interest rates are the main cause, pushing up prices of existing assets. Resolution Foundation research...