25 articles from SUNDAY 19.7.2020

How to find comet Neowise, lying low in the northern sky

Neowise, one of the brightest comets since Hale-Bopp, can be seen with the naked eye, but you’ll need binoculars to see the tailThere’s only one thing to see this week: comet C/2020 F3 Neowise. Discovered on 27 March on images taken by the Nasa NEOWISE space telescope, by the beginning of this month the comet had grown in brightness to become visible to the naked eye. It passed its closest...

UAE’s Mission to Mars Launches Successfully—a First for the Arab World

(TOKYO) — A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. The liftoff of the Mars orbiter named Amal, or Hope, from Japan marked the start of a rush to fly to Earth’s neighbor that includes attempts by China and the United States. The UAE said its Amal was functioning after...

Science Museum asks public to help identify mystery items

Exclusive: Curators seek answers about puzzling photos, devices and other objectsIn pictures: mystery objects from the Science MuseumA worn metal tool with a hefty-looking handle, a delicate gadget with pedals, arms and cogs, and a piece of glassware with a snail-like coil in the middle. They might seem a motley collection of objects but they have one thing in common – they are all mysteries.The...

Global wrap: Hong Kong 'critical' as Covid cases rise worldwide

Lam says situation out of control, while Melbourne makes face masks compulsoryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe coronavirus situation in Hong Kong is “really critical”, with a record 100 new infections recorded on Sunday, the territory’s leader, Carrie Lam, said, as Melbourne became the first city in Australia to make wearing masks compulsory in response to a...

Covid-19 impact on ethnic minorities linked to housing and air pollution

Exclusive: Minority ethnic patients twice as likely to live in deprived environments and to be admitted to intensive careCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe severe impact of Covid-19 on people from minority ethnic groups has been linked to air pollution and overcrowded and poor-standard homes by a study of 400 hospital patients.It found patients from ethnic minorities...

How do we conquer Covid-19 fears now we can go out again?

Pay attention to your thoughts and apply logic. We’re often caught up in draining and irrational patterns of thinkingWhen was the last time you were really scared? You might think, that time I lost my child in a shopping centre, or the moment the doctor told me it was serious, or the night I was followed home from the bus stop, or as I was walking up to the stage to give my big speech.All of...

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson insists he can avoid second England-wide lockdown

PM says reimposition of national measures is ‘nuclear deterrent’ he hopes never to useCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has insisted he can avoid imposing another England-wide lockdown this winter, describing it as a “nuclear deterrent” that he hopes never to use.Despite chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance saying “national measures” might...

What happens when flu meets Covid-19?

How seasonal viruses interact with the coronavirus is unknown – it may lessen or sharpen the pandemic – so flu vaccinations are vital Optimists had hoped Covid-19 might not withstand the blistering heat of a British summer. However those hopes have faded: the virus staged a recent resurgence in Iran amid actual blistering temperatures, and has had no trouble persisting in sultry Singapore.But...

What kind of face mask gives the best protection against coronavirus?

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,...

Of course our fates aren’t written in the stars, but it's a comforting fantasy | Alex Clark

Mercury retrograde? It recently came for me and, for a while, I refrained from mocking astrologyBarely had the last scoop of topsoil been patted into place when the rain came. And in an unfathomable half hour, it destroyed both a fortnight’s work and what was left of our lockdown cheer.And all we could do was stand there, watching torrents of water lift up great clods of our newly harrowed...

Centrica: seven years of struggle, only to be caught by Covid

A long and difficult period for the firm looks set to conclude in a bust-up with the unions over job cutsBritain’s biggest energy supplier faces a “lost year” due to the coronavirus outbreak, which threatens to erode demand for gas and electricity and leave many homes and businesses unable to pay their bills.Investors are braced for Centrica, the owner of British Gas, to lay bare the toll of...

A new idea on how Earth's outer shell first broke into tectonic plates

Plate tectonics theory posits that Earth's outer shell is subdivided into plates that move relative to each other, concentrating most activity along the boundaries between plates, yet the scientific community has no firm concept on how plate tectonics got started. A new answer has been put forward by Dr. Alexander Webb at the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with an international team in...

A novel comprehensive model tackles arcane PTSD differences in neural activity

Toshinori Chiba (ATR) and his collaborators have proposed an innovative new "Reciprocal Inhibition Model" of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which may aid considerably in its treatment. This model comprehensively explains the inhomogeneous nature of PTSD by addressing inter- and intra-patient variabilities at the neural, attentional, and symptom levels. This model may therefore pave the way...

Humans need to do better if we're to avoid ocean system collapse

A new relationship between humanity and the ocean is required to secure the continuity of the diverse life support roles provided by the sea, according to a paper published in Nature Communications on 17 July 2020. Titled 'A transition to sustainable ocean governance,' it describes three key transition pathways that can make complex ocean systems more resilient and ensure a more sustainable...

Coronavirus live news: Melbourne makes face coverings mandatory from Wednesday as global deaths pass 600,000

New measure comes into force at 11.59pm on Wednesday as city announces 363 new cases; New South Wales records 18 new cases; global deaths pass 600,000; restrictions tightened in Barcelona. Follow the latest updatesUS faces terrifying autumn as virus surges‘Disastrous’: new lockdown means some Melbourne childcare centres could shut in weeksTrump reportedly seeks to block testing funds as...