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21 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Nasa moon mission asks US universities to develop technology

Fund will offer up to $2m to rapidly find ways of locating water or building power systemsNasa has asked American universities to propose new technologies that will help the space agency conduct sustainable exploration of the moon. Successful applicants will receive up to $2m (£1.5m) from the newly inaugurated lunar surface technology research (Lustr) opportunity to rapidly develop technology in...

The Guardian view on Covid-19's resurgence: we can make ourselves safer | Editorial

The picture in Europe and further afield is grim. But we must not resign ourselves to a large-scale recurrence of coronavirus Is the brief respite over? In England, and other European nations hit hard by coronavirus, bars and cafes have reopened, and people have begun to fly abroad again for holidays. Guests have gathered for weddings. Babies have met their grandparents for the first time.Though...

UK health leaders call for government to seek total elimination

Scientists predict 43 to 84 people will still be dying from Covid-19 every day by mid-AugustCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientists advising the government have predicted that between 43 and 84 people will still be dying from Covid-19 every day by mid-August, as health leaders called on the government to adopt a “zero Covid” approach and seek total elimination...

Archaeologists discover likely source of Stonehenge's giant sarsen stones

Stones in Wiltshire woodland found to be exact match for majority of site’s sarsensToday West Woods in Wiltshire is a popular spot for hikers, dog walkers and mountain bikers, famed for its bluebells in the springtime. Stick to the footpaths and it is easy to miss the hefty flat stones hidden in the undergrowth.But groundbreaking scientific research published on Wednesday reveals that, 4,500...

Global report: obey rules to avoid second Covid-19 lockdown, leaders warn

Countries around the world battle to contain rises in numbers of new infectionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFrance’s health minister, Olivier Véran, has warned that the struggle with coronavirus virus will be long, and that a second national lockdown will be avoided only if people stick to physical distancing rules.His comments came as the US death toll from the...

Germany's Covid-19 fears grow over ‘reckless’ partygoers

Authorities warn of rise in cases after shocking footage of young revellers in Spain and BulgariaCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageYoung Germans partying abroad on Europe’s beaches and ignoring physical distancing rules are becoming an increasing cause of concern at home, as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the world.Following widespread reports earlier this...

Why is Donald Trump Jr amplifying a quack who believes in 'demon sperm'? | Moustafa Bayoumi

The latest conspiracy theory is yet another example of how Americans are being misled by rightwing quacksIf you happened to be thinking that the one thing the tumultuous year of 2020 has been missing is arguments over demon sperm, then all I can say to you is this: I’ve got good news. Related: US coronavirus deaths near 150,000 as 21 states declared 'red zone' for infection spikes Continue...

Average BAME Covid-19 patient decades younger than white Britons in study

Oldham hospital data shows south Asian patients are 31 years younger than white counterparts on average Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople of south Asian heritage admitted to hospital with coronavirus are on average 31 years younger than white British Covid-19 patients, according to a study of inpatients in a town with one of England’s highest infection...

Madonna's Instagram flagged for spreading coronavirus misinformation

The singer claimed a vaccine had been found but was being concealed to ‘let the rich get richer’Instagram has censured a post by Madonna in which the pop star shared a coronavirus conspiracy theory with her 15 million followers.She captioned the video with claims that a vaccine for Covid-19 has “been found and proven and has been available for months”. She continued: “They would rather...

Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia may join Spain on England’s Covid-19 quarantine list

Ministers monitoring potential second wave of pandemic in parts of EuropeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTravellers returning to England from Belgium and Luxembourg could have quarantine restrictions reimposed in the next two days, as ministers grapple to contain any fresh threat from a potential second wave of coronavirus in some European countries. Related: Testing...

Coronavirus: UK signs deal for 60m doses of potential vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur could supply vaccine by early next year if it is successfulCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK has secured a deal for 60m doses of a fifth potential Covid-19 vaccine, positioning itself as one of the leaders in the global race to secure vaccine supplies with a total so far of 250m doses.In the worldwide scramble, which has been...

Testing for Covid-19 on arrival in UK is no 'silver bullet', says minister

Downing Street continues to come under pressure over quarantine plansCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTesting passengers for Covid-19 on arrival in the UK is “not a silver bullet”, the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, has said, as Downing Street continues to come under pressure over quarantine plans.Dowden said people can initially test negative before the virus...

Virgin Galactic offers peek inside new space plane for tourists

Inside of VSS Unity unveiled, showing the cabin in which six passengers will be able to float in zero gravity on the edge of spaceVirgin Galactic has revealed the interior of its centrepiece space plane, showing off a cabin with new custom seats and a “space mirror” in a virtual tour of what its passengers can expect to experience on flights to the edge of space.For $250,000 a ticket,...

'One big wave' – why the Covid-19 second wave may not exist

With no evidence of seasonal variations, the WHO warns the initial coronavirus pandemic is continuing and acceleratingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Covid-19 pandemic is currently unfolding in “one big wave” with no evidence that it follows seasonal variations common to influenza and other coronaviruses, such as the common cold, the World Health Organization...

Coronavirus live news: US deaths near 150,000 as Italy extends state of emergency

Trump blames US case surge on protesters; Pilgrims quarantined in Mecca as hajj begins; WHO warns pandemic is “one big wave”, not seasonal. Follow the latest updatesCovid-19 still accelerating, warns WHO, as restrictions return in EuropeTwitter limits Donald Trump Jr’s account for posting misinformationClapped out of ICU, dead days later: the secondary impact of Covid-19Outbreak in Xinjiang...

Australia's Covid-19 response shows we can confront major crises. Threats to our planet should be next | Ian Chubb

During the pandemic, we saw ideological nonsense and prejudice mostly put aside – and we saw what we could accomplish when it wasCarl Sagan – one of my heroes and a scientist with a gift for communicating complex ideas in accessible ways – wrote back in 1994: “If we continue to accumulate only power and not wisdom, we will surely destroy ourselves … If we become even slightly more...

UK studies exploring Covid-19 links with ethnicity awarded £4m

Six projects will help researchers explain the disproportionate BAME death rateCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSpecially tailored public health messaging, the impact of structural racism and whether healthcare workers should be redeployed are among research projects that have been given funding to explore the link between Covid-19 and ethnicity.More than £4m has been...

Hopes raised for early blood test to help fight Alzheimer’s disease

Studies measuring levels of the protein tau in blood offer hope of developing treatmentsScientists say they have made progress towards a test for Alzheimer’s that could help researchers in the hunt for treatments for the disease.Several studies, presented at a conference in Chicago, showed it was possible to measure the levels of a protein called tau in the blood. Tau and another protein called...