Image of 15th-century Abbot John of Wheathampstead bears likeness to contemporary figuresScholars involved in the digital reconstruction of the face of a medieval Benedictine abbot admit there is something “faintly familiar” about the results.The image was extrapolated by experts from CT scans of a well-preserved skull of Abbot John of Wheathampstead, whose skeleton was discovered during...

Denial of the basic facts of the coronavirus outbreak is not confined to conspiracy theorists but has crept into what passes for government policy. Covidiocy is now mainstreamWish you could stand the “covidiot” in the corner and laugh at him? There are not enough dunces’ caps for all the covidiots out there. They come in planeloads returning from the Greek island of Zante, they congregate in...

Rates growing fastest among those aged 10-29, and decreasing in the older age groupsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe health secretary, Matt Hancock, implored young people to stick to the rules as Covid-19 infections in the UK rose to their highest levels since early May.It is not known why case rates are higher among young people, but England-level data shows they...

Discovery of early bony fish casts doubt on accepted ideas about evolutionary history of vertebratesThe partial skull of an armoured fish that swam in the oceans over 400m years ago could turn the evolutionary history of sharks on its head, researchers have said.Bony fish, such as salmon and tuna, as well as almost all terrestrial vertebrates, from birds to humans, have skeletons that end up made...

The answer to today’s puzzleEarlier today I asked you to construct a triangle whose existence seems to defy reason.Show that there is a triangle, the sum of whose three heights is less than 1mm, that has an area greater than the surface of the Earth (510m km2). Continue...

Researchers call for age-based symptom checklists as virus presents differently in childrenCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFatigue, headache and fever are the most common symptoms of coronavirus in children, with few developing a cough or losing their sense of taste or smell, researchers have found, adding to calls for age-specific symptom checklists.The NHS lists...

The conditions appeared to cause structural changes that harmed memory and thinkingHigh blood pressure and diabetes bring about brain changes that impair thinking and memory, research suggests.Doctors examined brain scans and medical data from 22,000 volunteers enrolled in the UK Biobank project and found significant structural changes in the grey and white matter among those with diabetes and...

Academy in Haverhill closed, while cases recorded at three schools in Middlesbrough areaCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFive teachers at a school in Suffolk have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the school to shut, as parents around Middlesbrough were also warned about student infections in three schools in the area.The infections come a week after children...

The Earth ain’t big enough for this tiny shapeToday’s puzzle is simple and spectacular. It asks you to construct a triangle whose existence seems to defy reason.Show that there is a triangle, the sum of whose three heights is less than 1mm, that has an area greater than the surface of the Earth (510m km2). Continue...

Labor day weekend crowds prompt Covid-19 fears; Netanyahu announces overnight curfews on 40 cities; UK reports almost 3,000 cases, level not seen since late May. Follow the latest updatesCovering Covid-19 in AfricaFrance declares more Covid-19 ‘red zones’Many Americans face bleak winter as Covid takes toll on mental healthKamala Harris says she wouldn’t trust Trump on Covid...

Giving home monitors to those with high blood pressure would reduce heart attacks and other conditionsBlood pressure monitors should be handed out on prescription to slash the number of people who die or are left with disabilities from strokes and heart attacks, a medical charity has said.Making the home monitors available to anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure would allow people to control...