It is thought the celestial body was created in a cosmic crash 4.5bn years ago It could so easily have turned out differently. About 4.5bn years ago, the Earth is believed to have collided with another planet, Theia, resulting in the formation of the moon. A more glancing blow might have resulted in a “hit-and-run” and a moon-less Earth; while more of a head-on collision may have blasted away...

Scientists question purchase of tests from British consortium before evaluation made publicThe Department of Health has announced it is buying 1m home antibody tests from a British consortium, even though experts say the only data published about them raises major questions about their accuracy.The government is spending millions of pounds on the tests, made by the UK Rapid Test Consortium. The...

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy are the majority of people right-handed rather than there being equal numbers of left and right? What is the factor causing the difference and what about other primates – or are we the only species to exhibit this...

Pressure mounts on manufacturer to allow other companies to supply remdesivirCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA global shortage of remdesivir, one of the key Covid-19 drugs given to Donald Trump since he tested positive for the virus, is leading to rationing in the UK and pressure on the manufacturer to allow other companies to supply it.Remdesivir, made by the US...

The pandemic has exposed the weakness in the UK’s austerity-hit social safety net – something many claimants have only just discovered Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs the Conservatives launched their 3D virtual conference only to suffer a technical glitch that meant the audience couldn’t hear what ministers were saying, it was hard not to be aware of the...

Young people no longer understand traditional gestures, from miming a phone call to requesting the bill. Are we losing part of our cultural heritage?Name: Hand gestures.Age: Older than language. Continue reading...

Though far from common, some patients developed worse symptoms the second time they became infected with Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOn 15 August, a 33-year-old man landed in Hong Kong after flying home from Spain. On arrival, he was screened for coronavirus. Despite feeling well he tested positive. It was the second time he had picked up Covid-19 in less...

Authorities urged to develop policies to tackle ‘virus fatigue’ as Finland, Poland and Russia join nations with rapidly rising casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe World Health Organization has said European countries will need to “move beyond biomedical science” to overcome Covid-19 as “pandemic fatigue” and new infections rapidly rise across the...

Exclusive: study finds insertion of breathing tube produces barely any aerosols Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThousands of patients may be facing unnecessary long waiting times for surgery because of a misplaced assumption about the Covid-19 risk posed to healthcare staff by a routine procedure, a study has found.For months, operating theatres have been running at...

Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez share 10m Swedish kronor awardThree scientists have won the 2020 Nobel prize in physics for their work on black hole formation and the discovery of a supermassive blackhole at the centre of our galaxy.Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez together scooped the 114th Nobel prize in physics. Continue...

Ministers reject health chiefs’ recommendation to impose highest level of restrictionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Irish government has rejected a recommendation to return the country to a full lockdown in the first clash with health chiefs since the Covid outbreak began.The surprise recommendation by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) late on...

The president has returned home but only after receiving treatments normally reserved for serious casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSince Donald Trump tweeted in the early hours of Friday morning that he had tested positive for Covid-19, his physician Dr Sean Conley has given a series of puzzling medical briefings – one of which was contradicted in an...

Nobel winner Sir Paul Nurse says his Francis Crick Institute alone could process 60,000 tests a weekCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOne of the UK’s most senior scientists has strongly criticised the government’s approach to coronavirus testing, saying it is too slow, too centralised and stifles efforts to protect the most vulnerable.Sir Paul Nurse, the Nobel...

In a special two-part takeover by colleagues from the age of extinction project, Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston investigate whether national parks actually benefit the environment and biodiversity, or if there might be a better way of doing things Continue...