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11 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

NorthStar satellite system to monitor threat of space debris

Space-based service will alert users to potential collisions between satellites and orbital junkThe Canadian company NorthStar Earth and Space has contracted Thales Alenia Space to build the first three satellites of its Skylark space traffic monitoring system, with LeoStella, a Seattle-based firm, overseeing the final assembly. This will make NorthStar the first commercial company to monitor...

Five distinct types of dog existed by end of last ice age, study finds

Research suggests canines’ varied origins stretch back further – and live on in today’s petsFrom tiny chihuahuas to fluffy Siberian huskies, dogs come in all shapes and sizes. But researchers have revealed there is more to canine diversity than meets the eye.Scientists have found five distinct groups of dogs were already present at the end of the last ice age, and their legacy lives on in...

The greatest tragedy of England's second wave is that it wasn't inevitable | Charlotte Summers

Over the summer, the government ignored advice about controlling Covid. A new study shows we’re paying the priceThe number of Covid infections is doubling every nine days in England, and in some areas, such as the south-east, London and the south-west, the R number is now above two. These are the alarming findings from the report of the React-1 study by researchers at Imperial College London,...

Protecting nature is vital to escape 'era of pandemics’ – report

Halting destruction of wild places could slow frequency of deadly outbreaks, say scientistsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe world is in an “era of pandemics” and unless the destruction of the natural world is halted they will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, kill more people and affect the global economy with more devastating impact than ever before,...

Plans to dredge notorious ‘ship swallower' sandbank condemned

Removal of millions of tonnes of material from Goodwin Sands, the watery grave of hundreds of ships in the English Channel, would make a mockery of marine protection pledges, critics saySix miles off the coast of Deal, in Kent, lies Goodwin Sands, a 10-mile sandbank known as the “ship swallower”. Seals bask there at low tide, belying its reputation as one of the most treacherous spots in the...

Watching my cancer patients go through treatment alone is heartbreaking

Covid-19 has made this year tougher for those experiencing treatment and those of us who work in cancer careIn March, just before the UK locked down, I speculated about the challenges Covid-19 might pose to people undergoing cancer treatment. Now, with apprehension building as we dive headfirst into the second wave of Covid-19, I reflect on my past seven months as an oncologist. There is no doubt...

Journey into a black hole: part 2 – podcast

They are among the most enigmatic phenomena in the universe, confounding physicists and mathematicians alike. Black holes pull in the matter around them and anything that enters can never escape. Yet they contain nothing at all. Guided by the physicist and author of the Black Hole Survival Guide, Janna Levin, Madeleine Finlay takes Science Weekly on an interstellar voyage to visit one of these...

Covid pressure on health visitors puts generation of babies at risk, charities say

NSPCC and others urge government to fund rebuilding of struggling support serviceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA generation of babies born during the Covid-19 pandemic may be at risk because they and their parents are not being fully supported by health visitors in the weeks and months after birth, a coalition of children’s charities has said.The NSPCC and nine...

Global heating threatens UK wildlife’s ability to adapt and survive

Restoring and connecting habitat across Britain could save a fifth of species by 2030, says report by Rewilding BritainGlobal heating is shifting Britain’s climatic zones by up to 5km each year, outpacing wildlife’s ability to adapt and survive, according to a new report by Rewilding Britain.If species cannot adapt to higher temperatures or relocate elsewhere, they will be threatened with...

Coronavirus live news: France second wave likely ‘harder and more deadly’ says Macron; global daily cases pass 500,000

France reimposes national lockdown; Germany imposes drastic curbs; Italy sets daily infection record. Follow latest updatesGermany to bring in new rules after record surge in casesEU leaders urged to aid transfer of patients between countriesUS adds nearly 500,000 cases in a week; Europe faces more lockdowns 11.53pm GMT Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with...