32 articles from SATURDAY 7.11.2020

Boris Johnson can’t tame the crackpot rebels because he’s one of them | Nick Cohen

If the prime minister were not in his job, he would be railing against the ‘repressive’ regimeAnyone who understands extremism knows populist movements spread like a virus. You stop them early or not at all. Yet at every stage of the growth of the backlash against public health, the bad faith of our compromised prime minister has prevented effective treatment.To stick with the medical analogy,...

Mystery of glacial lake floods solved

A long-standing mystery in the study of glaciers was recently and serendipitously solved. A trigger was identified for some of the largest floods on Earth -- those emerging suddenly and unpredictably from beneath glaciers or ice caps.

New findings for viral research on bicycle crashes at railroad crossings

A new path design for bicycles at a railway crossings cuts bike crashes. A jughandle design realigns the bicycle approach to about 60 degrees, virtually eliminating the risk of a rider's tire being caught in the gap between the rail and the pavement, a cause of serious crashes. This significant finding varies from previous design recommendations of a 90-degree approach.

Could a Covid vaccine bring back normality?

With test and trace a shambles, many are pinning their hopes on a jab. But experts warn more measures will be needed to vanquish the coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEngland is back in lockdown. It happened not a moment too soon. As of 2 November almost three-quarters of a million new cases have been officially counted since 21 September, when the...

Aspirin to be tested in UK as potential coronavirus treatment

Recovery trial researchers look at whether drug can reduce risk of dangerous blood clotsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThousands of coronavirus patients in Britain will be given aspirin as part of a trial to determine whether the painkiller can reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots.The cheap and widely available drug has been added to a list of potential...

Storm Eta leaves 150 dead or missing in Guatemala

About 150 people have died or remain unaccounted for in Guatemala due to mudslides caused by powerful storm Eta, which devastated an indigenous village in the country's north, President Alejandro Giammattei said Friday.

How cell processes round up and dump damaged proteins

In a new paper with results that senior author Eric Strieter at the University of Massachusetts Amherst calls "incredibly surprising," he and his chemistry lab group report that they have discovered how an enzyme known as UCH37 regulates a cell's waste management system.

Mystery of glacial lake floods solved

A long-standing mystery in the study of glaciers was recently —- and serendipitously—solved by a team led by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa astrobiologist and earth scientist Eric Gaidos. Their findings were published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Why consumers think pretty food is healthier

A researcher from University of Southern California published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that explores whether attractive food might seem healthier to consumers. The study forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing is titled "Pretty Healthy Food: How and When Aesthetics Enhance Perceived Healthiness" and is authored by Linda Hagen.

Coronavirus live news: White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tests positive – reports

US sees record 120,000 cases in a day as Texas edges towards 1m infections; Victoria records eight days in a row without a case. Follow the updates Experts urge caution over Denmark’s mink coronavirus scareUK and others look for lessons from Slovakia mass testing schemeHow ther Australian property market survived the pandemicUK coronavirus updates – live 5.35am GMT South Australia has reported...

NSW reports five new coronavirus cases as Victoria celebrates eighth straight 'doughnut day'

Southern highlands cluster grows in NSW as ‘ring of steel’ around Melbourne expected to be lifted Follow today’s coronavirus blogFull Australian Covid stats; Covid restrictions state by stateNSW cases map; Vic cases mapNSW hotspots listSign up for Guardian Australia’s weekly coronavirus emailNew South Wales has reported five new coronavirus cases as the cluster in the southern highlands...

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin venture fleshes out plans for 2023 cargo delivery to the moon

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is working on a landing system that could put astronauts on the moon by as early as 2024 — but it’s also keeping its options open to deliver a ton of cargo to the lunar surface a year before that. Blue Origin’s chief scientist, Steve Squyres, outlined the current state of plans for an Amazon-like cargo delivery to the moon today during a...

Indian fossils support new hypothesis for origin of hoofed mammals

New research published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology describes a fossil family that illuminates the origin of perissodactyls—the group of mammals that includes horses, rhinos and tapirs. It provides insights on the controversial question of where these hoofed animals evolved, concluding that they arose in or near present day India.

Travel to UK from Denmark to be banned amid worries over Covid in mink

Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, understood to be concerned by new strainCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAll travel to the UK from Denmark is being banned amid mounting concern over an outbreak in the country of a mutation of coronavirus linked to mink, the Guardian understands.Downing Street had already taken action to remove Denmark from the travel...