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13 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Life on Mars? Escaping water vapour offers new clues

Researchers detected water emanating high up in thin atmosphere of red planet while Tianwen-1 probe entered orbit on WednesdayResearchers have observed water vapour escaping high up in the thin atmosphere of Mars, offering tantalising new clues as to whether the red planet could have once hosted life.The traces of ancient valleys and river channels suggest liquid water once flowed across the...

Asthma drug may reduce risk of severe Covid if taken early – study

Inhaled budesonide could become first treatment in early stages of infection if study confirmedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA cheap and widely available asthma drug appears to significantly reduce the risk of people getting seriously ill with Covid-19, if it is taken within the first week of developing symptoms, research suggests.If the results are confirmed by...

Conch shell in French museum found to be 17,000-year-old wind instrument

Conch, unearthed in cave in Pyrenees in 1931, had been carefully drilled and shaped to make musicA 17,000-year-old conch shell that lay forgotten for more than 80 years in a museum collection has been discovered to be the oldest known wind instrument of its type, after researchers found it had been modified by its prehistoric owners to be played like a horn.First unearthed in a richly decorated...

Vaccination passports are nothing new – and the sooner we have them, the better | Letter

I still have the stamped and dated certificates for smallpox and yellow fever that were required for travel in the 1950s and 60s, writes Dr David BoswellJust before the inoculation programme was rolled out, I wrote to my GP pointing out that soon travel agents, airlines and other countries would require certificates of vaccination against Covid-19, and asking what was being done to provide these...

Erdoğan unveils 10-year Turkish space programme

President says he is aiming for ‘top league in space race’ as rival UAE basks in Mars successThe Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has unveiled an ambitious 10-year space programme, a first for the country that highlights Ankara’s plans to compete with other countries both on the world stage and beyond.Speaking on Tuesday evening during a live televised event laced with special...

Poor support for self-isolation undermines the UK's Covid vaccination effort

The more the virus is allowed to replicate in the community, the greater the risk of mutations that escape the vaccinesThe UK currently has no plan to eliminate coronavirus from our shores. Lockdown will minimise contacts and protect the NHS. Rapid distribution of vaccines will protect the vulnerable, until all adults receive the vaccine in the longer term. Then we can treat the virus like...

Ursula von der Leyen admits errors in EU Covid vaccine rollout

European commission leader says bloc late to authorise jabs and ‘not where it wants to be’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe EU is “not where it wants to be” with its coronavirus immunisation programme, Ursula von der Leyen has conceded, as she faced MEPs in the European parliament amid mounting criticism of the bloc’s slow deployment of vaccines.“We were...

The Oxford jab is less protective against the South African variant – but that's no disaster

The vaccine is still a vital weapon against Covid-19, even if it doesn’t stop mild cases caused by the new variantCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe news that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is less protective against the South African variant of Covid-19 has caused a lot of concern. But before we start worrying, we should first be clear about the details. While the...

Astronomers' hopes raised by glimpse of possible new planet

Bright speck in space near Alpha Centauri A may be evidence of asteroids or dust – or a technical glitchAstronomers have glimpsed what may be a previously unknown planet circling one of the closest stars to Earth.Researchers spotted the bright dot near Alpha Centauri A, one of a pair of stars that swing around each other so tightly they appear as one in the southern constellation of Centaurus....

Neuroscience shows how interconnected we are – even in a time of isolation | Lisa Feldman Barrett

Physical closeness isn’t necessary for us to have a profound effect on one another’s biology, for good or illLast week, my whole outlook on the world was transformed by a sheet of blank paper. Not just any paper, but beautifully embossed stationery, silky to the touch and decadent to write on. It was a gift from a dear friend and colleague. We collaborate over Zoom every week, so I could have...

Japan to discard millions of Pfizer vaccine doses because it has wrong syringes

Japan has secured 144m shots of the vaccine, but it does not have enough of the specialised syringes to be able to draw six shots from each vialCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMillions of people in Japan will not receive Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine as planned due to a shortage of specialist syringes – an oversight that could frustrate the country’s inoculation...

Pablo Escobar's hippos must be culled to halt biodiversity disaster – scientists

Huge animals abandoned on Colombian drug lord’s hacienda zoo are loved by locals but their sheer numbers threaten environmentHippos imported illegally into Colombia for Pablo Escobar’s private zoo have gone feral in the lush tropical countryside and must be culled before their invasive presence starts to wipe out indigenous flora and fauna, scientists have warned.One of the notorious drug...

Coronavirus live news: annual vaccine may be needed, says J&J chief; Spain tops 3m cases

Johnson & Johnson boss says repeat Covid doses could go on for several years; Venezuela to receive 100,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine; Athens to enter stricter lockdownWhat are the new UK anti-Covid border restrictions?Wuhan lab leak theory of Covid origin ‘unlikely’ says WHO teamEurope’s oldest person survives Covid and set to celebrate 117th birthdayMuslim families complain to UN over...