27 articles from SATURDAY 3.4.2021

Births among endangered right whales highest since 2015

North Atlantic right whales gave birth over the winter in greater numbers than scientists have seen since 2015, an encouraging sign for researchers who became alarmed three years ago when the critically endangered species produced no known offspring at all.

Empathy, compassion, personality, attitudes: can people change?

There is plenty of evidence that empathy can be taught in childhood, but it gets more complicated when it comes to adults, especially when it is forcedCan people change?That’s the question behind the multibillion-dollar self-help industry, the proliferation of blogs and podcasts that promise to make you a better human, and the ubiquitous and vacuous “inspo” memes. Continue...

Research reveals why redheads may have different pain thresholds

Humans and mice with red hair have a different tolerance for pain because their skin's pigment-producing cells lack the function of a certain receptor. Lack of this receptor function causes changes that tip the balance between pain sensitivity and pain tolerance. The findings may be helpful for designing new treatments for pain.

Undermining the AstraZeneca jab is a dangerous act of political folly | Robin McKie

Spreading fears over the Oxford vaccine undercuts science and public healthIt has been a disquieting week for those concerned about the lifting of Covid restrictions. Numbers of cases and deaths may be declining but the news that the AstraZeneca vaccine has been linked to cases of rare blood clots and has been suspended for use in younger people in Germany and the Netherlands is a disturbing...

String theorist Michio Kaku: 'Reaching out to aliens is a terrible idea'

The physicist on Newton finding inspiration amid the great plague, how the multiverse can unite religions, and why a ‘theory of everything’ is within our graspMichio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at City College, New York, a proponent of string theory but also a well-known populariser of science, with multiple TV appearances and several bestselling books behind him. His latest...

Coronavirus live news: two visitors for England care home residents from mid-April; India cases hit six-month high

Children in England can visit grandparents for first time from next week; India’s daily coronavirus infections hit six-month highNHS feels strain as tens of thousands of staff suffer long CovidCare home residents in England allowed two visitors from 12 AprilAustralia vaccine rollout to continue after blood clot case Europe faces another Easter of Covid restrictionsSee all our coronavirus...

‘Has everyone in Kent gone to an illegal rave?': on the variant trail with the Covid detectives

At the end of last year, a crack team of British scientists discovered a new coronavirus strain that would spread across the world. As new variants emerge, can they keep them at bay?In late November last year, the people of Swale in Kent were being lambasted for disobedience. They were being Covid-shamed. The district, home to a large number of apple orchards, as well as the historic towns of...

Less sugar, please! New studies show low glucose levels might assist muscle repair

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have shown that skeletal muscle satellite cells, key players in muscle repair, proliferate better in low glucose environments. This is contrary to conventional wisdom that says mammalian cells fare better when there is more sugar to fuel their activities. Because ultra-low glucose environments do not allow other cell types to proliferate, the team...

Queensland reports one new case of locally acquired coronavirus

Chief medical officer Jeannette Young says state will stop sending Covid-19 patients to Princess Alexandra hospitalQueensland will temporarily stop sending Covid-19 infected patients to Brisbane’s highly-regarded Princess Alexandra hospital after authorities discovered it was the source of two separate clusters which forced the city into a three-day lockdown last week.The news came as the state...