39 articles from SATURDAY 10.4.2021

Nasa preparing to attempt first controlled flight on another world

The Ingenuity helicopter, which arrived on the red planet in February, is expected to take to the skies on WednesdayNasa is gearing itself up to attempt the first controlled flight on another planet next week, with the tiny Ingenuity helicopter set to take flight on Mars.The helicopter is expected to take to the skies next week with Wednesday being the earliest time scheduled. Continue...

Why are there still so few black scientists in the UK?

There have been many reports but little action: UK university science departments need to do more to fix their serious diversity problem‘Not built for minorities to succeed’: black scientists on academia’s race problemThe Nobel laureate poet Sir Derek Walcott once said that the English language is nobody’s special property: “It is the property of the imagination.” Much the same could...

‘Not built for minorities to succeed’: black scientists on academia’s race problem

Three senior academics in medicine, chemistry and physics share their experiences and thoughts on how to improve underrepresentationWhy are there still so few black scientists in the UK?Dr Yolanda Ohene, 29, is a biophysicist at the University of Manchester. After an undergraduate degree in physics at Imperial College London she went on to research at masters level and co-founded Minorities in...

Global Covid vaccine rollout threatened by shortage of vital components

Pharmaceutical firms warn of delays to items such as the large bags in which vaccine cells are grownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageVaccine-makers around the world face shortages of vital components including large plastic growbags, according to the head of the firm that is manufacturing a quarter of the UK’s jab supply.Stan Erck, the chief executive of Novavax –...

Kintsugi helped me to understand my brother's death

The Japanese artform, based on a belief that a repaired pot can be stronger, taught me about tragedy and the ability to overcome itMy brother died at the age of 10, when I was eight. When I was nine, I shushed my best friend for mentioning him. At 11, I forced myself to stop turning my head away when we drove past a cemetery. And at 16 I spoke his name aloud for the first time, although it was...

A bug’s life: how a volunteer army is putting Britain’s wildlife on the record

Amateur nature recorders are providing vital data on beetles, soldierflies and a host of lesser-known insectsAshleigh Whiffin’s day job as assistant curator of entomology is to look after National Museums Scotland’s vast collection of preserved insects. But her passion for the creatures doesn’t end when she goes home; in her spare time she spends hours recording and verifying sightings of a...

St. Vincent awaits new volcanic explosions as help arrives

Cots, tents, and respirator masks poured into the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as officials expected to start distributing them on Saturday, a day after a powerful explosion at La Soufriere volcano uprooted the lives of thousands of people who evacuated their homes under government orders.