During the pandemic, I have gone from uttering a few words of encouragement to myself to full-blown arguments. I’m not the only one. I asked psychologists what purpose this serves“We should probably go out now,” I say to Danny as I vegetate in front of the TV. “Yeah, we should, but I can’t be arsed,” Danny replies, sitting in an identical pose. “C’mon, we need the exercise; can’t...

Exclusive: MHRA says mass testing regime in England ‘a stretch’ of its authorisation for how kits should be usedHow accurate are lateral flow tests?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK’s healthcare regulator has expressed concern to the government that its multibillion pound mass testing programme is “a stretch” of the authorised use of rapid tests, the...

Deep Time project investigated how a lack of external contact would affect sense of time – and two thirds wanted to stay longerFifteen people have emerged from a cave in south-west France after 40 days underground in an experiment to see how the absence of clocks, daylight and external communications would affect their sense of time.With big smiles on their pale faces, they left their voluntary...

Companies may seek to dismantle prejudice among their employees – but psychologists question whether these courses effect lasting changeHere’s a fact that cannot be disputed: if your name is James or Emily, you will find it easier to get a job than someone called Tariq or Adeola. Between November 2016 and December 2017, researchers sent out fake CVs and cover letters for 3,200 positions....

Celestial event due to take place shortly before sunset on Tuesday and will be visible until next morningA pink supermoon is set to brighten the night skies over the UK next week, though there will not be any noticeable difference in colour, as the name might suggest.The full moon in April is also known as the “pink moon” as it is named after pink flowers, known as phlox, which bloom in the...

Marine archaeologist unearths evidence suggesting biblical king’s riches were based on voyages he funded with Phoenician alliesKing Solomon is venerated in Judaism and Christianity for his wisdom and in Islam as a prophet, but the fabled ruler is one of the Bible’s great unsolved mysteries.Archaeologists have struggled in vain to find conclusive proof that he actually existed. With no...

The government has hit both its self-imposed targets so far. How will it go the rest of the way?More than half of the UK population has now received at least a first dose of vaccine against Covid-19. By Friday evening 33,388,637 people had received one of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccines. Here’s how it was done, and what is still left to do. Continue...

Malaria has still not been eradicated in the poorest countries, but that could be about to changeAnother vaccine from Oxford’s Jenner Institute and one that may have a greater impact than that against Covid-19. Results from trials of its malaria vaccine, R21, show it to be 77% effective. If replicated in larger scale trials, it would be a remarkable breakthrough. Malaria kills more than 400,000...