Study found increase in people with DNACPR decisions compared with before pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAlmost a third of patients admitted to hospital with suspected Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic had a “do not resuscitate” decision recorded before or on their day of admission, research suggests.This is higher than the rates reported in...

Developed by Australian and European researchers, the film works by converting infrared light into light visible to the human eyeA transparent metallic film allowing a viewer to see in the dark could one day turn regular spectacles into night vision googles.The ultra-thin film, made of a semiconductor called gallium arsenide, could also be used to develop compact and flexible infrared sensors,...

Travellers not fully vaccinated face 10 days in quarantine amid concerns over spread of Delta variantCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIreland is to double to 10 days its quarantine period for travellers from the UK who are not fully vaccinated, joining a growing list of countries imposing stricter travel rules on British arrivals due to concerns over the rapid spread...

Traces of drugs found in water can make crustaceans more outgoing – but also vulnerable to predatorsAntidepressant drugs in water can alter the behaviour of crayfish, making them bolder and more outgoing, and therefore more vulnerable to predators, researchers have found.Low levels of antidepressants – excreted by humans or disposed of incorrectly – are found in many water bodies....

We often think of the illegal trade in wildlife as involving charismatic megafauna such as elephants and big cats. But some of the biggest victims are more inconspicuous. Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield from the Guardian’s age of extinction project explore wildlife crime in a two part series Continue...

French scientists have noticed blooms of algae are becoming much more visible than they once were – possibly due to accelerated global heatingName: Blood glaciers.Appearance: Snow, but make it red. Continue reading...

Cash incentives and gifts offered to fulfil target of vaccinating 40% of population by end of monthCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageChina is on track to administer 1bn vaccine doses by the end of this week, after bolstering production and distribution networks in an ambitious drive to vaccinate 40% of the population by this month.Chinese authorities have been...

Analysis: what protection do they offer against infection, hospital admission and death?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs lockdown easing in England is delayed from 21 June to a possible date of 19 July amid concerns of a substantial wave of hospitalisations due to the Delta variant of coronavirus, we take a look at the latest data on the protection offered by...

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsHappier people live longer, more pleasant lives. Informed people are weighed down with the woes of the world. So, is ignorant bliss better than knowledgable gloom? Mary Shider, MacclesfieldPost your answers (and new questions)...

Minister says government trying not to impose ‘imprisonment’ of restrictions longer than necessaryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters are “pretty confident” that the final lifting of Covid restrictions in England, delayed until 19 July, will not be pushed back again, Michael Gove has said.The Cabinet Office minister sought to reassure people the...

We studied safety at the world’s most sophisticated laboratories, and found their policies often left much to be desiredDr Gregory D Koblentz is an associate professor at George Mason University, and Dr Filippa Lentzos is senior lecturer in science and international security at King’s College LondonThe debate on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic has recently focused on the potential for the...

Instead of cutting the aid budget – including 95% from the plan to stamp out the disease – Britain should take a global leadDespite the Covid pandemic, there have been just two recorded cases of wild polio in 2021 – in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the two remaining hiding places for the disease. But eradication is not guaranteed. Polio is virulent and spreads quickly. Even one case poses a...

Production of chemical could help make recycling more attractive and tackle global plastic pollutionPlastic bottles have been converted into vanilla flavouring using genetically engineered bacteria, the first time a valuable chemical has been brewed from waste plastic.Upcycling plastic bottles into more lucrative materials could make the recycling process far more attractive and effective....

Vaccine thefts reported and hospitals unable to admit patients as cases leap 2,800% in a month Uganda has all but run out of Covid-19 vaccines and oxygen as the country grapples with another wave of the pandemic.Both private and public medical facilities in the capital, Kampala and in towns across the country – including regional hubs in Entebbe, Jinja, Soroti, Gulu and Masaka – have reported...