165 articles from FRIDAY 23.7.2021

Sharks, lies, and videotape: Scientists document many problems with Shark Week, marine biology's biggest stage

Shark Week is many things. First and foremost, it's a week of shark-themed documentary programming on the Discovery Channel. Now in its 33rd year, it's the longest-running cable event in history. It's the biggest audience that marine biologists and ocean conservationists get, attracting millions of viewers who might otherwise not ever think about sharks at all. It's a stage that has launched...

‘Trust the science’ is the mantra of the Covid crisis – but what about human fallibility?

Science is the only method we have of understanding the world, making predictions, and rationally adapting our own behaviourFollow our Covid live blog for the latest updatesRestrictions: NSW; Vic; Qld; SA; WA and NT; border restrictionsHotspots: NSW map; Vic list; Qld; WAVaccine rollout tracker; get our free news app; get our morning email briefingAnyone else nostalgic for a time when we didn’t...

PHE upgrade Delta variant’s risk level due to reinfection risk

Risk of reinfection with Delta may be 46% greater than with the Alpha variant, national testing data findsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePublic Health England has upgraded its risk assessment of the Delta variant after national testing data revealed it is more likely to cause reinfections than the Alpha variant, which was first identified in Kent.The health...

How racial bias can limit Internet access for people of color

Coffee shops and casual restaurants are an important part of American life. Even beyond the food and drinks they sell, they offer us a place to use the restroom or rest our feet while we're out and about, and they provide internet access to those on the go, those in need of a temporary office, or those who don't have an internet connection at home. Many of us take for granted that a nearby...

UK Covid live news: more than 800,000 people had coronavirus last week, ONS estimates – as it happened

Cases increased in all four nations, says Office for National StatisticsONS estimates more than 800,000 people in UK had Covid last weekONS estimates for rates of Covid in England, by region and age groupBMA calls for ‘urgent rethink’ of government’s Covid strategyEustice: 10,000 food industry staff benefit from isolation rule change‘Pingdemic’ effect: how different sectors in England...

New 'atlas' charts how antibodies attack spike protein variants

As the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 continues to evolve, immunologists and infectious diseases experts are eager to know whether new variants are resistant to the human antibodies that recognized initial versions of the virus. Vaccines against COVID-19, which were developed based on the chemistry and genetic code of this initial virus, may confer less protection if the antibodies they...

Cascaded metasurfaces for dynamic control of THz wavefronts

Electromagnetic (EM) waves in the terahertz (THz) regime contribute to important applications in communications, security imaging, and bio- and chemical sensing. Such wide applicability has resulted in significant technological progress. However, due to weak interactions between natural materials and THz waves, conventional THz devices are typically bulky and inefficient. Although ultracompact...