142 articles from TUESDAY 17.8.2021

New mathematical record: what’s the point of calculating pi?

The famous number has many practical uses, mathematicians say, but is it really worth the time and effort to work out its trillions of digits?Swiss researchers have spent 108 days calculating pi to a new record accuracy of 62.8tn digits.Using a computer, their approximation beat the previous world record of 50tn decimal places, and was calculated 3.5 times as quickly. It’s an impressive and...

Covid vaccination rates for Indigenous Australians behind in every state except Victoria

Two Western Australian areas have lowest vaccination rates in nation, closely followed by western NSW Follow the Australian Covid blogRestrictions: NSW; Vic; Qld; borders. Hotspots: NSW; Vic; QldHalf of parents concerned their children are developing behavioural issues due to lockdownsVaccine rollout tracker; get our free news app; get our morning email briefingAs the Australian government...

Global water crisis will intensify with climate breakdown, says report

Flooding, droughts and wildfires will worsen as global heating disrupts the planet’s water cycleWater problems – drought, with its accompanying wildfires, and flooding – are likely to become much worse around the world as climate breakdown takes hold, according to the biggest assessment of climate science to date.Global heating of at least 1.5C is likely to happen within the next two...

New Zealand reports first Covid-19 case in community since February

Officials have not yet established a link between the case, detected in Auckland, and the border or managed isolation facilitiesSee all our coronavirus coverageNew Zealand has a new case of Covid-19 transmission in the community, Ministry of Health officials have confirmed. The news will be greeted with dismay in the country, which has not had a case of transmission in the community since...

Protracted lockdown and home schooling are shredding our sanity | Saman Shad

The demands on parents at home in the Covid pandemic seem to only be increasing – and there’s no end in sightWeek eight of lockdown and week six of home schooling. I’m taking deep breaths before the start of this new week as last week saw me hit a new low.My five-year-old was writing the letter “h” under much duress. He is reticent at best to do his work. We would bribe him with jelly...

From the archive: Are alternative meats the key to a healthier life and planet? – podcast

How do protein substitutes compare with the real deal? Graihagh Jackson investigates by speaking to dietician Priya Tew, the Guardian’s Fiona Harvey and author Isabella Tree.This podcast was amended on 18 May 2019. An earlier version incorrectly claimed that vitamin B12 is also known as folate or folic acid. While folate/folic acid is also a B vitamin, it is not vitamin B12. Continue...

Researchers confirm speed, simplicity and sensitivity for new COVID-19 test

Researchers have published a three way comparison study to confirm that the Reverse Transcriptase Free Exponential Amplification Reaction (RTF-EXPAR) method is just as sensitive, but faster, than both PCR and LAMP tests. The study revealed that the RTF-EXPAR method converts under 10 strands of RNA into billions of copies of DNA in under 10 minutes, using a one-pot assay that is compatible with...

Small protein protects pancreatic cells in model of type 1 diabetes

A new study has shown that treating type 1 diabetes-prone mice with the small protein MOTS-c prevented the immune system from destroying insulin-producing pancreatic cells, effectively preventing the onset of the autoimmune disease. The small protein that first made headlines as an 'exercise mimetic' increasingly appears to also have a big role in regulating the immune system.