Researchers also find no difference in mental health scores between children who test positive or negativeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUp to one in seven children who test positive for coronavirus could still have symptoms linked to the disease three months later, according to a study that suggests the prevalence of long Covid in young people is lower than...

Health officials say shots are not boosters but part of vaccination schedule for half a million patientsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHalf a million people with severely weakened immune systems are to be offered third Covid vaccine shots in a move that will increase debate over the rollout of booster jabs for the wider population.The NHS will provide third doses for...

South of UK was duller and wetter than usual, while extreme weather hit hard across the worldGlasgow, the host city of the crucial Cop26 UN climate summit in November, has experienced its hottest summer on record, the Met Office has said. Continue...

Swiss scientists develop prototype ‘nanogenerator’ that produces renewable energy when trodden onScientists have developed technology that can turn footsteps into electricity.By tapping into an unexpected energy source, wooden flooring, researchers from Switzerland have developed an energy-harvesting device that uses wood with a combination of a silicone coating and embedded nanocrystals to...

Bones found in 2014 in what is now South Dakota described as ‘miracle of nature and work of art’In its time, approximately 66m years ago, the triceratops, with its massive collared skull and three attacking horns, was one of the most dangerous and daunting of dinosaurs.Now the remains of one of the giants of the Cretaceous period, a herbivore despite its fearsome appearance, have gone on...

From sending a quick check-in message to getting vaccinated for their benefit, there are many ways to make your high-risk friends feel loved, even if they are still having to isolateNow that almost all pandemic restrictions have been lifted in the UK, many of us are enjoying getting our social lives back. But if you are clinically vulnerable, you might still be living with self-imposed rules, such...

University College hospital allows access to its new facility and staff to show how the health service is trying to tackle backlogsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage“Perfect,” says Seana Ruddick. Her single word tells the surgeon Sam Oussedik that the robot-assisted knee replacement he is performing is going well. He is removing the joint using a combination of...

New centre in Berlin aims to make it easier for governments to compare notes on emerging infectious diseasesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA World Health Organization “pandemic intelligence hub” launched by the UN agency’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Germany’s Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday will try to help governments identify...

As a Black scientist in a traditionally white field, the Brown University professor has often been ostracized. But to move forward, he says, science must embrace diversityAs a Black physicist, Dr Stephon Alexander has been doubted, spoken over, and met with intentional silence. The tenured Brown University professor has even faced this treatment from his students.This is par for the course for...

Dogs seem to be able to grasp notion of human intention, say researchersFrom a canny look to a quizzical grumble, dogs have long conveyed the impression they know more about what their owners are up to than what might be expected. Now researchers have found fresh evidence of canine savviness, revealing dogs seem to be able to tell whether human actions are deliberate or accidental.While theory of...

Health body says Mu, or B.1.621, first identified in Colombia, has been designated as a variant of interestCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA new coronavirus strain, named Mu, has been designated a variant of interest by the World Health Organization.Mu, or B.1.621, was first identified in Colombia and cases have been recorded in South America and Europe. Continue...

Models of how the Earth could look in 250m years, with huge land masses and longer days, can help exoplanet huntersIt’s unlikely humans will be around to see it, but in about 250m years Earth’s land masses will have moved together to form the next supercontinent. By this time the sun will be a little brighter and the Earth’s rotation will have slowed down, making a day about 30 minutes...