197 articles from WEDNESDAY 27.10.2021

Burning and tingling in your feet? You may have small fiber neuropathy

The number of people experiencing numbness, tingling and pain in their feet with no known cause has been increasing over the last two decades, according at a new study. Called small fiber neuropathy, the condition has different symptoms than large fiber neuropathy, which can cause weakness and balance issues. But in many cases people have both types of neuropathy.

Astronomers discover massive galaxy 'shipyard' in the distant universe

Astronomers have discovered a structure thought to be a 'protocluster' of galaxies on its way to developing into a galaxy supercluster. Observations show the protocluster, which is located 11 billion light-years from Earth, as it appeared when the universe was 3 billion years old, when stars were produced at higher rates in certain regions of the cosmos.

Universe review – Brian Cox’s trip to the stars is sheer cosmic cowardice

As the professor guides us through the solar system via excessive CGI and poetic chat, you can’t help but think his latest quest would be more effective if it wasn’t so dumbed downI don’t know how you make an hour-long programme that takes you slowly through 14bn years of history, but the BBC and Prof Brian Cox have done it with the first episode of Universe. Possibly it is a space-time...

Scientists discover how forest fires influence rain cloud formation in the Amazon

A Brazilian study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment shows how wildfires and forest burning for agriculture influence rain cloud formation in the Amazon. According to the authors, aerosols (tiny solid particles and liquid droplets emitted into the atmosphere by fire) hinder the freezing of cloud droplets when the atmosphere is humidified, but can also promote freezing when...

Exploring the dual function of the CTCF protein

The rapid scientific advancements that followed the mapping of the human genome have revealed just how staggeringly complex the world of genetics is. We now know that proteins are not just the products of genes, but that they also interact with genes, influencing and regulating the rhythm of their expression. A typical example of this are transcription factors, which begin the transcription of...