31 articles from SATURDAY 6.11.2021

‘Our notion of privacy will be useless’: what happens if technology learns to read our minds?

The promise of neurotechnology to make lives better is growing. But do we need a new set of rights to protect the integrity of our minds?“The skull acts as a bastion of privacy; the brain is the last private part of ourselves,” Australian neurosurgeon Tom Oxley says from New York.Oxley is the CEO of Synchron, a neurotechnology company born in Melbourne that has successfully trialled hi-tech...

SpaceX toilet leak forces astronauts to use diapers on trip back to Earth

Crew who grew first chilis in space face 20 hours in capsule‘Spaceflight is full of lots of little challenges’, US astronaut saysAstronauts who will leave the International Space Station on Sunday will have to use diapers on the way home, because of a broken toilet in their SpaceX capsule.The Nasa astronaut Megan McArthur described the situation as “suboptimal” but manageable. She and...

Cranberry juice won’t cut it: UTIs and the potential for repurposing drugs

The winning essay in the Max Perutz science writing award 2021, published below, was written by Vicky Bennett from the department of biology and biochemistry at Bath UniversityIn May, PhD students who are funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) were invited to enter the Max Perutz science writing award 2021 and write a compelling piece about their research for the non-scientific reader.From...

'Mirror nuclei' to probe fundamental physics of atoms and neutron stars

About 20 years ago, a physicist had an idea to reveal insights about a fundamental but enigmatic force at work in some of the most extreme environments in the universe. These environments include an atom's nucleus and celestial bodies known as neutron stars, both of which are among the densest objects known to humanity. For comparison, matching the density of a neutron star would require squeezing...

My life is full of adventure – but being a father has been the most rewarding journey of all

The traveller and TV presenter Simon Reeve on his quest to have a baby after being told he was infertileI still beat myself up about how much of an idiot I was over so many years. I’d always seen having children as a key part of my purpose on this planet, believing that creating new life was part of my biological destiny. It was fundamental to how I navigated the world.I’m slightly jealous, in...

Sylvia Earle Doesn’t Just Want to Save the Oceans. She Wants to Make Them Accessible to All

Saturday Nov.6 at the COP 26 summit in Glasgow is devoted to nature, specifically its “importance as part of global action on climate change.” This incorporates sustainable use of both the land and the oceans that cover 71% of the planet’s surface. Ahead of the conference, TIME spoke to one of the oceans’ foremost champions, marine biologist Sylvia Earle, about her new...

Flash floods in Bosnia prompt evacuations, power outages

Heavy rain caused severe flash flooding in Bosnia, prompting evacuations, causing power outages in most of the capital, closing a key facility for oxygen used for COVID-19 patients and submerging roads in some parts of the Balkan country on Friday.

Vice President Harris Visits NASA to See Vital Climate Science Work

Portal origin URL: Vice President Harris Visits NASA to See Vital Climate Science WorkPortal origin nid: 475228Published: Friday, November 5, 2021 - 19:17Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: The urgency of Earth science and climate studies took the spotlight Friday as Vice President Kamala Harris visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,...