28 articles from SATURDAY 21.5.2022

Human skull found by Minnesota kayakers 8,000 years old, experts say

Skull discovered in drought-depleted Minnesota River last summer to be returned to Native American officialsNative American officials will be given a partial skull discovered last summer by two kayakers in Minnesota after investigations determined it was about 8,000 years old.The kayakers found the skull in the drought-depleted Minnesota River about 110 miles (180km) west of Minneapolis, Renville...

We will see more cases of monkeypox, warn British scientists

The range and number of cases has puzzled doctors, who are asking why the virus has spread to the westScientists have warned that they expect monkeypox cases to continue to rise this week as more infected people are traced by health authorities.More than 80 cases have already been reported in Europe, the US and Australia, including 20 in Britain. The global figure is unprecedented for a disease...

How to recognise the symptoms of anxiety and get help

From OCD to agoraphobia and PTSD, there are almost as many types of anxiety disorder as things to worry about. Here’s how to spot the signs and find the relevant supportMany people will be familiar with the dry mouth, intrusive thoughts, and fluttering heart and stomach that are the hallmarks of anxiety. Often a temporary, and completely natural reaction to threat, these responses can be helpful...

Haptics device creates realistic virtual textures

Tactile sensation is an incredibly important part of how humans perceive their reality. Haptics or devices that can produce extremely specific vibrations that can mimic the sensation of touch are a way to bring that third sense to life. However, as far as haptics have come, humans are incredibly particular about whether or not something feels 'right,' and virtual textures don't always hit the...

Organic farming or flower strips: Which is better for bees?

How effective environmental measures in agriculture are for biodiversity and wild bee populations depends on various factors and your perspective. This is shown by agroecologists. The research team found that when assessing the effectiveness of different measures, whether in the field (organic farming) or next to the field (flower strips in conventional farming), biodiversity benefits should be...

As a psychologist helping Ukrainians, I am a witness to the terrible traumas of war | Anna Shilonosova

We can support those trapped in shelters or struggling with survivor’s guilt. But some emotional damage is irreparableAll four of my grandparents survived the second world war, and all four were scarcely willing to talk about it, having either survived the siege of Leningrad or come back from the frontline wounded. On the rare occasions they did, their memories would leave them devastated.The...

Cambridge University astrophysicist loses space project role amid Brexit row

Nicholas Walton gives up leadership of €2.8m pan-European research after dispute over Northern Ireland protocolA Cambridge University astrophysicist studying the Milky Way and hoping to play a major part in the European Space Agency’s (Esa) next big project has been forced to hand over his coordinating role on the scheme after the row over Northern Ireland’s Brexit arrangements put science...

Statue of fossil-hunting pioneer Mary Anning to be unveiled in Dorset

A nine-year-old pointed out what was missing in Lyme Regis. Her long campaign has now borne fruitIt all began with a curious nine-year-old and a question that she asked her mother. Where in their hometown of Lyme Regis was the statue of Mary Anning, the pioneering Victorian fossil hunter who, she had recently discovered, had lived and worked there?There wasn’t one, Anya Pearson was forced to...

Boeing’s Starliner capsule docks for first time with International Space Station

High-stakes test follows two years of delays in a program designed to give Nasa another vehicle for sending astronauts into orbitBoeing’s new Starliner crew capsule has docked for the first time with the International Space Station, completing a major objective in a crucial test flight into orbit without astronauts aboard.The rendezvous of the gumdrop-shaped CST-100 Starliner with the orbital...

Where do 'Hawaiian box jellies' come from?

An insightful cross-disciplinary team, working for over a decade, published a study recently revealing that a key number of hours of darkness during the lunar cycle triggers mature 'Hawaiian box jellyfish' (Alatina alata) to swim to leeward O'ahu shores to spawn.

Researchers unveil a secret of stronger metals

Researchers determined exactly what happens as crystal grains in metals form during an extreme deformation process, at the tiniest scales, down to a few nanometers across. The findings could lead to better, more consistent properties in metals, such as hardness and toughness.