16 articles from SUNDAY 24.7.2022
White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in North America. Now it's been found in Sask.
Saskatchewan now has its first confirmed case with a bat in Grasslands National Park, in the province's southwest, Saskatchewan Environment said in a Thursday Facebook post, "making it more important than ever to report any bats found dead or on the...
Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupts, triggering evacuation
A volcano on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu erupted Sunday night, spewing ash and rocks. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in nearby towns but residents were advised to evacuate.
China launches one of 2 lab modules to join space station
China on Sunday launched one of two laboratory modules to complete its permanent orbiting space station.
Greece, California battle fierce wildfires amid heatwaves
Greece on Sunday battled four major wildfires that have forced hundreds to evacuate, as soaring temperatures there and in Spain raised fears of more blazes.
Monkeypox: Schiff demands to know why US does not have more vaccines
Ashish Jha, coronavirus response coordinator, defends Biden administration response but California Democrat wants answersExperience: my two weeks of monkeypox hellThe California Democrat Adam Schiff, a leading critic of the US response to the monkeypox outbreak, said on Sunday: “I don’t know why there aren’t more vaccines available.”Speaking a day after the World Health Organization...
China launches second module for its space station Heavenly Palace
Tiangong or Heavenly Palace is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2022.
Readers reply: which species exhibits the most diverse physical characteristics?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhich species exhibits the most diverse physical characteristics? I can’t think of a more varied example than the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Teri Robertson, NorthamptonSend new questions to nq@theguardian.com. Continue...
Want to stop feeling hurt when someone says no? Take the rejection therapy challenge
It’s easy to inure yourself to fear of rejection, all you have to do is be rejected every single dayIn 2012, 30-year-old Jia Jiang walked up to a stranger and asked if he could borrow $100. “No” was the response from the baffled man sitting in a hotel lobby. He wanted to know why he was being asked, but Jiang didn’t explain; he just said thanks then walked away. This was Jiang’s first...
Puzzle of prized white truffle finally yields to science
No one has been able to farm the rare, expensive fungus on a commercial scale – until nowThey emit intense aromas of garlic, fermented cheese and methane, and are so rare that they can fetch up to £9,000 a kilogram. Now, the puzzle that has confounded experts for more than half a century, of how to cultivate the elusive white truffle on a commercial scale, appears to have been solved.This week,...
A new take on the 'marshmallow test': When it comes to resisting temptation, a child's cultural upbringing matters
For decades, studies have shown that children able to resist temptation—opting to wait for two marshmallows later rather than take one now—tend to do better on measures of health and success later in life.
Countryside: Who really has access to the great outdoors?
Not everyone has the opportunity to roam the countryside. Meet the people trying to change that.
Climate change: How to talk to a denier
Tips about how to engage with people who think climate change is a "hoax".