145 articles from THURSDAY 2.2.2023
Can we restore England’s lost wildlife? – podcast
This week the government published a major environmental improvement plan for England. It has pledged that every household will be within a 15-minute walk of green space or water, the restoration of 1.2m acres of wildlife habitat, and that sewage spills will be tackled with upgrades to wastewater treatment works. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s environment editor, Fiona Harvey, about...
More than a half of Amazon rainforest damaged or felled
Land degradation threatens 38 per cent of Amazon forests not yet deforested, according to new analysis.
Avian flu spills over from birds to mammals in UK
Scientists will monitor the virus, but UK health chiefs say the risk to the public is very low.
Why have there been no named winter storms this year?
The UK hasn't seen a single named storm so far this autumn and winter. But why?
Combined steroid and statin treatment could reduce 'accelerated aging' in preterm babies, study in rats suggests
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:55
Potentially life-saving steroids commonly given to preterm babies also increase the risk of long-term cardiovascular problems, but a new study in rats has found that if given in conjunction with statins, their positive effects remain while the potential negative side-effects are 'weeded out'.
Mapping Mexico's dengue fever hotspots
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:54
Scientists have analyzed data from Mexico's Ministry of Health to identify dengue fever hotspots. Working with epidemiologists at the University of North Texas and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, the team calculated environmental and socioeconomic risk factors and mapped areas where severe outbreaks occur.
Molecular machines could treat fungal infections
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:54
Scientists show that light-activated nanoscale drills can kill pathogenic fungi.
Wildfires are increasingly burning California's snowy landscapes and colliding with winter droughts to shrink California's snowpack
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:54
A research team examined what happens to mountain snowpacks when sunny, midwinter dry spells occur in forests impacted by severe wildfire.
Social isolation, loneliness increase risk for heart failure
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
A new study shows that both social isolation and loneliness are associated with higher rates of heart failure but whether or not a person feels lonely is more important in determining risk than if they are actually alone.
Antidepressants used for chronic pain on the rise, but are they effective?
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
New research has found some antidepressants may be effective in treating certain chronic pain conditions, but others lack convincing evidence on their effectiveness.
A quasiparticle that can transfer heat under electrical control
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
Scientists have found the secret behind a property of solid materials known as ferroelectrics, showing that quasiparticles moving in wave-like patterns among vibrating atoms carry enough heat to turn the material into a thermal switch when an electrical field is applied externally.
Engineers examine drinking water management strategies
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
While residents in California are still dealing with damage from last month's floods -- after years of devastating droughts -- engineers are looking at better ways to manage the delivery of safe drinking water to homes. Things to consider include a changing climate, costs and sustainability.
Early diagnosis and monitoring of lupus nephritis -- on your smartphone
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
A pair of researchers reports the success of their new, at-home method for early diagnosis and monitoring of lupus nephritis. or inflammation of the kidneys, one of the most severe complications for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, known as lupus.
Mistaken fossil rewrites history of Indian subcontinent for second time
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
Scientists discovered the first-ever Dickinsonia fossil in India two years ago, changing our understanding of how the continent came to be. Now, new research shows the 'fossil' was just a beehive all along, changing our understanding for a second time, and the original scientists now support the new findings.
Does lifetime exposure to estrogen affect risk of stroke?
- ScienceDaily
- 23/2/2 01:53
People with a higher cumulative estrogen exposure throughout their life may have a lower risk of stroke, according to a new study. The lower risk was found for both ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage.
Will Steffen fought passionately for our planet. To honour him we must follow his lead | Penny Sackett
I am filled with grief at losing my friend at a time when we need his calm, direct voice more than everThis week science lost one of its greatest Earth system experts, Australia lost a skilled, passionate communicator of climate science and the world lost a humble soul of the highest humanity, kindness and integrity. As did scores of others, I lost a colleague and friend when Will Steffen left us...