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40,085 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Song lyrics getting simpler, more repetitive, angry and self-obsessed – study

Researchers analysed the words in more than 12,000 English-language songs across several genres from 1980 to 2020You’re not just getting older. Song lyrics really are becoming simpler and more repetitive, according to a study published on Thursday.Lyrics have also become angrier and more self-obsessed over the last 40 years, the study found, reinforcing the opinions of cranky ageing music fans...

Obese children twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis, study suggests

Swedish researchers say inflammation caused by obesity is likely to increase risk of developing conditions such as MSChildren who are obese may face more than double the risk of developing multiple sclerosis as adults, a study suggests.MS can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a range of potential symptoms including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It is a...


THURSDAY 28. MARCH 2024


The virus that infects almost everyone, and its link to cancer and MS – podcast

On 28 March it is the 60th anniversary of the discovery of Epstein-Barr virus, the most common viral infection in humans. The virus was first discovered in association with a rare type of cancer located in Africa, but is now understood to be implicated in 1% of cancers, as well as the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, among others. Ian Sample meets Lawrence Young, professor of molecular...

Daniel Kahneman, renowned psychologist and Nobel prize winner, dies at 90

The Israeli-American’s first book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, was a worldwide bestseller with revolutionary ideas about human error and biasDaniel Kahneman, a psychologist who pioneered theories in behavioural economics that heavily influenced the discipline, and won him a Nobel prize, has died at age 90.Kahneman, who wrote bestselling book Thinking, Fast and Slow, argued against the notion that...


WEDNESDAY 27. MARCH 2024


Hormone medication could increase risk of brain tumours, study finds

Patients taking certain progestogens as a contraceptive or for gynaecological conditions may be more likely to develop growths, researchers sayMillions of women around the world who use certain hormone drugs for contraception and to manage conditions such as endometriosis may have a raised risk of rare, usually benign, brain tumours, researchers say.Scientists found that prolonged use of certain...

Perimenopause has brought chaos to my life - but also peace

Trying to learn about menopause has been disorienting, but Angela Garbes has also experienced ‘a softening, an openness’In my 20s and 30s, I went hard, driven by a desire to live life fully. I wanted to stay up all night having heated conversations, collect experiences and adventures, make art and meaning from everything that happened. Somewhere in the far-off distance I pictured myself making...

Scientists link 2019 Iranian landslide to building of dam

Researchers studying satellite data show slope near village of Hoseynabad-e Kalpush moved after reservoir began to be filledIn recent decades there has been a dramatic rise in the number of dams being built, to keep pace with demand for water or to provide power. Concerns have been raised about increased landslide activity near new dams, and now a study has demonstrated a conclusive link in at...

Country diary: The flowering blackthorn is a plant of glorious contrasts | Josie George

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire: Now is its time to shine, and having no leaves yet, it is purest black and white, spines and starsWhile the magnolia’s decidedly middle-class flowering dominates everyone’s attention, I prefer the hidden, grubbier events of spring, the kind I know we’ll find down the muddy path that runs between the industrial units and the strip of boggy wetland on our old...

Two nights of broken sleep can make people feel years older, finds study

Beyond simply feeling decrepit, perception of being older can affect health by encouraging unhealthy eating and reducing exerciseTwo nights of broken sleep are enough to make people feel years older, according to researchers, who said consistent, restful slumber was a key factor in helping to stave off feeling one’s true age.Psychologists in Sweden found that, on average, volunteers felt more...


TUESDAY 26. MARCH 2024


Scientists turn to AI to make beer taste even better

Researchers in Belgium use artificial intelligence to improve taste, but say the skill of the brewer remains vitalWhether you prefer a fruity lambic or a complex Trappist, Belgian beers have long been famed for their variety, quality and heritage. Now, researchers say they have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to make brews even better.Prof Kevin Verstrepen, of KU Leuven university,...