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322 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Neanderthal genes increase risk of serious Covid-19, study claims

Strand of DNA inherited by modern humans is linked to likelihood of falling severely illCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageModern humans and Neanderthals could be forgiven for having other issues on their minds when they interbred in the stone age. But according to researchers, those ancient couplings laid a grim foundation for deaths around the world today.Scientists...

Germans embrace fresh air to ward off coronavirus

Angela Merkel says ventilation may be one of cheapest and most effective ways of containing virusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageVentilating rooms has been added to the German government’s formula for tackling coronavirus, in refreshing news for the country’s air hygiene experts who have been calling for it to become official for months.The custom is something of...

UK doing more than most to help poor get Covid vaccine, study finds

Campaign scoring countries for global access efforts calls for more British transparency Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK is doing more than most countries to support access to Covid vaccines for the poorest populations in the world, but it is not transparent enough about the deals it is doing at home, according to an international aid organisation launching a...

Newcastle council chief hits out at 'contradictory' Covid rules

Nick Forbes says even council enforcement officers do not know how to interpret rulesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK government’s “confusing and contradictory” Covid restrictions for the north-east of England have left space for “dangerous” conspiracy theories to fill the void, the leader of Newcastle city council has warned.Nick Forbes, the city’s...

Covid-hit Merseyside economy 'may collapse without funding'

Local leaders say financial support needed when new restrictions are imposedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Merseyside economy may collapse and leave a legacy of poverty “for generations to come” without urgent financial support tied to new coronavirus restrictions, according to the region’s political leaders.Steve Rotheram, the metro mayor of the Liverpool...

Coronavirus live news: vaccine trial raises hopes of some protection; Covid travel slump could cost 46m jobs

Trial shows ‘robust’ immune response; warning over global impact of travel collapse; Belgium death toll exceeds 10,000World Bank announces $12bn plan for vaccines for poor countries‘Only time will tell’: Russia places huge bet on Covid vaccineWalt Disney sheds 28,000 jobs at theme parks as pandemic bitesIsrael bans mass protests as Covid lockdown tightensUK coronavirus updates – live...

Without joined-up thinking about Covid and the economy, Britain is just guessing | Tony Yates

Policy could be fine-tuned to help different groups, such as young people, whose lives are currently on holdCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDuring a pandemic, the virus and the economy feed back in a continuous circular loop of causality. You don’t need to be a trained economist or epidemiologist to see that.As the virus progresses, consumers respond to the risk to...

Coronavirus symptoms: how to tell if you have a common cold, flu or Covid

Fever, runny nose, headache? Lost your sense of taste or smell? Your guide to differentiating between the three illnessesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith winter approaching, the UK is entering the traditional seasons for colds and flu, with the additional complication this year that symptoms of those two illnesses can be broadly similar to those experienced by...

Forget notions of coronavirus as a great equaliser – women are yet again the hardest hit | Helen Pankhurst

Just like every emergency, Covid-19 is racist, ageist, classist and sexist. The world response to the pandemic must reflect thisIn the early days of coronavirus, there was a view that a global pandemic would act as a great equaliser. “A virus doesn’t discriminate,” they said. “We’re all in this together.” It didn’t take long for such a credulous perspective to vanish.Just like every...

Astronauts trace air leak to Russian side of space station after midnight alarm

Nasa officials stress that the leak on ISS remains small and poses no danger but will send extra air supply on the next deliveryA small air leak at the International Space Station finally has been traced to the Russian side, following a middle-of-the-night search by astronauts.Nasa said on Tuesday that the two Russians and one American on board were awakened late Monday to hurriedly seal hatches...

Panama's trans community failed by gendered lockdown measures – report

LSE finds country’s sex-segregated distancing rules may have reproduced inequalities and injustices for trans peopleEach day when Pau González wakes and looks at his phone, he feels as if he is running a call centre. As the founder of the activist group Hombres Trans Panama, he has been inundated by members of the transgender community seeking advice on how to navigate Panama’s sex-segregated...

40% of world’s plant species at risk of extinction

Race against time to save plants and fungi that underpin life on Earth, global data showsTwo in five of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction as a result of the destruction of the natural world, according to an international report.Plants and fungi underpin life on Earth, but the scientists said they were now in a race against time to find and identify species before they were...

Arthritis drug to be trialled as Covid treatment in UK care homes

Adalimumab could counter hyper-inflammation seen in severe coronavirus casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA commonly used arthritis drug is to be trialled with care home residents who have Covid, after it was observed that those taking it for their joint pains were less likely to end up in hospital with the virus.Older people in care homes, who often have some...

Near-blind Ansell's mole-rats detect magnetic cues with eyes, study shows

Research shows Zambian species with surgically removed eyes change nest-building habits but other behaviours remain intact Near-blind, underground-burrowing, African Ansell’s mole-rats can sense magnetic fields with their eyes, a study has found.Native to Zambia, the animals have eyes that span just 1.5mm in diameter, live in elaborate underground tunnel systems of up to 1.7 miles (2.8km) long...


TUESDAY 29. SEPTEMBER 2020


World Bank announces $12bn plan for poor countries to buy Covid vaccines

Initiative aims to ensure low-income countries are not frozen out by rich nationsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe World Bank has announced plans for a $12bn (£9.3bn) initiative that will allow poor countries to purchase Covid-19 vaccines to treat up to 2 billion people as soon as effective drugs become available.In an attempt to ensure that low-income countries...

Global poll of views on environment and science finds sharpest divide in US

Only one in five Americans with right-wing outlook said they had a lot of trust in scientistsPeople in the US are more sharply divided along political lines when it comes to science and environmental issues than in other parts of the world, new research shows.Globally, people who see themselves on the left side of politics are more likely to be concerned about the environment than those who see...

UK coronavirus news: country records highest daily rise in infections with 7,143 new cases

Record comes amid large increase in testing; Williamson says students can go home for Christmas – but might have to self-isolate firstBoris Johnson apologises for getting lockdown rules wrongCovid lockdowns in north-east England: new rules explainedIs Boris Johnson really ‘fit as a butcher’s dog’?UK economy faltering before second Covid-19 waveCoronavirus – latest global updates 5.23pm...

Paul McDonald obituary

My friend Paul McDonald, who has died aged 74, was a physicist and expert in cryogenics whose work advanced a variety of technologies, including satellite tracking, superconducting magnets and cryostat thermometers. He was also a keen supporter of Cruisewatch, the protest group that tracked cruise missile convoys at Greenham Common, Berkshire, in the 1980s.Born in Salford, Paul was the eldest son...

A new test from the WHO could be a game changer in the fight against Covid | Charlotte Summers

Many nations lack access to affordable testing. Now 120m antigen tests will help tackle this dangerous inequalityCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe principles of managing infectious disease outbreaks, whether of measles, tuberculosis or Covid-19, are similar. You identify who has been infected by testing for the disease, discover where they acquired the infection and...

Boris Johnson announces 'radical' plan to boost vocational training

PM says young people need new skills to compete as Covid-19 has accelerated changes in economy Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has promised to end the “pointless, nonsensical gulf” between university and vocational education, in what he called a “radical” shakeup of funding for post-18 education.Giving an upbeat speech at Exeter college, Johnson...

Do smart assistants need a feminist reboot? Part 1 – podcast

From Rosie the Robot in the 1960s animated sitcom The Jetsons to Siri and Alexa today, technologies that perform the roles of housekeeper and secretary are often presented as female. What does the gendering of these machines say about our expectations of who should be doing this kind of work? In the first of two episodes exploring the world of fembots and female AI assistants, the Guardian’s UK...

Brexit: warnings for care sector in pandemic as freedom of movement ends

Wages should rise to make jobs more attractive to UK staff, say government advisersThe end of freedom of movement after Brexit will increase pressure on the social care sector in the midst of a pandemic unless ministers make jobs more attractive to UK workers by increasing salaries, government advisers have said.The migration advisory committee (Mac) warned of the “stark consequences” of low...

Rival scientists divided over lockdowns may make a good story – but how accurate is it? | Stephen Buranyi

Overblown talk of a scientific rift is a dangerous distraction in the fight against Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe cardinal rule of coronavirus policy is that you must follow “the science”. Or, at the very least, you must say that you are. After the US’s disastrous response to the pandemic, Donald Trump still insists he is “guided by science”....

Until there's a Covid vaccine, we need to focus on treating longer-term health consequences | Elizabeth Hartland

We don’t know yet how many of the ongoing symptoms could translate to chronic ill health in the future, and that’s worryingAs Covid-19 infection numbers show a welcome downward trend in Melbourne and the city’s residents look forward to some easing of restrictions, it’s time to consider the longer-term health consequences of the pandemic.More than 27,000 Australians – including some...

Salty ponds may be under Mars' icy surface, raising prospect of Martian life

Italian scientists provide further evidence of underground lake and smaller bodies of water in study A network of salty ponds may be gurgling beneath Mars’ south pole alongside a large underground lake, raising the prospect of tiny, swimming Martian life.Italian scientists reported their findings Monday, two years after identifying what they believed to be a large buried lake. They widened their...


MONDAY 28. SEPTEMBER 2020


Ex-lord chief justice: UK parliament must scrutinise Covid rules

Exclusive: Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd joins senior legal figures in calling for MPs to examine emergency legislationCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the former lord chief justice of England and Wales, has called for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the government’s emergency coronavirus legislation because vital freedoms are being...

Covid-19 tests that give results in minutes to be rolled out across world

Global initiative will supply 120m rapid antigen tests to low- and middle-income countriesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTests for Covid-19 that show on-the-spot results in 15 to 30 minutes are about to be rolled out across the world, potentially saving many thousands of lives and slowing the pandemic in both poor and rich countries. In a triumph for a global...

Scientists work on nasal spray that could stop Covid virus replicating

Substance has had promising results in ferrets, with hopes it may reduce transmissionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA nasal spray is under development that could nip a coronavirus infection in the bud, with promising results already seen in ferrets, researchers have revealed.With coronavirus infections surging around the world, the race is on to develop a vaccine....

Covid-19 skin rash website criticised for lack of BAME examples

Only two out of 400 Covid images on British Association of Dermatologists’ website feature black or brown skinCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA website dedicated to sharing images of Covid-19-related skin rashes to help doctors and patients identify whether an unusual rash might be a sign of coronavirus infection has been criticised for containing just two images of...

Coronavirus symptoms: how to tell if you have a common cold, flu or Covid

Fever, runny nose, headache? Lost your sense of taste or smell? Your guide to differentiating between the three illnessesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith winter approaching, the UK is entering the traditional seasons for colds and flu, with the additional complication this year that symptoms of those two illnesses can be broadly similar to those experienced by...

Support UK farmers to meet climate targets, ministers told

Green campaigners call for clarity on tree-planting and on interim subsidy systemFarmers need more support from the government to plant the trees necessary to meet the UK’s climate targets, ministers have been told, as they consider wide-ranging changes to farming payments after Brexit.Tree-planting is expensive, difficult and requires patience as the trees take years or even decades to yield...

‘There is a fear that this will eradicate dwarfism’: the controversy over a new growth drug

A new treatment could help children with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, grow taller and avoid health problems in later life. But there are concerns about whether this is ethicalSamuel Gray is very brave about his daily injections. At six-and-a-half, confident and happy, he was a boy who knew his own mind and made a big decision about his future. His parents had asked him if he...

Coronavirus live news: global deaths near 1m as India poised to pass 6m cases

Travel between New Zealand and some states of Australia possible before end of the year; first virus death among migrants in Greece; Follow the latest updatesRegular ‘circuit breaker’ lockdowns ‘could help control Covid’Boris Johnson faces revolt over forcing through Covid measuresAustralia: ‘We should not pretend everybody is suffering equally’See all our coronavirus coverage 12.29am...


SUNDAY 27. SEPTEMBER 2020


The Harvest Moon – a golden globe to welcome the autumn

The closest full moon to the equinox is known as the Harvest Moon as its extra light allowed farmers to work late into the evening to gather the cropsFor those of us in the northern hemisphere, it is the week of the Harvest Moon. This is defined as the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox, which took place last week on 22 September. In the southern hemisphere, the Harvest Moon takes place in...

UK market flooded with inadequate Covid tests, experts suggest

Lack of clear rules about certification standards may be allowing manufacturers to sell tests based on poor or dodgy dataCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageInadequate tests for Covid-19, based on poor or dodgy data, are proliferating in the UK because there are no clear rules on what companies have to prove before they can sell them, experts believe.The Royal Statistical...

Robert Audley obituary

My former colleague Robert (Bob) Audley, who has died aged 91, was a leading psychologist at University College London (UCL) for more than 30 years and a major contributor to mathematical psychology in the 1950s and 60s. His research involved creating models to explain how people make choices. The work looked at how people take a sequence of samples of their experience until they have sufficient...

Britain's failure to learn the hard lessons of its first Covid surge is a disaster | William Hanage

Despite now having evidence that test and trace is the only way to fight the virus, the UK has lost control at the crucial moment• Dr William Hanage is professor of the evolution and epidemiology of infectious disease at HarvardBritain is in the grip of an extraordinarily dangerous outbreak of forgetfulness. During the spring, more than 50,000 people died – far more than the yearly total for...

The irresistible lure of island life

What is it about islands which so fascinates, and soothes after time spent in cities?The love of islands is a widespread affliction – why else are we still reading Robinson Crusoe after 300 years? Why Treasure Island? Why after 75 years and over 2,000 episodes are we still listening to Desert Island Discs? From the blessed isles of Tír na nÓg and Thomas More’s Utopia to the island-dramas of...

Coronavirus live updates: global death toll nears 1m, Australian state of Victoria set to ease restrictions

France records more than 14,000 new Covid cases; Colombia passes 800,000 infections; Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021. Follow latest updatesBoris Johnson faces revolt over forcing through Covid measures Australia: ‘We should not pretend everybody is suffering equally’ Ex-care home bosses charged over dozens of Covid deaths in MassachusettsWhy dogs might be a Covid...


SATURDAY 26. SEPTEMBER 2020


Welcome to libertarian Covid fantasy land – that’s Sweden to you and me | Nick Cohen

The right fails to recognise that the Swedes’ real virtue in this pandemic is their social cohesionSweden is to the 21st-century right what the Soviet Union was to the 20th-century left. Conservatives have transformed it into a Tory Disneyland where every dream comes true. On the shores of the Baltic lies a country that has no need to curtail civil liberties and wreck the economy to curb...

Dreading a dark winter lockdown? Think like a Norwegian

Studies show people living in the Arctic Circle are armed with a mindset that helps combat the long ‘polar night’. It might come in handy for us all…When Kari Leibowitz first arrived in the Norwegian city of Tromsø, she was both intrigued by, and fearful of, the approaching winter. Two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, the city does not see the sun from mid-November to mid-January....

The next pandemic is on its way. Coronavirus must help us prepare for it | Sally Davies

Scientists estimate we will face a health emergency at least once every five years. Our new initiative seeks a better response• Sally Davies is a former chief medical officer for England We are at a crossroads. As the impacts of Covid-19 continue the world over and the second wave moves through Europe, we have a choice to make. Will we simply respond to the here and now, or do we take a moment...

UK risks losing contract for new climate research centre because of Brexit

Proposed centre with up to 250 jobs is linked to EU Copernicus satellite programmeThe UK is at risk of losing the contract for the expansion of a flagship European weather research centre based in Reading because of Brexit.The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has been based in Berkshire for the last 45 years but its future EU-funded activities are now the subject of an...


FRIDAY 25. SEPTEMBER 2020


What Australia needs to do to avoid a third Covid wave

Lessons from other parts of the world show we should lock down early, rely on evidence – and get used to wearing masksVictoria and Melbourne trend mapVic hotspots list; Australia interactive; NSW trend mapMelbourne’s stage 4 rules; Victoria’s ‘step 3’ rulesSign up for Guardian Australia’s Covid emailAs Victoria reaches the end of its second wave of the coronavirus, the focus is now on...

The Guardian view of golf's wedge issue: the triumph of brain and brawn | Editorial

Art gives way to science in yet another sport. But won’t we all lose out when the magic is gone?Bryson DeChambeau sounds like a character from a novel, one perhaps set on the Côte d’Azur in the 1930s, a raffish figure with a taste for the high life. He is, in fact, a 27-year-old golfer from California, and the only high life that interests him is the flight of a golf ball, which when hit by...

'Any breed could do it': dogs might be a Covid tester's best friend

Researchers around the world are training canines to sniff out the virus – could they be deployed for mass testing?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt is simple and pain-free, could be used to test for coronavirus in care homes, airports and schools, and might just be more realistic than the UK government’s £100bn “Operation Moonshoot” mass screening plan. Its...

UK scientists begin study of how long Covid can survive in the air

Researchers will test length of time virus stays infectious in different climatic conditionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt is the question scientists around the world are trying to answer: how long can the coronavirus survive in the tiny aerosol particles we exhale? In a high-security lab near Bristol, entered through a series of airlock doors, scientists may be...