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322 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Political leaders are raising ‘false hopes’ about coronavirus vaccines

Drugs now under development are unlikely to end the pandemic, the Wellcome Trust’s Jeremy Farrar warnsFinding a vaccine will take time and global cooperationVaccines will not be a silver bullet to end the Covid-19 pandemic and leaders must avoid creating false hope, a key government adviser has warned.Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, writes in today’s Observer that the first...

Coronavirus live news: Melbourne lockdown extended; anti-mask protests held in Europe

State premier Daniel Andrews extends lockdown by two weeks; Victoria reports 63 new cases and five deaths; thousands attend protests against coronavirus measures in Croatia and Italy. Follow the latest updatesWhy Australia’s Covid jobs crisis could last yearsMelbourne stage 4 coronavirus lockdown extended for two weeksCovid-19 ‘could be endemic in deprived parts of England’Kamala Harris says...


SATURDAY 5. SEPTEMBER 2020


Are aliens hiding in plain sight?

Several missions this year are seeking out life on the red planet. But would we recognise extraterrestrials if we found them?In July, three unmanned missions blasted off to Mars – from China (Tianwen-1), the US (Nasa’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover) and the United Arab Emirates (Hope). The Chinese and American missions have lander craft that will seek signs of current or past life on Mars. Nasa...

Melbourne anti-lockdown protests: at least 15 arrested in violent clashes with police

Protesters seen chanting ‘freedom’ and hurling abuse at police and media while not wearing masksFollow today’s coronavirus blogVictoria reports 76 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths as Daniel Andrews says roadmap not yet ‘finalised’Millions for aged care investors, but homes lack nurses: where does $13bn in federal funding go?At least 15 people have been arrested at Melbourne’s Shrine of...

Coronavirus live news: Iraq hospitals in crisis; anti-lockdown protesters arrested in Victoria

Baghdad says hospitals may ‘lose control’ after spike in unsafe gatherings; arrests made after hundreds gather for Melbourne anti-lockdown rallies Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 4.39am BST Some vision from the Melbourne protestsTwo men tackled to the ground and arrested by tactical police. It’s getting very intense here pic.twitter.com/w7J3jVkOyQ 4.00am BST...


FRIDAY 4. SEPTEMBER 2020


Scans reveal how brain adapts to life in space

Analysis of brain scans finds increase in white and grey matter in regions involved in physical movementBrain scans of cosmonauts have revealed the first clear evidence of how the organ adapts to the weird and often sickness-inducing challenge of moving around in space.Analysis of scans taken from 11 cosmonauts, who spent about six months each in orbit, found increases in white and grey matter in...

UK police deal with thousands of potential Covid-19 quarantine breakers

Exclusive: Britain approaching ‘pivotal moment’ in attempt to avoid surge in cases, scientists say Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice forces across the country are dealing with thousands of potential violations of quarantine rules involving holidaymakers who may not be self-isolating after trips abroad, the Guardian can reveal.The requests for “further...

UK coronavirus live: close to 2,000 new Covid cases recorded - highest daily total since May – as it happened

Daily case numbers have been rising for two months now, with 1,940 more today. This live blog has now closed - please follow the global live blog for the latest updates 6.24pm BST The latest seven-day infection figures show Leeds as having a rate of 32.4 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate on testing of 3.5%.The latest data suggests that a lot of the cases are in different areas of the...

The Guardian view on book therapy: an old idea finds new life | Editorial

A generous act by the creator of the detective Vera reminds us that reading can help people in the hardest times The library of Pharaoh Ramesses II is said to have borne the inscription “the house of healing for the soul”. Dylan Thomas reportedly liked to relax by reading Agatha Christie while he sucked sweets in the bathtub. The novelist Yiyun Li turns to War and Peace in the toughest times;...

Away review – Hilary Swank space drama fails to launch

The Oscar winner falters on a pioneering mission to Mars, in a glossy, saccharine Netflix series that’s more mundane than out of this worldThere is an unexpectedly old-fashioned feel to Away (Netflix), the glossy and ambitious new space drama led by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank. At times, it resembles a blockbuster film from the 90s, at others, a big, mainstream television show from the...

Silvio Berlusconi admitted to hospital with coronavirus

Former Italian PM hospitalised as a precautionary measure after testing positive for Covid Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageItaly’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.Berlusconi, who turns 84 this month, was taken to the San Raffaele hospital in Milam on Thursday night as a precautionary measure. He has not been admitted...

Coronavirus live news: Brazil cases pass 4m; Israel to impose partial lockdown

France counts more than 7,000 new infections for second day; US public health officials prepare for October vaccine rollout; Robert Pattinson tests positive for Covid-19. Follow the latest updatesFrench PM says jobs and green economy at heart of recovery planIndia logs record 83,883 Covid-19 cases in dayGSK and Sanofi to start human trials of potential Covid-19 vaccineSee all our coronavirus...


THURSDAY 3. SEPTEMBER 2020


Nasa to study impact of 'space weather' on Earth

Mission proposals include analysis of sun’s atmosphere and its unseen polar regionsNasa is to fund concept studies on five mission proposals that aim to study the dynamic nature of the sun and the changing space environment this causes around Earth.Such information will help understand how the “space weather” affects satellites in orbit, which provide navigation and communications;...

Diarrhoea and vomiting may be key sign of Covid in children – study

Research suggests stomach trouble more predictive of virus in young people than a coughCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDiarrhoea and vomiting could be an important sign of Covid-19 in children, researchers say, leading to calls for the official NHS list of symptoms to be updated.The checklist for coronavirus in children currently includes just three symptoms: a high...

David Graeber, anthropologist and author of Bullshit Jobs, dies aged 59

The anarchist and author of bestselling books on capitalism and bureaucracy died in a Venice hospital on WednesdayDavid Graeber, anthropologist and anarchist author of bestselling books on bureaucracy and economics including Bullshit Jobs: A Theory and Debt: The First 5,000 Years, has died aged 59.On Thursday Graeber’s wife, the artist and writer Nika Dubrovsky, announced on Twitter that Graeber...

Plant clues could help find decomposing bodies, scientists say

Researchers looking at whether human remains cause changes that could be detected by dronesThey can’t shout “whodunnit” but plants could offer vital clues when it comes to finding clandestine graves, researchers say.Forensic experts in the US have begun experiments at a body farm – a facility where decay processes can be studied – to explore whether decomposing human remains leave their...

Genome editing for heritable diseases not yet safe, report states

Scientists warn embryos that have had DNA edited should not be used in pregnanciesPowerful genome editing procedures that could prevent parents from passing on heritable diseases to their children are far from ready for clinical use, and must be proved safe and effective before nations permit them, leading scientists have warned.In a major report on the procedure, an international commission said...

Researchers reveal true scale of megalodon shark for first time

UK study shows dorsal fin of prehistoric mega-fish was similar height to adult humanThe enormous size of a prehistoric mega-shark made famous in Hollywood films has been revealed for the first time in its entirety by a UK study.Previously only the length of the Otodus megalodon had been estimated, but a team from the University of Bristol and Swansea University has determined the size of the rest...

Covid-19: why do pandemics trigger civil unrest? – podcast

As countries entered lockdowns to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, many citizens came out to protest against measures such as social distancing, face masks and potential vaccination programmes. Demonstrations have subsequently erupted around around the world, with causes ranging from the Black Lives Matter movement to protests against inequality and corruption. Taking a look at some of the social...

Massive meteorite crater found in Western Australia thought to be 100 million years old

With a diameter of 5km, Ora Banda is one of the largest meteorite craters discovered in the worldA massive 100 million-year-old meteorite crater has been found while a company was drilling for gold in outback Western Australia.The impact crater is estimated to be over 100 million years old with a diameter of about 5km. Although not visible from the surface, experts found the crater using...

The Shewee revolution: how 2020 has changed urination

Since lockdown, sales of devices that help women and trans men pee standing up have gone through the roof. But would it be healthier for everyone to just sit down?Natasha Bright watched in horror as she saw her friends drinking beer after beer in the park. She had gone out to meet them as lockdown restrictions eased and maybe have a drink herself. But one thought plagued her: what if I need the...

Lack of staff, funds and tools: health officials worry the US isn’t ready for Covid vaccines

Experts are frustrated after months of inconsistent information and concerned that a mass vaccination plan will stumbleMillions of Americans are counting on a Covid-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic and return life to normal.While one or more options could be available toward the end of this year or early next, the path to delivering vaccines to a population of 330 million people remains...

CDC tells health officials to expect a coronavirus vaccine by November

Critics fear its development has become politicized by Trump who may push for the release of a vaccine that is not fully testedHealth officials across the US have reportedly been notified that they should expect a coronavirus vaccine available to health workers and high-risk groups by November, amid concerns the accelerated vaccine development process has become politicized.The Centers for Disease...

'It just sounds like a thud': astronomers hear biggest cosmic event since big bang

Researchers believe noise was two black holes colliding around 7 billion years ago, creating a previously unseen class of stellar objectScientists have announced the detection of a signal from a long-ago collision between two black holes that created a new one of a size never seen before.“It’s the biggest bang since the big bang observed by humanity,” said Caltech physicist Alan Weinstein,...