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12 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

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,...