Did rats chew the wiring on it like they did my ute?Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue...

Study reveals repurposing of ecologically vital land for homes or agriculture is happening particularly rapidly in AsiaEstuaries – the place where a river meets the ocean – are often called the “nurseries of the sea”. They are home to many of the fish we eat and support vast numbers of birds, while the surrounding salt marsh helps to stabilise shorelines and absorb floods.However, a new...

Dabrafenib with trametinib can halt growth of some tumours for more than three times as long as standard chemotherapy, study showsThe NHS is to offer children with brain tumours in England a groundbreaking new targeted drug therapy to tackle the disease – a development charities are hailing as the biggest breakthrough in decades.Gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer in children but...

Full and part skeletons found in Mexico reveal body shape and anatomy of Pytchodus as well as its likely dietFossil experts say they have gained unprecedented insights into a type of enormous prehistoric shark, after finding complete skeletons of the creatures.The specimens, discovered in small quarries in north-eastern Mexico within the last decade, belong to Ptychodus – a creature that roamed...

There can be a big gap between self-perception and how our loved ones see us. Is it ever a good idea to seek the truth?Name: Personality audit.Age: People have worried about what other people think about them since the beginning of time. Continue...

Polish director Besaleel’s film will feature an AI-rendered Russian president and footage shot by Ukrainian film-makers during the Russian invasionThe “world premiere” of a new biopic of Russian president Vladimir Putin featuring an AI-rendered central character, has been announced for 26 September. In a statement released via PR Leap, Polish studio AIO said the film, titled Putin, will be...

Engineers spent months working to repair link with Earth’s most distant spacecraft, says space agencyEarth’s most distant spacecraft, Voyager 1, has started communicating properly again with Nasa after engineers worked for months to remotely fix the 46-year-old probe.Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which makes and operates the agency’s robotic spacecraft, said in December that the...

Labradors are known for being greedy dogs, but now scientists have come up with a theory about the genetic factors that might be behind their behaviour. Science correspondent, and labrador owner, Nicola Davis, visits Cambridge University to meet Dr Eleanor Raffan, and prof Giles Yeo, to find out how understanding this pathway could help us better understand, and treat, the obesity crisis in...

With Bennell-Pegg unlikely to go to space anytime soon, there are questions about the value of the spending by the cash-strapped Australian space program Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s first female astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, graduated from the European Space Agency’s (ESA)...

Researchers find memorable images make time feel slower because we are trying to gather more information about themIf every day appears to go in a blur, try seeking out new and interesting experiences, researchers have suggested, after finding memorable images appear to dilate time.Researchers have previously found louder experiences seem to last longer, while focusing on the clock also makes time...

As people get older, they revise the age they consider to be old upwardsNone of us are getting any younger, but it appears the age at which we are considered old has moved upwards over the generations.What’s more, as adults get older, they shift the goalposts further still, a study has shown. Continue...

Brightest star in constellation Virgo is due to appear very close again to almost fully illuminated moonIf you missed the conjunction between the almost full moon and the star Spica last month, here’s another chance to see it.The chart shows the view looking south-west from London at 04.00 BST on the morning of 23 April. The moon will be full with 99.3% of its visible surface illuminated, and it...

Scottish NHS boards have spent more than £125m since 2019 to provide temporary cover amid drop in consultant numbersMental health campaigners have protested about the significant use of temporary locum psychiatrists in Scotland, alleging it leads to substandard and harmful medical care.Peter Todd, a campaigner based in Caithness in the north of Scotland, said the heavy reliance on locum...

Pharmaceutical equipment firms are funding NHS staff and training while promoting salesMedical device companies are paying millions of pounds to hospitals in the UK to fund staff places, as well as training and awareness campaigns, while pushing sales of their products, including implants, heart valves and diagnostic equipment, a new report reveals.An analysis of disclosures by medical device...

The scientist on training as a diver, pilot and astronaut in order to understand the true nature of gravity, and what happens at the centre of a black holeProf Claudia de Rham is a theoretical physicist at Imperial College London, developing and testing “new models and paradigms” at the intersection of gravity, cosmology and particle physics. She has just published her first book, The Beauty...

BBC nature presenter delivers eulogy at protest aimed at ‘scaring people a bit’ about the loss of biodiversity in the UKThe BBC nature presenter Chris Packham has joined hundreds of environmental activists in a mock funeral procession for nature to spotlight biodiversity loss in the UK.The procession aimed to sound “code red for nature” and highlight the UK’s position as “one of the...

The paediatrician, who has been advised to stop using public transport, describes ‘straight disinformation’ about reportThe doctor behind a landmark review of the NHS’s gender identity services for children and young people has said fears had been raised about her personal safety amid online abuse after the report’s release.Dr Hilary Cass told the Times she wished to address the...

Research that aims to explain why some people experience intense visual imagery could lead to a better understanding of creativity and some mental disordersWilliam Blake’s imagination is thought to have burned with such intensity that, when creating his great artworks, he needed little reference to the physical world. While drawing historical or mythical figures, for instance, he would wait...

Influenza is still the biggest threat to global health as WHO raises fears about the spread of avian strainInfluenza is the pathogen most likely to trigger a new pandemic in the near future, according to leading scientists.An international survey, to be published next weekend, will reveal that 57% of senior disease experts now think that a strain of flu virus will be the cause of the next global...

Getting rid of rage | Secular song? | Rockumentaries | Piratical crossword clue | Political illsRe Emma Beddington’s article (15 April), at 78, at last I found a way to vanquish my rage at a recent Feldenkrais class on Zoom. We were doing breathing exercises and our teacher suggested we go he-he-he on the outbreath. Then she asked us to use our voice and I began. After a few medium sounds I...

Everyone loves the Devil comet Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue...

While 12P/Pons-Brooks may not be as famous as Halley’s, its appearance close to Jupiter is causing great excitement for stargazersGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe green, horned “Devil comet” is now visible in Australian skies, offering a once-in-lifetime chance to see a unique celestial body.The comet – real name 12P/Pons-Brooks – was nicknamed...

Scientists estimate Vasuki indicus was up to 15m long, weighed a tonne and would have constricted its preyFossil vertebrae unearthed in a mine in western India are the remains of one of the largest snakes that ever lived, a monster estimated at up to 15 metres in length – longer than a T rex.Scientists have recovered 27 vertebrae from the snake, including a few still in the same position as they...

Therapist Lindsay Gibson’s 2015 book has sold over a million copies and its message has soared on social media. What does it mean?In an ideal world, adults would be more mature than their kids. They would be better at handling stress, resolving conflicts with others, or talking about their feelings. In the opening chapter of the book Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, therapist...