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 least one incident.In March 2019 a landslide tore apart Hoseynabad-e Kalpush village in north-central Iran, damaging 300 houses and severing the road to the nearby dam. Local authorities blamed the landslide on heavy rainfall and ins...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 27, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Kate Ravilious Tags: Science Landslides Water Iran Source Type: news
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 housing estate.It is a beautiful day. The sky is blue, the breeze fresh. There ’s litter here, sure –piles of it– and the loud whine of machinery, but my senses soon return me to the mouthy, joyful cascade of wren song. First ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 27, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Josie George Tags: Wild flowers Plants Environment Rural affairs UK news Source Type: news
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 than four years older when they were restricted to only four hours of sleep for two consecutive nights, with some claiming the sleepiness made them feel decades older.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 27, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Ian Sample Science editor Tags: Science Sleep Ageing Psychology Health Source Type: news
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, who led the research, said AI could help tease apart the complex relationships involved in human aroma perception.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 26, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Science correspondent Tags: Artificial intelligence (AI) Computing Technology Beer Food Science Source Type: news
Boots to offer Covid vaccines in England for nearly £100 a jab
Pharmacy to offer Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to those not eligible for NHS booster shot from next weekBoots is to offer Covid vaccinations for almost £100 a shot, making it the latest provider to sell the jabs to those not eligible for a booster through the NHS.The company has confirmed it will offer the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to healthy customers in England aged 12 and over from next week, at a cost of £98.95 a jab.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 26, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Science correspondent Tags: Vaccines and immunisation Boots Business Retail industry Health Society Coronavirus Science Infectious diseases Source Type: news
What could a severe solar storm do to Earth, and are we prepared? – podcast
The sun is currently ramping up to hit the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. In the past few days, powerful solar eruptions have sent a stream of particles towards Earth which are set to produce spectacular auroras in both hemispheres. But these kinds of geomagnetic storms can also have less appealing consequences. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Lisa Upton, a solar scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, about how the mysterious inner workings of the sun create space weather, how solar events can significantly disrupt Earth ’s infrastructure, and whether we are prepared for the worst-case scenarioRead more about ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 26, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Presented by Madeleine Finlay, produced by Madeleine Finlay and Holly Fisher, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer is Ellie Bury Tags: Science The sun Astronomy Space Source Type: news
Northern lights predicted in US and UK on Monday night in wake of solar storms
Spectacular aurora borealis caused by geomagnetic storms on sun ’s surface may be visible in North America as far south as the midwestNorthern and southern lights: share your picturesSolar eruptions are sending a stream of particles towards Earth, creating spectacular auroras in both hemispheres.The aurora borealis – in the northern hemisphere – will be potentially visible on Monday night in the US as far south as the midwest. The northern lights, more commonly seen within the Arctic Circle, could also be visible in Scotland.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 25, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Tory Shepherd Tags: World news US news UK news Australia news Science Astronomy The moon Space Source Type: news
I helped advise the US government on the next likely pandemic. What I learned is alarming | Devi Sridhar
The 100-day challenge, to be able to contain a virus while a vaccine is approved, manufactured and delivered, looks ever more remoteFour years on from the first Covid lockdown, life feels to be largely back to normal, although legacies of the pandemic remain. Collective amnesia seems to have set in. Politicians seem eager to move forward and not relive the decisions, delays and deaths that characterised public policy and press briefings. Yet we can ’t forget such a brutal event, when Covid is estimated to have killednearly 16 million people worldwide in 2020 and 2021, and caused life expectancy to decline in 84% of count...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 25, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Devi Sridhar Tags: Vaccines and immunisation Coronavirus Science World news Infectious diseases Health UK news US news Source Type: news
The fight to cure South Sudan ’s mysterious neurological disorder
Nodding syndrome is a distressing disease that stunts growth, harms brains and sparks convulsions. Though its cause is still unknown, there is now hope that epilepsy drugs can help afflicted childrenThe other children move away, frightened, when the convulsions start. Tabo takes a long, guttural breath before slumping on to the ground unconscious, her entire body shaking. The 17-year-old ’s mother, Penina Monyo Gulu Biro, gently holds the girl while the attack lasts.A minute or two later, Tabo (pictured above) sits up again, tears rolling down her cheeks. “She cries because she’s sad to be like this,” says Biro.An ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 25, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Florence Miettaux in Mvolo and Maridi Tags: Global development Global health South Sudan Africa World news Rivers Environment Infectious diseases Medical research Science Children Society Blindness and visual impairment Disability Source Type: news
AI to track hedgehog populations in pioneering UK project
National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme aims to understand why population has declinedArtificial intelligence will be used for the first time to track hedgehog populations as part of a pioneering project aimed at understanding how many of them are left in the UK and why they have suffered a decline.Images of the prickly mammals snuffling around urban parks, private gardens, woodlands and farmland will be captured by cameras and filtered by AI trained to differentiate between wildlife and humans.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 25, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent Tags: Animals UK news Science Environment Artificial intelligence (AI) Source Type: news
Spectacular aurora australis expected after severe geomagnetic storm eruption on sun ’s surface
Southern lights may be visible in Tasmania, along Victoria ’s coastline and on Western Australia’s south-west coastFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet ourmorning and afternoon news emails,free app ordaily news podcastThe spectacular aurora australis could be visible from Victoria to Western Australia this week after a severe geomagnetic storm erupted on the sun ’s surface.The shimmering spectacle comes on the same night as a penumbral lunar eclipse, which will be visible across the nation.Sign up for Guardian Australia ’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 25, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Tory Shepherd Tags: Australia news Australia weather Victoria Tasmania Western Australia Astronomy Space Source Type: news
Scientists call for protection of moon sites that could advance astronomy
Fears raised that prime lunar locations for universe-unravelling instruments are in danger from imminent wave of human activityAstronomers are calling for the urgent protection of sites on the moon that are rated the best spots in the solar system for advanced instruments designed to unveil the secrets of the universe.The prime locations are free from ground vibration, shielded from Earth ’s noisy broadcast signals or profoundly cold – making them uniquely well-suited for sensitive equipment that could make observations impossible from elsewhere.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 25, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Ian Sample Science editor Tags: Science The moon Space Source Type: news
‘Truth behind the myths’: Amazon warrior women of Greek legend may really have existed
Excavations of bronze age graves have found battle-scarred female archers, says the historian Bettany HughesIn Greek legends, the Amazons were feared and formidable women warriors who lived on the edge of the known world. Hercules had to obtain the magic girdle of the Amazonian queen Hippolyte in one of his 12 labours, and Achilles killed another queen, Penthesilea, only to fall in love with her as her beautiful face emerged from her helmet.These horseback-riding, bow-wielding nomads, who fought and hunted just like men, have long been shrouded in myth, but archaeologists are discovering increasing evidence that they ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 24, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Dalya Alberge Tags: Archaeology Classics and ancient history History books Azerbaijan Source Type: news
Princess of Wales ’ diagnosis: cancers in young are rising, but so are survival rates
Early diagnosis and better awareness mean tumours can be caught early – and when disease is found, under-45s can often tolerate chemotherapy betterProf Andrew Beggs of Birmingham University runs a special clinic for young people with cancer and has noted, as have other experts, that more and more people under the age of 45 are being diagnosed with some form of the condition.“There are a number of reasons for this rise,” he told theObserver. “For one thing, we are simply getting better at spotting cancer at earlier and earlier stages. In addition, special awareness is involved. Young people are much more perceptive ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 24, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Robin McKie Science Editor Tags: Cancer Health Medical research Young people Science Society UK news Monarchy Source Type: news
Is Science Museum ’s green power gallery tainted by fossil-fuel cash?
Museum ’s funding by Indian energy group sparks controversy – with activists calling for boycott of ‘tainted’ partnership but others in full supportIt is intended to be an exploration of humanity’s past and future efforts to decarbonise the way we live. Historical objects mixed with interactive displays will show how environmentally friendly energy systems are shaped by imagination and innovation.But the new Science Museum gallery,Energy Revolution, the Adani Green Energy Gallery, has gone down badly – with environmentalists.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 24, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Robin McKie Science editor Tags: Science Fossil fuels Environment Energy London UK news Climate crisis Adani Group Business Green politics Museums Culture India Source Type: news
