The science of ‘weird shit’: why we believe in fate, ghosts and conspiracy theories
Psychologist Chris French has spent decades studying paranormal claims and mysterious experiences, from seemingly-impossible coincidences to paintings that purportedly predict the future. Ian Sample sits down with French to explore why so many of us end up believing in, what he terms, ‘weird shit’, and what we can learn from understanding why we’re drawn to mysterious and mystic phenomenaContinue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 4, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Madeleine Finlay , sound designed by Tony Onuchukwu, and the executive producer is Ellie Bury Tags: Science Psychology Source Type: news
Diabetes drug may slow progression of Parkinson ’s, say researchers
Researchers say findings that diabetes drug lixisenatide can slow progression of motor symptoms could be exciting step forwardA drug similar to those used in “skinny jabs” could help to slow the progression of symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, research suggests.According to the Parkinson ’s Foundation, more than 10 million people around the world are living with Parkinson ’s – a condition in which nerve cells in the brain are lost over time causing problems with movement, balance and memory, among other effects.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Science correspondent Tags: Parkinson's disease Society Medical research Science Drugs Source Type: news
‘You see one, you want to see them all’: 105-year-old excited for his 13th solar eclipse
Laverne Biser, 105, has traveled the world to witness the phenomenon – and what might be his final one will pass directly over his Texas houseLaverne Biser has traveled to several US states as well as a handful of foreign countries to gaze at and fawn over a dozensolar eclipses. But for what the 105-year-old retired engineer realizes may be his final one on 8 April, he won ’t have to go far.The total eclipse is expected to pass over his home in Fort Worth, Texas. And he has plans to soak in the occasion – what stands to be his 13th solar eclipse – with his daughter and granddaughter in nearby Plano.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Ramon Antonio Vargas Tags: Solar eclipses US news Science Texas Source Type: news
Early warning system to track Asian hornets unveiled by UK researchers
Monitoring station detects predatory species using artificial intelligence and sends alert so nests can be tracedAn early warning system designed to track and trace predatory Asian hornets using artificial intelligence has been unveiled by experts from a British university.Researchers from the University of Exeter have invented a system that draws hornets to a monitoring station. They land on a sponge cloth impregnated with food and an overhead camera captures images.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Steven Morris Tags: Insects Invasive species Wildlife Artificial intelligence (AI) Animals Conservation Environment Science UK news Source Type: news
Covid boosters are a gamechanger – if they are free for everyone
Only private jabs are available to most, but annual shots could reduce healthcare costs and prevent deathsCheaper private Covid jabs may end up as costly as pricier ones, say expertsPrivate Covid boosters are available for people who do not qualify to receive these vaccines on the NHS. But is it worth paying for a shot?With most people now having been exposed to Sars-CoV-2 through previous vaccination and/or infection, our immune systems are generally well equipped to recognise and kill the virus if we become infected.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Linda Geddes Science correspondent Tags: Coronavirus NHS Vaccines and immunisation Infectious diseases UK news Health Science Source Type: news
Frenzied politics is damaging to us all. We need the Daniel Kahneman doctrine | Rafael Behr
The late Nobel laureate advocated deliberate thinking, but what rules now is haste and gut instinct. His passing should give us pauseHere is a simple maths problem: together a bat and ball cost £1.10. The bat costs one pound more than the ball. How much is the ball?It doesn ’t take long for most people to answer 10p. And most people get it wrong. If you are in the minority that pauses long enough to realise that the ball costs 5p and the bat £1.05, congratulations, smartypants. If you recognised the question as an exercise in misdirection to expose the foibles of hu man intuition, you are probably familiar with the wor...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Rafael Behr Tags: Politics Psychology UK news Science Source Type: news
Moon Standard Time? Nasa to create lunar-centric time reference system
Space agency tasked with establishing Coordinated Lunar Time, partly to aid missions requiring extreme precisionThe White House wants Nasa to figure out how to tell time on the moon.Amemo sent Tuesday from the head of the US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has asked the space agency to work with other US agencies and international agencies to establish a moon-centric time reference system. Nasa has until the end of 2026 to set up what is being called Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Diana Ramirez-Simon and agencies Tags: Nasa The moon Science Space US news Biden administration Source Type: news
John Midgley obituary
My colleague and friend John Midgley, who has died aged 88, was a scientist, biochemist and researcher best known for the invention and development of thyroid hormone blood tests in the 1980s.A pioneer in medical biochemistry, his work in the field of thyroid hormone detection hugely improved patient care. John was also a passionate advocate for patients – as a medical adviser to the charity Thyroid UK, commentator and writer.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Rudolf Hoermann Tags: Thyroid disorders Science Medical research Biochemistry and molecular biology Yorkshire Healthcare industry University of Leeds University of Oxford Newcastle University Source Type: news
Metal thought to be International Space Station trash rips through Florida home
Nasa investigates cylindrical slab believed to be part of discarded battery pallet that tore through Naples houseNasa is investigating after a sizable chunk of metal believed to be part of a discarded battery pallet from the International Space Station crashed through the roof and two stories of a house in Florida.Engineers for the American outer space exploration agency are analyzing the cylindrical slab, which weighs about 2lb and tore through the home in Naples on the afternoon of 8 March.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Richard Luscombe in Miami Tags: International Space Station Florida Nasa US news Source Type: news
Cheaper private Covid jabs may end up as costly as pricier ones, say experts
Exclusive: Multi-dose vials could push up charge per patient, with experts warning cost could widen inequalitiesCheaper private Covid jabs could end up being just as expensive as their pricier alternative because the vaccine must be given in groups of five, experts have warned.Boots and pharmacies thatpartner with the company Pharmadoctor are offering Pfizer/BioNTech jabs to those not eligible for a free vaccination through the NHS, with the former charging almost £100 a shot. The latter is also offering the latest Novavax jab, a protein-based vaccine, at a cost of about £50.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Science correspondent Tags: Coronavirus Vaccines and immunisation Health Infectious diseases Science Society World news UK news Source Type: news
Why you probably look much older than you think | Arwa Mahdawi
A majority of people imagine they ’re far fresher-faced than they actually are. So should we be battling our internalised ageism and embracing the ravages of time?Sit your old bones down, because I ’ve got bad news: you probably look older than you think you do. Don’t shoot the messenger – blame science. A recent study published in the journalPsychology and Aging found that 59% of US adults aged 50 to 80 believe they look younger than other people their age. Women and people with higher incomes were slightly more likely to say they thought they looked fresher than their peers; and only 6% of adults in the bracket t...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Arwa Mahdawi Tags: Ageing Social media Science Life and style Source Type: news
Inmates sue to watch solar eclipse after New York orders prison lockdown
Lawsuit argues lockdown violates inmates ’ rights by preventing them from taking part in religiously significant eventInmates in New York are suing the state corrections department over the decision to lock down prisons during next Monday ’stotal solar eclipse.The suit filed on Friday in federal court in upstate New York argues that the 8 April lockdown violates inmates ’ constitutional rights to practice their faiths by preventing them from taking part in a religiously significant event.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Associated Press in New York Tags: New York Solar eclipses US news Space Science Source Type: news
US aiming to ‘crack the code’ on deploying geothermal energy at scale
Recent $74m investment made alongside assessment that 10% of electricity could be generated by geothermal by 2050A limitless supply of heat exists beneath our feet within the Earth ’s crust, but harnessing it at scale has proved challenging. Now, a combination of new techniques, government support and the pressing need to secure continuous clean power in an era of climate crisis means that geothermal energy is finally having its moment in the US.Until recently, geothermal has only been viable where the Earth ’s inner heat simmers near the surface, such as at hot springs or geysers where hot water or steam can be easily...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Oliver Milman Tags: Geothermal energy Renewable energy Energy efficiency Energy research Climate crisis Energy industry Environment Technology Science US news Biden administration Source Type: news
The new science of death: ‘There’s something happening in the brain that makes no sense’
New research into the dying brain suggests the line between life and death may be less distinct than previously thoughtPatient One was 24 years old and pregnant with her third child when she was taken off life support. It was 2014. A couple of years earlier, she had been diagnosed with a disorder that caused an irregular heartbeat, and during her two previous pregnancies she had suffered seizures and faintings. Four weeks into her third pregnancy, she collapsed on the floor of her home. Her mother, who was with her, called 911. By the time an ambulance arrived, Patient One had been unconscious for more than 10 minutes. Par...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Alex Blasdel Tags: Death and dying Consciousness Science Biology Neuroscience Hospitals Source Type: news
Hypermobility: a blessing or a curse? – podcast
Being more flexible than the average person can have its advantages, from being great at games such as Limbo to feeling smug in yoga class.But researchers are coming to understand that being hypermobile can also be linked to pain in later life, anxiety, and even long Covid.Madeleine Finlay hears from the science correspondent Linda Geddes about her experience of hypermobility, and finds out what might be behind its link to mental and physical healthRead Linda Geddes ’ article on hypermobility hereContinue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 2, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay with Linda Geddes, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer is Ellie Bury Tags: Health Science Medical research Human biology & wellbeing Fitness Source Type: news
