Pure Science

The Guardian

Tablets could make treatment more mainstream, with sector predicted to be worth $200bn by end of the decade “I just felt slow: I want to be able to do anything my kids want to do and not have weight be a factor. Even a ride or a water park...

The Guardian

Monogamy may be held up as an ideal, but evolution has other ideas Most of us know people in committed relationships, even lifelong marriages. And we also know stories about relationship transgressions, of partnerships tested or broken by...

The Guardian

Epibatidine is about 100 times more potent than morphine, and derived from frogs native to South America Russia killed Alexei Navalny with frog toxin, UK and four European allies say Epibatidine, the dart frog toxin Britain says was used...

The Guardian

ISS now fully crewed after a medical issue forced the evacuation of four astronauts in January The International Space Station (ISS) returned to full strength with Saturday’s arrival of four new astronauts to replace colleagues who bailed...

The Guardian

Pressure, frictional heating and a disordered layer of molecules on top of the ice make skating possible Ice skating is counterintuitive: why should a narrow blade make it easier to slide over the ice? The science is surprisingly complex,...

The Guardian

Doubling of fish biomass and rebounding of endangered species shows government measures starting to work, biologists say The Yangtze River in China, which has been in ecological decline for 70 years, is showing signs of recovery thanks to...

The Guardian

Physics research drives technological innovation, from medical imaging to data processing, write Dr Phil Bull and Prof Chris Clarkson; plus letters from Tim Gershon and Vincenzo Vagnoni, and Prof Paul Howarth Your article (UK ‘could lose...

The Guardian

Doyne Farmer says a super-simulator of the global economy would accelerate the transition to a green, clean world It’s a mind-blowing idea: an economic model of the world in which every company is individually represented, making realistic...

The Guardian

In late January a new social media site took a certain corner of the internet by storm. Moltbook was conceived as a space where AI assistants could let off steam, chat and compare notes on their bosses, but it quickly became the focus of...

The Guardian

Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers Reading, writing and learning a language or two can lower your risk of dementia by almost 40%,...

The Guardian

AMA to review safety of respiratory vaccines as health agencies end recommendations based on no new data The largest medical organization in the US will help conduct a review on the safety and effectiveness of respiratory vaccines as...

The Guardian

Orbex’s collapse would put 150 jobs at risk and dash hopes of it launching first homegrown rocket from Scotland A British space company hoping to launch the first homegrown rocket from Scotland is on the brink of collapse, threatening 150...

The Guardian

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory needs an...

The Guardian

Moderna requests meeting to discuss refusal as decision could have implications for all new and updated vaccines US regulators will not review Moderna’s request to license a new, potentially more effective flu shot – even though the US...

The Guardian

Biggest improvements seen in young adults and new mothers, with group activities of most benefit Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming or dancing can be considered a frontline treatment for mild depression and anxiety, according to...

The Guardian

Astronomers had warned that proximity of INNA facility to telescopes would have irreparably damaged observation The scientific community is celebrating the cancellation of a project which would have threatened the clearest skies in the...

The Guardian

With medication largely unaffordable in the country, experts hope community support and a change in diet could reduce soaring type 2 diabetes rates A return to the traditional lentil and rice dishes that have nourished generations of...

The Guardian

Celestial spectacle will be at its most impressive on 28 February, when Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will align across the sky Space enthusiasts are in for a treat at the end of this month as six planets will appear...

The Guardian

The release of the latest batch of documents relating to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has shed further light on his close relationship with the world of science. To find out why he cultivated scientists and where his...

The Guardian

Being unhealthy weight raises risk of severe illness or death from most infectious diseases significantly, researchers find People living with obesity are 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from an infection, with one in 10...

The Guardian

Findings suggest smaller cognitive decline, but US study cannot prove daily caffeine hit is good for the brain People who have a couple of teas or coffees a day have a lower risk of dementia and marginally better cognitive performance than...

The Guardian

Charity says situation breaks Nice guidelines and is having devastating impact on couples struggling with infertility Millions of women in England are able to access only one round of IVF on the NHS because of health authority cutbacks and...

The Guardian

Find an unobstructed view of the south-east horizon and the moon will guide you to the brightest star in Scorpius Early on the morning of 11 February, the waning moon passes close to Antares, the brightest star in the constellation...

The Guardian

Study find nitazenes, which are up to 500 times stronger than heroin, can degrade significantly in portmortem blood samples Deaths caused by a synthetic opioid that is hundreds of times stronger than heroin may have been underestimated by...

The Guardian

Expansion of space operations comes as ADF entering ‘most challenging strategic environment since second world war’, minister says Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australian defence force recruits are being...

The Guardian

UK’s research funding body warned best scientists taking posts oversees due to lack of job stability at home Hundreds of early career researchers have warned that the UK will lose a generation of scientists after the announcement of...

The Guardian

Researchers say blood sample strip, which can be used at home, can pick up virus that causes cervical cancer A pioneering test of period blood for signs of cervical cancer could be a convenient, non-invasive and accurate way of screening...

The Guardian

While labels list dozens of possible risks only four are supported by evidence, say researchers Almost all side-effects listed for statins are not caused by the drugs, according to the world’s most comprehensive review of evidence. Other...

The Guardian

Brain activity suggests newborns can detect and predict patterns relating to rhythm, study says Newborn babies can anticipate rhythm in pieces of music, researchers have discovered, offering insights into a fundamental human trait. Babies...

The Guardian

An ape was able to identify the location of imaginary objects in pretend scenarios, researchers find Whether it’s playing at being doctors or hosting a toy’s tea party, children are adept at engaging in make-believe – now researchers say...

The Guardian

‘Giveaway’ competitions on WhatsApp and Telegram for retatrutide and other drugs described as ‘extremely dangerous’ Hidden-market promoters of weight-loss drugs are running social media “giveaway” competitions that offer powerful,...

The Guardian

As fewer people choose to pair up, let alone marry, it could be that our species’ mating patterns are moving closer to the natural order Monogamy, you may have heard, is in crisis. Fewer people are in relationships, let alone opting to be...

The Guardian

On a recent trip to Lake Geneva in Switzerland, biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston witnessed the impact of one of the planet’s most potent invasive species, the quagga mussel. In just a decade the mollusc, originally from the...

The Guardian

By age 20 diagnosis rates for men and women almost equal, research finds, challenging assumptions of gender discrepancy Females may be just as likely to be autistic as males but boys are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed in...

The Guardian

Two-decade study indicates a diet rich in foods such as olive oil, nuts and vegetables can cut risk of every type of stroke A Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of every type of stroke, in some cases by as much as 25%, a large study...

The Guardian

My wife, Lelia Duley, who has died aged 67, was an obstetric epidemiologist who studied health outcomes related to pregnancy, childbirth and its aftermath. Working alongside frontline clinicians, she designed large-scale trials to test...

The Guardian

We don’t have a single verb to express smelling something nice. Welsh and Croatian, by contrast, are never caught short when something fragrant gets right up your nose I remember the first time I remembered a smell. This was remembering to...

The Guardian

While some benefits such as stress relief are backed by solid evidence, they can be achieved without expensive hyped-up courses Read more in the Antiviral series In the 2012 film adaptation of the Dr Seuss book The Lorax, a fable about...

The Guardian

Novo Nordisk share price plunges after blaming lower US drug prices, patent protection issues and rising competition The maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has predicted a sharp drop in revenues this year owing to a push by Donald...

The Guardian

A genomic entrepreneur’s guide to the coming revolution in biology raises troubling questions about ethics and safety The prophet Ezekiel once claimed to have seen four beasts emerge from a burning cloud, “sparkling like the colour of...

The Guardian

Researchers say sediment changes due to waste dumping and coastal erosion intensified by climate breakdown As much as half of some British beaches’ coarse sediments consist of human-made materials such as brick, concrete, glass and...

The Guardian

Artemis II mission was due to begin as early as next week and astronauts have spent almost two weeks in quarantine Nasa has postponed its historic mission to send astronauts around the moon and back again, after issues arose during a...

The Guardian

Aerospace business and artificial intelligence firm to unite for IPO as world’s most valuable private company Business live – latest updates Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence business xAI, in a...

The Guardian

Just like men, women are increasingly being told by online influencers that the classic symptoms of middle age could be down to low testosterone. In the second part of this miniseries exploring the hormone, Madeleine Finlay finds out what...

The Guardian

UPFs are made to encourage addiction and consumption and should be regulated like tobacco, say researchers Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have more in common with cigarettes than with fruit or vegetables, and require far tighter regulation,...

The Guardian

The answers to today’s problems Earlier today I set you these three problems about the number 11. Here they are again with solutions. 1. Funny formation odd positions: 9,7,5,3,1 sum to 25; even positions: 8,6,4,2,0 sum to 20. Continue...

The Guardian

Every second, 11m bits of information enter our brains, which then efficiently prioritise them. We need to learn to work with the process, rather than against it It’s believed that we have about 50,000 thoughts a day: big, small, urgent,...

The Guardian

Puzzles one louder than ten It’s two decimal digits long, it’s prime, it’s a palindrome and it’s the number of players in a football team. Let’s hear it for “legs” eleven! Continue reading...

The Guardian

Straddling the celestial equator, the constellation is visible in both hemispheres Orion, the hunter, one of the most recognisable constellations in the night sky, is well placed for observation from the northern hemisphere during...

The Guardian

We are living longer and longer, but many of us are unprepared for the challenges age brings, says the novelist and psychotherapist Frank Tallis We have never lived so long, so well, nor had more available advice on how to do so: don’t...