Newly appointed Cambridge professor says feat would accelerate scientific knowledge by an order of magnitude Dark, hungry and inescapable: black holes are often portrayed as the ultimate cosmic villains. But now astronomers are preparing to capture a movie of a supermassive black hole in action for the first time, in...
The sudden rise of scabies: ‘I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy’
These microscopic mites, which burrow under your skin and cause ferocious itching, are incredibly hard to get rid of – and cases in the UK have soared. What is causing the outbreak, and is there anything we can do about it? Louise (not her real name) is listing the contents...
Starwatch: Watch the crescent moon pass Saturn as dusk gathers
Earth’s satellite will be visible in conjunction with the ringed planet as twilight gives way to darkness A slender crescent moon slides past Saturn this week, offering a rewarding conjunction. It will be the perfect way to start your evening, a little quiet contemplation of the night sky as the...
15 years after Fukushima, Japan prepares to restart the world’s biggest nuclear plant
A return to nuclear power is at the heart of Japan’s energy policy but, in the wake of the 2011 disaster, residents’ fears about tsunamis, earthquakes and evacuation plans remain The activity around the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant is reaching its peak: workers remove earth to expand the width of...
Simple blood test can predict which breast cancer treatment will work best, study finds
Exclusive: DNA test means patients could be offered most effective treatment first, boosting their chances of beating the disease Scientists have developed a simple DNA blood test that can predict how well patients with breast cancer will respond to treatment. More than 2 million people globally each year are diagnosed...