For three weeks, I wore stickers on my skin supposed to address all sorts of conditions. Are they a panacea, problem or performance? This morning, I woke up feeling a little groggy. My go-to remedy is usually a coffee and cold-water face plunge, followed by a compulsive phone scroll. But...
Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows
Brown Swiss in Austria has been discovered using tools in different ways – something only ever seen in humans and chimpanzees Scientists have been forced to rethink the intelligence of cattle after an Austrian cow named Veronika displayed an impressive – and until now undocumented – knack for tool use....
Is your body really full of microplastics? – podcast
Studies detecting microplastics throughout human bodies have made for alarming reading in recent years. But last week, the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, reported on major doubts among a group of scientists about how some of this research has been conducted. Damian tells Ian Sample how he first heard about...
Positive thinking could boost immune response to vaccines, say scientists
People picturing positive experiences found to produce more antibodies, hinting at future clinical potential Positive thoughts may boost the immune system according to research that points to a connection between the mind and our body’s natural defences. Scientists have found people who used positive thinking to boost activity in the...
Researchers build a stretchable OLED that can double in size without dimming
The breakthrough is based on a class of materials known as MXenes: ultrathin, highly conductive sheets that combine the mechanical resilience of metals with the flexibility of polymers. Co-discovered by Drexel materials scientist Yury Gogotsi, MXenes are layered carbides and nitrides that can deform through bending and sliding between layers......