Deal, subject to regulatory approval, would give Bezos firm access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites Amazon said on Tuesday it would acquire a satellite company in an $11.57bn deal, bolstering its own fledgling space business as it looks to take on Elon Musk-led bigger rival Starlink. The deal...
Plantwatch: the cactus that lures bats with its fuzzy acoustic hat
In eastern Brazil, coleocephalocereus goebelianus towers above surrounding plants, making its beacon even clearer Some flowers lure bats into pollinating them by stinking like fermenting fruit, cabbage, garlic and even urine. But one cactus flower tempts bats by turning into an acoustic beacon. Bats make high-pitched squeaks, too high for...
Kratom poisonings soar in US as experts blame synthetic versions and caution against bans
Experts say natural kratom may offer benefits and blame synthetic derivatives for surge in poisonings noted by CDC A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that kratom poisonings have soared in the US, but experts say this is probably due to synthetic derivatives like 7-OH, and...
AI to predict how bowel cancer patients will respond to new NHS drug
PhenMap tool could spare thousands of patients from treatment that would be ineffective for them A new AI-driven way of identifying how patients with advanced bowel cancer will respond to a drug that was recently introduced by the NHS has been announced. Researchers at London’s Institute of Cancer Research and...
‘Suddenly, boom, it’s completely warm’: summers are getting longer – especially in Sydney, study finds
Researchers examined trends in 10 global cities, with Sydney’s summer growing at two-and-a-half times the average Scientist Ted Scott could feel that summers in his home state of Minnesota were not what they used to be. With the climate crisis accelerating, Scott could feel and see the seasons changing from...
Taking Tylenol during pregnancy has no link to autism, new study finds
Trump has pushed unfounded claims of Tylenol use in pregnancy being tied to ‘a very increased risk of autism’ Taking acetaminophen – known in the US by the brand name Tylenol – during pregnancy has no effect on later autism diagnoses, according to a sweeping new study from Denmark published...
Giant echidnas weighing 15kg roamed Victoria – and the evidence was hiding in plain sight
A skull fragment found in a tray of unsorted fossils collected more than a century ago leads to discovery Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A prehistoric fossil, hiding in plain sight in museum storage for...
African scientists hail mushrooming global interest in conserving fungi
Amid growing evidence of fungi’s key role in ecosystems and storing carbon, mycologists seek greater recognition of the need to preserve ‘funga’ as much as flora and fauna Madagascar has long been celebrated for its remarkable wildlife, with the vast majority of its species – from ring-tailed lemurs to certain...
Hate small talk? You may enjoy that ‘dull’ chat more than you think, say researchers
Participants reported enjoying the human connection regardless of whether they thought the topic was dull The human aversion to dull experiences was nailed by the author Paulo Coelho when he declared: “I can stand defeats, pain, anger. But I can’t stand boredom.” But the natural desire to avoid boring conversations...
Almost 2bn to be affected by metabolic liver disease by 2050, study suggests
MASLD affects one in six people now and is projected to rise because of population growth, obesity and high blood sugar Metabolic liver disease will affect 1.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, driven by rising obesity and blood sugar levels, a study suggests. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously...