Hot summer also causing trees to shed their leaves as concerns raised over ‘food gap’ for wildlife in autumn Autumn is the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, according to the poet John Keats – but anyone hoping for a glut of blackberries this September may be sorely disappointed. In...
Can science crack the mystery of ME? – podcast
Scientists have found the first robust evidence that people’s genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a mysterious and debilitating illness that has been neglected and dismissed for decades by many in the medical community. To find out more, Madeleine Finlay speaks to science...
US pediatric organization diverges from CDC in Covid-19 vaccine advisory for children
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children as young as six months and up to 23 months get the shot The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging that children as young as six months and up to 23 months receive the Covid-19 vaccine – a position that diverges from the...
Women with Alzheimer’s have unusually low omega fatty acid levels, study finds
Analysis of blood samples finds women with the disease have 20% lower levels, a pattern not seen in men Women should ensure they are getting enough omega fatty acids in their diets according to researchers, who found unusually low levels of the compounds in female patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The...
Monkeys falling from trees and baking barnacles: how heat is driving animals to extinction
With the number of very hot days rising as well as average temperatures, more and more animals are vulnerable. But while some species can adapt, others are seeing huge population declines The residents of Tecolutilla, Mexico, knew the heatwave was bad when they heard the thuds. One by one, the...
Plantwatch: A flower’s male parts carry all sorts of surprises for pollinators
Triggerplants in particular live up to their name with a rapid response when touch-sensitive stamen are nudged Flowers are surprisingly touchy, especially their male parts, the stamens, with hundreds of plant species performing touch-sensitive stamen movements that can be endlessly repeated. Insects visiting Berberis and Mahonia flowers to feed on...
Fireball lights up sky over western Japan
Flash of light visible for hundreds of miles was an exceptionally bright meteor, say experts A huge fireball dashed across the skies of western Japan, shocking residents and dazzling stargazers, though experts said it was a natural phenomenon and not an alien invasion. Videos and photos emerged online of the...
Could an ancient cow’s tooth unlock the origins of Stonehenge?
Isotopes shows animal began life in Wales, adding weight to theory cattle used in hauling stones across country A cow’s tooth from a jawbone deliberately placed beside the entrance to Stonehenge at the Neolithic monument’s very beginning in 2995 to 2900BC could offer tantalising new evidence about how the stones...
Police: 3 dead, 8 injured in shooting at crowded club in New York City
Police: 3 dead, 8 injured in shooting at crowded club in New York City
A decades-old rule lets drivers set speed limits on US roads. That could be changing
Road safety activists and some states are pushing to depart from a longstanding rule that sets speed limits in the United States based largely on how fast drivers actually travel