"Botanists vote to remove racist reference from plants' scientific names."

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

Science | The Guardian

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Botanists vote to remove racist reference from plants’ scientific names

300+by Robin McKie Science editor / 21h

Offensive term to be replaced as first step towards more changes in unprecedented reform of nomenclature rules Scientists have voted to eliminate the names of certain plants that are deemed to be racially offensive. The decision to remove a label that contains such a slur was taken last week after a gruelling six-day session attended by more than 100 researchers, as part of the International Bota

Biologist Rosemary Grant: ‘Evolution happens much quicker than Darwin thought’

by Zoë Corbyn / 47min

The evolutionary expert discusses the triumphs and challenges of the groundbreaking research on Galápagos Islands finches she undertook with her husband, Peter Studying Darwin’s finches has been the life’s work of the renowned British evolutionary biologists Rosemary and Peter Grant. For several months every year for 40 years, the husband-and-wife team visited the Galápagos Islands in the eastern

Meteor thought to have exploded over midtown Manhattan, Nasa says

100+by Erum Salam / 3d

Space agency says probable meteor passed over Statue of Liberty before disintegrating 29 miles above city Is it a bird? Is it a plane? New Yorkers were puzzled by the sound of a loud boom and shaking sensations on Tuesday morning. The probable answer: an out-of-this-world visitor in the shape of a fiery meteor that exploded high over midtown Manhattan. Nasa Meteor Watch estimates that the meteor

YESTERDAY

Practice doesn’t always make perfect – that’s why you’re not in the Olympics | Martha Gill

by Martha Gill / 5h

Don’t put your faith in the 10,000-hour rule – some athletes are born with talents the rest of us will never have Stefan Holm was told he was too short to be a high jumper. But by the time he won Sweden a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, he had honed himself into the perfect projectile. It was the result of a 15-year obsession: his whole life had been pulled into alignment with this goal. If he w

GPs use AI to boost cancer detection rates in England by 8%

by James Tapper / 6h

‘C the Signs’ artificial intelligence program scans medical records to increase likelihood of spotting cancers Artificial intelligence that scans GP records to find hidden patterns has helped doctors detect significantly more cancer cases. The rate of cancer detection rose from 58.7% to 66.0% at GP practices using the “C the Signs” AI tool. This analyses a patient’s medical record to pull togethe

Turn off Netflix and take the stairs: let’s aim to die healthy rather than just live longer | Robin Mckie

by Robin McKie / 18h

Research helping mice reach a ripe old age is of little use to humans if it boosts longevity but not healthspans Prospects for extending lifespans have generated some striking headlines in recent weeks. “Tantalising drug lets mice live longer but retain youthful looks,” the Times announced. “Anti-ageing drug is ‘holy grail’ of cancer fight,” claimed the Telegraph . Nor is the agent of this media

Scientists urge GPs to share UK patient data for research into new treatments

by Robin McKie, science editor / 21h

Researchers call on the government to settle dispute, which they say is impeding groundbreaking research Researchers have called on the government to step in to settle a dispute preventing them from fully exploiting the world’s largest store of human genetic data. The scientists say they are unable to access patients’ data, held by British GPs, despite a decade of requests, and that the refusal i

Life on Mars ‘absolutely exhilarating’: Nasa scientist’s year in a simulation

by Richard Luscombe / 1d

Habitat built to replicate the red planet’s conditions when astronauts land – ambitiously set for the late 2030s Ask Anca Selariu what it was like living on Mars for a year, and there is no hesitation in her answer: “absolutely exhilarating”. The US navy microbiologist is one of four Nasa crew members who returned to Earth earlier this month after becoming the first humans to reside on the red pl

The flow state: the science of the elusive creative mindset that can improve your life

by David Robson / 1d

Scientists have long known the mental and creative benefits of the flow state, in which total absorption in an activity banishes anxiety. But what causes it, and how can we achieve it? As a professional ballet dancer, Julia Christensen knew the flow state well: a total absorption in her body’s movements, without the constant chatter that typically accompanies our waking lives. The hours could fly

JUL 19, 2024

Cat burglars: scientists try to solve mystery of why felines ‘steal’ random objects

by Ian Sample Science editor / 1d

Researchers unsure why animals turn up with items such as socks and gloves – but agree pilfered items are not presents The thieves went for particular items. Day after day, they roamed the neighbourhood and returned home to dump their loot. Before long they had amassed an impressive haul: socks, underpants, a baby’s cardigan, gloves and yet more socks. It’s not unusual for cats to bring in dead o

JUL 18, 2024

Week in wildlife – in pictures: warthog drama, a fox at the museum and our rarest whale

by Pejman Faratin / 2d

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

The Guardian view on the Covid inquiry’s first report: poor preparation with tragic consequences | Editorial

by Editorial / 2d

Citizens were failed by a lack of planning, and Lady Hallett wants a better system to be built fast Citizens of all four nations of the UK were failed by politicians and officials who neglected to prepare properly for a pandemic or other civil emergency. Former UK health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock did not update or improve an inadequate pandemic strategy from 2011, that was geared t

Earthquake at same time as eruption could have caused Pompeii deaths – study

54by Agence France-Presse in Rome / 2d

Research argues tremors occurred as Vesuvius erupted in AD79, causing buildings to collapse on to people Victims who perished in Pompeii after the devastating AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius may have been killed by a simultaneous earthquake, research has suggested. Scholars have debated for decades whether seismic activity occurred during the eruption of Vesuvius in southern Italy nearly 2,000 ye

The Covid inquiry report makes it clear: Britain was completely and fatally unprepared | Devi Sridhar

by Devi Sridhar / 2d

The UK must never succumb to such shocking complacency again. Planning for the next pandemic must start now In 2002, Sars, a dangerous coronavirus, spread across the world with a fatality rate of around 10%. Although it was contained relatively quickly, east Asian countries learned from this experience and updated their pandemic preparedness plans. Their governments wanted to be ready if the viru

What links Lady Gaga, Obama and Hitler? How famous people can give new species a bad name

by Patrick Greenfield / 3d

Some scientists want to stop naming new species after public figures, especially as it can threaten an animal’s survival, but others say it can be a helpful conservation tool When Lady Gaga held a Q&A on Reddit for a 2014 album release, there was one question that took the botany world by storm: what’s it like to have a genus of ferns named after you? “Pretty cool,” she responded , “especially si

JUL 17, 2024

How to solve a mass stranding: what caused 77 healthy whales to die on a Scottish beach?

53by Philip Hoare / 3d

A team of scientists are trying to find the cause of what is becoming an increasingly common event – and the answer may be hidden deep in the whales’ skulls A mass stranding last week that led to the deaths of 77 pilot whales on the Orkney island of Sanday was the largest ever recorded of the species on British shores. Initially, 12 of the animals at Tresness beach were still alive – but sadly di

Is there any point in taking multivitamins? – podcast

by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Ellie Sans, sound design by Tony Onuchukwu, the executive producer is Ellie Bury / 3d

Multivitamins are cheap, convenient, and provide a little bit of reassurance if our diet isn’t quite as healthy as we’d like. But a recent study of nearly 400,000 people spanning 20 years found they didn’t help users live longer, and in fact appeared to show a 4% increased mortality risk. Ian Sample hears from JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, to find out what the e

Largest, most intact stegosaurus fossil ever found sells for $44.6m

by Nadeem Badshah / 3d

The dinosaur remains, which measure 3.4 metres tall and 8.2 metres long, show evidence that it had arthritis The largest and most complete stegosaurus fossil ever discovered sold for $44.6m at Sotheby’s in New York on Wednesday to become the most valuable fossil sold at auction. The dinosaur remains, nicknamed “Apex”, exceeded its pre-sale low estimate by more than 11 times. Continue reading...

Signs of two gases in clouds of Venus could indicate life, scientists say

70by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent / 3d

Separate teams find evidence of phosphine and ammonia, potential biomarkers on planet whose surface reaches 450C Hot enough to melt metal and blanketed by a toxic, crushing atmosphere, Venus ranks among the most hostile locations in the solar system. But astronomers have reported the detection of two gases that could point to the presence of life forms lurking in the Venusian clouds. Findings pre

The Rutles’ Ron Nasty and the row over Rod and God | Brief letters

53by Guardian Staff / 3d

Remembering the Pre-Fab Four | Longer days and more growth | Royal Mail elastic bands | Moon cave | Search for the Tory soul Re John Lennon saying the Beatles were “bigger than Jesus” ( Letters, 16 July ), I am reminded of the row over the Rutles’ Ron Nasty and his interview with a slightly deaf journalist who misquoted him as having said: “We’re bigger than God.” He’d actually said “bigger than

Psilocybin in magic mushrooms can influence brain for weeks, study finds

by Nicola Davis Science correspondent / 3d

Researchers shed light on how psychedelic compound in drug can distort sense of space, time and self during a trip The psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms not only gives people a day trip – it can influence the brain for weeks, researchers have found. Experts say the study helps explain why taking psilocybin – the active ingredient in the drug – can result in a distorted sense of space,

Auramaxxing: will this make you more sexually attractive — or just a bit tired?

by Guardian Staff / 3d

Do you feel uncharismatic and awkward in social situations? Aura upgrades are thankfully now available, according to a group of intrepid influencers Name: Auramaxxing. Age: The word “aura” comes from Latin and ancient Greek and originally meant a gentle breeze. These days it’s more commonly used about a subtle pervasive quality emanating from someone. That’s what we’re talking about here. Continu

Psychedelic drugs have great therapeutic benefit – if understood on their own terms | Ross Ellenhorn and Dimitri Mugianis

by Ross Ellenhorn and Dimitri Mugianis / 4d

The FDA’s recent rejection of MDMA isn’t surprising. Too many advocates are trying to frame psychedelics as a miracle drug Earlier this month, an advisory panel rejected MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, possibly dooming US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the drug commonly called ecstasy. In a public meeting alongside FDA staff, panel members said that the research neither adequately

Forget the 5am starts! Night owls like me possess the real secret of success | Arwa Mahdawi

by Arwa Mahdawi / 4d

A new report suggests self-declared night owls tend to have higher cognitive scores. So please can we now ditch the lazy and undisciplined stereotypes? My fellow night owls, grab a strong cup of coffee and gather around: I have great news. For a long time, our kind has been unfairly maligned . Stereotyped as lazy and undisciplined. Told we ought to be morning larks. Advised to go to bed early so

JUL 16, 2024

I may be in my 90s, but I'm not sure I want Hollywood to 'de-age' me like Tom Hanks | Sheila Hancock

by Sheila Hancock / 4d

Yes, with the help of AI, I could play Juliet or go on Naked Attraction. But wouldn’t something be lost in the process? In my long life, I have had to get my head around massive technological changes. When I was young, I relied on my knowledge of the times tables, and counting on my fingers, to add up. It took me weeks to master the revolutionary Amstrad word processor. The only phone was in the

Scientists inflict karaoke on young volunteers to find out what makes us blush

100+by Ian Sample Science editor / 4d

Subjects’ performances of songs by Adele, Mariah Carey or from Frozen shown to peers to assess responses Were scientists to concoct an experiment that was all but guaranteed to unleash full-on, cheek-reddening embarrassment, then filming adolescents singing Let It Go from Frozen and playing back their performance might well do the job. And so to researchers at the University of Amsterdam who invi

Craig Jordan obituary

by Georgina Ferry / 4d

Pharmacologist whose research into tamoxifen helped many women with breast cancer to live longer In the 1970s only 40% of women diagnosed with breast cancer could expect to survive for 10 years or more. Today that figure is over 75%. Screening and early diagnosis have played a part, but one of the key reasons for the improvement is the drug tamoxifen, which massively reduces the risk of cancer re

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