"Study says middle children are more cooperative than their siblings."

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

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Today

Middle children are more cooperative than their siblings, study suggests

by Ian Sample Science editor / 6h

After decades of debate, one of the largest ever studies on birth order suggests it does actually make a difference The debate has raged for more than a century: does birth order help to shape personality, or are conscientious firstborns and creative youngest children flawed stereotypes based on flimsy evidence? After decades of contested claims, a handful of recent studies found there was little

NHS to begin world-first trial of AI tool to identify type 2 diabetes risk

by Andrew Gregory Health editor / 6h

Exclusive: Two London hospital trusts to trial tool that can predict those at risk up to 13 years before condition develops The NHS in England is launching a world-first trial of a “gamechanging” artificial intelligence tool that can identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes more than a decade before they develop the condition. More than 500 million people worldwide have type 2 diabetes , and

'World's best-preserved mammoth' found in Siberia – video

by Guardian Staff / 7h

Researchers in Russia have unveiled the near intact carcass of a juvenile female mammoth, whose remarkably well-preserved remains were discovered in thawing permafrost after more than 50,000 years. The creature was recovered from the Batagaika crater, a huge depression more than 80 metres (260 feet) deep which is widening as a result of climate change Baby mammoth in Russia is the ‘best-preserved

Cut sentences in half to tackle prisons crisis | Letters

by Guardian Staff / 8h

Paul Collins on how to improve the criminal justice system, and Ellie Dwight on an understaffed and ineffective probation service In the 1990s, judges attending Judicial Studies Board seminars would hear the late David Faulkner, a humane and immensely knowledgable Home Office star, explain how German prison sentences were so much shorter than ours, with no corresponding increase in offending. Pol

Did you solve it? All you need to know about 2025

by Alex Bellos / 9h

The solutions to today’s puzzles Earlier today I set you the following two puzzles loosely related to 2025. (For more information on the number 2025 please read the original post .) Here they are again with the solutions. Queens and pawns Continue reading...

Baby mammoth in Russia is the ‘best-preserved’ ever found

50,000-year-old mammoth discovered Russia

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by Agence France-Presse in Moscow / 10h

The 50,000-year-old female, nicknamed Yana, is one of only seven whole remains discovered in world Russian scientists have displayed the remarkably well-preserved remains of a baby mammoth found in the permafrost-covered region of Yakutia in Siberia. The 50,000-year-old female mammoth has been nicknamed Yana after the river in whose basin it was discovered this summer. Experts say it is the best-

Yesterday

Drinking tea and coffee linked to lower risk of head and neck cancer in study

Tea and coffee reduce cancer risk

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by Nicola Davis Science correspondent / 18h

Research finds people who have more than four coffees a day have 17% lower chance of head and neck cancers If the only thing getting you through a mountain of present-wrapping is a mug of tea or coffee, be of good cheer. Researchers have found people who consume those drinks have a slightly lower risk of head and neck cancers. There are about 12,800 new head and neck cancer cases and about 4,100

Can you solve it? All you need to know about 2025

by Alex Bellos / 18h

Five fives alive! UPDATE: Read the solutions here As is traditional for the final column of year, we look ahead to all that the following twelve months will bring us. Numerically speaking, of course. 44 2 = 1936 45 2 = 2025 46 2 = 2116 Continue reading...

Starwatch: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation

by Stuart Clark / 19h

As this elusive inner planet orbits its furthest from the sun westwards, it will be visible in the morning sky Get your Christmas started with a celestial achievement by tracking down the inner planet Mercury early in the morning. Because of its tight orbit, Mercury never appears far from the sun. This makes it a challenging object to observe because it never appears in a fully dark sky, only clo

Paul Gordon obituary

by Graham Music / 1d

My colleague and friend, the psychotherapist, author and campaigner Paul Gordon, has died aged 70. While eschewing the limelight, Paul was an influential figure and unique voice in the world of psychotherapy. His political commitment and determination to improve people’s lives led him to train as a psychotherapist at the Institute of Psychotherapy and Social Studies in London in the late 80s, and

Want to get rid of a earworm? Try John Cage | Letters

by Guardian Staff / 1d

Readers respond to an article by Elle Hunt on the science of unshakeable tunes I have suffered from constant tinnitus for 30 years, and when it was joined by earworms it became almost unbearable ( Tortured by an earworm? How to get it out of your head, 16 December ). I read of the “cure” of listening to something else, but all that did was to replace it with something perhaps more irritating. The

Dec 21, 2024

Scientists map use of epilepsy drug in England and Wales linked to birth defects

by Robin McKie, Science Editor / 2d

Data is used for the first time to show regional differences in the uptake of a single medicine – sodium valproate – and the potential benefits are striking say researchers Scientists have created a unique map of England and Wales that reveals detailed variations in the use of a single medicine. The drug is sodium valproate, a treatment for severe cases of epilepsy that is also known to cause hea

Belief in a lottery curse is comforting, but winning lots of money does make you happy | Martha Gill

by Martha Gill / 2d

The notion that vast windfalls inevitably bring misery is based on a handful of sad cases Does winning the lottery wreck your life? When it was revealed earlier this week that an anonymous Briton had won £177m in the November EuroMillions draw – making them the third biggest national lottery winner ever – the Mail Online announced it with all the impartiality of a bad fairy at a christening: “Oth

The joy of trivia: ‘We wrote our book together to intrigue each other’

by Elizabeth Foley and Beth Coates / 2d

After midlife burnout came a rediscovered curiosity for two friends and writers It was the early 2000s, we were in our 20s and had both started as assistants at the same company. We bonded over excruciating induction sessions, where we had to reveal things like which cartoon character we most identified with (B: Danger Mouse; E: Marcie from Peanuts ). We laughed a lot, but we also worked really h

US animal lab from which monkeys escaped accused of widespread abuse

100+by Claire Colley / 2d

AGI in South Carolina investigated by government after leaked files revealed traumatic injuries and animal deaths The US Department of Agriculture is investigating allegations from an animal rights organisation concerning Alpha Genesis Incorporated (AGI), the animal experimentation facility and breeder, from which 43 monkeys escaped last month. AGI is accused of “abuse and neglect”, and of violat

Newly uncovered sites reveal true power of great Viking army in Britain

by Dalya Alberge / 2d

Previously unseen artefacts show invading forces included communities of men, women, children, craftworkers and merchants Dozens of sites linked to the Viking great army as it ravaged Anglo-Saxon England more than 1,000 years ago have been discovered. Leading experts from York University have traced the archaeological footprint of the Scandinavian invaders, identifying previously unknown sites an

Dec 20, 2024

UK to ban bee-killing pesticides but highly toxic type could still be allowed

UK plans complete ban on neonicotinoids

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100+by Helena Horton Environment reporter / 2d

Ministers set out plans for outlawing neonicotinoids but considering application by farmers to use Cruiser SB Bee-killing pesticides are to be banned by the UK government, as ministers set out plans to outlaw the use of neonicotinoids. However, the highly toxic neonicotinoid Cruiser SB could be allowed for use next year , as ministers are considering applications from the National Farmers’ Union

Arno Rabinowitz obituary

63by Jason Rabinowitz / 3d

My father, Arno Rabinowitz, who has died aged 90, was a pioneering educational psychologist and a widely admired mentor, counsellor and confidant. His existence was down to a confluence of luck: his mother, Tilly, was one of three siblings evacuated from eastern Europe in the early 1920s during the pogroms against Jews. These three were “Ochberg Orphans”, fortunate recipients of the philanthropy

Dec 19, 2024

Stonehenge may have been erected to unite early British farming communities, research finds

Stonehenge's purpose may unify ancient Britain

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by Esther Addley / 3d

The altar stone, which we now know is from Scotland, may have been a gift or marker of political alliance Five thousand years after the first monument was created at Stonehenge , it continues to give up dramatic new secrets – such as the “jaw-dropping” revelation earlier this year that its central stone had been transported more than 700km to Salisbury plain from the very north of Scotland. While

Blob-headed fish and amphibious mouse among 27 new species found in ‘thrilling’ Peru expedition

New species discovered in Peru

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200+by Graeme Green / 3d

Scientists surprised to find so many animals unknown to science in Alto Mayo, a well-populated region Researchers in the Alto Mayo region of north-west Peru have discovered 27 species that are new to science, including a rare amphibious mouse, a tree-climbing salamander and an unusual “blob-headed fish”. The 38-day survey recorded more than 2,000 species of wildlife and plants. The findings are p

There’s little evidence of a ‘brain microbiome’ | Letter

by Guardian Staff / 4d

Prof Mark Pallen, Dr Aimee Parker, Prof Nick Loman and Prof Alan Walker take issue with an article that discussed the existence of a brain microbiome and its impact on diseases Contrary to what is implied in your article ( The brain microbiome: could understanding it help prevent dementia?, 1 December ), the weight of expert opinion in medical microbiology rejects the existence of a “brain microb

AI learns to distinguish between aromas of US and Scottish whiskies

AI distinguishes Scotch from American whisky

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55by Ian Sample Science editor / 4d

One algorithm identified the five strongest notes in each drink more accurately than any one of a panel of experts Notch up another win for artificial intelligence. Researchers have used the technology to predict the notes that waft off whisky and determine whether a dram was made in the US or Scotland. The work is a step towards automated systems that can predict the complex aroma of whisky from

Dec 18, 2024

Toadstool with teeth and ghostly palm among plant and fungus finds of 2024

46by Damian Carrington Environment editor / 4d

Scientists race to discover new species before destruction of natural world drives them to extinction From a toadstool with teeth to a vine smelling of marzipan and a flower that has cheated its way out of having to photosynthesise, a weird and wonderful host of new plant and fungus species have been discovered in 2024. Other plants given scientific names for the first time include beautiful new

‘Soft and calorie dense’: Chris van Tulleken on how ultra-processed foods keep us hooked – podcast

Chris van Tulleken discusses children's diets

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by Presented and produced by Madeleine Finlay, with Nicola Davis, sound design by Tony Onuchukwu, the executive producer is Ellie Bury / 4d

Dr Chris van Tulleken has been at the forefront of the campaign to change our food system and better regulate the sale of ultra-processed foods (UPF). This year he will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious public science lectures, in which he’ll be investigating how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, the importance of our microbiome – as the e

Journal retracts study that promoted hydroxychloroquine as Covid treatment

Hydroxychloroquine COVID-19 study retracted

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100+by Maya Yang / 5d

Paper published in International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents in 2020 withdrawn by Dutch publisher Elsevier A controversial study that promoted hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, as a treatment for Covid-19 has officially been withdrawn. On Tuesday, Elsevier, a Dutch academic publishing company which owns the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, issued the retraction of the Ma

Nasa astronauts stuck in space since June face further delay

Crew-10 launch delayed to March 2025

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70by Maya Yang in New York / 5d

Return pushed back to late March, stretching mission that was supposed to last eight days to more than nine months The two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space since June because of technical issues will have to remain at the International Space Station even longer – stretching a mission that was originally supposed to last only eight days to more than nine months. On Tuesday, Nasa announ

New York state resident finds complete mastodon jaw beneath lawn

Mastodon jaw discovered in New York

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by Edward Helmore in New York / 5d

Jaw found in Scotchtown, Orange county, is latest notable discovery from ice age-era animal in the region A New York state resident has found a complete mastodon jaw just below the surface of their lawn, after spotting two large teeth protruding from the ground. Mastodons roamed the US north-east during the Pleistocene epoch, and there have been several notable mastodon discoveries in the region,

Ancient bones shed new light on debate over origins of syphilis

35by Ian Sample Science editor / 5d

Study finds 9,000-year-old remains in Americas hold genomes of bacteria family that causes disease After the French king Charles VIII invaded Italy in 1494, an unknown and disfiguring disease erupted in the army camps and duly spread across Europe when the men returned to their homelands the following year. The epidemic is regarded as the first historical account of syphilis, but where the diseas

Life inside a therapeutic prison: ‘Look, we’ve done some terrible things ...’

20by Zoe Williams / 5d

At HMP Grendon, psychology professionals aim to ‘re-child’ a group of Britain’s most serious offenders in relatively relaxed conditions. Does the treatment work? As you go through the gates of Grendon prison in Buckinghamshire, past the raised garden – whose intricacy is still discernible in November – towards the main block, there’s a foundation stone laid by Rab Butler from when building commen

Dec 17, 2024

Cheap, smart and efficient: how giant rats are transforming the fight against TB

50by Peter Muiruri in Dar es Salaam / 5d

After success in Tanzania, other African countries may introduce the rodents to help sniff out the disease Mwajuma Abdalla Ngema went to the clinic in Dar es Salaam with a persistent cough and intense pain around her ribs. The mother of two was tested for tuberculosis (TB) but the result came back negative. “I was given some medication to manage the cough but the pain was unbearable,” says Ngema,

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