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"Cold fusion claims that don't bear scrutiny."

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

 Science | The Guardian

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Today

Cold fusion claims that don’t bear scrutiny | Letters

Science | The Guardian / 5h

Dr Philip Thomas responds to a letter claiming that cold fusion could be a viable alternative to fossil fuels I was disappointed to see a letter promoting a pseudo-scientific fringe theory ( Cold fusion may be a viable energy alternative to end reliance on fossil fuels, Letters, 28 January ). Many scientists have tried and failed to reproduce Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons’s initial report o

Sandra was estranged from her mother after experiencing childhood trauma. The grief when she died was complicated | Ahona Guha

Science | The Guardian / 8h

It was important for Sandra to acknowledge her sadness but to disentangle it from concepts of guilt, shame and responsibility The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work For some of us, the death of a parent brings a period of bereavement and deep grief which slowly abates with the passing of time. For others, the story is more complicated.

Seeking Zen at a silent Buddhist retreat comes with its own challenges

28Science | The Guardian / 9h

It was supposed to be a quiet and peaceful weekend, but it left one writer lost for words As the taxi approached the remote Lake District house where I’d be spending a week doing a silent Buddhist retreat, a thought struck me with Zen-like clarity. You must be out of your tiny mind. Continue reading...

Reach for the stars: the best dark-sky destinations in Britain

23Science | The Guardian / 11h

This month is viewed as galaxy season in the northern hemisphere, so seek out wide open spaces around the country to gaze up into the heavens, undimmed by light pollution As we streak through winter, shorter daylight hours offer the best opportunity to view the dark skies before the clocks spring forward in March and the constellations shift again. This month is viewed as galaxy season in the nor

Yesterday

‘Female narcissism is often misdiagnosed’: how science is finding women can have a dark streak too

500+Science | The Guardian / 14h

Research into ‘dark personality traits’ has always focused on men. But some experts believe standard testing misses the ways an antisocial personality manifests itself in women Picture a psychopath. Who do you see in your mind’s eye? Chances are it’s a man. And chances are your answer would be similar if you were asked to picture a narcissist. From Charles Manson and Ted Bundy to Joseph Stalin, A

UK scientist wins prize for invention that could help avert ‘phosphogeddon’

500+Science | The Guardian / 16h

Phosphate, key to food production, is choking waterways, but a new sponge-like material returns it to the soil for crops It is one of the least appreciated substances on the planet and its misuse is now threatening to unleash environmental mayhem. Phosphorus is a key component of fertilisers that have become vital in providing food for the world. But at the same time, the spread of these phosphor

Virologist Wendy Barclay: ‘Wild avian viruses are mixing up their genetics all the time. It’s like viral sex on steroids’

72Science | The Guardian / 1d

The British scientist on the risk of humans contracting bird flu, how people would cope with new lockdowns and being asked to pour the tea because she is a woman Wendy Barclay is a leading British virologist and head of the department of infectious disease and the Action Medical Research chair in virology at Imperial College London. An expert on the pathogenesis and transmissibility of influenza

Jan 31, 2025

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo on fame, fear and fighting classism; Marina Hyde on why gen Z kids are not alright; and the mind/body revolution – podcast

Science | The Guardian / 1d

From yearning for a ‘strong leader’ to being swept up in riots, the portents for our children are not good – and who can blame them for being so disillusioned, asks Marina Hyde. Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erivo has gone stratospheric as Elphaba in Wicked – what next for one of Britain’s brightest stars? And new research shows western medicine’s traditional split between brain and body is far from cl

What has the UK Covid inquiry learned so far about vaccines and treatments?

UK Covid inquiry on vaccines findings

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100Science | The Guardian / 2d

In fourth part of the inquiry, questons were asked about vaccine trials, procurement and the UK’s preparedness for future pandemics The Covid inquiry has spent the past three weeks delving into the UK vaccine rollout and the decision-making around new and existing therapies for infected and vulnerable people. Here we look at the key findings from the module, the fourth of 10, in the inquiry chair

You might live to be 100. Are you ready?

Science | The Guardian / 2d

A demographic change is unfolding, and many of us can expect a long life. It’s time to provide the support needed At the age of 111, a British accountant named John Tinniswood has just been declared the oldest man alive. Asked for the secrets to his remarkable longevity, he mentioned his fondness for a plate of fish and chips every Friday. Mostly, he thought it was down to “pure luck”. When Tinni

Jan 30, 2025

‘Groundbreaking’ sickle cell disease treatment approved for NHS use in England

Gene-editing therapy approved for sickle cell

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500+Science | The Guardian / 2d

Clinical trials find one-time gene therapy exa-cel offers ‘functional cure’ in 96.6% of patients A “groundbreaking” £1.65m treatment offering a potential cure for people in England living with sickle cell disease has been approved for use on the NHS, the medicines watchdog has announced. Campaigners welcomed news of the approval of the one-time gene therapy, known as exagamglogene autotemcel, or

‘A neural fossil’: human ears try to move when listening, scientists say

Human ear muscles activate when listening

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82Science | The Guardian / 2d

Researchers found that muscles move to orient ears toward sound source in vestigial reaction Wiggling your ears might be more of a pub party piece than a survival skill, but humans still try to prick up their ears when listening hard, researchers have found. Ear movement is crucial in many animals, not least in helping them focus their attention on particular noises and work out which direction t

US regulators approve new non-opioid drug to treat acute pain

Vertex's Journavx approved for pain

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31Science | The Guardian / 2d

Oral drug from Vertex, branded as Journavx, represents alternative to addictive opioids that have fueled US crisis The US Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug to treat acute pain, the health regulator said on Thursday, offering a first-of-its-kind alternative to addictive opioid painkillers that have fueled a national crisis. The Vertex Pharmaceuticals oral drug, branded Journavx, wor

Microplastics in placentas linked to premature births, study suggests

86Science | The Guardian / 2d

Tiny plastic pollution more than 50% higher in placentas from preterm births than in those from full-term births A study has found microplastic and nanoplastic pollution to be significantly higher in placentas from premature births than in those from full-term births. The levels were much higher than previously detected in blood, suggesting the tiny plastic particles were accumulating in the plac

Medicine that crosses the mind/body divide | Letters

Science | The Guardian / 3d

Readers reflect on Aida Edemariam’s piece about what can be a fine line between physical symptoms and conditions dismissed as being ‘all in your head’ While enjoying Aida Edemariam’s review of current neuro-psychological research ( The mind/body revolution: how the division between ‘mental’ and ‘physical’ illness fails us all, 26 January) , I disagree with her assertion that “A conceptual divisio

Nasa’s two ‘stuck’ astronauts exit space station for first spacewalk together

NASA astronauts conduct ISS spacewalk

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Science | The Guardian / 3d

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore expected to stay at space station a week but have been there almost eight months Nasa’s two stuck astronauts took their first spacewalk together on Thursday, exiting the International Space Station almost eight months after moving in. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore floated out to perform maintenance work and wipe the station’s exterior for evidence of any microbes

Asteroid triggers global defence plan amid chance of collision with Earth in 2032

Asteroid 2024 YR4 prompts global alert

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2KScience | The Guardian / 3d

Hundred-metre wide asteroid rises to top of impact risk lists after being spotted in December by automated telescope A 100 metre-wide asteroid has triggered global planetary defence procedures for the first time after telescope observations revealed it has a chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was spotted by an automated telescope in Chile on 27 December last year but has si

Jan 29, 2025

Protein, weights and the best way to keep fit: your exercise questions answered – podcast

Science | The Guardian / 3d

In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us, which exercises are best for keeping us strong, whether we should be eating particular foods when we exercise, and how much protein we need to consume if we’re packing in the hours at the gym. With

‘Let them’: can this viral self-help mantra change your life?

21Science | The Guardian / 4d

The concept, made popular by self-help guru Mel Robbins, is a reminder that we can’t control others’ actions Is there anything more frustrating than other people? Despite our best efforts to persuade them to do, say and be what we want, they persist in upending our plans by making their own decisions, being their own people and thinking their own thoughts. Continue reading...

All in the mind? The surprising truth about brain rot

300+Science | The Guardian / 4d

Is screen use really sapping our ability to focus and lowering our IQs? The scientists who have actually analysed the data give their verdict Andrew Przybylski, a professor of human behaviour and technology at Oxford University, is a busy man. It’s only midday and already he has attended meetings on “Skype, Teams, in person and now FaceTime audio”. He appears to be switching seamlessly between th

‘Groundbreaking’: scientists develop patch that can repair damaged hearts

300+Science | The Guardian / 4d

Cells taken from blood and ‘reprogrammed’ into heart muscle cells may help patients with heart failure Damaged hearts can literally be patched up to help them work, say researchers, in what has been hailed as a groundbreaking development for people with advanced heart failure. According to a recent study , heart failure affects more than 64 million people worldwide, with causes including heart at

Study of more than 600 animal and plant species finds genetic diversity has declined globally

100+Science | The Guardian / 4d

Analysis by dozens of scientists internationally notes urgent conservation efforts could halt or even reverse losses Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Genetic diversity in animals and plants has declined globally over the past three decades, an analysis of more than 600 species has found. The research, published in

Trump asks Musk to bring back two astronauts ‘stranded’ on space station

Trump asks Musk to rescue astronauts

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29Science | The Guardian / 4d

Nasa says Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are not stranded and will return to Earth by end of March Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring back two astronauts “stranded” in space, despite the fact that there is already an agreed plan for SpaceX to bring them back in March and Nasa saying they are not stranded anyway. Trump said that he had asked Musk and SpaceX to get “the 2 brave a

Jan 28, 2025

Vets urged to cut back on flea treatments amid UK biodiversity fears

Pesticides in pet fur harm songbirds

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1KScience | The Guardian / 4d

University of Sussex scientist calls promotion of preventative practice when pets are flea free ‘profiteering’ Vets need to stop “profiteering” by giving dogs and cats preventive flea treatments that are wiping out insects and songbirds, according to a well-known scientist. The standard practice in the UK at present is to advise that customers take a preventative approach, treating their pets eve

Cold fusion may be a viable energy alternative to end reliance on fossil fuels | Letters

100+Science | The Guardian / 5d

A number of companies have been able to make these low-energy nuclear reactions work reliably, write Brian Josephson , David J Nagel , Alan Smith , Dr Jean-Paul Biberian and Yasuhiro Iwamura Luca Garzotti observes ( Letters, 22 January ) that serious challenges face the production of energy from processes based on thermonuclear fusion, but failed to mention a crucially important alternative, low-

Aquarium surprised by ‘virgin birth’ of swell shark in all-female tank

100+Science | The Guardian / 5d

Baby shark Yoko hatched in early January, flummoxing staff and experts at a US aquarium Birds do it, bees do it. Even educated fleas do it, according to Cole Porter’s classic song on the universal nature of sex. But a baby swell shark born in a Louisiana aquarium that houses only females has flummoxed marine experts and raised the possibility that the species may not require such earthly pleasure

‘Truly unique find’: part of Swindon Stegosaur returns to Wiltshire town

27Science | The Guardian / 5d

Vertebra spotted by fossil hunters on online marketplace is part of first stegosaur ever described by scientists The spectacular remains of the first stegosaur to be described by scientists – discovered in a clay pit in Swindon in 1874 – are on display in the grand surroundings of the Natural History Museum in London. But 150 years on, a little piece of the Swindon Stegosaur has been returned to

Jan 27, 2025

Sugar, seed oils, and avoiding sickness: your health questions answered – podcast

Science | The Guardian / 5d

We asked for your questions on getting healthy in 2025 and you delivered. In the first episode of our listener questions special, Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample what she has uncovered about the scientifically proven ways to cut down on sugar, the truth behind the panic over seed oils, and why it is that some of us seem to have bullet proof immune systems, while others succumb to every bug they

‘An unusual find’: 66m-year-old animal vomit discovered in Denmark

Fossilized dinosaur vomit found Denmark

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79Science | The Guardian / 5d

Experts say vomit, probably from a fish, is made up of sea lilies and is an important contribution to reconstructing past ecosystems A piece of fossilised vomit, dating back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth, has been discovered in Denmark, the Museum of East Zealand has said. The find was made by a local amateur fossil hunter on the Cliffs of Stevns, a Unesco-listed site south of Copenhagen. Co

Both men and women prefer younger partners, study finds

Study finds attraction to youth

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500+Science | The Guardian / 6d

Even though women tend to say they prefer older men they scored younger men as more desirable, research shows Researchers have challenged the idea that women prefer men who are older than them after finding precisely the opposite in thousands of women who went on blind dates. Quizzed after their brief encounters, both men and women tended to rate younger dates as more desirable future partners, s

Human case of avian flu detected in England as virus spreads among birds

Bird flu outbreak in Plymouth

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60Science | The Guardian / 6d

Second human case of H5N1 bird flu caught on farm in West Midlands but risk to public remains very low, says UKHSA A human case of highly pathogenic bird flu has been detected in England, authorities have said, as bird flu cases escalate across the country. It is only the second symptomatic human case of H5N1 bird flu recorded in the UK, after the first was detected in 2022 , the UK Health Securi

Ancient British coins found in Dutch field likely to be spoils of Roman conquest

Roman-British coin hoard discovered

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400+Science | The Guardian / 6d

Archaeologists hail discovery of very rare hoard featuring 44 gold coins bearing name of Celtic king Cunobelinus A hoard of British coins bearing the inscription of King Cunobelin and found in a Dutch field have been identified as very likely to be the spoils of war of a Roman soldier from the conquest of Britain . The 44 gold coins, known as staters, were discovered alongside 360 Roman coins, by

‘I briefly wondered whether I’d accidentally consumed shrooms’: the psychedelia – and science – of full dome cinema

Science | The Guardian / 6d

A film festival at a Melbourne planetarium will immerse viewers with a giant curved screen above them – showing dinosaurs, floating heads, and the entire cosmos Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Since emerging in their present form in the 90s, full dome films have occupied a curious place in the cinema landscape. Exhibited at planetariums on a large curved display situated above the aud

The big idea: What’s the real key to a fulfilling life?

100+Science | The Guardian / 6d

For centuries, we’ve pursued happiness and meaning. But what does that leave out? What if I told you that we could all be rich? Not in dollars or pounds, yen or rupees, but a completely different type of currency. A currency measured in experiences, adventures, lessons learned and stories told. As a social psychologist, I have dedicated my research career to a simple, but universal question: what

Do you run away from feelings of emptiness? It’s time to face them head-on

25Science | The Guardian / 6d

People try many things to fill the void, but respite is short-lived. Learning to tolerate and understand these emotions will give you a more solid sense of yourself I just read an extraordinary article by Anna Parker for this website, and it set my mind on fire. Parker interviewed Yannick and Ben Jakober, whose daughter died at 19. In their grief, they began building a unique, 165-strong portrait