Science | The Guardian.

"Royal Society urged to expel Elon Musk as fellows sign open letter."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 14 February 2025, 1529 UTC.

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

 Science | The Guardian

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Royal Society urged to expel Elon Musk as fellows sign open letter

Scientists criticize Royal Society's Musk

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55Science | The Guardian / 1h

More than 1,700 academics complain about X owner’s behaviour, citing his ‘assault on scientific research’ Pressure is growing on the Royal Society to expel Elon Musk from its fellowship after more than a thousand scientists signed an open letter expressing dismay at its lack of action on the matter. Musk, who owns the social media platform X, leads the US “department of government efficiency” (Do

Nasa captures glowing aurora as it blankets Earth – video

Science | The Guardian / 5h

Footage taken from the International Space Station shows the eerie green glow blanketing Earth on 4 January. The dazzling colours of the aurora were captured over Canada. Aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is caused by electrically charged particles that are released by the sun Continue reading...

Weight-loss jabs may help reduce alcohol intake, study finds

Ozempic may reduce alcohol cravings

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30Science | The Guardian / 1d

Semaglutide, active ingredient of Wegovy and Ozempic, found to reduce cravings and cut drinking by 40% Weight-loss drugs could be used to help people reduce their intake of alcohol, researchers have said, after a study found they can cut cravings and curb heavy drinking. The medicines, originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, have revolutionised the treatment of obesity, and evidence sugges

Yesterday

Everyone loves dunking morsels of food in dips – and it turns out so do cockatoos | First Dog on the Moon

200+Science | The Guardian / 9h

They ate the blueberry soy yoghurt right out of the dish by itself! Mad for it Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading...

China opens recruitment for ‘planetary defence force’ amid fears of asteroid hitting Earth

UN activates asteroid impact protocol

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54Science | The Guardian / 9h

Recruitment drive comes amid increasing focus on an asteroid with a low – but growing – likelihood of hitting earth in seven years China has begun recruiting for a planetary defence force after risk assessments determined that an asteroid could conceivably hit Earth in 2032. Job ads posted online by China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) th

Smell like an Egyptian: researchers sniff ancient mummies to study preservation

Ancient mummies smell surprisingly pleasant

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84Science | The Guardian / 15h

Scientists hope that smell could be a non-invasive way to judge how well-preserved a mummy is Spicy, woody and sweet: it sounds like a description of a fancy air freshener. But researchers say the mix of aromas arise from something rather different: mummies. Researchers have used both human noses and scientific instruments to probe how ancient Egyptian mummies smell today, and to what extent the

Domestic violence study that strangled rats should not have been approved, animal advocates argue

21Science | The Guardian / 17h

Research aimed to improve detection of brain injury from intimate partner violence but critics say its non-fatal strangulation of animals was not justified Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Animal welfare experts and advocates have questioned whether an Australian-led study that non-fatally strangled rats as part of

Tim Radford, former Guardian science editor, dies aged 84

200+Science | The Guardian / 22h

Tributes paid to journalist remembered for infectious enthusiasm for science and talent for turning a phrase Tim Radford, the Guardian’s former science editor and mentor to a generation of writers who followed in his footsteps, has died aged 84. His reporting covered a breadth of topics from genetically modified crops and the environmental impact of greenhouse gases to the arrival of cloned anima

London’s first Roman basilica found under office block

Roman basilica discovered in London

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300+Science | The Guardian / 1d

Archaeologists hail discovery of near-2,000-year-old structure as one of most significant recent finds in the city The remains of London’s earliest Roman basilica have been discovered under an office block, in what archaeologists have described as one of the most significant recent discoveries in the capital. The almost 2,000-year-old structure was part of the forum, the Roman capital’s social an

Windfarm profits should be used to screen Scots for rare diseases, says scientist

51Science | The Guardian / 1d

Geneticist who discovered hotspots of illnesses in Scottish islands calls for redirection of community benefit funds A leading geneticist has called for the profits from windfarms to be used for the mass screening of Scottish islanders at risk of rare cancers and blood disorders. Prof Jim Wilson, who leads a Viking DNA project that has discovered hotspots of rare disorders in Shetland, Orkney and

US wildfire suppressants rife with toxic heavy metals, study finds

Science | The Guardian / 1d

Suppressants a ‘major’ source of toxic pollution that causes heavy-metal levels to spike in the environment The US federal government and chemical makers have long concealed the contents of pink wildfire suppressants widely spread by firefighting aircraft to contain blazes, but new test results provide alarming answers – the substances are rife with cadmium, arsenic, chromium and other toxic heav

Feb 12, 2025

Bacteria transferred during intercourse could help identify sexual assault perpetrators, scientists say

Sexome study aids sexual assault forensics

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22Science | The Guardian / 1d

Genital microbiome or ‘sexome’ leaves specific signature even when barrier protection is used, which could be traced in absence of DNA material Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Bacteria transferred between people during sexual intercourse could be used in forensic testing to help identify sexual assault perpetrators, an Australian study suggests. Genital bacteria, simi

What is ‘mirror life’ and why are scientists sounding the alarm? – podcast

Science | The Guardian / 1d

Recently, a group of world-leading scientists called for a halt on research to create ‘mirror life’ microbes amid concerns that the synthetic organisms would present an ‘unprecedented risk’ to life on Earth. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay about why this work initially seemed exciting for scientists and what the risks of it continuing could be. And Kate Adamala, assistant professor of genetics,

UK judge warns women about sperm donor who ‘fathered 180 children’

Sperm donor faces lawsuit over children

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25Science | The Guardian / 1d

Judge takes rare step of naming Robert Charles Albon, who subjected mothers to ‘nightmare’ of controlling behaviour A sperm donor who subjected a couple to a “nightmare” of controlling behaviour over their child has been named by a judge as a warning about the dangers of unregulated sperm donation. Robert Charles Albon claims to have fathered more than 180 children in several countries after adve

Eating from plastic takeout containers can increase heart failure risk – study

400+Science | The Guardian / 2d

Study, adding to rising evidence of plastic-linked health risks, points to gut biome changes as a cause of heart failure Sign up for our free Detox Your Kitchen newsletter Eating from plastic takeout containers may significantly increase the chance of congestive heart failure, a new study finds , and researchers suspect they have identified why: changes to gut biome cause inflammation that damage

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