Optical illusions: Guppy fish can see visual effects – but not in the same way we do

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The way guppy fish behave suggests they can be tricked into believing holes are larger or smaller than they really are – but they don’t always interpret the optical illusions in the same way humans do Life 23 February 2022 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Two male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) BIOSPHOTO / Alamy Guppies can be fooled … Read more

Mountain gorilla inbreeding has distorted their facial features

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The mountain gorilla population is small and inbreeding levels are high – and now there’s evidence this inbreeding may explain why some gorillas have distorted facial features Life 23 February 2022 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre An extreme example of facial asymmetry in a female Virunga mountain gorilla cranium McGrath K et al. The degree of distortion … Read more

New Evidence Shows When The Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Struck

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The Chicxulub asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaurs is one of the most momentous impact disasters in Earth’s history, and scientists have now identified the time of year when this deadly event took place.   New evidence suggests the asteroid hit in the spring for the Northern Hemisphere, which would be fall (or autumn) … Read more

Covid-19 news: Rush for covid tests before England starts charging

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By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong and Alex Wilkins A sign advising customers that a pharmacy is out of stock of lateral flow antigen tests, Cheadle, England Nathan Stirk/Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 23 … Read more

We’re closing in on the causes of long covid and possible treatments

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Medicines for long covid will probably be with us within a year, as the mechanisms behind the disease are finally starting to be understood Health 23 February 2022 By Michael Marshall Pete Reynolds   LAUREN NICHOLS first fell ill on 10 March 2020. Her symptoms started with crushing fatigue, swiftly followed by headaches, brain fog … Read more

Bumblebees: Antibiotic used on crops might make it harder for the insects to forage

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Streptomycin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial diseases in apple orchards, might have a negative impact on bee foraging behaviour Life 23 February 2022 By Gary Hartley A common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) Clarence Holmes Wildlife/Alamy Exposure to streptomycin, an antibiotic used to treat crop diseases in the US, weakens the foraging ability of the … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Will conflict with Russia trigger a massive cyberwar?

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Russia, Ukraine and many of the latter’s Western allies have the ability to launch cyberattacks on other nations, and both sides seem ready for digital skirmishes Technology | Analysis 23 February 2022 By Chris Stokel-Walker The flag of Ukraine made from stylised computer code Gwengoat/Getty Images Tensions continue to rise between Russia and the West, … Read more

Baby boomers are the unhappiest generation in the UK

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People born between 1946 and 1964 reported lower happiness than other cohorts in surveys spanning 16 years – probably because the size of the group means more competition Health 23 February 2022 By Alice Klein Baby boomers have faced more competition from others in their age group Shannon Fagan/Getty Images Baby boomers are the least … Read more

Space junk: We don’t know whose rocket is about to hit the moon – that’s a problem

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An old rocket will slam into the far side of the moon on 4 March and no one is accepting ownership of the space junk – similar objects could pose a safety risk for future crewed lunar missions Space 23 February 2022 By Jonathan O’Callaghan A representation of space junk in orbit around Earth ESA/ID&Sense/ONiRiXEL … Read more