4 d. ago Mammals could regenerate tissue by turning on ‘genetic switch’: Chinese team

Chinese scientists say they have restored the damaged outer ear in mice, a mammal that lacks natural regenerative abilities. The researchers said the pathway they identified could be applied to different tissue types and play a significant role in advancing regeneration in vertebrates. The team found that a mouse’s failure to regenerate stemmed from an inability to produce sufficient retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A that regulates what cell type emerges during a cell’s development and...

Politics

6 d. ago Tributes paid to hero Chinese doctor who drowned after saving woman in Tanzania

China has paid tribute to a Chinese doctor in Tanzania who died saving a woman in distress in the sea, saying his heroism exemplified the deep China-Africa friendship and the dedication of Chinese medical teams. Zhang Junqiao, a 38-year-old anaesthesiologist working in Tanzania as part of a Chinese medical team, went to the aid of the drowning Tanzanian woman off Dar es Salaam on June 15. Images from the scene showed Zhang keeping her afloat while helping her into a life jacket moments before he...

Events

7 d. ago Chinese team details drone plan to capture Martian samples and avoid bio risks

China has unveiled details about its coming Mars sample return mission, including a plan to avoid biological contamination risks when employing a helicopter drone to collect surface samples and bring potential signs life back to Earth. The Tianwen-3 mission, which is set to bring back at least 500 grams (17.6 oz) of Martian material by 2031 as part of its search for signs of life, will for the first time pair a stationary lander with a drone to extend its sampling reach, according to scientists...

Events

1 week ago Chinese team’s edible fruit coating can more than double shelf life: paper

Chinese scientists have developed an edible, washable protein-based coating that can extend the shelf life of fruits by 2½ times, by reducing moisture loss and microbial growth. The low-cost coating was tested across 17 varieties of whole and cut fruits, including strawberry, tomato, kiwi and mango. It was shown to effectively delay rot by almost a week or more, at a cost of just 9 US cents per kilogram of fruit, according to a recent paper in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. The...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese satellite beams data at 1Gbps, surpassing Starlink speed by 5 times

Imagine beaming a HD movie from Shanghai to Los Angeles – crossing three Pacific widths – in less than five seconds using just a night light. This may sound like fantasy because Starlink, operating just hundreds of kilometres above Earth, maxes out at a couple of Mbps. But from a secret satellite parked in stationary orbit more than 60 times higher, a team of Chinese scientists has used a 2-watt laser – dim as a candle – to push data through turbulent skies to Earth at 1Gbps, five times faster...

Politics

3 w. ago Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat race

Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Toronto’s Water Vipers dragon boat...

Politics

3 w. ago Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat races

Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Toronto’s Water Vipers dragon boat...

Politics

3 w. ago Mothers were in charge of ancient Chinese society, Neolithic burial site reveals

Sometime around 4,500 years ago, a matrilineal community lived in what is now Shandong in eastern China. They farmed millet near the coast, raised animals and possibly engaged in fishing. This was the world’s earliest known matrilineal society and it lasted 250 years, maintaining a stable lineage through at least 10 generations, a Chinese-led team has discovered. To decipher their family history, the team analysed ancient DNA from 60 individuals dating to between 2750 and 2500 BC. Their findings...

Politics

last month Chinese team traces ‘ghost ancestors’ of modern Tibetans to Yunnan province

Chinese scientists have traced the origins of the “ghost ancestors” of modern Tibetans to the southwestern province of Yunnan through analysis of ancient DNA. The origins of people living on the Tibetan Plateau – and how their ancestors migrated, adapted and settled in this cold, oxygen-poor land – have long been a mystery to the academic community. Now, in a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science on Friday, a group of Chinese palaeontologists have verified a hypothesis that...

Politics