23 h. ago Even Neanderthals had distinct preferences when it came to making dinner, study suggests

Analysis of bones from two caves shows prehistoric people butchered the same animals in different waysNothing turns up the heat in a kitchen quite like debating the best way to chop an onion. Now researchers have found even our prehistoric cousins had distinct preferences when it came to preparing food.Archaeologists studying animal bones recovered from two caves in northern Israel have found different groups of Neanderthals, living around the same time, butchered the same animals in different ways. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke and chewing gum could trigger puberty early, study suggests

Commonly-used sweeteners including aspartame, are added to Diet Coke and products like Extra chewing gum and Muller Light yoghurts.

Events

3 d. ago Suffer from headaches? Neanderthal DNA could be to blame, study suggests

According to new research, Neanderthal DNA genes could be the reason that some people are more prone to a type of headache-causing brain defect.

Politics

4 d. ago University of Manchester study suggests airports might be attracting aliens to Earth

The University of Manchester-led study proposes potential extraterrestrials could have spotted Earth's airports

Politics

1 week ago Melting glaciers and ice caps could unleash wave of volcanic eruptions, study says

Research in Chile suggests climate crisis makes eruptions more likely and explosive, and warns of Antarctica riskThe melting of glaciers and ice caps by the climate crisis could unleash a barrage of explosive volcanic eruptions, a study suggests.The loss of ice releases the pressure on underground magma chambers and makes eruptions more likely. This process has been seen in Iceland, an unusual island that sits on a mid-ocean tectonic plate boundary. But the research in Chile is one of the first studies to show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago GP urges public to make one urgent change right now to ward off dementia in your 60s

Last year, a landmark study suggested almost half of dementia could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors, but Dr Amir Khan says this is one of the most important.

Events

1 week ago Can you see circles or rectangles? And does the answer depend on where you grew up? | Anil Seth

We may believe we see the world exactly as it is – but as studies of optical illusions show, it’s far more complex than thatAnil Seth is a professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of SussexDo people from different cultures and environments see the world differently? Two recent studies have different takes on this decades-long controversy. The answer might be more complicated, and more interesting, than either study suggests.One study, led by Ivan Kroupin at the London School of Economics, asked how people from different cultures perceived a visual illusion known as the Coffer illusion. They discovered that people in the UK and US saw it mainly in one way, as comprising rectangles – while people from rural communities in Namibia typically saw it another way: as containing circles. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Is exercise really better than drugs for cancer remission? It's an appealing idea – but it's misleading | Devi Sridhar

The healing power of exercise should never be underestimated, but be cautious about what recent headlines seem to suggestProf Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon)You might have seen the recent headlines on a new study on exercise and cancer recovery suggesting that “exercise is better than a drug” in preventing cancer returning. Cue a wave of commentary pitting “big pharma” against fitness, as if we must choose between pills and planks. It’s an appealing narrative – but it’s also misleading.We don’t need to choose between the two. In fact, the best health outcomes often come from combining medicine with a broader view of health that includes movement, diet, social connection and mental wellbeing.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon) Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Suffer from frequent nightmares? Study suggests they can triple your risk of death

Bad dreams every week carry about the same risk of premature death as heavy smoking

Events

2 w. ago Scientists discover new cause of aggressive cancer in young people... and a possible treatment

A little-known molecule may be the key to treating aggressive cancer that often strikes young people, a study from researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York suggests.

Science

2 w. ago New study suggests common assumption about aging could be wrong

‘It’s a warning – don’t follow the latest trends of eating foods specifically to reduce inflammation, or whatever else the trend of the week may be,’ said professor Alan Cohen

Politics

2 w. ago ‘I don’t think my brain should have gone through that’: five young people on their experience of smartphones as teens

What do people who got – and one who didn’t get – internet-connected phones in their adolescence actually think about the impact they had on them?Debate and anxiety about teen and preteen access to smartphones and social media is raging. One paper has likened smartphones to a “parasite” on our brains, while another study suggests moderate use of social media does not have a harmful effect on young people. In the US more than 100,000 parents have joined an online pledge to delay giving children smartphones until at least the eighth grade and in Australia a ban on under-16s using social media will come into effect in December. Despite all this, OECD figures released in May show 70% of 10-year-olds and 98% of 15-year-olds have internet-connected smartphones.So is giving teenagers smartphones that big a deal? Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago The staggering cost of injuries sustained by dog walkers every year

Injuries sustained by dog walkers could be costing the NHS millions every year, a study has suggested

Events

3 w. ago Orcas make seaweed tools to scratch each other’s backs, study suggests

Scientists spotted the behaviour in drone footage of orcas in the Salish Sea, in the inland waters of the US state of Washington.

Politics

3 w. ago Orcas observed ‘making seaweed tools’ to massage each other, study suggests

Scientists observed the surprising social behaviour, dubbed allokelping, in drone footage of killer whales

Politics

3 w. ago Orcas make seaweed tools to scratch each other’s backs, new research finds

Killer whales were observed detaching lengths of seaweed and massaging each other with it in the wild, a new study has suggested - making waves in the scientific community

Politics

3 w. ago Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's 'mysterious' visit to Area 51 marks 'milestone' in next

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth secretly visited the remote Area 51 air base for a 'mysterious show-and-tell,' a study of flight-tracking data suggests.

Events

4 w. ago Charging for plastic shopping bags can actually lead to cleaner beaches, study shows

The study suggests full bans and fees on plastic bags are more effective than partial bans

Economics

4 w. ago Scientists say one approach to 'fasting diets' loses more weight than any others

Alternate day fasting, where a person eats normally one day and fasts the next, is more effective than other forms of intermittent fasting and calorie restriction, a new study suggests.

Events

4 w. ago How you take your coffee could lower your risk of death, according to new study

Cream? Sugar? Oat milk? The way you take your coffee could lengthen or shorten your life, the study suggests

Events