What lies beneath: Researchers map hot, dense structures in the Earth’s mantle for the first time using a technique developed to explore deep space Experts from Baltimore, US, repurposed an algorithm known as the Sequencer This tool can automatically pick out trends from within large-scale datasets The team used it to analyse thousands of seismograms from … Read more
NASA and ESA find evidence that the first stars and galaxies formed much earlier than researchers thought, beyond the reach of the Hubble Space Telescope Hubble can see the universe back to within 500 million years of the Big Bang Experts used the telescope to determine the age of the first stars and galaxies The … Read more
US researchers are still testing whether hydroxychloroquine can prevent coronavirus despite study that found taking it after exposure does not block the infection Duke University’s HERO trial aims to test whether hydroxychloroquine given before coronavirus exposure can prevent infection The study, intended to conclude in July, was planned to include 15,000 health care workers. Only … Read more
Researchers at Columbia University in New York City say they have developed a new coronavirus test that will be able to deliver results in just 30 minutes. It will be significantly faster than tests available at other US hospitals and medical clinics, which take between two to seven days to confirm results. What’s more, the team … Read more
Flu researchers say we should make a NEW antiviral to prevent coronavirus from replicating throughout the body and stop focusing on repurposing old drugs Researchers looked an older treatment for the flu, Tamiflu, and a newer treatment, Xofluza, the first new type of flu drug in 20 years Xofluza limited the amount of time a … Read more
Researchers identify the cleanest air on the planet in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica, which contains no traceable aerosols or other particles produced by humans Scientists sailed to the Southern Ocean near Antarctica to measure air quality They found no aerosols, bacteria, or other particles that traced to human activity The team … Read more
Researchers reveal that birds of prey in Florida have been eating and drinking microplastics, and 86 percent comes from washing machine wastewater containing synthetic microfibers from cheap clothing Florida researchers found significant amounts of microplastics in birds of prey The research marks the first time anyone has confirmed plastics in birds of prey They analyzed … Read more
Prototype robot that carries out throat swab tests for coronavirus using a disposable 3D-printed arm is developed by Danish researchers The team developed the throat swab robot to reduce demand on health workers It is able to take the sample from the throat, add it to a jar and screw on the lid The throat … Read more
Chimpanzees develop their own local cultures and customs by imitating each other, researchers reveal Scientists from the Max Planck Institute studied chimpanzee behavior in Africa They used cameras and site samples from more than 40 different locations They found many locations had their own local customs These included different methods of ‘termite fishing’ to get … Read more
Researchers at Stanford University are being accused of ‘tipping the scale’ on their antibody study and implying coronavirus is more widespread – but less fatal – than previously thought. Last month, their analysis found that between 2.5 and 5.2 percent of Santa Clara County residents tested positive for antibodies. That meant the number of infected … Read more