Shingrix linked to substantial reduction in diagnoses in the six years after people received the shotResearchers have raised hopes for delaying dementia after finding that a recently approved shingles vaccine was linked to a substantial reduction in diagnoses of the condition in the six years after receiving the shot.The discovery, based on US medical records, suggests that beyond the health benefits of preventing shingles, a painful and sometimes serious condition in elderly people, the vaccine may also delay the onset of dementia, the UK’s leading cause of death. Continue reading...

A series of super tusker elephant killings has sparked a bitter international battle over trophy hunting and its controversial, often-counterintuitive role in conservation. Biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston speaks to Amy Dickman, professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Oxford, about why this debate has become so divisive, and the complexities of allowing killing in conservationTrophy hunter killings spark fierce battle over the future of super tusker elephants Continue reading...

UK Space Agency awards £30k in funding to 10 teams racing to solve the complex problemInventors hope to crack how to create a reliable clean water supply on the moon – and it may involve a microwave oven from Tesco.The goal to set up a crewed lunar base was launched many moons ago but has yet to come to fruition. With reliance on water supplies from Earth risky and expensive, one of the many challenges is how to extract and purify water from ice lying in craters at the lunar south pole. Continue reading...

The discovery that lumps of metal on the seafloor produce oxygen raises questions over plans to mine the deep ocean.

The near complete skeleton of a stegosaurus - named Apex - is 11ft (3.4m) tall and 27ft long, Sotheby's says.

Fears about the two species coming into contact are growing as Arctic sea ice melts.

Ramses mission to study 99942 Apophis when it passes closer to Earth than GPS and TV satellites in 2029In 2029 an asteroid larger than the Eiffel Tower will skim past Earth in an event that until recently scientists had feared could foreshadow a catastrophic collision.Now researchers hope to scrutinise 99942 Apophis as it makes its close encounter in an effort to bolster our defences against other space rocks. Continue reading...

Unsurprisingly, creating a 3D avatar to increase a model’s income is fraught with moral and ethical questions, but this documentary seems uninterested in addressing themDoubles, doppelgangers, clones; twin visions have long fascinated directors and audiences alike. It’s unnerving, however, when technologies that once belonged to the realm of science fiction are now realised in the present. A German model called Lale is interested in creating a 3D clone of herself and this documentary from Katharina Pethke taps into a new unsettling reality.The rationale behind the project sounds promising...

Starlink internet satellites were deployed in dangerously low orbit after explosion on Falcon 9 rocket on ThursdayThe Federal Aviation Administration is requiring an investigation into the in-flight failure from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as it was launching a batch of Starlink internet satellites.The second-stage engine failure occurred on Thursday evening during a routine launch of the satellites from Vandenberg space force base in Santa Barbara county, California. Continue reading...

Antarctic Treaty nations agree to a plan to preserve one of the world's greatest shipwrecks.

This misjudged and unfunny romcom about how the US government planned to fake the moon landing in case the real one tanked undermines the Apollo 11 achievement Would you like to watch a goofy romcom about Bill Gates conspiring to implant 5G in millions of Americans’ bodies using the Covid vaccine – but hilariously finding at the last minute he doesn’t need to because they were all getting 5G anyway on their phones? Well, in the absence of all that, how about this relentlessly mediocre and misjudged romcom about how the US government planned to fake the moon landing in case the real one...

It's taken 10 years to develop and cost billions but the new launch vehicle is finally ready to fly.

Most of HD 189733 b's atmosphere is hydrogen sulphide, which is also emitted during farts.

Research suggests impact of pollution begins before conception by disrupting the development of the eggAir pollution exposure can significantly decrease the chance of a live birth after IVF treatment, according to research that deepens concern about the health impacts of toxic air on fertility.Pollutant exposure has previously been linked to increased miscarriage rates and preterm births, and microscopic soot particles have been shown to travel through the bloodstream into the ovaries and the placenta. The latest work suggests that the impact of pollution begins before conception by disrupting...

Pill known as OXO-001, designed to act directly on womb lining, could improve rate of embryo implantationA trial of a new fertility drug has shown that it could improve the rate of embryo implantation during IVF and lead to a 7% increase in live births.The pill, known as OXO-001, is designed to act directly on the lining of the womb to make it more receptive to the embryo being implanted. The findings raise hope for patients who have experienced repeated implantation failures during successive rounds of IVF. Continue reading...

Relationships, especially romantic ones, need to be based on mutual recognition and understanding of emotional experiencesThe modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their workWhen we experience distress from physical pain or emotional turmoil, we often turn to our loved ones for support and understanding. However, when our partners fail to validate our emotions, we can feel isolated and resentful and may even question the strength of the relationship.As a generally mild-mannered person, Mary* sometimes shocked her partner, Susie by shouting at...

A white-tailed eagle that broke its wing has taken to the skies after its parents nursed it back to health.

Richard Forrest has spent half a century combing beaches for ammonites and other fossils. Along the Dorset coast, the constant shift of earth, rocks and sand continually reveals fresh evidence of life millions of years agoAll photographs by Max MiechowskiRead more in this seriesWhen Richard Forrest walks along the Lyme Regis beach on the Jurassic coast in Dorset, he carries in his small backpack a pointed pick, a geological hammer and an old kitchen knife. But he very rarely uses them until he is back home with a rock or two to work on. “The most important thing to take with you is your eyes...

Parrots Have Begun Swinging Through Trees Like Monkeys  Giant Freakin Robot

Don’t Miss: Perseid Meteor Shower Spectacle Lights Up the Night Sky  SciTechDailyThe Perseid Meteor Shower Begins Sunday: When To See It At Its Best  ForbesShooting Stars to Rain Down on Earth at a Rate of Hundreds per Hour on August 11  autoevolutionHow to watch 2024’s spectacular Perseid meteor shower  New ScientistPerseid meteor shower returns to our skies this month to kick off summer 'shooting star' season  Space.com

Unlocking the Secrets of LUCA, Earth’s Earliest Life Form  SciTechDailyAll Life on Earth Comes From One Single Ancestor. And It's So Much Older Than We Thought.  Popular MechanicsSearching for LUCA, the first life-form from which all other life descended  The HinduLUCA: Last common ancestor of all life emerged far earlier than thought  New ScientistOur last common ancestor lived 4.2 billion years ago—perhaps hundreds of millions of years earlier than thought  Science

Here's what's (probably) on the other side of a black hole  BBC Science Focus

Asteroid Sample Surprise: Bennu Holds the Solar System’s “Original Ingredients”  SciTechDailyBennu asteroid holds our solar system’s original ingredients  Futurity: Research NewsSurprising Findings in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample: Could They Unlock the Origins of Life?  SciTechDaily

Unstoppable Catalyst Outsmarts Sulfur to Revolutionize Carbon Capture  SciTechDailyNew catalyst offers economical carbon capture and storage  The EngineerTurning CO2 into Valuable Methane: A Green Solution  Environment+Energy LeaderMcGill University develops revolutionary CO2 conversion catalyst  Innovation News Network‘Carbon loop’: Scientists power copper to turn CO2 into endless clean fuel  Interesting Engineering

A Snaking Scar Across Mars: The Mystery of Aganippe Fossa  SciTechDailyMars orbiter captures Red Planet scar that's longer than the Grand Canyon (image)  Space.comESA - A snaking scar on Mars  European Space AgencyGrand Canyon-size 'scar' on Mars revealed like never before in striking new satellite photos  Livescience.comESA captures scar across Mars in one of its most volcanic regions  WION