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A road sign in Buckinghamshire, UK, in mid-November

Covid booster shots are pushing protection to unexpected heights

30 November 2021

Evidence suggests that vaccine booster programmes can take people’s covid-19 protection to unexpectedly high levels, but we don’t yet know how effective existing vaccines will be against the omicron variant


Icebergs near Greenland

Arctic may switch from snow to rain-dominated as early as 2060

30 November 2021

Parts of the Arctic are now predicted to be rain-dominated as early as 2060, two decades faster than previously expected


Uranium, a chemical element with a U symbol and an atomic mass equal to 238 u, has an atomic number 92

Material inspired by blood vessels can extract uranium from seawater

29 November 2021

The oceans are a huge untapped store of uranium, which is vital for nuclear energy, and new technology could ensure a long-lasting supply


Wooden box filled with fresh vine ripened heirloom tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes are less genetically diverse than standard varieties

29 November 2021

A study of traditional ‘heirloom’ tomato varieties from Europe has revealed little genetic diversity despite their enormous variety in size, shape and colour


Colonies of MRSA bacteria on blood agar plate

NHS England to test Netflix-style subscriptions for antibiotics

27 November 2021

Two drug firms will be paid up to £10 million a year for an antibiotic by NHS England, no matter how much or little of the medicines are used


Activists protest solitary confinement in New York

One in 10 US Black men put in solitary confinement before turning 32

26 November 2021

An alarming number of Black men in the US are imprisoned in “the hole” for over 15 days, which is defined as torture by the UN and can lead to PTSD and suicide


A woman in Johannesburg receives a nasal swab from a health worker

Omicron: How dangerous is the new variant first found in South Africa?

26 November 2021

There are many open questions about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in South Africa. Here's what we know so far


This artistic impression shows two black holes that are spiralling towards each other and will eventually coalesce.

Merging black holes may create bubbles that could swallow the universe

26 November 2021

The area between a pair of large black holes on the verge of colliding could provide the conditions to create dangerous bubbles of "true vacuum"


Dorsal and ventral views of the pendant. Scale bar is 1 cm. ? Antonino Vazzana - BONES Lab

Mammoth ivory pendant is oldest decorated jewellery found in Eurasia

25 November 2021

A pendant carved with mysterious dots and unearthed in a Polish cave is thought to be over 40,000 years old


A Jack Russell Terrier puppy sits behind an empty food bowl

Feeding pet dogs just once a day might keep them healthier as they age

25 November 2021

Survey responses from more than 24,000 dog owners in the US suggest that dogs fed once a day are less likely to get age-related diseases, but you shouldn't change how you feed your dog just yet  


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