Science

The latest news from the world of science





The real ‘paleo diet’ may have been full of toxic metals

You’ll be healthier if you ate as your ancestors did. At least that’s the promise of some modern fads such as the “caveman” or paleo diet—characterized by avoiding processed food and grains and only eating things like meat, fish, and seeds. But a new study suggests the food some early humans in …

Study: To slow an epidemic, focus on handwashing

Based on their study, the authors found that focusing efforts to increase handwashing rates at just 10 airports chosen based on the location of the outbreak could significantly reduce disease spread. In these maps, they show the airports that would be targeted for outbreaks originating near Hono…

Mongooses Stink Less, Have Bigger Balls After Invading Islands

Over the last 150 years, the males of certain invasive mongooses have undergone some serious tweaks to their sexual anatomy. New research suggests that the mongooses’ anal pads—which produce a scent that is apparently very alluring to female mongooses—have become comparatively shrunken, while th…

Can Exercise Improve Video Game Performance?

Time spent playing video games is often seen as time stolen from physical activities. Research has shown that exercise has many physical and cognitive benefits. But what if exercise could benefit video game performance as well? A new study led by neuroscientist Dr. Marc Roig and his research tea…

Novacyt shares jump 32% on launch of coronavirus test

The test has been developed as a direct response to the recent outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has now spread worldwide, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency.

The death toll has now h…

Michelin sustainable rubber criticised for deforestation

Tyre giant Michelin and green group WWF have been criticised by researchers over a rubber plantation in Indonesia that was billed as protecting the environment, but which villagers say has caused deforestation, destroyed elephant habitat and resulted in land grabs.

In 2015, Michelin bega…

Solitary confinement is bad for the heart too

Solitary confinement does little to rehabilitate inmates, is extremely expensive (where the average per-cell cost is $75,000), and exacerbates health problems — yet the American prison system is over-reliant on solitary confinement. In fact, a 2018 report found that, 61,000 individuals were bein…