Latest in Science Highlight
Latest in Science

Australian bushfires to become “more frequent, prolonged, severe”: study
More than 30 people died in the Australian bushfires with another estimated 445 deaths due to smoke inhalation, and 18 million hectares of land were burned

Inequality, economic decline fuel social polarisation, right-wing movements
Provision of social safety nets can prevent this slide into political unrest

Poverty increases vulnerability to mental health conditions: Study
Eastern Mediterranean countries are witnessing higher rates of mental health disorders than global averages

US researchers investigating Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine allergic reactions
Meanwhile, Pfizer said in a statement that it “will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination.”

Molluscs have highest level of microplastics among seafood: Study
Mussels, oysters and scallops have the highest levels of microplastic contamination among seafood, a new study reveals. The research led by researchers at Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull, looked at more than 50 studies between 2014 and 2020 to investigate the levels of microplastic contamination globally in fish and shellfish. Scientists …

Survival of the thickest: Big brains make mammal populations less dense
Brain size shown to influence mammal abundance in local areas for first time

Warnings issued of environmental disaster after oil spill off Yemen coast
UN announces that Houthis would allow experts to inspect, repair oil tanker

New coronavirus variant: What we know so far
Does coronavirus variant VUI-202012/01 represent increased risk? UK’s chief scientific officer said it showed substantial increase in transmissibility

Testosterone capable of preventing diabetes in men: study
After 2 years of treatment, it found that 21% of 413 men receiving a placebo developed type 2 diabetes compared to 12% of men who received testosterone

Japan’s Hayabusa2 space probe delivers first samples of gas from space
Hayabusa2 returning to earth and the capsule possibly containing samples of soil, rocks and gas it has collected from Ryugu now sees its mission completed.

Study identifies monkey with naturally occurring Parkinson’s disease
The monkey exhibited all the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease patients, including all typical symptoms, a positive response to drug treatment

Healthcare professionals 7 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than nonessential employees
Risk for this employee segment is twice as high to those in social care, transport jobs

Face shields alone not highly effective to prevent COVID-19 infection: Study
Microscopic droplets transported by sneeze vortex rings can get inside face shield through its top, bottom edges, study finds

New method found to boost supply of life-saving stem cells
Haematopoietic stem cell scarcity is significant barrier to development of new, improved treatments for blood cancers and disorders

Rare Cretaceous-age fossil reveals secrets of bird evolution
Falcatakely’s beak describes unique face shape in Mesozoic birds

World’s oldest tropical reef fish found in Western Australia waters
An 81-year-old midnight snapper was confirmed as oldest tropical reef fish after checking all age-related research published in scientific literature

Neanderthal thumbs better adapted to holding tools with handles
An international team of scientists looked at how the shapes and orientations of the bones responsible for the movement of thumbs co-vary. This covers how the changes in shape or orientation in one bone might be reflected in changes in shape or orientation in another.

Russia plans to develop its own space station
Solovyov raised concern about the longevity of the International Space Station (ISS) as certain components have been damaged and could not be replaced

New research shows different growth, evolution patterns of dinosaurs
Scientists have learned how predatory dinosaurs got so big by cutting into fossils and examining growth rings

Climate change hitting Nile Basin makes regional cooperation a must
Researchers warn of years of drought, as ‘more rain does not mean more water’

Loneliness highest in 20s, lowest in 60s: US Survey
Lower levels of empathy and compassion, smaller social networks, and sleep disturbances are consistent predictors of loneliness across all age groups

Qatar, Egypt most affected Arab countries by air pollution: HEI Report
Ambient air pollution accounts for thousands of deaths every year in Arab region

Photovoltaics industry can help meet Paris Agreement targets on environment
Model predicts efficiency of solar photovoltaic cells, costs of manufacturing

Beaches can survive sea-level rises subject to space remaining for movement
Previous research claimed half of world’s beaches could become extinct over course of 21st Century

Researchers develop solar-powered extraction of potable water from dry air
By involving second stage of desorption and condensation, as well as readily available adsorbent materials, new device’s output has been significantly increased

Success of developing country’s agricultural outputs depends on performance indicators used: Researchers
Long-term development to be achieved with improvement of profitability, efficiency in agriculture

Two female scientists win Nobel Prize for genome editing development
Innovative method contributed to new cancer therapies and curing inherited diseases

3 physicists win Nobel Prize for revealing black holes, Milky Way secrets
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced, on Tuesday, that half of this year’s prize will go to the British physicist Roger Penrose, 89, for his mathematical work in 1965 showing how black holes are formed.

2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for discovery of Hepatitis C virus
UK-US discovery allowed for rapid development of antiviral drugs

Researchers investigate more effective treatments for older breast cancer patients
Study shows that least fit should be offered treatments to help bridge gap in survival rates between older and younger women