Tampons used by millions of people each year can contain concerning levels of toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium, a world-first study warns. The findings are of particular concern as the skin of the vagina has a higher potential for absorbing chemicals than skin in other parts ofContinue Reading
NASA has discovered “surprise” X and C shapes in the Earth’s atmosphere – and scientists are struggling to explain them. While these alphabetical shapes have been observed before, Nasa’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk mission sees them more clearly than other instruments have and is now finding themContinue Reading
Exposure to air pollution can reduce the chances of achieving a live birth from in vitro fertilisation by about 40 per cent, according to a new study. IVF is an assisted reproductive technology that uses medication and surgical procedures to fertilise an egg outside the body and implant the fertilisedContinue Reading
A deadly superbug that causes about 300,000 deaths a year evolved from being a common environmental bacterium and spread rapidly in just over two centuries, according to a new study that could help improve our understanding of immunity against invading bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause multidrug-resistant infections, particularly in peopleContinue Reading
Aircraft arriving at Delhi’s main airport swallow large quantities of dust, which may accumulate over time and put their engines at “serious” risk of wear and tear, a new study has warned. The research, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, suggests moving more flights at the Indira Gandhi International AirportContinue Reading
The French version of King Arthur’s legendary Excalibur sword has vanished from a rock into which legend says it was plunged 1,300 years ago. The Durandal sword from Rocamadour, southern France, is presumed to have been stolen despite it being chained to the stone 32ft off the ground. Durandal wasContinue Reading
Scientists have discovered a new brain pathway that plays a role in triggering headaches, an advance that may lead to new drugs to treat migraine. About one in 10 people across the world get migraines. A quarter of the patients also experience a sensory disturbance like an aura, which isContinue Reading
The French version of King Arthur’s legendary Excalibur sword has vanished from a rock into which legend says it was plunged 1,300 years ago. The Durandal sword from Rocamadour, southern France, is presumed to have been stolen despite it being chained to the stone 32ft off the ground. Durandal wasContinue Reading
Melodies of popular songs have become simpler since the 1950s, according to scientists. An analysis of hundreds of chart hits from the past 70 years has shown “a significant decline” in the complexity of rhythm and pitch in song melodies, UK researchers said. They said the biggest transitions – orContinue Reading
Scientists in South Africa have been stunned to discover that termite mounds that are still inhabited in an arid region of the country are more than 30,000 years old, meaning they are the oldest known active termite hills. Some of the mounds near the Buffels River in Namaqualand were estimatedContinue Reading
