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Extremophiles: resilient microorganisms that help us understand our past – and future
In late summer the snow banks on these mountains turn pink, known as "watermelon snow", thanks to blooming extremophiles. Bryant Olsen/Flickr In the infamous words of Jurassic Park consultant Dr Ian Malcolm, “life finds a way”. In the depths of the ocean, in volcanic springs, under four metres of ice:Continue Reading
Messi to PSG CONFIRMED as star says he’s impatient to start new chapter
LIONEL MESSI has finally been announced as a Paris Saint-Germain player. After an action-packed day that saw Messi arrive in the French capital in front of hundreds of supporters, the club has confirmed his signing. 14 Lionel Messi has finally been confirmed as a PSG player – and says heContinue Reading
What does a degree actually cost – for students and for universities?
Many students say they feel COVID has diminished the value of their university experience. Complaints filed with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator in 2020 detail examples of how the pandemic has disrupted students’ learning. A recent report from the Higher Education Policy Institute finds students often say they regardContinue Reading
How will COVID vaccines work on compromised immune systems? Here’s what we know
Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock In many cases, vulnerability to COVID-19 exists because a person’s immune system is unable to mount a good response against the coronavirus. Such people are said to be immunocompromised. It’s possible that these people won’t respond as well to COVID-19 vaccines either. At the moment, though, we’re stillContinue Reading
After Islamic State: how local shop owners in Mosul are rebuilding their historic markets
In the four years since Islamic State was defeated and Mosul liberated, local inhabitants have reckoned with the destruction wrought by the insurgents. The occupation of the city – Iraq’s second largest – lasted from 2014-2017 and saw 800,000 people displaced. Severe damage was also inflicted on the built environment,Continue Reading
Time to get into ‘Spirit’ and support the ‘Lord!’
Danger Close is an outlandish selection for a moderate Nursery Handicap over five furlongs of Chelmsford polytrack tonight and obviously I’ll tell you why and explain myself! Three days ago I chanced Danger Close in a similar race from the worst draw with Luke Morris replacing apprentice Grace McEntee whoContinue Reading
Gut bacteria rewind ageing brain in mice
Neil Lockhart/Shutterstock In 1895, on turning 50, Elie Metchnikoff became increasingly anxious about ageing. As a result, the Russian Nobel prize-winning scientist, and one of the founders of immunology, turned his attention away from immunology and towards gerontology – a term that he coined. He was fascinated by the roleContinue Reading
Relationship between big tech and policing is shielded behind commercial confidentiality – it’s a problem
Shutterstock/kirill_makarov For over ten years, public inquiries, press reports, police whistleblowers – and even chief constables – have been raising the issue of police IT systems not being fit for purpose and ultimately failing victims of crime. This has prompted significant media attention and public scrutiny, as well as theContinue Reading
Vaccinating teenagers is beneficial, even if their vulnerability to COVID-19 is low
The UK government has announced that all 16 to 17-year-olds will be offered a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks. Many countries are already vaccinating children over 12, so this decision is not out of step with what is going on elsewhere. Despite this, theContinue Reading
Spain’s little-known Viking history is being uncovered
Every year, on the first Sunday in August, the replica of an 11th-century Viking longboat sails up the river Ulla to the town of Catoira in northern Spain. The boat, manned by townsfolk disguised as Viking warriors, stages a ferocious onslaught on the town which is successfully fended off byContinue Reading