Science | The Guardian

Because we define dates based on the stars, the full moon on 31 May will be the second one of the calendar month This week’s full moon is a blue moon. The term does not describe the colour of the moon, but instead arises from the way we define our calendar in reference to the stars rather than the moon. The moon takes almost a month to circle our planet. The exact time is 29.5 days but if we were…

The US supreme court has preserved nationwide access to mail-order abortion pills – for now. As Carter Sherman explains, the fight to protect this medication is far from over, as a nationwide, near-total abortion ban could be on the horizon. Carter speaks with Dr Angel Foster, co-founder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, who reveals how the legal battle over abortion pills …

Sink or swim? | Deep vision | Sacrificial candidate | Diverting days out Sir Christopher Ball telling people their future longevity is in their own hands and to stop blaming others ( Report, 20 May ) is akin to telling a drowning man to pull himself together and swim, without asking what were the circumstances that put him in the water in the first place. Life and longevity is a complex issue and…

Strict restrictions on Americans with exposure to Ebola and hantavirus highlight officials’ previous rhetoric on public health measures The US is imposing strict restrictions on American travelers who have been exposed in dual Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks in ways that experts say could run counter to their legal rights and affect who will volunteer in future public health crises globally. The l…

An outbreak of Ebola has emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, leading to nearly 400 confirmed cases and more than 100 deaths. To find out how the outbreak might have begun, what authorities can do to contain it and why this outbreak is causing particular concern, Ian Sample hears from Daniela Manno, a clinical epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine…

The slim arc of a two-day-old moon will pass Venus shining brightly Keep an eye on the western sky after sunset this week to watch a beautiful sequence unfold over several evenings. A young crescent moon moves first past Venus and then Jupiter, creating a chance to track the moon’s movement through its orbit around the Earth. The chart shows the view on 18 May looking west from London at 22.00. T…

The US supreme court dealt a devastating blow to the 1965 Voting Rights Act when it ruled in Louisiana v Callais in April that states cannot consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority-Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. Kai Wright talks to Stacey Abrams , a voting rights activist and former Georgia house minority …

Researchers say daily exposure to cold activates brown fat and could help speed up body’s burning of calories Wearing an ice vest or taking daily cold showers could help people lose weight, according to researchers. Despite the growing popularity of cold-water swimming and freezing plunges, to date there is minimal data on the health benefits of cold exposure. But a study of 47 adults with obesit…

Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and science editor Ian Sample to discuss three eyecatching stories from the week, including an update on hantavirus. Also on the agenda is the Pentagon’s release of a tranche of never before seen documents relating to UFOs, and a study looking at the link between taking part in cultural activities and slower biological ageing Clips: News Nation Continue rea…

My husband Peer Bork, who has died unexpectedly aged 62, was a bioinformatician with a remarkable ability to identify new directions in science and carry out world-class research to push them forward. During his career, he progressed from the statistical analysis of the sequences of individual protein molecules, via the analysis of the human genome, to the bioinformatics analysis of whole microbi…

My father, Robert Smith, who has died aged 92, was a pharmacologist and professor at St Mary’s medical school in London (now part of Imperial College) whose work helped shape thinking on people’s differing responses to drugs – genetically, biochemically and clinically. Bob became well known in particular for his role in the discovery of “debrisoquine polymorphism”. An enthusiastic participant whe…

Last month President Trump signed an executive order designed to fast track both research and access to psychedelic drugs as treatments for mental health illnesses. The most prominent in the order was ibogaine, a drug derived from the root bark of a West African shrub, that has shown some promise in relieving the long term effects of traumatic brain injury. Madeleine Finlay talks to journalist Ma…

Situated between the much brighter Leo and Libra, Virgo is well placed for observation in the northern spring months The constellation of Virgo, the virgin, is particularly well placed for observation during the northern spring months. Virgo is one of the fainter zodiacal constellations, meaning it sits on the imaginary line in the sky that is followed by the sun, moon and planets. It is situated…

Man, 69, is in intensive care in Johannesburg, while expedition guide Martin Anstee, 56, receiving care in Netherlands What is hantavirus? Two Britons who were medically evacuated from the hantavirus -hit cruise ship are improving, global health officials have said. A British passenger, understood to be a 69-year-old man, was taken to South Africa on 27 April and is receiving care at a private he…

Quashed studies, halted publications and canceled research threaten damage to public health, critics say Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A series of high-profile and under-the-radar decisions by US health agencies have scientists and doctors questioning the extent of the agencies’ control over public communications – and they say the debate is obscuring the most important part, …

Best seen before dawn, the shower will reach its peak on the night of 5–6 May The Eta Aquariid meteor shower bursts upon the skies this week, reaching its peak on the night of 5–6 May. Best seen before dawn, the chart shows the view looking east from London at 4am on 6 May. By this time, the shower’s radiant point will have climbed into the south-eastern sky. Continue reading...

Exclusive: A grazier has released emails that reveal the state’s environment and water department prioritised harvesting of winter cereal crops over wetlands Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here The New South Wales government has routinely delayed environmental flows to critical wetlands in the state’s north-west in favour of farming, despite adm…

From world record breakers to the most iconic image of all time, these are Guardian Australia’s top three photos for April. Photographer and picture editor, Carly Earl, hand-picks three photographs as her favourites every month and explains the craft and composition that makes them special. April’s edition includes a quiet, intimate moment of record-breaking athlete, Gout Gout, a picture perfect …

Recognised since antiquity, the constellation has a rich mythological tradition The northern hemisphere’s spring evenings are dominated by the unmistakable outline of Leo, one of the few constellations that resembles the creature it represents, the lion. Leo is most easily identified by its distinctive “backwards” question mark, referred to by astronomers as the “sickle” asterism and representing…

Understanding truffles is a ‘tricky proposition’ because most of the magic occurs underground Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Black truffles aren’t native to Australia, but since the first oaks and hazelnuts were planted in the 1990s, the local industry has flourished, becoming the largest producer outside Europe. Now, scientists have identified the environmental fact…