Omicron threat: Scientists urge patience as they investigate ‘This variant (that) is completely insane’
At 7:30 am on November 24, Kristian Andersen, an infectious disease researcher at Scripps Research, received a message on Slack: “This variant is completely insane.” Andrew Rambaut of the University of Edinburgh was reacting to a new SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence found in three samples collected in Botswana on November 11...
The time when you eat affects your health, but also raises questions about whether fasting is like eating less
One of the first hints that pauses in eating are healthy in and of themselves came from a 2003 mouse study led by neuroscientist Mark Mattson, who at that time was working at the US National Institute on Aging. Mattson and his colleagues fed one group of mice every other...
Catastrophic obesity: Studies show adults are eating more than six times, and some up to 15 times per day
The world is getting fatter. It’s a general trend, but one that’s especially well illustrated in the United States. As of 2018, 42 per cent of US adults were obese – almost three times more than in 1980 and prior decades, according to government statistics. With that comes rising rates...
Discovery of heavily mutated coronavirus variant in South Africa puts world on high alert
Researchers in South Africa are racing to track the concerning rise of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The variant harbours a large number of the mutations found in other variants, including Delta, and it seems to be spreading quickly across South Africa. A top priority...
Wildfires smoke more poisonous than other forms of pollution, responsible for thousands of premature deaths
On a cool September morning in San Francisco, a group of firefighters packed their gear into a bright red van. The sickly-sweet odour of pine resin from a distant blaze hung in the air as the crew prepared to battle the rapidly growing Dixie fire, on its way towards becoming...
One day, the neglected Mt Nyiragongo volcano in DR Congo will kill thousands in 30 minutes – expert
In October, one researcher said institute didn’t have enough funds to afford a drone to take high-resolution photos of the May Mount Nyiragongo eruption site, while in July staff said the Volcano Observatory centre in Goma, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was struggling to raise money for...
Underpaid and under fire: The risky business of monitoring Congo’s volatile Nyiragongo volcano
Editor’s note: The second of two stories on the aftermath of the May volcanic eruption in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The New Humanitarian spent three weeks interviewing displaced people, aid workers and employees at a local observatory tasked with monitoring the volatile Mount Nyiragongo. Read part one here. This...
How appetite for cell-based seafood engineered fish cultivation from flasks to large bioreactors
As lab-cultured fish becomes an alternative source of seafood, production has also been changing to ensure safety. Researchers initially grow the cells in a single layer adhering to the surface of small flasks or other labware. The cells grow in nutrient-rich media typically consisting of a unique, species-specific combination of...
Boneless lab-cultured fish hits dinner tables and European consumers say it ‘tastes just the same’
In recent weeks, companies developing cell-based fish and shellfish have been drawing attention as they tout their offerings and expand their businesses globally. San Diego-based BlueNalu will introduce lab-made finfish to Europe through a collaboration announced in September with British frozen food distributor Nomad Foods. The same month, Hong Kong-based...
Why executives are inflexible about flexible work arrangements, juniors prefer ‘home work’
Ever feel like your boss just doesn’t understand you? That’s because they don’t – and that’s especially true when it comes to flexible working. Future Forum, a research group backed by Slack, runs its quarterly Pulse survey of 10,000 knowledge workers alongside focus groups with their bosses across six countries,...
