This year’s events may be a surprise to many Americans, but one scientist predicted predicted the current political, economic and social instability a decade ago. Peter Turchin, a researcher at the University of Connecticut, published a paper in 2010 forecasting that these instabilities would peak around the year 2020. He highlights a rise in public … Read more
A ‘scandalous’ and now retracted medical study which warned against using a drug championed by Donald Trump has flared accusations of political-point scoring. The paper’s claim that hydroxychloroquine increases the risk of death in Covid-19 patients has been used by rivals as a stick to beat the US President, who has himself been taking the drug … Read more
‘Buy airline tickets like you bought toilet paper.’ That’s the plea from the most senior A350 training captain at Virgin Atlantic, Chris Pohl. And his request has gone viral. Captain Pohl, 56, who has been flying for 38 years, posted a picture of himself holding up a piece of cardboard carrying the message to his … Read more
Pictures of rainbows have become a familiar sight in the windows of Britain’s homes in recent months in thanks to the NHS. But now, yellow paper hearts are also appearing in some windows – and the reasons are altogether more sobering. Each heart represents one of the 37,460 victims lost to coronavirus. The movement, Yellow … Read more
Frances Arnold of the US was awarded for using the principles of evolution to develop new enzymes, which are the basic chemical tools of life. At first she tried to force such changes using more traditional methods, but her breakthrough came when she allowed evolutionary forces such as selection and even chance to govern the … Read more
Katy Perry dressed up as a giant roll of toilet paper on Sunday’s episode of American Idol as the field narrowed to the top 11 after Makayla Phillips was saved. The 35-year-old pop star opened the season 18 show filming at home wearing the in-demand commode commodity amid the coronavirus pandemic. ‘Just wanted to make … Read more
Using a paper towel to dry your hands is ‘substantially’ more effective at removing viruses like coronavirus than a hand dryer, according to a new study. Scientists from the University of Leeds investigated whether the way people dry their hands in a public toilet made a difference to the way COVID-19 is transmitted. They found … Read more