December is the busiest month for package deliveries but it’s also when so-called ‘porch pirates’ are most likely to strike. According to researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1.7 million packages are stolen or lost daily—and the numbers have only gotten worse during the pandemic. A savvy former NASA engineer has built a trap that hits … Read more
What 300 years of smallpox epidemics in London can teach us about Covid-19: Infection with a small amount of virus can IMPROVE survival rates — and might be a beneficial side-effect of wearing masks Researchers from Canada analysed London death records from 1664–1930 This covered the introduction of health measures, variolation and vaccination The period … Read more
Children may be more at-risk of catching the new mutated coronavirus variant than any previous strains, Government advisers today claimed. Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist of Imperial College London and member of No10’s advisory group NERVTAG, said there was a ‘hint’ children – who have barely been affected by the pandemic so far – were … Read more
Curry spices, fruits and oils from Asia were part of the European diet thousands of years earlier than previously believed, according to new research. Asian spices such as turmeric and fruits like the banana had already reached the Mediterranean more than 3,000 years ago, suggests the study. Researchers analysing food residue in tooth tartar found … Read more
What 300 years of smallpox epidemics in London can teach us about Covid-19: Infection with a small amount of virus can IMPROVE survival rates — and might be a beneficial side-effect of wearing masks Researchers from Canada analysed London death records from 1664–1930 This covered the introduction of health measures, variolation and vaccination The period … Read more
Christmas might not be an earthbound holiday, according to a startling image from the surface of Mars taken by a European Space Agency satellite. The ESA’s Mars Express captured what looks like an angel, complete with halo and wings, near the Red Planet’s southern pole. The satellite’s high-resolution stereo camera also snapped what looks like a … Read more
Children may be more at-risk of catching the new mutated coronavirus variant than any previous strains, Government advisers today claimed. Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist of Imperial College London and member of No10’s advisory group NERVTAG, said there was a ‘hint’ children – who have barely been affected by the pandemic so far – were … Read more
If you want to make your Christmas bonus next year, you might want to put down that razor. A new study finds consumers are more likely to trust a salesman with a beard than a clean-shaven mustachioed, or stubbly worker. Facial hair on male sales workers increased perceptions of expertise and trustworthiness, researchers found, which … Read more
A mummified baby grey wolf with a perfectly preserved head, tail, paws and fur has been found in Yukon, northern Canada. The seven-week-old female wolf pup, christened Zhùr, had been locked in permafrost – ground that remains completely frozen – for 57,000 years. Researchers think the 1.4-pound pup, who had traces of salmon in her gut, died … Read more
Scientists have discovered a new type of brain cell that helps us remember where we’ve left our personal belongings. Vector Trace cells are responsible for identifying objects, such as car keys or a mobile phone, in our ‘mental maps’ – the three-dimensional projections in our mind. It’s already know that GPS-like brain cells store ‘maps’ of … Read more