Using e-cigarettes during pregnancy could harm a baby’s development, researchers warn Study finds babies of pregnant e-cigarette smokers had ‘abnormal reflexes’ A number of abnormal reflexes could be a sign of impaired brain development Psychologists say any nicotine form could negatively affect baby development By Alex Ward and Victoria Allen for the Daily Mail Published: … Read more
The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) oversight of clinical trials has become more lax under President Donald Trump, a new report finds. Fewer warning letters have been sent to scientists conducting trials and fewer investigators have been disqualified compared to the first and final three years of former President Barack Obama’s tenure. An investigation … Read more
‘Jihadi’ textbook probe descends into farce: Investigation into literature used in British-funded Palestinian schools is slammed – after researchers analysed Israeli publications promoting peace A joint UK-EU study to provide a ‘thorough review’ of the books was promised Report to be completed in October by Germany’s Georg Eckert Institute Concerns were raised after presentation of … Read more
Two-metre rule on social distancing to curb spread of coronavirus is based on ‘outdated science’, researchers say Some research suggesting two metres is a safe distance goes as far back as 1897 British Medical Journal article says the gap should change depending on setting Newer studies claim a sneeze or cough can spread droplets up … Read more
William Shakespeare was ‘undeniably bisexual’, say researchers after analysis of love sonnets finds 27 were addressed to men and 10 to women Professor Sir Stanley Wells and Dr Paul Edmondon shared research for a book They say William Shakespeare was ‘undeniably bisexual’ within his love sonnets Previous critics said the playwright was gay despite his … Read more
Natural selection among humans is adding to the ‘epidemic’ of nearsightedness, with each successive generation in the UK gaining more than 100,000 extra cases. It is estimated that around half of the world’s population — some 4.9 billion people — will suffer from the distant visual impairment by the middle of the century. Much of … Read more
Scientists claim to be able to identify Twitter trolls in 50 tweets using algorithms to that can detect ‘distinctive’ patterns of word repetition. The algorithms identify linguistic patterns in tweets in order to distinguish deceptive ‘troll’ messages – which aim to achieve a specific purpose while also masking that purpose – from those posted by … Read more
Secondary school pupils are as likely to transmit coronavirus as adults, official research appears to show – as scientists now call for routine Covid tests for children and teachers when classes restart. Public Health England (PHE) found that primary school pupils do not appear to pass the virus to each other – but its researchers … Read more
As students prepare to head back to school, a new study will be tracking the rate of novel coronavirus spread among children and their families. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) is looking at transmission among nearly 2,000 households across the US. Researchers hope to determine the percentage of children who become … Read more
Art curators could face competition as researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) that can spot ‘hidden connections’ between paintings. Parallels in styles, themes and motifs can link artworks painted in vastly different points in time and space — and shine new light on both works. However, even the most knowledgeable of art critics could … Read more