Science

A toothpaste ingredient that stops the build-up of plaque bacteria may help fight drug-resistant malaria, a British robot scientist named Eve has discovered. Triclosan found in many toothpastes stuns the growth of the malaria parasite which has built up resistance to a common anti-malarial drug. When a mosquito infected with malaria parasites bites someone, it transfers the parasites into their bloodstream via its saliva. These parasites work their way into the liver, where they mature and reproduce. After a few...

The remains of primitive moths dating back to the time of the dinosaurs 200 million years ago have been dug up in northern Germany. Experts say they are the earliest fossilised evidence of the insects, and shed fresh light on their evolution - and also that of their butterfly relatives. About 70 wing scales and fragments - some beautifully preserved - were discovered in a drilled core of rocks dating back to the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. It makes them 10 million...

Fertility treatment could soon become more effective after scientists developed an 'assault course'... for sperm. It uses an obstacle course to separate the 'men from the boys' - identifying the strongest and fastest swimmers. Appropriately dubbed SPARTAN, after one of the most feared military forces in Ancient Greece, it uses obstacles to select the fastest and healthiest sperm. Already available for use in the clinic, it is hoped it will be helping women to become pregnant with fewer cycles of...

With barely hours left until the end of the year, Donald Trump may have just tweeted his dumbest tweet of the year yet. There have been quite a few contenders this year, especially this tweet incriminating himself. But the climate sceptic President hell-bent on removing science from government departments as well as removing the USA from the crucial Paris climate change agreement that every other country signed up to against all odds, turned to the topic of global warming with...

The mystery object some experts claimed was an alien craft passing Earth has a greyish/red surface and is the size and shape of London's Gherkin skyscraper, according to latest research. The strange visitor - which has been named 'Oumuamua - the Hawaiian word for “messenger” or “scout” -has triggered worldwide speculation since it passed close to Earth in October after arriving from deep interstellar space. Scientists from Queen's University Belfast led an international team of astronomers - from Britain, the United...

The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines - three Republicans vs two Democrats to end Net Neutrality and the principle of a free internet that everyone can access equally. - A principle that heralded an era of innovation, freedom of speech and new forms of communication and social organisation predicated on everybody’s voice being able to be heard equally online. The Chairman of the FCC Ajit Pai had been appointed by President Trump, an opponent of...

Latest study predicts sea rises of between 3.1ft and 8ft this century Heavily populated US Atlantic and Gulf coasts could face up to 11ft sea rise Homes of 153 million people in at risk areas around the world threatened If carbon emissions "immediately and aggressively” cut, rise could be limited to 1ft10 this century According to a new peer reviewed study of global warming using the latest scientific studies of Antarctica’s vast melting ice sheets, seas could rise by double...

Astronomy boffins have come up with a new modern day series of star constellations - which include famous names like Usain Bolt, Tim Peake and Sir David Attenborough. University of Birmingham scientists created the star-studded designs in a bid to get younger people more interested in the cosmos. In one of the constellations, Harry Potter’s glasses light up the night sky as a tribute to the famous author JK Rowling. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt can also be seen pulling his...

This interactive map below exposes the links between those trying to thwart efforts to tackle global warming. Research by Mat Hope ,Editor of Desmog UK. Donald Trump is nothing if not distracting. And so he promises to be again this week on Tuesday, when world leaders gather in Paris for President Macron’s ‘One Planet’ summit. Timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the Paris Agreement on climate change, it is intended to be an opportunity to celebrate (and work out how...