Medicines that have been approved to medicate one ailment are being repurposed to treat others, saving lives and giving fresh hope to millions saddled with disease. By VITTORIA D’ALESSIO Drug discovery is slow, expensive and often ends in failure, so no wonder scientists are exploring new ways to medicate disease. One source of hope lies in … Read more
By Anthony King Scientists track birds with electronic tags and radar to solve flight mysteries. In answering ecological questions, the research findings may also improve infrastructure planning Feathers mark birds as a group, but with feathers come remarkable aerial feats. Bar-tailed godwits can fly 12 000 kilometres non-stop, flapping for over 200 hours. The avian … Read more
Psychedelic drugs are mostly banned in Europe, but new research suggests they may be beneficial to some when taken in a controlled setting. By VITTORIA D’ALESSIO Mind-bending drugs and psychedelics are generally stigmatised and illegal in EU member states, due to concerns about their possible harmful effects. However, in other parts of the world, some psychedelic … Read more
Sound-diffracting walls and rubberised asphalt ingredients tackle the major environmental concern of noise pollution from traffic. By TOM CASSAUWERS In cities across the European Union, noise is a significant health hazard along with air pollution. Efforts are under way to reduce a major source of both: traffic. Noise is the number-two environmental source of health troubles, … Read more
New formulation sunscreens could offer better protect against skin cancer by filtering out more harmful ultra-violet rays. By SARAH WILD While most Europeans enjoy a holiday in the sun, high energy ultraviolet (UV) light from sunshine damages the DNA in our skin. The best-known adverse effect of excessive UV exposure is erythema (sunburn), but excessive UV … Read more
Advanced techniques to analyse the Dead Sea Scrolls and Eastern papyri are revealing vibrant secrets about daily life in the ancient world. BY ETHAN BILBY Around 2 100 years ago, a Judaean scribe deftly swirled a stylus to dab the final strokes of black ink onto a piece of parchment. His work, a copy of the … Read more