Grizzlies and polar bears are breeding thanks to climate change
Rising temperatures are simultaneously driving grizzly bears north and polar bears south, prompting interbreeding between both species. Conservationists are weighing up the possibility of controlling genetic adaption to help animals of the future cope with climate change. From time to time, it’s good to remind ourselves that climate change isn’t...
Current in Science
Europe’s first psychedelic drug trial firm opens in London
Clerkenwell Health aims to establish the UK as the heart of the commercial psychedelic research ecosystem, working closely with experts and drug developers around the world to tackle some of the most complex mental health conditions. After decades of demonisation and criminalisation, psychedelic drugs are being proved to have...
Scientists make woman’s skin cells act thirty years younger
A breakthrough in medicine, skin-care, and anti-ageing research could be on the horizon: 53-year-old woman’s skin cells have been altered to look and behave like those of a 23-year-old. Scientists in Cambridge have stunned the medical community by altering the skin cells of a 53-year-old woman to the equivalent...
Why the future of energy is sun-powered
As the world turns away from Russian gas, the EU is determined to build up its solar industry. Nations and engineers are already making crucial moves to ensure this happens. Everybody loves the sunshine, as Roy Ayers once said. And why wouldn’t we, when it could be our forever solution to...
New research suggests fungi may be communicating with ‘words’
As if they weren’t magical enough, scientists have discovered that mushrooms are potentially talking to each other using a bountiful vocabulary which bears a striking structural similarity to human speech. If you aren’t a stranger to my writing, by now I’m sure you’re well aware of my deep-rooted obsession with...
Asteroid mining start-up to raise funds through NFTs
There are several ambitious space initiatives in the works as we speak, and many of them have one thing common: they’re attempting to raise seed funding through NFTs. ExLabs hopes a crypto injection will facilitate its asteroid mining explorations. Since the turn of the year, a host of space start-ups...
Tiny particles of plastic have been found in human blood
An ‘extremely concerning study’ has detected microplastic pollution in human blood for the first time, with scientists warning that the long-term consequences are not yet known. Just when you thought our plastic pollution problem couldn’t get any worse, a recent study has detected tiny particles of the stuff in human blood for the first time. While we’re yet to know the long-term health implications of this finding, scientists have deemed...
Is the gene-editing technology CRISPR a good idea?
The scientific discovery of a genetic code called CRISPR could help eradicate diseases in humans forever, but could altering genes become a slippery slope? There are over 6,000 known human genetic disorders, with more being discovered and named every day. At the time of writing this, only 10 percent of them are treatable. Genetic diseases can reduce quality of life, cause chronic pain, and shorten lifespan drastically, which is why the...
Opinion – How I came to terms with Type 1 diabetes
Getting diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 21 was nothing short of life-changing, but in a matter of weeks I have learned there is a silver lining to everything – even chronic health conditions. ‘There will be moments where you’ll think: “Why me?” but you can’t think that way. Because there is no “why” and this is just something that is now part of what makes you, you.’ My nurse, Dorcas,...
Scientists may have just discovered a breakthrough treatment for HIV
A mixed-race woman appears to be the third person ever to be cured of the virus with a new approach that holds the potential for curing more people of racially diverse backgrounds. Globally, 37.7 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2020 (according to WHO). In Africa, it affects nearly 1 in 25 adults, with the region alone accounting for more than two-thirds of that staggering worldwide...
