Science
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Just 1 minute of vigorous exercise a day could add years to your life
Exercise doesn’t have to last long to deliver big benefits SOL STOCK LTD If you don’t exercise for the sake of exercising, doing five or six vigorous activities, each lasting just 10 seconds or so every day, can make a big difference. A study in the US has found that people who did a total of just over 1 minute…
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Is Africa about to see the solar energy boom it needs?
Solar panels for sale in Niamey, Niger, a country where solar energy is booming BOUREIMA HAMA/AFP via Getty Images A record surge of solar panels flowing from China to countries in Africa over the past year is a sign the continent is seeing a rapid build-out of renewable energy. That could help expand access to cheap, clean electricity and reduce…
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Unprecedented Arctic heatwave melted 1 per cent of Svalbard’s ice
Svalbard saw record-breaking high temperatures in the summer of 2024 Xinhua/Shutterstock During the summer of 2024, six weeks of record-smashing heat led to a record-obliterating amount of ice melting on the islands of Svalbard in the Arctic. By the end of the summer, 1 per cent of all the land ice on the archipelago had been lost – enough to…
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Microwaving rocks could help mining operations pull CO2 out of the air
Nickel West in Australia is one of many mines that could use microwaves to store CO2 in waste rock BHP Mining generates billions of tonnes of waste rock each year. If those piles of unused rock can be made to react with carbon dioxide, they could help remove large amounts of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. However, current methods…
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Deep-living microbes could ‘eat’ energy generated by earthquakes
Microbes might find energy in surprisingly inhospitable places ublic domain sourced / access rights from The Book Worm / Alamy Rocks fractured by earthquakes could unlock a wide menu of chemical energy sources for microbes living deep underground – and similar processes could potentially support microbes within other planets. “This opens up a whole new set of metabolisms,” says Kurt…
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Steadfast lifestyle changes seem best to improve cognitive decline
Regular exercise could help keep us sharp YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images A structured course of exercise, diet, cognitive challenges and social engagement seems to be particularly effective at warding off cognitive decline, compared with more relaxed self-guided efforts. The brain’s capacity to remember, use language and solve problems tends to decline with age, often leading to dementia. Yet, research…
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Gluten may not actually trigger many irritable bowel syndrome cases
Gluten is a protein found in most types of bread TONO BALAGUER/Getty Images Some people who think gluten worsens their irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms actually experience no more discomfort when they eat the protein, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. IBS commonly causes abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. While the mechanism is unknown, many people with…
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Built-in fire extinguishers can prevent battery explosions
Lithium-based batteries like the ones that power electric vehicles are at risk of overheating YONHAP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Batteries enhanced with a polymer material that releases fire-suppressing chemicals at high temperatures are significantly less likely to explode into flames. This technique could boost the safety of battery-reliant machines, like electric cars and medical devices. “Our approach enhances safety within mainstream liquid lithium batteries,”…
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Forests’ vanishing snow is also bad news for carbon storage
Forests like Mount Mansfield State Forest in Vermont are losing their snowpacks Douglas Rissing/Getty Images Many forests are losing their winter snowpack as global temperatures rise, and that could substantially slow their growth – and reduce the amount of carbon they remove from the atmosphere. Current projections “are not incorporating that complexity of winter climate change, so they are likely…
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Polycystic ovary syndrome may be passed on via chemical tags on DNA
Illustration of enlarged ovaries in someone with polycstic ovary syndrome Science Photo Library/Alamy Polycystic ovary syndrome may be passed down through families via chemical tags that change the structure of DNA, suggesting that drugs that modify these tags in embryos could prevent the condition. People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have at least two of three key features: high levels…
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