217 articles from THURSDAY 3.10.2019

Shocked scientists find 400km of dead and damaged mangroves in Gulf of Carpentaria

Mangrove monitoring trip to remote coast finds shocking impact of two cyclones across hundreds of kilometresA cascade of impacts including rising sea levels, heatwaves and back-to-back tropical cyclones has created 400km of dead and badly damaged mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria, a scientific monitoring trip has discovered.Prof Norman Duke, of James Cook University, spent 10 days monitoring...

In the twisted story of eugenics, the bad guy is all of us | Angela Saini

Francis Galton is rightly criticised for advancing this immoral, racist non-science. But remember, his ideas were mainstreamHow should we remember historical figures who we know have done terrible things? It’s a dilemma we face more often, as universities and public institutions critically examine their histories, reassessing the past with 21st-century eyes. And over the last year, University...

Vaping-linked lung injury may be caused by toxic fumes: study

Lung biopsies from 17 people affected by a US outbreak of severe pulmonary disease linked to vaping have revealed the injuries are consistent with exposure to noxious chemical fumes, scientists reported Wednesday. The research, carried out by the Mayo Clinic, a medical nonprofit, and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found no evidence of tissue injury caused by the accumulation of...

Demagogues thrive by whipping up our fury. Here’s how to thwart them | George Monbiot

The language of violence and outrage is dominating our discourse. To defeat it, we must learn not to respond in kindIs this democracy’s death spiral? Are we, in this country and others, falling into a lethal cycle of fury and reaction, that blocks the reasoned conversation on which civic life depends? Related: The Guardian view on language in politics: playing with fire | Editorial Continue...

Gut bacteria 'fingerprint' predicts radiotherapy side effects

Taking a 'fingerprint' of the mix of bacteria in the gut can indicate how susceptible individual cancer patients are to gut damage as a result of radiotherapy for prostate and gynaecological cancers, a new study shows. Researchers showed that having a reduced diversity of gut bacteria was associated with an increased risk of both immediate and delayed damage to the gut following radiotherapy.

Ancient scrolls charred by Vesuvius could be read once again

US scientists say it may be possible to decipher words using new x-ray techniqueWhen Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79 it destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, their inhabitants and their prized possessions – among them a fine library of scrolls that were carbonised by the searing heat of ash and gas.But scientists say there may still be hope that the fragile documents can once more be...