Science Daily

Scientists discover simple way to relieve arthritis pain without pills or surgery

A surprisingly simple walking tweak may offer new hope for millions living with knee osteoarthritis. In a year-long clinical trial, researchers found that slightly changing the angle of a person’s foot while walking reduced knee pain as effectively as common medications — and even slowed cartilage damage inside the joint.

science  May 22, 2026

Science Daily

Sea level rise is speeding up and scientists now know exactly why

The world’s oceans are rising at an accelerating pace, and scientists now say they can fully explain what’s driving it. Warming seawater is the biggest factor, while melting glaciers and polar ice sheets are increasingly pouring more water into the oceans each year. Researchers also solved a puzzling mismatch in sea level measurements that had lingered for years.

science  May 22, 2026

Science Daily

Popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy may also target arthritis inflammation

Researchers have discovered that the GLP-1 hormone targeted by drugs like Wegovy is present in very low amounts inside the joints of arthritis patients. That finding suggests high-dose GLP-1 medications could potentially reach the joints and influence inflammation directly, not just help through weight loss. Scientists say this could open the door to a completely new approach to arthritis treatment.

science  May 22, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists discover a two-stage aging process that may cause cancer and arthritis

A new theory suggests many age-related diseases may actually start decades before symptoms appear. Researchers say early-life damage — from infections, injuries, or genetic mutations — can remain hidden until aging weakens the body’s ability to keep it under control. This could explain why conditions like cancer, osteoarthritis, and shingles suddenly emerge later in life.

science  May 22, 2026

Science Daily

Think you’re bad at languages? Experts say these 5 myths are to blame

Many people avoid learning a new language because they remember stressful grammar lessons or fear making mistakes. But language experts say communication, culture, and connection matter far more than perfection. Modern apps, entertainment, travel, and online communities have made learning easier, more social, and surprisingly fun.

science  May 22, 2026

The Guardian Science

Can a name change transform PCOS outcomes for women? – podcast

After more than a decade of global consultation, polycystic ovary syndrome – which affects as many as one in eight women – has been renamed. The condition is caused by high levels of androgens, which can lead to symptoms such as excess hair, weight gain and irregular periods. To understand why campaigners wanted it renamed, and what its new name – polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) – could mean for patients, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s science correspondent, Nicola Da

science  May 21, 2026

The Guardian Science

Ebola: how does it spread and can the outbreak be contained? – podcast

An outbreak of Ebola has emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, leading to nearly 400 confirmed cases and more than 100 deaths. To find out how the outbreak might have begun, what authorities can do to contain it and why this outbreak is causing particular concern, Ian Sample hears from Daniela Manno, a clinical epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

science  May 18, 2026

The Guardian Science

Craig Venter obituary

Pioneering and controversial geneticist who was one of the first to sequence the human genome, in part by using his own DNAAt the international BioVision conference in Lyon in February 2001, the geneticist Craig Venter performed a remarkable piece of scientific barnstorming. Human beings possess far fewer genes than science had ever realised, he announced. We have about 30,000, far lower than previous estimates of 100,000.Such lack of heritable material showed people are not prisoners of their g

science  May 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

The hantavirus outbreak has been well-handled – but there are still dangerous days ahead | Devi Sridhar

All the protocols that health experts like me look for have been followed. But outbreaks on cruise ships are notoriously hard to controlProf Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of EdinburghHantavirus: the disease you wish you’d never heard of, as visions of the Covid pandemic flash through your head. I’ve seen lots of breathless coverage and some bizarre takes on social media, so I imagine many people are confused as to what’s going on.Let me start by saying that this

science  May 12, 2026

The Guardian Science

Sound baths are supposed to help relax and ‘soothe’ your nervous system. But do any of these claims ring true? | Antiviral

Social media is awash with clips of people paying to be ‘bathed’ in sound. But what’s the science behind the practice?Read more in the Antiviral seriesI, for one, am partial to a bath: what’s not to love about a dim room, candles and nary an electronic device in sight?But a wellness trend that has emerged in recent years makes soaking in tepid water seem quaint: increasingly, people are paying to be “bathed” in sound. Continue reading...

science  May 12, 2026

The Guardian Science

US government studies into vaccine safety are being suppressed | Robert B Shpiner

The Food and Drug Administration commissioned the research and received the answer, but is not releasing itLast week, the New York Times and the Washington Post reported yet another troubling case of data suppression at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Studies of millions of vaccine recipients were completed by career scientists, peer-reviewed and accepted by working pharmacovigilance journals; after political appointees declined to sign off, they were withdrawn. The agency commissioned t

science  May 12, 2026

The Guardian Science

Did you solve it? I say tomato, you say tomato

The answers to today’s pronunciation puzzlesEarlier today I set you these two word puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.1: Pronounced the same, spelt differently.(Second option) (Switch back and forth)(Suitable) (Commandeer)(Satisfied) (Components)(Conference attendee) (Assign)(Price reduction) (Disregard)(Way in) (Enrapture)(Incorrect) (Disabled)(60 seconds) (Tiny)(In attendance) (Give)(Fruit and vegetables) (Generate)(Deny) (Rubbish)(Distress) (Surprise victory)AlternateAppropriateConte

science  May 11, 2026

The Guardian Science

Can you solve it? I say tomato, you say tomato

Pronunciation puzzlesUPDATE: Answers can be read hereA homonym is a word that has the same pronunciation as, or is spelt identical to, another word with a different meaning.For example, the letter “a” has the homonym “eh”.(Second option) (Switch back and forth)(Suitable) (Commandeer)(Satisfied) (Components)(Conference attendee) (Assign)(Price reduction) (Disregard)(Way in) (Enrapture)(Incorrect) (Disabled)(60 seconds) (Tiny)(In attendance) (Give)(Fruit and vegetables) (Generate)(Deny) (Rubbish)(

science  May 11, 2026

The Guardian Science

Did you solve it? Are you as s-s-smart as a snake?

The solution to today’s puzzleEarlier today I asked you this slippery question. Here it is again with the solution.Snakes in a cage Continue reading...

science  Apr 27, 2026

The Guardian Science

Can you solve it? Are you as s-s-smart as a snake?

This puzzle has biteUPDATE: S-s-solution up hereDid you hear about the snake that liked maths?I’m sure you did – it’s one of the oldest jokes in the book.* Continue reading...

science  Apr 27, 2026

The Guardian Science

'Astronauts back on Earth': Artemis II crew splashes down after record-breaking moon flyby – video

The Artemis II, and the four astronauts aboard the Orion space capsule, splashed down into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday night, with all four astronauts in good health. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch of Nasa, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, have just become the first humans to travel to the moon, and return to Earth safely, since the crew of Apollo 17 in December 1972‘Just the beginning’: Artemis II crew s

science  Apr 11, 2026

The Guardian Science

Artemis II splashdown – in pictures

The world watches on as astronauts on the 10-day Artemis II mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off California on Friday‘Just the beginning’: Artemis II crew splashes down after record-breaking moon flyby Continue reading...

science  Apr 11, 2026