To predict future sea level rise, we need accurate maps of the world’s most remote fjords: The 10km wide Petermann Fjord in northern Greenland. The author's icebreaker ship is a small dot in the middle. The cliffs on either side are a kilometre high. In the distance is the 'ice tongue' of the glacier flowing …
Boris Johnson’s claim of a ‘mandate’ from the people isn’t accurate – here’s how prime ministers really get power: Boris Johnson’s time as Conservative party leader has come to an end, after a chaotic week marked by rebellion from his cabinet. But despite the wave of resignations and calls from his top ministers to step …
Atheism in Kenya: why accurate numbers are hard to come by: Pupils in a school in Nairobi, Kenya, pray before a meal. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images The accuracy of statistics on religious affiliations in sub-Saharan Africa is questionable. This makes it difficult to assess religious trends. The issue has come to the fore recently …
Countries may be under-reporting their greenhouse gas emissions – that’s why accurate monitoring is crucial: Luciann Photography / Pexels Pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions are very welcome – but accurate monitoring across the globe is crucial if we are to meet targets and combat the devastating consequences of global warming. During COP26 in Glasgow, …
More accurate way to predict who will develop Alzheimer’s disease – new study: Orawan Pattarawimonchai/Shutterstock Beta-amyloid and tau are two proteins that serve useful functions in the brain, but in Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia – they go rogue and destroy brain cells (neurons). This happens when beta-amyloid forms clumps on …
The Dig on Netflix: a refreshingly accurate portrayal of an excavation – according to an archaeologist: Edith Pretty was convinced that the mounds on her land in Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, held important archaeological secrets. In 1939, on the eve of the second world war, she was proven right as the sumptuous ship burial of an …
Are sleep trackers accurate? Here’s what researchers currently know: Sleep trackers use an algorithm to estimate how much time you spent asleep based on body movements. Andrey_Popov/ Shutterstock An estimated one in three people report regular sleep complaints. So it’s hardly surprising people are more concerned than ever about getting enough sleep. This blossoming interest …
Even though mass testing for COVID isn’t always accurate, it could still be useful – here’s why: The mass testing of asymptomatic people for COVID-19 in the UK was thrown into question by a recent study. In a pilot in Liverpool, over half the cases weren’t picked up, leading some to question whether using tests that …
A nice Kings Beach image: Image from page 285 of “Cary’s new itinerary; or, An accurate delineation of the great roads both direct and cross throughout England and Wales : with many of the principal roads in Scotland, From an actual admeasurement” (1815) Image by Internet Archive Book Images Identifier: carysnewitinerar00cary Title: Cary’s new itinerary; …
A nice Paternoster image: Image from page 476 of “Rutherfurd’s southern counties register for … being a supplement to the almanacs; containing accurate lists of the public bodies, registered electors, &c. and much useful information connected with the counties of Roxburgh, Berwi Image by Internet Archive Book Images Identifier: rutherfurdssouth1866kels Title: Rutherfurd’s southern counties register …
We’ve come up with a TB test that’s cheaper, quicker and more accurate: Shutterstock Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that kills more people due to a bacterial infection than any other disease in the world. In 2016, the World Health Organisation reported over 10 million new infections and 1.7 million deaths. In South Africa, TB …