Hypochondriacs die earlier than those who worry less about their health – what might explain this paradox?: HBRH/Shutterstock People who worry excessively about their health tend to die earlier than those who don’t, a recent study from Sweden has found. It seems strange that hypochondriacs who, by definition, worry yet have nothing wrong with them, …
Autumn statement: earlier tax cuts could boost UK economy, but businesses also need more certainty: It’s the right time to cut taxes to grow the economy, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Both he and the chancellor have been discussing the “path to reducing the tax burden” in recent days. The government is set to …
Humans got to America 7,000 years earlier than thought, new research confirms: The footprints come from a group of people of different ages. National Park Service When and how humans first settled in the Americas is a subject of considerable controversy. In the 20th century, archaeologists believed that humans reached the North American interior no …
Christmas shopping starts earlier every year – here’s why, and how to shop smart: Ground Picture/Shutterstock Schools have only just gone back and, in many parts of the UK, warm temperatures are still on the forecast. Yet British retailers are already looking ahead to Christmas, previewing products and launching advent calendars and seasonal drinks. Argos …
Humans were using fire in Europe 50,000 years earlier than we thought – new research: The control of fire by humans probably developed gradually over thousands of years. matsiukpavel / Shutterstock Human history is intimately entwined with the use and control of fire. However, working out when our relationship with fire began and how it subsequently …
White butterflies are filling Johannesburg’s skies earlier than usual. Climate change is to blame: Brown-veined white butterflies migrate annually from the Kalahari region to Mozambique. Instinctively RDH/Shutterstock Each year around mid-summer, somewhere between December and mid-January, the skies of South Africa’s Gauteng province, including the city of Johannesburg, fill with small white butterflies. Some land …
Pancreatic cancer could be diagnosed up to three years earlier – new study: Magic mine/Shutterstock Every year, more than 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, for most of those people, the disease is diagnosed too late to be cured. Less than 10% of people live five years following a diagnosis. …
Plants are flowering a month earlier – here’s what it could mean for pollinating insects: Rusana Krasteva / shutterstock Plants are flowering about a month earlier in the UK due to climate change. That’s according scientists at the University of Cambridge, who recently analysed the first flowering dates of 406 species and found a link …
Southern Africa’s Namaqualand daisies are flowering earlier: why it’s a red flag: Climatic drivers over the past 80 years have resulted in flowering season starting in late winter instead of spring. In late August each year, the normally barren landscape of the Namaqualand, along the western boundary of South Africa, is transformed into a vista …
Omicron: evidence shows it evades immunity from earlier infection more than other variants: South Africa is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. EMMANUEL CROSET/AFP via Getty Images Scientists are working around the clock to get a better understanding of the Omicron variant. Around the world countries have imposed travel bans to mitigate the spread. South …
Learning to read starts earlier than you might think: five tips from an expert: Learning to read. aijiro/Shutterstock Learning to read does not begin when a child puzzles over the words in a book for the first time. In the early weeks of their lives and even before birth, babies are skilfully processing important information …
Our North African ancestors were making handaxes earlier than previously thought: Handaxes, as seen in the top row, were common to this period; the tools seen in the bottom row appear to be unique to this site. Rosalia Gallotti More than 1.5 million years ago, a new era dawned for our human ancestors, Homo erectus: …
South Africa in the news: Early dinosaurs were SOCIABLE and moved in herds 193 million years ago – 40 million years earlier than previously thought, study finds: More than 100 eggs, complete with embryo remains still inside, have been dug up at a dinosaur graveyard in the Laguna Colorada Formation in Patagonia, Argentina.: “South Africa” …
Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study: For most of the time since the first description of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1868, the causes of this disabling disease have remained uncertain. Genes have been identified as important, which is why having other family members with MS is associated with …
Fossil footprints prove humans populated the Americas thousands of years earlier than we thought: Are these the footprints of the first-known American teen? Matthew Robert Bennett, Author provided Our species began migrating out of Africa around 100,000 years ago. Aside from Antarctica, the Americas were the last continents humans reached, with the early pioneers crossing …
Jacarandas in parts of South Africa are flowering earlier: why it’s a warning sign: Jacaranda trees in Pretoria. Shutterstock In September each year, South Africa’s Gauteng province turns purple. The cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria are well covered with trees – and jacarandas (Jacaranda mimosifolia), with their purple blooms in late spring, are a prominent …
Most buildings were designed for an earlier climate – here’s what will happen as global warming accelerates: Lunatictm/Shutterstock Climate change will affect every aspect of our lives – including the buildings we live and work in. Most people in the US, for example, spend about 90% of their time indoors. Climate change is fundamentally altering …
South Africa in the news: Biden now hopes for 1.5 million vaccinations a day, a big jump from earlier comments: Biden has said for weeks he’s aiming for 1 million coronavirus vaccinations a day. On Monday he raised the bar.: “South Africa” – BingNews Biden To Implement Travel Restrictions To Combat New Coronavirus Variants: U.S. …