Scientist

A scientist has raised intriguing new questions about the world’s ‘oldest woman’

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When Jeanne Calment was born in 1875, in Arles, Provence, the average life expectancy for a woman was 48 and Thomas Edison was yet to make his light bulb. But this doughty French woman motored on for 122 years (and 164 days) to become the world’s oldest woman, powering through life with vim and gusto. … Read more

Coronavirus vaccine could be available ‘within months’, claims Oxford University scientist

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A coronavirus vaccine could be available ‘within months’, an Oxford University scientist has claimed. Professor Sarah Gilbert and colleagues at the Jenner Institute are ‘rapidly’ working out how to stop COVID-2019 spreading further. A ‘seed stock’ will soon be developed into a real vaccine in Italy, with an initial 1,000 doses for clinical trials.  The World Health … Read more

Killer coronavirus was NOT genetically engineered: Scientist debunks conspiracy claims

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Someone who is infected with the coronavirus can spread it with just a simple cough or a sneeze, scientists say. Over 2,000 people with the virus are now confirmed to have died and more than 75,000 have been infected. But experts predict the true number of people with the disease could be as high as … Read more

Scientist builds bracelet that jams microphones on smart speakers like Alexa and Siri

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Smart speakers, like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, have come under fire over the past few years for ‘listening’ to its owner’s conversations. Now, a team of scientists believe they have developed the ultimate weapon to block the devices’ spying abilities – a wearable that jams the microphone.   Dubbed the ‘bracelet of silence’, the chunky … Read more

Top scientist retracts an unrelated paper and admits she was a ‘bit busy’ when it was submitted

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Frances Arnold of the US was awarded for using the principles of evolution to develop new enzymes, which are the basic chemical tools of life. At first she tried to force such changes using more traditional methods, but her breakthrough came when she allowed evolutionary forces such as selection and even chance to govern the … Read more

Forget adding blueberries to your porridge, now scientist say you should fork out for chokeberries

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Forget blueberries or bananas in your porridge, add ‘chokeberries’ – scientists say the vitamin-packed, anti-ageing fruits are even healthier Chokeberries – also known as aronia berries – are high in antioxidants Their properties aren’t damaged when heated, unlike other fruits Scientists said this gives them great potential to be added to foods like porridge They … Read more