Biodiversity is linked to people’s diversity, and nature lends itself to people who are different, says author Joe Harkness

Move comes as South Cambridgeshire becomes first UK local authority to vote to make work pattern permanent Dozens of councils have been targeted by campaigners calling for a four-day week after it that emerged one local authority had become Britain’s first to vote to adopt the pattern permanently. The move comes shortly after thousands of private-sector workers were also told they would be staying on shorter working weeks with the same pay after more than 200 businesses decided it worked for them – in some cases, after lengthy trials. Continue reading...

Forget the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying groceries – fitness mavens like Joan MacDonald show you can strength train at any age

New technology also helps fruit yield, while strawberry, raspberry and blackberry output has risen British blueberries are the latest fruit to benefit from the warmest spring on record, with the harvest up by almost a quarter so far this year. Growers say the weather has produced an early crop with more and larger berries, while new varieties can bring higher yields and better resilience. About 5,133 tonnes are expected by the end of August, up significantly from almost 4,187 tonnes by the same point last year. Continue reading...

Colossal Bioscience is adding the extinct animal to its revival wishlist, joining the woolly mammoth, dodo and thylacine. But scepticism is growing

Experts say risk of 40C has almost trebled since 2000, with 50/50 chance of hitting that mark in next 12 years The UK has a 50/50 chance of seeing temperatures soar to 40C again in the next 12 years as the risk of extreme heat rises with the climate emergency, the Met Office has said. The meteorological experts also warned that far higher temperatures of 45C (113F) or more “may be possible” in today’s climate, while heatwaves could go on for a month or more. Continue reading...

Skewed interpretations of classic works are feeding the dark visions of tech moguls, from Musk to Thiel

These wolves were extinct for 10,000 years. Now, the DNA of their ancestors has brought them back to life. Should we be thrilled or terrified that these carnivores are back in action?

RSPB urges people to support threatened birds by cutting lawns less frequently and avoiding pesticides Fewer starlings than ever have been spotted by participants in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, raising fears for their numbers. The bird conservation charity is urging Britain’s gardeners to keep their lawns wild by not cutting them too often, and to avoid the use of pesticides, which reduce the number of insects to eat and can poison birds. Continue reading...

ChatGPT developer asks US federal judge to stop former founder making any further attacks The ChatGPT developer OpenAI has countersued Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of harassment and asking a US federal judge to stop him from “any further unlawful and unfair action” against the company. OpenAI was co-founded by Musk and its chief executive, Sam Altman, in 2015. However, the two men have been at loggerheads for years over its direction as it transitions from a complex non-profit structure into a more traditional for-profit business. Continue reading...

Five thousand new homes alongside a paradise for newts appears to fly in face of government’s ‘false wedge’

Research highlights link between low LDL cholesterol and reduced dementia risk, with statins offering additional protection Lowering your levels of bad cholesterol could reduce the risk of dementia by 26%, a study suggests. People with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in their blood have a lower overall risk of dementia, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease specifically, according to research published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Continue reading...

More than half of Britain’s 59 native species are in long-term decline, UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme finds Last summer was the fifth worst in nearly half a century for butterflies in Britain, according to the biggest scientific survey of insect populations in the world. For the first time since scientific recording began in 1976, more than half of Britain’s 59 native species are in long-term decline. Continue reading...

Denial of compensation for Raymond Lee, denied re-entry to UK in after 2019 trip to Jamaica, deemed ‘legal error’ by judge Windrush scandal victims who have been denied compensation could see their cases reconsidered after a landmark ruling against the Home Office. Raymond Lee, 67, was returning from a trip to Jamaica in 1999 when he was denied re-entry to the UK, detained and removed, separating him from his family and putting him out of work. Continue reading...

Expeditions may be more challenging than previously thought due to presence of toxic particles From a distance Mars looks beautiful, but sending astronauts to explore the planet might be more challenging than first thought, due to the presence of toxic dust. A new study identifies some of the health hazards and discusses the kind of personal protective equipment that astronauts might need. During Apollo missions to the moon, astronauts suffered from exposure to lunar dust. It clung to spacesuits and seeped into the lunar landers, causing coughing, runny eyes and irritated throats. Studies showed that chronic health effects would result from prolonged exposure. Martian dust isn’t as sharp and abrasive as lunar dust, but it does have the same tendency to stick to everything, and the fine particles (about 4% the width of a human hair) can penetrate deep into lungs and enter the bloodstream. Toxic substances in the dust include silica, gypsum and various metals. Continue reading...

Chi Onwurah urges government to bring forward AI safety bill instead of delaying it to curry favour with Donald Trump Concerns about the safety of artificial intelligence are at risk of being ignored by ministers, the Labour head of the Commons technology committee has said, as the government delays regulating the industry to curry favour with Donald Trump. Chi Onwurah, the chair of the cross-party committee, urged the government to bring forward the AI safety bill, which would require technology companies to hand over any large language models they build to UK regulators for testing. Continue reading...

The literary giant’s only child reflects on his father’s devotion in their days together in rural Scotland, his early death, his genius as a writer – and his reputation as a womaniser

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back safely with American Nicholas Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov Two Nasa astronauts stuck onboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024 finally arrived back on Earth on Tuesday evening, more than…

Data from European Space Agency’s mission has allowed researchers to create detailed catalogue of 380,000 galaxies Astronomers are predicting an “avalanche of discoveries” after the first major release of observations from a European space telescope…

The worst reforms since George Osborne will teach voters that politicians really are all the same. Is it worth it? asks Guardian columnist Frances Ryan

Researchers cite £2.4bn annual cost of flooding and say a third of England’s critical infrastructure is at risk Spending on flood defences will fall off a cliff edge next year, a report warns, calling on the chancellor to commit at least £1.5bn a year in…

More than 12,800 stores shut in 2024, down on 2023, but extra costs expected to take toll this year, study suggests The UK’s high streets are expected to empty out at a faster pace this year as extra costs imposed on businesses by Rachel Reeves are…

The $488m Spherex mission aims to explain how galaxies evolved over billions of years Nasa’s newest space telescope rocketed into orbit Tuesday to map the entire sky like never before – a sweeping look at hundreds of millions of galaxies and their shared…