Oxford historian Peter Frankopan, who carries the all-encompassing job title of Professor of global history, has now gone one step further by attempting to tell the whole history of mankind in its connectedness and exchange with the Earth’s natural environment. This is a very ambitious undertaking, filling more than 660 pages for the text alone.
Mountains of books have been published instructing us on how to live a healthy life well into old age. Few, however, are written by authors as well qualified on this topic as Shilpa Ravella. Assistant Professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, US, Ravella specialises in transplant gastroenterology and human nutrition, and has authored papers on a range of medical topics.
Bacteriophages – viruses that attack bacteria – could be a valuable weapon in the fight against drug resistant infections, but more investment is needed to realise the benefits, reports Jasmin Fox-Skelly.
Early detection of Alzheimer’s could lead to speedier interventions and treatments – years before symptoms appear, Maria Burke reports
Recent research shows how emulsions – and other novel techniques to mix oil and water – can tackle problems ranging from the pain caused by dry eye to reducing salt in processed foods. Lou Reade reports
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances first showed up in human blood in the 1960s. In the early 2000s, reports emerged of their presence in Arctic wildlife – including polar bears. Now the race is on to scrub these ‘forever chemicals’ from the environment. Emma Davies reports
Alcohol consumption causes a litany of health problems, including heart disease, liver scarring, and immune deficiency. Now, scientists report on a probiotic they say could reduce its harms. Researchers in China found that feeding mice a genetically engineered bacteria reduced alcohol absorption, prolonged toleration of alcohol and reduced recovery time after alcohol consumption.
Global leaders have committed to tackling plastic pollution, supporting science and innovation, and reversing loss of biodiversity, among a roll call of pledges at the April 2023 G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers’ meeting in Sapporo, Japan.
AMTE Power, a Scottish battery producer responsible for developing some of the world’s first lithium-ion batteries, has warned that new incentives being offered for green technologies in the US could make it difficult for battery companies to justify basing production in the UK.