A University of Toronto Scarborough study finds that showing COVID-19 data in a certain way can influence how seriously people view the pandemic, which in turn can affect behaviour.
The study looked at two commonly used types of data: stock (the total case counts since the pandemic started) and flow (the number of new daily cases). Researchers found that people viewed the pandemic as riskier – and more deserving of caution – when they were shown total...
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has told the leaders of Russia and Ukraine he is "ready to make efforts to mediate between all parties," the BBC reports.
In separate phone conversations with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, he expressed support for "a political solution" to their conflict.
He told Zelensky that the kingdom will extend by three months the visas of Ukrainian tourists and residents that are due to expire.
According to Saudi Arabian media, it...
Renewable energy that feeds into the main power grid could destabilize the system and potentially cause power failures, according to a new study.
Mathematicians from the University of Nottingham used data from smart meters to track how grid composition changes over time, and found resilience varies over the course of a day and that a high uptake of solar panels can leave the grid more susceptible to failure, Tech Xplore reports. Their findings have been published today...
The next time you get a craving for sushi rolls, you may feel a renewed appreciation for the ocean. It's to thank not only for your fish and seaweed wrapper, but, as a new Michigan Medicine study suggests, for the bacteria in your gut that digest seaweed.
The ocean is one of the largest reservoirs of carbon on the planet, much of it locked inside seaweed. Marine bacteria play a critical role in the carbon...
Swedish Armed Forces say four Russian fighter jets violated a ban on the use of its domestic airspace today.
The Scandinavian nation, which is not a NATO member, closed its airspace to Russian aircraft on Monday, in line with similar measures by other European nations.
In a statement, Sweden's military condemned the alleged incursion by the Russian warplanes as "unprofessional and irresponsible."
It noted the incident, said to have taken place over the Baltic Sea, was brief.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60582327
The United Nations says one million refugees have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries.
The exodus has taken place in just seven days. The Russian invasion began last Thursday.
As the BBC's Lewis Goodall points out: "The refugee crisis of 2015 involved 1.3 million. That's nearly been surpassed by the numbers from Ukraine in a week."
In a statement on Twitter, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi pleaded for "guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian...
The Queen is back at work and has carried out two virtual engagements, Buckingham Palace has said.
After testing positive for COVID, the 95-year-old had to cancel a number of events last week.
The virtual audiences on Tuesday were carried out by video link from Windsor Castle with the ambassadors of Andorra and Chad. Palace aides say the Queen will also be taking part in some private engagements, reports the BBC.
Although Buckingham Palace officials are not giving...
The tech industry is playing down fears of widespread raw materials shortages as a result of the war in Ukraine, after reports that chipmakers would face a severe crunch.
Russia and Ukraine are key suppliers of neon, a gas used in the lasers that etch microscopic patterns onto tiny slivers of silicon. Russia also supplies palladium, which has several uses in electronic components.
The sector has already been hit hard by a shortage of components for chipmaking,...
President Putin has put Russia's nuclear forces on "special" alert, raising concerns around the world. Some analysts suggest his actions should probably be interpreted as a warning to other countries not to escalate their involvement in Ukraine, rather than signalling any desire to use nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons have existed for almost 80 years, and many countries see them as a deterrent that continues to guarantee their national security, the BBC reports.
All figures for nuclear weapons...
Published in Jama Network Open and led by researchers from the Doherty Institute and The George Institute, the study found the majority of randomized clinical trials for COVID-19 are being performed in high-income countries, thereby misrepresenting the global burden of the disease.
Professor Steven Tong, a Royal Melbourne Hospital infectious diseases clinician, co-lead of clinical research at the Doherty Institute, principal investigator of the AustralaSian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT), and senior author on the paper, said the inequality could bring...
