Rats will help others in distress, but they can be influenced not to

The “bystander effect” can influence humans – and now it seems rats as well – not to step in to help another, but only if the bystanders are emotionally uninterested in what is happening

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Covid-19 news: UK could eliminate coronavirus entirely, say scientists

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

4h

How to stop the coronavirus: What we've learned six months in

Some countries have all but eliminated the virus, in others it is surging and some are seeing a second wave. What can we learn from the best – and worst – strategies?

5h

A sprinkle of rock dust could help avoid catastrophic climate change

Spreading rock dust on cropland around the world could absorb a tenth of humanity's carbon budget, which would help avoid triggering catastrophic levels of global warming

7h

Polynesians and Native Americans met 800 years ago after epic voyage

Some Polynesian people carry genes from Native Americans, which they acquired around AD 1200 – suggesting an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean

7h

The powerhouses inside cells have been gene-edited for the first time

Making precise changes to the genomes of mitochondria within our cells could lead to treatments for disorders that can result in muscle weakness or even death in early childhood

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Grief over covid-19 deaths may be unusually severe and long-lasting

People who lose loved ones to covid-19 may be more at risk of developing prolonged grief disorder because of the unique circumstances surrounding the death

7h

Climate change may push Zika virus into southern and eastern Europe

Mosquitoes carrying Zika virus are infectious when temperatures are 19°C or higher – climate change may increase the virus’s range into southern and eastern Europe and the northern US

22h

Vaginal mesh safety review highlights failures in UK health system

The UK’s “unresponsive and defensive” healthcare system has failed women who developed life-changing conditions after pelvic mesh surgery, concludes a review into the treatment

22h

Risk of airborne coronavirus spread being underplayed, say researchers

Over 200 scientists have signed a letter calling for the world to recognise the potential for the coronavirus to be transmitted through small airborne droplets, and to take steps to protect against them

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