Guardian - 19 January 2018, 16:28 (+ 2477 days 9 hours and 39 minutes) Sci-Tech
We’re far enough into January for most resolutions to have been tested somewhat. I’m one of the many hoping that doggedly sticking to Dry January will atone for December’s sins, and if that rings a bell with you, then here’s what the experts have to say about the efficacy of temporary abstinence. For those of you freshly committing to pursuits such as yoga, you might be interested in a new vascular study weighing up the claims made for hot yoga. However, all these healthy January ambitions may come to naught if your office, like mine, is heading for Aztec levels of pestilence (oh, all right, it’s not that bad – although it may get worse if people start letting go with their sneezes instead of stifling them after reading this cautionary tale of throat rupture). Still, if you are having to take a few duvet days it will give you more time to read up on the fascinating discovery of complex engineering and metal-work beneath an ancient Greek “pyramid” or maybe to indulge in a little creative thinking. If your nose is all bunged up the idea of smelling again – let alone being able to describe scent – may feel far off, but you might still be intrigued by this study which concludes that how we source our food might affect how we describe scent. And on a serious note, let’s hope this year brings more breakthroughs like this: researchers have made a major advance in developing a blood test that could use DNA and biomarkers to detect and identify cancers, including five types for which there is currently no screening test. That’s what I’m talking about, 2018: more of this, thanks. Continue reading...