New Scientist Australian Edition 24-Oct-20

Courses Introducing: New Scientist Academy Launching very soon, our expertly curated online courses allow you to learn from the best minds about the hottest topics in science – anywhere, anytime. Our first two courses cover the universe’s biggest mysteries and the human brain. Register your interest now. newscientist.com/courses Podcasts Weekly Tackling the climate crisis; essential, like, filler words of, um, language; mystery of the human penis; your covid-19 questions answered. newscientist.com/podcasts Newsletter Fix the Planet Our free newsletter delivers a weekly dose of climate optimism to your inbox. This week: could we make home delivery greener using magnetic freight pipes? newscientist.com/sign-up/fix-the-planet Online Instagram A huge python that sank its teeth into a sleeping woman’s posterior is just one of the startling images on our feed (also see page 12). instagram.com/newscientist Covid-19 daily briefing The day’s coronavirus coverage updated at 6pm BST with news, features and interviews. newscientist.com/coronavirus-latest Essential guide The…

Courses Introducing: New Scientist Academy Launching very soon, our expertly curated online courses allow you to learn from the best minds about the hottest topics in science – anywhere, anytime. Our first two courses cover the universe’s biggest mysteries and the human brain. Register your interest now. newscientist.com/courses Podcasts Weekly Tackling the climate crisis; essential, like, filler words of, um, language; mystery of the human penis; your covid-19 questions answered. newscientist.com/podcasts Newsletter Fix the Planet Our free newsletter delivers a weekly dose of climate optimism to your inbox. This week: could we make home delivery greener using magnetic freight pipes? newscientist.com/sign-up/fix-the-planet Online Instagram A huge python that sank its teeth into a sleeping woman’s posterior is just one of the startling images on our feed (also see page 12). instagram.com/newscientist…

EARLY on in the pandemic, we heard a lot about behavioural fatigue – the hunch that people would quickly grow tired of restrictions on their lives and throw caution to the wind. It was a factor in the reluctance of the UK government to go into lockdown too quickly, a delay that led to the virus getting out of hand. We don’t hear very much about behavioural fatigue any more. We feel it. The prospect of further restrictions or even “circuit breaker” lockdowns (see page 8) is greeted with dread, and the very real possibility of disobedience. This isn’t the time to let our guard down. Two obvious reasons are that we don’t want to overwhelm hospitals or shut schools. But there is another reason to mask up, observe distancing and stick…

RESEARCHERS in the UK have announced plans to infect volunteers with the coronavirus, starting in January. The aim is to establish the minimum infectious dose before testing potential vaccines. The study will be funded by the UK government, but has yet to get final ethical approval. “The top priority is participants’ safety,” says Chris Chiu at Imperial College London, whose team will carry out the study. “We have spent many months thinking about the evidence and weighing up the pros and cons.” The coronavirus doses will be created by a company called hVIVO, as the research requires a pure, quantifiable source of the virus, rather than an infection spreading person to person. The doses will contain the same strain that is currently circulating and will not be weakened in any way. Volunteers will…

EARLY on in the pandemic, we heard a lot about behavioural fatigue – the hunch that people would quickly grow tired of restrictions on their lives and throw caution to the wind. It was a factor in the reluctance of the UK government to go into lockdown too quickly, a delay that led to the virus getting out of hand. We don’t hear very much about behavioural fatigue any more. We feel it. The prospect of further restrictions or even “circuit breaker” lockdowns (see page 8) is greeted with dread, and the very real possibility of disobedience. This isn’t the time to let our guard down. Two obvious reasons are that we don’t want to overwhelm hospitals or shut schools. But there is another reason to mask up, observe distancing…

WITH cases of covid-19 rising in most parts of the UK, there is fierce debate over the best way to respond. While some people argue for a “let the virus rip” strategy, others want increasing social restrictions, up to and including full lockdown, as happened in the pandemic’s first wave. But is there another way? One idea gaining ground is that countries should hold regular pre-emptive lockdowns, each lasting about two weeks. They could be timed to coincide with school holidays, minimising disruption to education. In the UK, this would mean having these shutdowns around every two months. The concept may sound similar to short, sharp, “circuit breaker” lockdowns, which have been advocated by some scientists advising the UK government, including chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance. Northern Ireland began such a lockdown…