James Woodford

South Coast

Reporter at New Scientist

Author, journalist, Ocean Correspondent at Guardian Australia, co-owner http://t.co/wih6cPWzGl

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Articles

Fossil tracks rewrite history of animals leaving water to live on land

21 hours ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Evidence of the earliest known reptile-like animal, an ancestor of many four-limbed creatures including birds, reptiles and mammals, has been found in Victoria, Australia. The discovery could push back the timing of when these animals began to emerge from the water to live solely on land, one of the most important evolutionary events of life on Earth, though not everyone is convinced.
Innovatief tegengif werkt mogelijk tegen de dodelijkste slangen ter wereld

4 days ago | newscientist.nl | James Woodford

Immunologen hebben een tegengif ontwikkeld dat mogelijk werkt tegen de dodelijkste slangen ter wereld. Daarvoor hebben ze antistoffen verzameld van een man die jarenlang slangengif bij zichzelf heeft toegediend. Een tegengif voor slangen gebaseerd op de antilichamen van een hyperimmune man lijkt effectief te zijn tegen beten van verschillende soorten slangen. Hiermee lijkt de deur geopend naar een universele behandeling.
Chimps share 'building blocks of musical rhythm' with humans

5 days ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Musicality may have emerged in a common ancestor of chimps and humans, as both species share similarities in how they drum. Catherine Hobaiter at the University of St Andrews, UK, and her colleagues examined 371 examples of drumming from two of Africaâ€™s four chimpanzee subspecies: the western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) and the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii).
Major US cities like New York and Seattle are sinking at a rapid rate

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

More than two dozen of the biggest cities in the US are sinking, which could affect thousands of buildings and millions of people. The problem has been reported before, particularly in coastal areas. But by using satellite technology, which sends radar signals towards Earthâ€™s surface and measures the time it takes for them to bounce back, scientists have found that it affects 25 out of 28 of the countryâ€™s biggest cities.
Hoe Groenlandse haaien honderden jaren leven zonder blind te worden

1 week ago | newscientist.nl | James Woodford

Groenlandse haaien vertonen geen tekenen van netvliesdegeneratie, ondanks dat de dieren tot wel 400 jaar oud kunnen worden. Wetenschappers hebben nu genetische aanpassingen ontdekt die kunnen verklaren hoe dat kan. De ogen van Groenlandse haaien, de langst levende gewervelde dieren ter wereld, vertonen geen tekenen van fysieke achteruitgang, zelfs niet na een leven van honderden jaren.
Innovative antivenom may work against the world's deadliest snakes

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

A snake antivenom based on antibodies from a hyperimmune man seems to be effective against the bites of multiple species, raising the possibility that a universal treatment may be within reach. Snake bites cause up to 137,000 deaths a year and around three times as many amputations and disabilities. Antivenoms are currently created for individual snake species using antibodies from sheep or horses that have been exposed to their venom.
How Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years without going blind

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Greenland sharks, the longest-lived vertebrates in the world, show no signs of physical deterioration in their retinas even after living for hundreds of years. The finding is especially surprising as some scientists suspected the animals were functionally blind since they live in such deep, dark waters. Lily Fogg at the University of Basel, Switzerland, and her colleagues conducted physical studies of the eyes of eight dead Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) and sequenced their DNA.
NEW SCIENTIST ⟩ Avanes vanim aken minevikku: Antarktika jääpuurimine tõi välja üllatused mitme miljoni aasta tagant

2 weeks ago | teadus.postimees.ee | James Woodford

TeadusNew ScientistTellijaleIda-Antarktika paksul jääkoorel asuv uurimisjaam Dome C tahab pilku heita miljonite aastate vanustele ilmaoludele, et lahti seletadfa, mis põhjustas siis ja mis tulevikus suuri kliimamuutusi. Foto: AP / ScanpixÜle sajandi tagasi võistlesid mitme riigi maadeavastajad ägeda rahvusvahelise rivaalitsemisega selle nimel, kes jõuab maakera kõige lõunapoolsemasse punkti.
Iron Age site was a purple dye factory for centuries

4 weeks ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

For centuries, a coastal settlement in modern-day Israel was home to the industrial-scale production from marine snails of a purple dye that was one of the ancient worldâ€™s most precious commodities. Known as Tyrian purple, it was especially sought after to colour woollen textiles and was highly prized by the wealthy and powerful in Iron Age Mediterranean societies. But until now the direct evidence of any sites of large-scale production has been sparse.
Ancient humans may have faced radiation risk 41,000 years ago

4 weeks ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Around 41,000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic field weakened to just a fraction of modern levels, leading to a huge increase in the radiation hitting the surface of the planet. Some researchers suggest the Laschamps event, as it is known, could have pushed Neanderthals towards extinction, while modern humans might have protected themselves using tailored clothing and ochre sunscreen. Earth’s magnetic field extends into space and acts as a protective shield against harmful radiation.