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In the last few years, something strange has been afoot in the world of endurance running. In 2019, Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours – an astonishing achievement. On the track, world records have been tumbling with alarming regularity, clocked by endurance athletes who appear to scarcely believe their own times.
It’s since emerged that all these athletes have been trashing records while wearing the same revolutionary footwear, justifiably nicknamed “super shoes”. Biomechanics expert Jonathan Taylor explains what it is that makes these shoes so special, and whether this particular genie can ever be put back in the bottle – as many athletics fans are now demanding.
Elsewhere, scientists are warning that wild bees, many of which nest underground, are struggling to make room to reproduce in areas where pesticide use is high. And we’ve had an expert bring some much-needed clarity to reports that claim to measure vaccine effectiveness, given the confusion of variables and variants now in play in the fight against COVID-19.
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Alex King
Commissioning Editor, Science + Technology
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Newscom/Alamy Stock Photo
Jonathan Taylor, Teesside University
Endurance running is experiencing its 'marginal gains' moment.
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A female squash bee.
Charles Melton/Alamy Stock Photo
Philip Donkersley, Lancaster University
EU-banned pesticides could not only threaten wild bees where they eat, but where they sleep too.
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Israel has the highest rate of COVID-19 vaccine coverage worldwide, and so has been one of the first countries to report on vaccine effectiveness.
Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE
Mark Toshner, University of Cambridge
Real-world studies of vaccines aren't directly comparable with clinical trials, but their results are still good news.
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Environment + Energy
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Eloise Harding, University of Southampton
Retreat, re-liberalisation, or business as usual.
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Matthew Warke, University of St Andrews
This discovery will shape the hunt for life on exoplanets.
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Science + Technology
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Alessandra Fasulo, University of Portsmouth; Iris Nomikou, University of Portsmouth
The duration of our conversations is rarely ideal – but that's the price we pay for social solidarity.
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Queenie Hoi Shan Chan, Royal Holloway
A new study found iridium, an element found in asteroids, in the rocks of the Chicxulub impact crater.
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Health + Medicine
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Simon Clarke, University of Reading
The P1 variant has arrived in the UK, with early analysis suggesting it may be more transmissible and able to partially escape existing immunity.
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Alastair Noyce, Queen Mary University of London
Our study found lower levels of one type of immune cell – which may even be seen years before a person develops the disease.
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Business + Economy
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Keith Cuthbertson, City, University of London
Female representation on FTSE 100 boards has risen from 12% to over 33% in a decade.
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Aditya Goenka, University of Birmingham; Lin Liu, University of Liverpool; Will Foster, Keele University
One year on from when lockdowns began in the west, specialists reflect on how these two fields have responded to the crisis.
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Politics + Society
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Armida L. M. van Rij, King's College London
In the long term the US still needs Saudi Arabia as an ally in the Middle East.
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Boyang Su, King's College London; Sophie Wushuang Yi, King's College London
New laws demand that all public officials swear loyalty to China and the Communist Party.
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Arts + Culture
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Jessica Holtaway, Solent University
Seeking isolation can lead to creativity and a deeper understanding of oneself, as these artworks show.
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Featured events
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Online, Birmingham, Warwickshire, b15 2tt, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Birmingham
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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