02 SEPT 2021 Scientists in South Africa are monitoring a new coronavirus variant with an unusually high mutation rate, and whose frequency has gradually increased in recent months, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said Monday. The variant, known as C.1.2, was flagged last week by the KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation and Sequencing …
Read More »SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY THE IDEAL LEVEL OF EXERCISE INTENSITY FOR BOOSTING FITNESS
01 SEPT 2021 We all agree that exercise is good for you: but how hard and how often should you push yourself to get the best results? A large study looking at the link between habitual physical activity and fitness levels shows that “moderate-vigorous physical activity” is the most efficient …
Read More »HOW DID SOMALI PIRATES GET PAID?
29 AUG 2021 Rob Phayre, a former ransom delivery specialist who helped ship owners retrieve vessels and crews from pirates, has written a new novel based on his experiences off Somalia. He recently corresponded with The Maritime Executive about the nature of the work and the root causes of Somali piracy. TME: …
Read More »TYPE 2 DIABETES INTO REMISSION, A SIMPLE DIET, ACCORDING TO SCIENCE
23 AUG 2021 Until recently, type 2 diabetes has mainly been managed by controlling risk factors – such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar (glucose) levels – usually by prescribing drugs. But this approach doesn’t address the underlying causes of type 2 diabetes – such as problems with the hormone …
Read More »EARTH’S ROTATION IS SLOWING DOWN, AND IT COULD BE WHY WE HAVE OXYGEN FOR LIFE
09 AUG 2021 Ever since its formation around 4.5 billion years ago, Earth’s rotation has been gradually slowing down, and its days gotten progressively longer as a result. While Earth’s slowdown is not noticeable on human timescales, it’s enough to work significant changes over eons. One of those changes, new …
Read More »RESISTANT SARS-COV-2 VARIANT COULD EMERGE ANY TIME. HERE’S WHAT RAISES THE RISK
05 AUG 2021 With hopes pinned on mass vaccination programs seeing an eventual end to the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens around the world are lining up for a jab. So far, efforts to curb the outbreak by spreading immunity this way seem to be working – but according to new research, right now …
Read More »LONG COVID HAS OVER 200 SYMPTOMS, AND THEY’RE MORE WIDESPREAD IN US THAN WE THOUGHT
26 JULY 2021 Besides dealing with everything else that COVID-19 has thrown our way, medical experts are working hard to get a better idea of what’s causing long COVID – a condition where symptoms persist for months after a COVID-19 infection. A new study has identified 203 different long COVID symptoms across …
Read More »UNVACCINATED CRUISE GUESTS GET SECOND-CLASS TREATMENT AT SEA
18 JULY 2021 Royal Caribbean’s 4,275-passenger Freedom of the Seas has restarted sailings from Miami to the Bahamas with two classes of passengers on board—those who’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19, and those who have not. Jabbed guests, identified with special wristbands, get full run of the ship; those unprotected from the virus …
Read More »IS EATING FAT GOOD FOR YOU OR NOT? HERE’S WHY IT’S SO CONFUSING
14 JULY 2021 You’d be forgiven for being confused about whether or not you should eat fat. For a long time, people were told to stay well away from it entirely. But lately, fat seems to be back on the table – but only certain types of fat. With so …
Read More »WHAT IS THE DELTA VARIANT? 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
5 JULY 2021 For the first time in more than a year, we’re feeling some hope – or at least cautious optimism – that the pandemic could recede to the background. But experts want us to know that there is still a concern that new mutations of the virus could bring it back, and …
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