Technology

More than half of people who wear disposable face masks to protect against coronavirus are using them multiple times, while those who opt for reusable coverings are not washing them regularly, the government’s top scientific advisers have found. According to a report by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), only one in eight people are

The new head of the Secret Intelligence Service has said he will try and persuade some of his Twitter followers to work for MI6. Richard Moore, formerly the British ambassador to Turkey, was an active Twitter user under his old account – tweeting more than 18,000 times since joining in November 2013. Tweeting from @ChiefMI6

Cyber security analysts tasked with investigating Huawei equipment used in the UK’s telecommunications networks discovered a “nationally significant” vulnerability last year. Investigators at the UK’s Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) found an issue so severe that it was withheld from the company, according to a oversight report published on Thursday. Vulnerabilities are usually software

Astronomers have found six galaxies lying around a supermassive black hole in a cosmic “spider’s web” of gas extending to more than 300 times the size of the Milky Way. Researchers say it was formed when the universe was less than a billion years old and this is the first time such a close grouping

Some users of the new NHS contact-tracing app have received notifications saying they’d been near someone with coronavirus, only to discover the alerts were system checks sent by Google and Apple. People who downloaded the COVID-19 app in England and Wales told Sky News they had received a notification which said: “Someone you were near

Earth may have lost up to 60% of its atmosphere in a collision that led to the formation of the Moon more than four billion years ago, scientists believe. The research, led by Durham University, is based on 300 computer simulations looking at the consequences of the impact of collisions on rocky planets with thin

Jet pack paramedics could soon be a reality, after a successful test flight took place over the Lake District. Gravity Industries has been testing the capabilities of its jet pack-suit in emergency situations in Cumbria, which can travel at speeds of up to 32mph (51kmph), alongside the local air ambulance service. Footage of the test

After more than a decade of electoral failures, the Pirate Party UK (PPUK) is holding a ballot to dissolve. It seems likely that, when voting closes on Sunday 4 October, the party will be scuttled. Speaking to Sky News, current and former members described a party which perhaps lacked political will and professionalism (in one

Apple’s share price has been steadily increasing over the past week as rumours about the iPhone 12 continue to grow. A launch event held earlier this month did not announce a new product in its flagship line of smartphones – and instead, the Apple Watch and iPad stole the limelight. The next-generation iPhone, and Apple’s

Older people are being excluded from the vast majority of trials to find treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19, according to a study. Around 9% of the global population is 65 and older, but this demographic has accounted for up to 40% of coronavirus cases and 80% of deaths. People in that age group were

More than 10 million people have downloaded the NHS contact-tracing app since it launched on Thursday, despite it suffering a problem that left tens of thousands of test results unlogged. The app, which Health Secretary Matt Hancock described as an “important step forward” in tackling COVID-19, had been downloaded six million times on its first

Half a million sharks could be killed for their natural oil to produce coronavirus vaccines, according to conservationists. One ingredient used in some COVID-19 vaccine candidates is squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks. Squalene is currently used as an adjuvant in medicine – an ingredient that increases the effectiveness of a

Texas officials have warned thousands of residents of a city in the state about using tap water after a deadly brain-eating microbe was found in the water supply. Tests were carried out on the system and confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri in Lake Jackson after a six-year-old boy contracted the microbe and died earlier

A problem that prevented tens of thousands of people from logging the result of their coronavirus tests on the new NHS contact-tracing app has been fixed, according to a Department of Health spokesman. In a statement, they said: “Everyone who receives a positive test result can log their result on the app. “A minority of

Remember those early days in the COVID journey, where everyone talked about “following the science”? Looking back, it seems almost childishly naïve. Back then we were only just learning about concepts like “the R rate” or “T cell immunity,” and Zoom quizzes were a novel way to spend an evening rather than something to shudder

Patients with sufficient levels of vitamin D are less likely to experience complications and die from COVID-19, according to a new study in the US, while another has found it also reduces infection rates. Vitamin D sufficiency was linked with a significantly decreased level of inflammatory markets, and higher blood levels of immune cells, in