What the scientists are saying…
Children can’t help daydreaming
It’s no secret that children sometimes drift off during lessons; but according to a new study, they may be spending a quarter of their time in class daydreaming, affecting their ability to learn. Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast played 97 children aged six to 11 a story set in ancient Egypt, and every two minutes, asked them what they were thinking about. They found that girls and boys across the age groups typically admitted that their minds had wandered about a quarter of the time (although there were outliers: one boy had lost focus 83% of the time). The daydreamers said they were thinking about the rain, Harry Potter, sweets, football and TikTok, among other things. Afterwards, the children were asked questions about the story – what they could remember of it, and whether they’d found it interesting. It emerged that those who were less interested had daydreamed more, and those who’d daydreamed more could remember less. The study authors say children can’t help daydreaming and that the subject warrants more research. “The more we can learn about mindwandering in the classroom, the better we can design our teaching strategies and educational spaces to optimise engagement.”
Covid patients still ill a year later
Fewer than a third of people who were hospitalised with Covid-19 in the first 12 months of the pandemic had made a full recovery a year later, a new study has suggested. Women, obese patients and those who had been put on a ventilator were the most likely still to be suffering, reports The Guardian. “Given that more than 750,000 people have been hospitalised in the UK with Covid-19 over the past two years, it is clear from our research that the legacy of this disease is going to be huge,” said study co-author Dr Rachael Evans. The research involved 2,300 patients who were discharged from 39 NHS hospitals between March 2020 and April 2021. They were assessed twice, once at five months after discharge, and once at 12 months (though only 804 made it through to the second assessment). After five months, only 26% had made a full recovery, rising to 29% at the 12-month visit. The most common reported symptoms included fatigue, muscle pain, poor sleep and breathlessness. Blood tests revealed that many of those reporting ongoing symptoms were suffering from persistent inflammation.
Cancer “fingerprints” found
An analysis of the DNA of thousands of tumours has provided scientists with a “treasure trove” of new clues about the causes of cancer. Researchers at the University of Cambridge examined the complete genome sequence of more than 12,000 cancer patients, which, they said, gave them a “picture of all the mutations that have contributed to each person’s cancer”. By searching for “commonalities and differences” across these patients, they were able to detect 58 new patterns known as mutational signatures. These “are like fingerprints at a crime scene – they help to pinpoint cancer culprits”, said study co-author Prof Serena Nik-Zainal. And some of them, she added, may highlight abnormalities that can be targeted with particular drugs, or indicate an “Achilles’ heel” in individual cancers. The team said their findings could pave the way for more personalised cancer care.
An on-demand contraceptive pill
For the contraceptive pill to work, women must remember to take it every day – either for 21 days in 28, or continuously, depending on the type. And according to surveys, a large minority often forget. Now, though, researchers in the US say they have identified a “promising candidate” for an “on-demand” contraceptive, that women would only have to take just before having sex. The drug combines ulipristal acetate, a morning-after pill, which delays or prevents the release of the egg, with the anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam. Although used to treat conditions such as arthritis, meloxicam has been shown to disrupt ovulation. In a study, the combined drug was given to nine women in the days leading up to menstruation, when fertility is at its peak. It disrupted ovulation in six of them, and in all but one case, some criteria for incomplete ovulation were met. The team now hopes to test its safety and effectiveness on a larger group.