Metformin: The world’s first drug to increase life expectancy could go on trial next year July 9, 2015 A drug designed to treat diabetes has been found to delay the ageing process as well – and it could be trialled in humans as soon as next year. Read more: Britain’s ageing population could boost economic growth – if we adapt Metformin, which has been prescribed as a human diabetes medicine for decades, was [...]
A machine has identified galaxies on its own for the first time July 9, 2015 Looks like Skynet draws nearer yet again – although on this occasion, it's a bit more literal. UK researchers have taught a computer how to “see”, turning it into a machine that doesn’t just scan the night skies, but can also recognise galaxy types without any human help. Astronomers and computer scientists at the University [...]
How fitness apps can help boost your workout July 8, 2015 No 1 Fitness personal trainer Mark Hallam tells us how technology can take your health regime to the next level – but will never replace a human touch. Thanks to the Apple Watch, wearable technology that can monitor your heartrate and calorie intake has moved well and truly into the mainstream, while fitness-tracking apps [...]
5 of the best July 8, 2015 MyFitnessPal This is one of the top food-tracking apps out there, with a vast database (more than 5m) of meals with pre-loaded calorie counts. Eating less is far easier if you’re faced with a list of all your indiscretions every day. It’s also free, albeit with optional upgrades. Free, iOS and Android The Training Notebook [...]
July Budget 2015: Shares dive for green energy firms as Osborne scraps tax exemption July 8, 2015 In today's Budget, chancellor George Osborne announced that the government is scrapping a green tax exemption enjoyed by renewable energy companies since 2001. Read more: George Osborne cuts corporation tax and bank levy as he tells firms "Britain is open for business" Currently, tax is not paid on renewable electricity supplied to businesses under renewable [...]
Microsft cuts thousands more jobs and takes $7.6bn writedown on Nokia phone business acquisition July 8, 2015 Microsoft chief Satya Nadella has made another round of job cuts as the business took a multi-billion dollar writedown on its purchase of Nokia. The struggling PC business will lay off 7,800 staff, the majority of whom work in the phone side of the business. It will also take a writedown of $7.6bn on the Nokia [...]
Are entrepreneurs born rather than made? This study hints risk-taking behaviour is beyond our control July 8, 2015 Some stray enough to the edge to create a successful business – while others fall off the edge. But whatever you think of risk-takers, it turns out taking a less-than-cautious approach to life may actually be genetic. Read more: Cultivating London's next generation of tech entrepreneurs Risk-taking, one of the most widely recognised qualities [...]
Why do women live longer than men? Lower risk of heart disease is the number one reason July 7, 2015 Across the world, women consistently live longer than men. In the UK, the most recent figures place their average life expectancies at 82.5 and 79.5, respectively. Read more: The UK's average age has reached an all-time high as population grows at an above-average rate The reason for the difference is not fully understood, but [...]
Good news: Tackling climate change is possible without hindering economic growth July 7, 2015 Unusually, this is a good news story about climate change. Rapidly falling costs for renewable energy mean that clean economic growth may now be “within our reach”, a new report shows. So what does this mean? Stopping global warming and creating a sustainable future may be possible – without hindering economic growth. Up to 96 [...]
Got a weak handshake? You might be ageing faster than you realise July 7, 2015 If you're surprised by how much older some of your school peers look every time you see them, while others tend to look exactly the same, your eyes probably aren't failing you. A new study from Duke University shows how people born within one year of each other age at phenomenally different rates, with [...]