Oxford study shows Manx shearwaters get lost when their body clocks get out of sync

Seabirds returning from foraging trips can be thrown hundreds of miles off course by a form of jet lag that arises when their body clocks get out of sync with local time, researchers say.

Tracking data from Manx shearwaters on the west coast of the UK revealed that when the birds returned home to their colonies after trips over the Atlantic, their rapid eastward flights disrupted their sense of time and navigation.

Study suggests much-loved work was based on a real dawn sky in July 1889 rather than just the artist’s rich imagination

It was long assumed to be a product of Vincent van Gogh’s rich imagination – but scientific sleuthing now suggests The Starry Night may be based on a real dawn sky.

Researchers say the celestial bodies depicted in the famous painting match the sky the Dutch artist may have seen on about 22 July 1889, a month later than the usual date given for the work.

Study pitting preschoolers against adults mostly in their 20s finds fear of failure and anxiety hamper the grownups

Ask a five-year-old to paint a picture and they will almost instinctively reach for the brush, but ask an adult to do the same and they will often hesitate and shy away. Now researchers say they know why.

While it is widely assumed children are more creative than adults, a new study challenges this notion, finding adults outperform preschoolers on creative tasks but generally feel less confident and more anxious doing them.

Antibody patterns in the blood may help doctors identify people at risk so they can be treated earlier, research shows

Patterns of antibodies in people’s blood could predict the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) a decade before diagnosis, according to research that raises hopes for catching the condition early.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of IBD, are typically treated only after symptoms appear, when the gut has already been damaged. But scientists found that the immune system sends warning signals up to a decade before diagnosis, paving the way for potentially earlier detection and even prevention.

Pontiff is recovering from a lobectomy, which is standard treatment for lung cancer caught early and can be curative

On Tuesday, surgeons in Rome removed the lower part of Pope Leo’s right lung, after a routine health check found a small growth that tests have since confirmed as lung cancer. The operation, called a lobectomy, is the standard treatment for lung cancer caught early, and for many patients it is the only treatment they will ever need. So what exactly did his doctors do, and what happens next?