https://www.scmp.com/rss/331088/feed Echo is a science reporter with the Post. She joined the Post in 2019. She has a master's degree in journalism. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com https://www.scmp.com/infographics/world/article/3243218/cop28-dubai-climate-change-concerns-and-look-what-2-degrees-warmer-means-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/world/article/3243218/cop28-dubai-climate-change-concerns-and-look-what-2-degrees-warmer-means-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2023 03:00:10 +0000 China should take action to reduce the potential impact of hot weather on suicide rates and protect people’s mental health as global temperatures continue to rise, according to researchers. The measures could include early intervention, education, social support, meteorological warnings and long-term climate adaptation strategies, the researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai said. The suggestions follow a study the academics conducted into the relationship between rising temperatures and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3234800/why-hotter-weather-may-mean-rise-suicide-deaths-china-reality-climate-change-hits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3234800/why-hotter-weather-may-mean-rise-suicide-deaths-china-reality-climate-change-hits?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Sep 2023 03:00:13 +0000 Should you wrap a quilt around you to make you sweat when suffering from a fever? Will your skin get darker if you frequently use dark brown soy sauce? These questions may seem simple, but in China, they have repeatedly become subjects of debate in families, often creating divides. And while Beijing has vowed to rely on a so-called talent dividend to drive innovation and high-quality development, the general public still have low scientific knowledge, with only 13 per cent categorised as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3234393/chinas-hi-tech-ambitions-under-threat-scientific-literacy-inadequate-support-innovation-driven?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3234393/chinas-hi-tech-ambitions-under-threat-scientific-literacy-inadequate-support-innovation-driven?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 22:00:21 +0000 The founding of China’s new top science and technology planner – a Communist Party body at the core of Beijing’s technology competition with Washington – went quietly. It was not publicly known that the Central Science and Technology Commission, a new party organ stemming from a sweeping institutional revamp, had been set up or held its first meeting until a brief mention by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) on its website in July. The science and tech policy planner is the final... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3233245/mystery-around-chinas-new-science-and-tech-body-sign-secrecy-come-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3233245/mystery-around-chinas-new-science-and-tech-body-sign-secrecy-come-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2023 22:00:18 +0000 China plans to strengthen environmental regulation of deep-sea fish farming as it seeks to expand the industry to meet the nation’s food security needs. Hu Songqin, an official with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, on Monday said coastal regions would be urged to speed up the introduction of local standards for discharging water contaminated by aquaculture. Hu also said the monitoring system for contaminated water would be gradually improved nationwide, environmental regulations would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3232590/china-plans-tighten-environmental-regulation-deep-sea-fish-farming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3232590/china-plans-tighten-environmental-regulation-deep-sea-fish-farming?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:00:10 +0000 China is aiming to improve its capacity to supply advanced medicines and medical equipment, with the cabinet passing plans to support the development of the industries. In an executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang on Friday, the State Council endorsed two work plans to promote “high-quality development” of the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries for 2023-25. State news agency Xinhua said the plans were meant to improve China’s capacity to produce advanced pharmaceuticals and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3232411/china-targets-hi-tech-drug-and-medical-equipment-industries-support-hedge-against-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3232411/china-targets-hi-tech-drug-and-medical-equipment-industries-support-hedge-against-west?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Aug 2023 14:00:14 +0000 Allowing a landmark US-China science research pact to lapse would be a loss for both countries, observers said, as Washington sought a six-month extension to the decades-old agreement due for renewal within days. The 1979 Science and Technology Agreement was the first US-China accord to be signed after relations were normalised that year. It will expire on Sunday without administrative action to keep it alive. The short-term extension would keep the STA in force as the US sought “authority to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232207/oldest-us-china-science-deal-hangs-balance-washington-seeks-amend-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232207/oldest-us-china-science-deal-hangs-balance-washington-seeks-amend-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:00:10 +0000 A team of Chinese and Italian researchers has restored parts of a 300-year-old Catholic church in Venice, Italy, using modern nanotechnology. The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth, which overlooks the Grand Canal and is a prime example of Venetian Baroque architecture, is the beneficiary of a patented method developed to consolidate, or treat, marble stones damaged by time and the elements. The research was funded by the Veneto regional government, the National Natural Science Foundation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232017/chinese-italian-nanotechnology-research-helps-preserve-stone-and-repair-historic-church-scalzi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232017/chinese-italian-nanotechnology-research-helps-preserve-stone-and-repair-historic-church-scalzi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2023 08:00:14 +0000 Researchers looking into the remains of an ancient drainage system in central China have uncovered new evidence of a collective side to a Neolithic culture that otherwise appeared highly centralised. The team from China and Britain said the Pingliangtai people were part of a “collective social governance” society rather than a centralised hierarchy when they created the ceramic water management system 4,000 years ago in what is now Henan province. The system operated mainly at the household and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3231438/how-ancient-chinese-city-used-collective-power-divert-threat-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3231438/how-ancient-chinese-city-used-collective-power-divert-threat-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:00:14 +0000 A team of Chinese researchers has found lakes on the Tibetan Plateau have been decreasing in salinity over the past two decades because of expanding water volume – a trend that scientists say is encouraging for the region’s aquatic biodiversity. These lakes account for half of China’s total lake surface area, and the change in salinity could also affect the region’s freshwater resources, according to researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In a study published in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3231182/chinese-team-says-climate-change-makes-tibetan-plateaus-lakes-more-hospitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3231182/chinese-team-says-climate-change-makes-tibetan-plateaus-lakes-more-hospitable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 03:00:20 +0000 A US ban on investment in certain sensitive technologies in China will have a limited impact since these areas have become less reliant on American funds in recent years, according to Chinese scientists. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday to block US dollars from flowing to Chinese semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information tech and certain artificial intelligence systems – the latest move to blunt China’s access to such technologies. Rapid advancement by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3230678/we-wont-feel-intimidated-chinese-scientists-see-limited-impact-us-hi-tech-investment-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3230678/we-wont-feel-intimidated-chinese-scientists-see-limited-impact-us-hi-tech-investment-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Aug 2023 22:00:17 +0000 Chinese archaeologists have found what they claim is the first complete skeleton of a giant panda in a Han dynasty emperor’s tomb dating back more than 2,000 years. The giant panda is thought to have been sacrificed to accompany the emperor Emperor Wen, who reigned from 180 to 157 BCE, into the afterlife. The animal’s remains were lying in a satellite pit, with its head facing in the direction of the tomb. The tomb is in the modern day city of Xian in Shaanxi province, once the capital of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3230141/chinese-archaeologists-find-first-complete-panda-burial-2000-year-old-han-dynasty-tomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3230141/chinese-archaeologists-find-first-complete-panda-burial-2000-year-old-han-dynasty-tomb?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2023 01:00:17 +0000 In the wake of Beijing’s heaviest rainfall in 140 years, experts have warned that China needs to strengthen its weather and hydrological monitoring system, with the number of extreme weather events expected to increase due to climate change. The downpours in the Chinese capital, which caused deadly flooding, broke a swathe of meteorological records. According to the Beijing Meteorological Service, one station in the northwest district of Changping recorded 744.8mm (29.32 inches) of rainfall... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229881/what-can-beijing-learn-worst-flooding-140-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229881/what-can-beijing-learn-worst-flooding-140-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Aug 2023 22:00:15 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to boost investment and support for research into scientific fundamentals, saying the country must achieve technological self-reliance. In an article published in the Communist Party’s theoretical journal Qiushi on Tuesday, Xi said strengthening fundamental research was an imperative for China. He added that it was an urgent matter to build up research in the face of international scientific and technological competition. The call comes amid the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229651/chinese-president-xi-jinping-pledges-more-funding-and-support-research-face-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229651/chinese-president-xi-jinping-pledges-more-funding-and-support-research-face-international?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:32:59 +0000 China’s largest freshwater lake has made its earliest start the dry season in more than 70 years, raising concerns of a repeat of drought conditions that shrank the body of water to just a quarter of its usual size last year. Located in the eastern province of Jiangxi, Poyang Lake entered its dry period on July 20, the earliest date since records began in 1951, and 17 days earlier than last year. According to the Jiangxi hydrological monitoring centre, the water level at the Xingzi hydrological... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229393/chinas-poyang-lake-marks-earliest-dry-season-record-sparking-drought-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229393/chinas-poyang-lake-marks-earliest-dry-season-record-sparking-drought-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jul 2023 08:00:28 +0000 Typhoon Doksuri caused widespread flooding and landslides in the southeastern province of Fujian after making landfall on Friday morning. As it moves north and deeper inland, the storm will bring extreme rainfall to Beijing and its neighbouring provinces, affecting 130 million people, according to the National Meteorological Centre. On Saturday evening, the centre upgraded an orange alert for rainstorms to a red alert, the highest in China’s four-tier weather warning system. It is the second... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3229360/typhoon-doksuri-hammers-china-bringing-floods-and-landslides-southeastern-province?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3229360/typhoon-doksuri-hammers-china-bringing-floods-and-landslides-southeastern-province?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2023 10:22:27 +0000 With the help of Chinese scientists, Thailand debuted its first tokamak device – a machine designed to replicate the sun’s nuclear fusion process – in a milestone for sustainable energy research and scientific cooperation between the countries. The Thailand Tokamak-1, which started operating on Tuesday, is a joint effort between the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Plasma Physics in the southeastern city of Hefei. The device is the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229021/thailand-debuts-first-tokamak-help-chinese-scientists-milestone-southeast-asias-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229021/thailand-debuts-first-tokamak-help-chinese-scientists-milestone-southeast-asias-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:35:59 +0000 A company responsible for treating the bulk of Beijing’s medical waste during the Covid-19 pandemic is under investigation for allegedly doctoring air pollution monitoring data. Police in Beijing detained eight people from the company after finding numerous changes to sulphur dioxide data in the records of the company’s automatic monitoring equipment, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday. It is the first case of its kind in the Chinese capital, according to the report. Xinhua did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3228639/beijing-detains-waste-firm-workers-fake-air-pollution-data-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3228639/beijing-detains-waste-firm-workers-fake-air-pollution-data-case?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jul 2023 13:00:10 +0000 Physicist Xiaoxing Xi’s life changed forever when a team of armed FBI agents burst into his home in Philadelphia and rounded up his family at gunpoint. Xi was arrested and charged with sharing sensitive US company technology on May 21, 2015 – three years before the Donald Trump administration launched its controversial China Initiative targeting scientists in the US for perceived connections with Beijing. The charges against Xi – who was accused of trying to transfer information to China about... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3228493/axed-china-initiatives-racial-profiling-legacy-haunts-scientists-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3228493/axed-china-initiatives-racial-profiling-legacy-haunts-scientists-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:00:09 +0000 US climate envoy John Kerry ended his four-day visit to China on Wednesday with few breakthroughs, but observers said that while it would be hard for China and the US to work together on climate technology, it was still possible for them to cooperate on policy and share best practices. Kerry told a news conference on Wednesday that his talks with Chinese officials were “very productive”, adding that more work needed to be done. “We’re here to break new ground because we think that’s essential,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228548/china-and-us-can-still-cooperate-climate-policy-tech-remains-tricky-experts-say-wake-kerry-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228548/china-and-us-can-still-cooperate-climate-policy-tech-remains-tricky-experts-say-wake-kerry-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2023 14:00:14 +0000 China has finished building the core module of the world’s first commercial onshore small modular reactor. The Nuclear Power Institute of China said it was the first milestone in the construction of the reactor, known as Linglong One, and “marked a historical step in the manufacturing of small modular pressurised water reactors”. Nuclear industry insiders have said this type of reactor has several benefits, including the fact that they can be used for multiple purposes and provide both power and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227777/china-completes-first-step-advanced-nuclear-reactor-project-finishing-core-module?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227777/china-completes-first-step-advanced-nuclear-reactor-project-finishing-core-module?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:34:34 +0000 Chinese researchers have identified a new gene mutation that can cause Alzheimer’s disease, a discovery the authors say could help develop new drugs to treat the condition. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and a major public health problem across the world. About 44 million people around the globe live with Alzheimer’s, according to a 2019 study by the journal Lancet Neurology. Scientists have previously identified mutations in three genes that result in the increased... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227070/chinese-scientists-hope-alzheimers-gene-discovery-will-pave-way-new-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3227070/chinese-scientists-hope-alzheimers-gene-discovery-will-pave-way-new-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jul 2023 01:00:21 +0000 More than 70 per cent of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima nuclear power plant fails to meet discharge limits after going through a filtration system and requires further treatment, the Chinese nuclear regulatory agency said on Tuesday. Moreover, the previous operation of the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) has proved ineffective in removing elements such such as tritium and carbon-14, and further testing is required to determine whether others can be effectively removed, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3226667/over-70-cent-fukushima-waste-water-fails-discharge-limits-and-needs-more-treatment-says-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3226667/over-70-cent-fukushima-waste-water-fails-discharge-limits-and-needs-more-treatment-says-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 12:30:13 +0000 China produces more than 95 per cent of the world’s raw gallium – a critical mineral for making semiconductors – but the situation may not last because of the rapid depletion of natural resources, Chinese experts have warned. They added that Beijing’s decision to impose export controls on gallium and germanium, another crucial mineral, could protect China’s limited resources and safeguard national security. Chen Fengying, a researcher with the Beijing-based think tank China Institutes of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3226545/chinas-gallium-dominance-threatened-dwindling-supplies-critical-chip-making-metal-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3226545/chinas-gallium-dominance-threatened-dwindling-supplies-critical-chip-making-metal-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:15:37 +0000 China’s first space station simulators have started trial operations, offering researchers a convenient way to test equipment such as satellite components and spacesuits. The simulators in the northeastern city of Harbin are designed to recreate conditions beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, including microgravity, weak magnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, plasma and space dust, according to China Space News, a news service affiliated with China Aerospace Science and Technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3226297/china-tests-earth-based-lab-recreate-conditions-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3226297/china-tests-earth-based-lab-recreate-conditions-space?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jul 2023 15:00:17 +0000 China has built the world's most powerful hydrogen-powered locomotive. It could replace trains that use fossil fuels. The "Ningdong", China's first hydrogen locomotive converted from a normal engine, rolled out of the factory on Thursday. Liang Zhenzhong, chief engineer, says the hydrogen-powered train could run continuously for up to 190 hours.  He says the locomotive has a hydrogen storage system that could be refilled in two hours. It is also cheaper to operate.  "Hydrogen is a clean,... https://www.scmp.com/posties/kids/steam-studio/article/3226108/extreme-rainfall-has-cut-chinas-rice-production-over-past-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/posties/kids/steam-studio/article/3226108/extreme-rainfall-has-cut-chinas-rice-production-over-past-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jun 2023 08:09:37 +0000 China began construction on its third icebreaker on Sunday, which scientists said could send researchers to deep polar seabeds for scientific exploration as early as 2025. Once completed, the vessel could help China become the second country to send scientists to the Arctic sea floor using deep-sea crewed submersibles. Only the Russian submersibles Mir 1 and Mir 2 have reached the seabed of the North Pole. China currently has two icebreakers, Xuelong 1 and Xuelong 2. Their most important mission... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3225554/china-starts-building-third-icebreaker-which-scientists-say-could-send-researchers-polar-seabeds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3225554/china-starts-building-third-icebreaker-which-scientists-say-could-send-researchers-polar-seabeds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:00:22 +0000 Chinese researchers have established that ultrasound can induce behavioural changes in mice, in a study they say could have broad applications for the treatment of chronic pain and other disorders. The Chinese Academy of Sciences team set out to evaluate whether ultrasound could stimulate a response in the brain’s cerebellar cortex, which plays a vital role in the control of muscles and joints, as well as equilibrium and posture. Previous studies have confirmed the feasibility of ultrasonic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3225363/chinese-study-suggests-role-ultrasound-brain-based-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3225363/chinese-study-suggests-role-ultrasound-brain-based-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:14 +0000 Authorities across China have embarked on a major safety campaign after a gas blast in the northwestern autonomous region of Ningxia killed 31 people. The explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the regional capital Yinchuan on Wednesday night was caused by a leak from a liquefied gas tank in the restaurant and is the deadliest incident of its kind in the region in years. Authorities in Beijing ordered a safety overhaul on Thursday, requiring inspections throughout the city. Beijing mayor Yin Yong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3225193/china-orders-gas-safety-checks-after-ningxia-blast-kills-31?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3225193/china-orders-gas-safety-checks-after-ningxia-blast-kills-31?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:28:01 +0000 New research has shown that snakes – those creepy coils of countless nightmares – used to look a lot different. According to the largest genome survey of its kind, snakes used to have legs. The new study, led by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has found that snakes originated during the Early Cretaceous – some 118 million years ago – when dinosaurs dominated the Earth. The ancestors of snakes are lizards, a group of reptiles that rapidly diversified after a mass extinction event... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3224929/snakes-plain-chinese-led-study-shows-when-serpents-shed-their-legs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3224929/snakes-plain-chinese-led-study-shows-when-serpents-shed-their-legs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:25:37 +0000 China has built what it says is the world’s most powerful hydrogen-powered locomotive, rolling stock that state media suggests has potential to replace most fossil fuel engines in service. The “Ningdong”, China’s first hydrogen locomotive converted from an internal combustion engine, rolled off the line at the Datong subsidiary of state-owned manufacturer China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) on Thursday. Liang Zhenzhong, deputy general manager and chief engineer of CRRC Datong, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3224372/china-powers-hydrogen-rail-plans-locomotive-conversion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3224372/china-powers-hydrogen-rail-plans-locomotive-conversion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jun 2023 11:30:09 +0000 Air pollution can “act as a Trojan horse” and worsen the severity of viral infections by driving viruses deep into the lungs and other organs, according to a study led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). “Our results … provide further urgency for prioritising air quality management and air pollution reduction policies,” the researchers said, in a paper published in June by peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. Co-author Fang Min, a researcher with the academy’s Institute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3224134/chinese-scientists-find-small-air-pollution-particles-such-pm25-can-act-trojan-horse-viruses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3224134/chinese-scientists-find-small-air-pollution-particles-such-pm25-can-act-trojan-horse-viruses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:25:22 +0000 A prominent scientist has given up his US nationality to become a citizen of China, the latest in a growing number of Chinese researchers returning to their home country. Xie Xiaoliang, a biophysical chemist and former professor at Harvard University, has been listed as a domestic member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which did not explain Xie’s decision. He previously was a foreign member of CAS, whose rules permit a change to domestic membership after obtaining Chinese citizenship.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3223515/xie-xiaoliang-latest-chinese-scientist-give-us-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3223515/xie-xiaoliang-latest-chinese-scientist-give-us-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:05:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a greater effort to tackle desertification as he warned the number of dust clouds hitting the north of the country had increased as a result of climate change. Xi made the comments during a tour of Inner Mongolia on Monday and Tuesday, saying the country had made remarkable progress in preventing and controlling desertification, but still faced major challenges. “In the past two years, the number of dusty weather incidents in northern China has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223297/chinese-president-xi-jinping-calls-greater-efforts-fight-desertification-after-climate-change-leads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223297/chinese-president-xi-jinping-calls-greater-efforts-fight-desertification-after-climate-change-leads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:00:15 +0000 Chinese scientists say they have conducted a first-of-its-kind experiment to produce blood stem cells in space. The stem cells were brought back to Earth by the Shenzhou 15 spacecraft on Sunday after being cultured for half a month in the Wentian lab module of China’s Tiangong space station. Lei Xiaohua, a researcher with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the experiment, said his team would carry out testing and analysis of the cells. After... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3223020/china-grows-blood-stem-cells-space-what-scientists-say-first-its-kind-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3223020/china-grows-blood-stem-cells-space-what-scientists-say-first-its-kind-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:00:11 +0000 An international research team has found what may be the world’s oldest saddle at a dig site in China’s far western region of Xinjiang. The saddle, unearthed from the tomb of a female at Yanghai cemetery in the Turpan Basin in Xinjiang, can be dated back up to 2,700 years ago. The discovery confirms that Xinjiang played an important role in the history of horse riding during the first half of the first millennium BC, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Archaeological... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3222738/saddle-2700-year-old-xinjiang-tomb-and-clue-history-horse-riding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3222738/saddle-2700-year-old-xinjiang-tomb-and-clue-history-horse-riding?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:00:21 +0000 Chinese researchers have developed a new gene-editing tool they say is ultra precise, safe and has potential to treat or even cure some genetic diseases. Unlike the well-known gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 – which acts as “molecular scissors” that can cut the two strands of DNA in the genome and relies on the cell’s self-healing mechanism to repair – the new tool, known as “base editors”, fixes specific sites in the genome without cutting the double helix. The first base editors were proposed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3222401/chinese-scientists-develop-new-gene-editing-tool-differs-approach-crispr-cas9?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3222401/chinese-scientists-develop-new-gene-editing-tool-differs-approach-crispr-cas9?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 05:07:51 +0000 Chinese scientists have found more evidence suggesting that wildfires played an important role in what might have been the Earth’s largest mass extinction event around 250 million years ago. The mega event at the end of the Permian period – long before the rise of dinosaurs – wiped out nearly 90 per cent of marine and land species in a process that is often labelled “the Great Dying”. Although the direct cause of the annihilation has been widely debated, there is growing evidence to suggest that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3221903/more-proof-how-wildfires-sparked-great-dying-earth-250-million-years-ago-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3221903/more-proof-how-wildfires-sparked-great-dying-earth-250-million-years-ago-study?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 13:00:13 +0000 A team of researchers at Zhejiang University has grown China’s first centimetre-long fish fillets in the laboratory. Developed over 17 days, the cultured fish fillets are indistinguishable from similar natural fish in flavour, colour and texture, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed Science of Food, an online open access publication from Nature Partner Journals. “Marine fish contain high-quality protein and unsaturated fatty acids, which have a positive effect on health,” said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3221163/china-scientists-lab-grown-fish-fillets-point-way-food-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3221163/china-scientists-lab-grown-fish-fillets-point-way-food-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 May 2023 02:00:24 +0000 Many of China’s migrant workers will no longer have to travel back to their hometowns to get married under new rules to help fend off a looming demographic crisis. The State Council, China’s cabinet, has approved a regulation allowing people from 21 provinces and municipalities – mostly in eastern and central China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Zhejiang – to register their marriage where their residence permits were issued. Previously, a prospective bride and groom had to return to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3221251/china-cuts-marriage-red-tape-migrant-workers-population-crisis-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3221251/china-cuts-marriage-red-tape-migrant-workers-population-crisis-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 May 2023 11:00:28 +0000 A Chinese study has found that a screening technology can increase the percentage of live births via in vitro fertilisation (IVF) – a discovery that comes as authorities in China are trying to boost the falling birth rate. By using a method called preimplantation DNA methylation screening (PIMS), the research team said the live birth rate of assisted reproductive technology increased from less than 30 per cent to 72 per cent. The study, led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3221097/screening-technology-can-boost-ivf-live-birth-rate-chinese-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3221097/screening-technology-can-boost-ivf-live-birth-rate-chinese-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2023 06:00:26 +0000 A stem cell study published in the journal Nature last year and led by a team at the state-backed Chinese Academy of Sciences did not receive the required ethical approval, according to the CAS ethics committee office. Yang Weiping, director of the CAS office, said the researcher involved had falsified paperwork during the process of publishing the paper to show the study had ethical approval when it did not. The researcher was given a warning, suspended as a postgraduate supervisor for a year,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3220810/stem-cell-study-nature-didnt-have-ethical-approval-chinese-academy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3220810/stem-cell-study-nature-didnt-have-ethical-approval-chinese-academy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 May 2023 06:00:21 +0000 Scorching heatwaves have swept across China in recent weeks as scientists predict a 50 per cent chance that 2023 will rank as the hottest year on record. On Monday and Tuesday, large parts of northern China had temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), with areas in Shandong province in the east reaching 37 degrees. The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) defines a heatwave as daily maximum temperatures higher than 35 degrees Celsius for more than three days. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3220815/parts-china-endure-scorchers-eve-el-nino-shift-scientists-predict-risk-record-heat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3220815/parts-china-endure-scorchers-eve-el-nino-shift-scientists-predict-risk-record-heat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 May 2023 04:00:15 +0000 Extreme rainfall has cut China’s rice yields by 8 per cent over the past two decades, according to a study led by Chinese researchers. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Food on May 4, found that the impact of extreme rainfall on rice yields was comparable to that of extreme heat. The researchers predicted that by the end of this century, extreme rainfall could reduce rice yields by another 7.6 per cent in China, in addition to other climate change-induced impacts, such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3220107/extreme-rainfall-taking-toll-chinas-rice-crops-and-it-could-get-much-worse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3220107/extreme-rainfall-taking-toll-chinas-rice-crops-and-it-could-get-much-worse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 22:00:24 +0000 China and Germany may have differing views on coal but they can still learn from each other on decarbonising industry, according to the head of the German Environment Agency. Dirk Messner, who has been president of the agency since 2020, also said interaction with China was critical in fighting climate change. “China for us is very important because it is a big economy and also a large emitter,” Messner said in an interview with the South China Morning Post in Beijing. “One-third of all global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219914/we-cant-solve-climate-crisis-without-china-head-german-environment-body-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219914/we-cant-solve-climate-crisis-without-china-head-german-environment-body-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 May 2023 10:00:20 +0000 Jennifer Morgan, the German special envoy for international climate action, last month visited China where she had in-depth discussions with Chinese industry insiders and climate experts. Morgan was the head of the environmental group Greenpeace International before she was named Germany’s special climate envoy in February last year. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, she talked about her recent trip to China, COP28, and the climate cooperation between China and Germany. Q: You... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219737/potential-china-work-germany-stable-and-reliable-renewable-energy-says-special-envoy-climate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219737/potential-china-work-germany-stable-and-reliable-renewable-energy-says-special-envoy-climate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 May 2023 05:15:10 +0000 China needs to seek alternative solutions to ensure its energy security, rather than relying on building new coal-fired power plants, according to Germany’s climate envoy. Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s state secretary and special envoy for international climate action, told the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview that she was concerned about China’s coal plant development. Germany’s special envoy on climate talks China, cooperation and COP28 “We are concerned. We need to think about... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219580/german-climate-envoy-urges-china-look-beyond-coal-energy-secure-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219580/german-climate-envoy-urges-china-look-beyond-coal-energy-secure-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 May 2023 05:00:21 +0000 A team of Chinese researchers claim to have successfully conducted an experiment that allowed a monkey to move a robotic arm using its mind. They said the experiment marked a significant advance in brain science and could pave the way for further developments that could help people with physical disabilities to interact with external devices and improve their quality of life. The research has not been peer-reviewed and the claims – which cannot be verified independently – appeared in a statement... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219707/chinese-researchers-claim-monkey-brain-advance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219707/chinese-researchers-claim-monkey-brain-advance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 May 2023 01:00:22 +0000 Russia has confirmed it is supplying highly enriched uranium to two Chinese reactors. TVEL, a subsidiary of the state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, will be allowed to export the fuel to China over the next three years, Sputnik News reported on Wednesday. It will be sent to the CFR-600 power plant at Xiapu in the southeastern province of Fujian. The project has two fast-neutron reactors, both with the capacity to produce 600 megawatts of power, the first of which is expected to connect to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219424/russia-confirms-enriched-uranium-supplies-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219424/russia-confirms-enriched-uranium-supplies-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 05:00:17 +0000 Long-term musical training can keep the brain sharp and young, according to a new study led by Chinese researchers. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on April 26, discovered the mechanisms underlying cognitive advantages that older musicians tended to have. The findings provide new insights into how lifelong musical training leads to “successful ageing”, according to the authors. “China has entered an ageing society. Ageing causes multiple cognitive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219009/how-do-musicians-keep-brain-young-and-sharp-when-heading-old-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3219009/how-do-musicians-keep-brain-young-and-sharp-when-heading-old-age?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 01:00:19 +0000