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Seasickness, spotting icebergs and keeping the crew fed: Life on board an Antarctic expedition

Seasickness, spotting icebergs and keeping the crew fed: Life on board an Antarctic expedition

ITV News3 days ago

ITV News Science Correspondent shows what life is like on board the RRS Sir David Attenborough on an expedition deep within the Antarctic Circle
The British research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough has travelled through an area of Antarctica that would have been impassable 30 years ago at this time of year.
That's because the area the ship navigates with ease would have been solid ice.
No other British ship has made the journey since the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated Endurance expedition, when his ship became trapped in the pack ice and sank in 1915.
Fast forward 110 years - after global warming has caused the ice to melt - and ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew is the only journalist on board the British ship.
From the chef keeping crew members fed to the captain keeping a lookout for icebergs, he speaks to those on board about what life is like on an Antarctic expedition.

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Revealed: What the length of your fingers says about you, according to science
Revealed: What the length of your fingers says about you, according to science

Daily Mail​

time11 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Revealed: What the length of your fingers says about you, according to science

For centuries, palm readers have told us the future of our relationships, finances and health are written in the creases of our hands. Now, scientists have found the length of our fingers really could divulge some secrets – including our athletic potential. They have revealed a simple trick to indicate whether you'd thrive in endurance events, such as a marathon or long-distance cycling. It involves the 2D:4D ratio, which is the relative difference between your index and ring fingers. Researchers analysed the results of 22 previous studies involving more than 5,000 participants in 12 countries. They discovered a lower digit ratio - when a person's ring finger is longer than their index finger - is a biomarker of cardiorespiratory fitness. The findings indicate that someone with longer ring fingers than index fingers may perform better in long-distance events. These individuals are likely to have better exercise tolerance - the level of physical activity someone can endure before experiencing excessive fatigue. Some scientists argue that the ratio between your index and ring finger, or the 2D:4D ratio, can tell you a lot about yourself They are also likely to have enhanced endurance performance, meaning the ability to sustain moderate to high intensity exercise for long periods, the researchers said. 'Measuring and comparing finger lengths might seem like a novelty, but research shows that this a proven and biologically sound method for identifying muscle strength – and now, endurance performance,' Bethany Gower, from the University of South Australia (UNISA), said. 'Our research found that digit ratio is significantly linked to exercise tolerance, which reflects the highest intensity of exercise you can tolerate for a long time before it becomes too challenging to continue. 'What this means is that people with lower digit ratios – a ring finger longer than their index finger – are more likely to tolerate increasing exercise intensity and perform better in longer-duration activities, such as marathons or distance cycling. 'It's a significant finding that could help coaches and sports scientists identify talent, or help recreational athletes better understand their endurance potential.' The findings, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, back up previous studies that indicate a longer ring finger is linked to better strength and fitness. It has also been associated with increased focus. However, those with this feature shouldn't celebrate too soon – as it's also been associated with psychopathic tendencies, antisocial personality disorder and opioid abuse. From The Joker to Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale, pictured), psychopaths have featured in many famous blockbuster hits throughout the years but some scientists say that your finger length could show if you have psychopathic tendencies Having a longer index finger, meanwhile, has been linked with decreased aggression, a lower pain threshold and an increased risk of obesity. The 2D:4D ratio has also been linked with sexual orientation, parental poverty, right-handedness, period pains, grip strength, jump height, and the chance of becoming a firefighter. Professor Grant Tomkinson, also from UNISA, said that digit ratios are determined during early development in the womb. 'Greater exposure to testosterone in the womb has been linked with the development of lower digit ratios, which could influence a person's ability to exercise intensely,' he explained. 'It also has short-term benefits in later life by helping 'charge' the endocrine system to respond to challenging situations, like intense exercise, by suddenly spiking testosterone levels. 'This could manifest as people having stronger body systems or organs that physically improve their ability to tolerate intense aerobic exercise, or as a stronger psychosocial, competitive response to being challenged when exercising.' For everyday athletes curious about their fitness potential, Professor Gower said there's a simple way to get a clue – just look at your fingers. 'Digit ratio is easy to measure – just compare the length of your index and ring fingers of your hand,' he said. Some scientists worry that measuring your fingers - as this diagram suggests - doesn't actually give any real indication of the hormones you were exposed to in the womb 'If your ring finger is longer, you've got a lower ratio. You never know – your fingers might just reveal you're built for endurance.' Some scientists, however, urge caution when linking finger length to traits and characteristics. The basic issue, explained Dr Gareth Richards, a psychologist from Newcastle University, is that this all relies on the assumption that finger length is a good indication of prenatal hormones. 'The evidence of this actually being the case is far from convincing,' he previously told MailOnline. HOW CAN YOU MEASURE YOUR 2D:4D RATIO? To measure your finger straighten it and look at the palm of your hand. At the base of your index and ring fingers there are likely to be creases. Your index finger is likely to have one crease, the ring finger is a band of creases. Select the crease closest to the palm and choose a point on the crease midway across the base of the finger. Mark it with a pen. Measure it from the mark to the tip of the finger.

'I'm sad for humanity': John Kerry reacts to Trump's sweeping climate cuts
'I'm sad for humanity': John Kerry reacts to Trump's sweeping climate cuts

ITV News

timea day ago

  • ITV News

'I'm sad for humanity': John Kerry reacts to Trump's sweeping climate cuts

ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew spoke to former US Secretary of State John Kerry from on board the RRS Sir David Attenborough, where scientsists are studying climate change deep within the Arctic Circle Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has told ITV News he is "very sad for humanity" following the Trump administration's sweeping climate cuts. Kerry was the US's first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate during Joe Biden's presidency and played a significant role in climate protection efforts. The new administration under Donald Trump has not shared Kerry's focus. "I'm very sad that our country is not leading in the way that we were with President Biden and President Obama," Kerry told ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew. "I'm very sad for humanity that any one nation is standing in the way of what the science tells us we must do in order to protect life, protect food production, protect the capacity of the ocean to provide us the oxygen that it provides us. "You know, it's not a matter of politics or ideology, it's a matter of science. We have an absolute period of time within which to avoid the worst consequences of the crisis." Kerry was speaking to ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew, who is on board the RRS Sir David Attenborough, as it researches climate change deep within the Arctic Circle. More than 9,000 miles separates the two - with Kerry in France for the United Nations Ocean Conference, where he is calling for decisive action to protect the ocean. However, through modern technology, they are able to see one another and speak of shared experiences. After Kerry was shown the polar winter sunrise through a laptop webcam, he recalled his own visit to the most remote continent in the world in 2016. "You just feel the wilderness all around you. But it's a thing of absolutely sheer wonder," he said. "It just reaffirmed every notion you have about responsibility, about the life of the planet, about the size of that wilderness and what it means to us on a human level. "And you just come away with great respect and awe and I think a sense of duty to transfer that to our daily endeavours and our responsibilities to deal with the climate crisis." The Trump administration has taken an axe to Biden-era environmental ambitions, rolled back landmark regulations, withdrawn climate project funding and instead bolstered support for oil and gas production in the name of an 'American energy dominance' agenda. The Environmental Protection Agency alone faces a 54.5% proposed cut to funding, taking its budget to a level last seen when Ronald Reagan was president. Under the latest tax and spending bill by the Trump administration, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", financial incentives for green technologies such as solar, wind, batteries, electric cars and heatpumps would be slashed. Existing nuclear power plants and biofuels will be subsidised, but climate experts say this would leave the country and its people burning more fossil fuels, despite strong popular and scientific support for a rapid shift to renewable energy. As often with Trump, the focus on energy production from oil and gas also comes alongside a slogan: 'Drill, baby, drill'. Kerry told ITV News of an alternative: "Build, baby, build." "Build the charging stations, build the solar fields, build the kinds of data centres that are going to be able to be managing their energy in a more effective way," he said. "What he's doing is, I think, sadly turning his back on the greatest marketplace the world has ever known. There are 8.1 billion people on this planet who want energy, and they're going to get it. "The question is, who's going to provide it, and is it going to be clean? "The United States has a unique opportunity here in a bigger economic transition and opportunity than the Industrial Revolution. "We have an opportunity to create jobs, clean jobs. People can make a profit with their investments just as they do today." Asked if he had a message for scientists in the Antarctic whose work could be halted due to a reduction in US funding, Kerry said to "bear with us." "Your work is absolutely critical to all of us," he said. "I would say you are in a position, you scientists, to help us get greater data, more backup, persuade people, put your science on the line, help us to convert those who have doubts. Then we can start to go forward faster and do what we need to do." The US is a world leader whose influence can push countries to act, or to fall back in line. Trump's presidency and denial of the climate crisis have led to some worrying that other governments will follow suit. Kerry, however, isn't convinced: "I believe most governments are going to stick with us because they know what they have at stake and they also have a strong commitment already to continuing. "One person in the world has pulled out of the Paris Agreement, and only one person in the world has done it twice. "Everybody else is moving forward, committed to try to meet these goals. "The absence of a big powerful nation like the United States, which is the wealthiest country on the planet, the absence of that country and adding to the ability to be able to accelerate this is really harmful.

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