The dry-season malaria paradox, a bar to eradication, is solved
The mosquitoes hide, and enter a state of torpor
The mosquitoes that transmit malaria in Africa have short and merry lives. Six or seven weeks is as much as their adults can manage. To maintain their populations they must lay eggs in water, in which their larvae then grow and pupate.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Slumbering swarms”
Science & technology October 15th 2022
From the October 15th 2022 edition
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Elon Musk is causing problems for the Royal Society
His continued membership has led to a high-profile resignation
Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques
They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else