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NASA chooses SpaceX to take humans back to Moon
2dNASA has selected SpaceX to land the first astronauts on the surface of the Moon since 1972, the agency said Friday, in a huge victory for Elon Musk's company.
Success! NASA's Ingenuity Makes 1st Powered Flight On Mars
6hThe tiny helicopter took off and hovered briefly — the first such flight on another planet. The Perseverance rover kept tabs on the mission from a viewing point about 60 yards away. (Image credit: NASA via AP)
Scientists Develop New Blood Test That Could Diagnose Your Level of Depression
2dWelcome to the future.
Prehistoric cannibal victim found in death cave ID'ed as a young girl
3d"The Boy of Gran Dolina," a young individual in the extinct Homo antecessor species found at a site in Spain, is actually female, according to new analysis of dental remains.
The obscure maths theorem that governs the reliability of Covid testing
1dThere's been much debate about lateral flow tests – their accuracy depends on context and the theories of a 18th-century cleric Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Maths quiz. If you take a Covid test that only gives a false positive one time in every 1,000, what's the chance that you've actually got Covid? Surely it's 99.9%, right? No! The correct answer is: you have no
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'Godzilla' shark discovered in New Mexico gets formal name
2dThe 300-million-year-old shark's teeth were the first sign that it might be a distinct species.
The Blood-Clot Problem Is Multiplying
2dFor weeks, Americans looked on as other countries grappled with case reports of rare, sometimes fatal blood abnormalities among those who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19. That vaccine has not yet been authorized by the FDA, so restrictions on its use throughout Europe did not get that much attention in the United States. But Americans experienced a rude awakening this week w
The frequencies of a vibrating spider web have been made into music
2dA virtual reality experience converts the vibrations spiders feel on their webs into sound, giving us a sense of how spiders experience the world
Archaeologists Unearth a 'Lost Golden City' in Egypt
3dThe Luxor finding has been called "the second most important archaeological discovery" since King Tut's tomb.
Parents Are Sacrificing Their Social Lives on the Altar of Intensive Parenting
1dOver the past few decades, American parents have been pressured into making a costly wager: If they sacrifice their hobbies, interests, and friendships to devote as much time and as many resources as possible to parenting, they might be able to launch their children into a stable adulthood. While this gamble sometimes pays off , parents who give themselves over to this intensive form of child-rea
NASA has selected SpaceX's Starship as the lander to take astronauts to the moon
2dLater this decade, NASA astronauts are expected to touch down on the lunar surface for the first time in decades. When they do, according to an announcement made by the agency, they'll be riding inside SpaceX's Starship vehicle. NASA's award of a $2.9 billion contract to build Starship, first reported by the Washington Post on April 16 and later confirmed by NASA, is a huge achievement for the sp
Bitcoin mining emissions in China will hit 130 million tonnes by 2024
2dThe carbon emissions associated with mining bitcoin in China alone will soon outstrip the total annual emissions of mid-sized European countries
What Octopus Dreams Tell Us About the Evolution of Sleep
3dUnderstanding how other animals dream could help us figure out why it's so important to the human brain, and why it may have been preserved throughout history.
Two Die in Fiery Tesla Wreck, Seemingly in Self-Driving Mode
3hA Tesla Model S crashed into a tree and burst into flames on Saturday evening in Spring, Texas, not far from Houston — but investigators of the wreck found neither of its occupants in the driver's seat. Following the fatal crash, two bodies were removed from the wreck, neither of which was actually behind the wheel. One person was in the front passenger seat, while the other body was found in the
Mathematicians Settle the Erdős Coloring Conjecture
1dFifty years ago, three mathematicians came up with a graph theory problem that they thought they might solve on the spot. A team has finally settled it.
New kind of blue found in cabbage could replace synthetic food dye
2dScientists have come up with a natural cabbage-based alternative to artificial blue food colouring and used it to make blue ice cream and other foods
A Firmware Issue Threatens to Make PS4 Games Unplayable
3hWithout a fix to older PlayStations, it's only a matter of time before older games are rendered obsolete.
Hubble watches cosmic light bend
1dThis extraordinary image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the galaxy cluster Abell 2813 (also known as ACO 2813) has an almost delicate beauty, which also illustrates the remarkable physics at work within it. The image spectacularly demonstrates the concept of gravitational lensing.
Parker Solar Probe sees Venus orbital dust ring in first complete view
1dNASA's Parker Solar Probe mission has given scientists the first complete look at Venus' orbital dust ring, a collection of microscopic dust particles that circulates around the Sun along Venus' orbit. Though earlier missions have made some observations of Venus' orbital dust ring, Parker Solar Probe's images are the first to show the planet's dust ring for nearly its entire 360-degree span around
Turns Out, Spock Is Kinda Bad at Logic
3dFor her new book, Julia Galef cataloged the Vulcan's predictions and found events he describes as "impossible" actually happened 83 percent of the time.
NASA's Mars Helicopter Achieves Flight on Red Planet
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4hNASA Ingenuity Mars
NASA's Mars helicopter has made history. Ingenuity , a small, four-pound rotorcraft that was dropped off by the agency's Perseverance rover earlier this year, became the first manmade object to achieve powered, controlled flight on the surface of another planet earlier this morning. It's a feat that could revolutionize the way we explore the surface of other planets, including Mars, in the medium
Forskare: Plasten vi använder i vardagen gör oss mer infertila
1dUngefär var tionde kvinna i världen kämpar nu med infertilitet i minst 12 månader samtidigt som mängden och kvaliteten på spermier drastiskt minskat de senaste årtiondena. Enligt forskare är en av bovarna bakom våra fertilitetsproblem hormonstörande tillsatser i den plast som vi använder i vardagen. – All plast innehåller tillsatsämnen och all plast är ett problem, säger Pauliina Damdimopoulou, se
The Interior Lives of Hoarders
5hTomas Schuler / EyeEm / Getty I cannot remember whether I knew what compulsive hoarding was before 2009. Likely not. That year, the TV network A&E put the disorder on the cultural radar in an unparalleled way with its show Hoarders. The series introduced a public audience to a sometimes-private struggle—the obsessive need to acquire objects, coupled with the fear of letting them go—and offered it
Are Outdoor Mask Mandates Still Necessary?
6hLast week, I covered my nose and mouth with close-fitting fabric like a good citizen and walked to a restaurant in Washington, D.C., where I de-masked at a patio table to greet a friend. I sat with my chair facing the entrance and watched dozens of people perform the same ritual, removing a mask they'd worn outside and alone. It seemed like the most normal thing in the world. Until, suddenly, it
Autism develops differently in girls than boys, new research suggests
3dNew research sheds light on how autism-spectrum disorder manifests in the brains of girls, prompting the scientists to warn that conclusions drawn from studies conducted primarily in boys should not be assumed to hold true for girls.
Blood Clot Risk from COVID-19 Higher than After Vaccines: Study
3dThe chance of developing cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was nearly 10 times higher in the two weeks following a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection than after receiving an mRNA vaccine, a data analysis finds.
Giant planet at large distance from sun-like star puzzles astronomers
4hA team of astronomers led by Dutch scientists has directly imaged a giant planet orbiting at a large distance around a sun-like star. Why this planet is so massive and how it got to be there is a mystery. The researchers will publish their findings in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
NASA Lands Ingenuity, the First Ever Mars Helicopter
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5hNASA Ingenuity Mars
The copter safely whirled its way up and back down, demonstrating the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Ugens debat: Skal hvert bilmærke have sine egne ladestandere?
2dEfter samme model som Tesla er Porsche nu på vej til at rulle et netværk af ladestandere ud, forbeholdt producentens egne biler. Læserne på ing.dk havde delte meninger om, hvorvidt det er vejen at å for elbilbranchen.
Research investigates radio galaxy 3C 84
4hAn international team of astronomers has conducted a detailed kinematic study of a radio galaxy known as 3C 84. The research sheds more light on the properties of this source and its connection to gamma-ray emission. The study was detailed in a paper published April 7 on the arXiv pre-print repository.
NASA's New Horizons reaches a rare space milestone
4hIn the weeks following its launch in early 2006, when NASA's New Horizons was still close to home, it took just minutes to transmit a command to the spacecraft, and hear back that the onboard computer received and was ready to carry out the instructions.
With impressive accuracy, dogs can sniff out coronavirus
2dIn a proof-of-concept study, dogs identified positive samples with 96 percent accuracy.
Winners of $20M contest make concrete to trap carbon dioxide
2hOrganizers of a $20 million contest to develop products from greenhouse gas that flows from power plants announced two winners Monday ahead of launching a similar but much bigger competition backed by Elon Musk.
Activity-regulated synaptic targeting of lncRNA ADEPTR mediates structural plasticity by localizing Sptn1 and AnkB in dendrites
2dActivity-dependent structural plasticity at the synapse requires specific changes in the neuronal transcriptome. While much is known about the role of coding elements in this process, the role of the long noncoding transcriptome remains elusive. Here, we report the discovery of an intronic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)—termed ADEPTR—that is up-regulated and synaptically transported in a cAMP/PKA-de
Female protective effect: Researchers find clues to sex differences in autism
2dResearchers have found that autism may develop in different regions of the brain in girls than boys and that girls with autism have a larger number of genetic mutations than boys, suggesting that they require a larger 'genetic hit' to develop the disorder.
The SARS-CoV-2 Spike variant D614G favors an open conformational state
2dThe COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic underwent a rapid transition with the emergence of a dominant viral variant (from the "D-form" to the "G-form") that carried an amino acid substitution D614G in its "Spike" protein. The G-form is more infectious in vitro and is associated with increased viral loads in the upper airways. To gain insight into the molecular-level underpinnings of thes
Women are taking a 'rain check' on babies, and it could change the shape of the economy – A decline in birth rates has sparked worries that the US may be headed for what's known as a "demographic time bomb," in which an aging population isn't replaced by enough young workers.
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Researchers have detected the building blocks of superbugs—bacteria resistant to the antibiotics used to fight them—in the environment near large factory farms in the United States.
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SpaceX Wins NASA $2.9 Billion Contract to Build Moon Lander
2dElon Musk's company bested Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and others in the contest to carry American astronauts to the lunar surface.
Nasa chooses SpaceX to build Moon lander
2dSpaceX will build a lander that the US space agency will use to return humans to the Moon this decade.
NASA Mars Helicopter Achieves First Flight on Red Planet
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13hNASA Ingenuity Mars
The brief test of the experimental vehicle called Ingenuity shows how explorers can study the red planet from the sky as well as the ground.
Microplastics Are Now Spiralling Around The Globe in The Air We Breathe
2dWe've really trashed the place.
How Bhutan Out-Vaccinated Most of the World
1dThe Himalayan nation has given more than 60 percent of its people a shot. Some villages were reached by helicopter, and health workers hiked through ice and snow.
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Tinnitus helpline reports a surge in calls since start of the coronavirus pandemic
2dScientists are concerned virus or medication used for treating Covid-19 is causing ear damage Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage More people are complaining of developing tinnitus for the first time or have found their symptoms have worsened since the start of the pandemic, according to scientists and other leading experts who specialise in the condition. The British Ti
Our Pandemic Trash Is Killing Wildlife on a Devastating Scale, Scientists Warn
2dStop littering your PPE.
Man's energy drink habit lands him in the hospital with heart failure
3dThe findings add to a growing body of evidence linking energy drink consumption with heart problems.
The New Face of Trumpism in Texas
2dI n 2015, in the Dallas suburb of Irving, the fates of two very different Texans collided. One was 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, a precocious kid in a NASA T-shirt who had built a clock out of spare parts and brought it to school in a pencil case. His English teacher decided it might be a bomb, and the school called the police, who arrested Mohamed for bringing in a " hoax bomb ." Because Mohamed's
This Theory Could Explain Many Military UFO Sightings
3dA fascinating clip of what appeared to be triangular or "pyramid" shaped UFOs flying over a US Navy warship circulated online earlier this month. The footage, obtained by filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, shows the mysterious objects caught on a night vision camera aimed at the skies over the warship. "I can confirm that the referenced photos and videos were taken by Navy personnel," Department of Defens
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Add India to UK travel ban list to stop Covid variant, urges scientist
2dIndian coronavirus variant has potential to 'scupper' lockdown easing, says professor of immunology Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage India should be placed on the UK's "red list" for travel after the discovery of a new coronavirus variant, according to a leading scientist. Prof Danny Altmann, from Imperial College London, said it was "mystifying" and "confounding" tha
Japanese Prime Minister Challenged to Drink Radioactive Water Before Dumping It Into the Ocean
2dShots Shots Shots Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that the government could no longer delay its plan to dump radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. The Japanese government has repeatedly insisted that the plan won't put biodiversity or people in the area at risk, but plenty of residents of Japan and neighboring countr
Dogecoin Is Spiking and People Are Losing Their Minds
2dAt first, it was meant to be a joke. But now the market capitalization of Dogecoin, a popular altcoin, has spiked to $40 billion, CNBC reports , after values skyrocketed and added $20 billion in value in just 24 hours. The shiba inu-emblazoned token was created as a "fun" alternative to Bitcoin back in 2013. But thanks to a massive surge in interest, led by communities on Reddit — and some promin
Artist Sells NFT of Single Pixel for $1.7 Million
3dThe Pixel The NFT isn't dead. A single pixel, a part of an NFT by digital artist Pak, sold for $1.36 million worth of Ether, Reuters reports , at the famed auction house Sotheby's. The work was part of a larger series of digital artworks that sold for a whopping $16.8 million combined. Most notable among them was "The Pixel," which as its name suggests, was an image of a single grey block. Three
Nasa's Ingenuity Mars helicopter set for first flight
21hThe US space agency is ready to attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
A third of Antarctic ice shelves risk collapsing due to climate change
2dAround a third of the ice shelves holding back huge glaciers in Antarctica are at risk of collapse if the world fails to take sufficient action on climate change
Here's What You Should Know About Biden's New Rules For Fetal Tissue Research
2dHealth and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is reversing restrictions on the use of fetal tissue in medical research implemented under former President Trump. (Image credit: Ed Reschke/Getty Images)
NASA Reportedly Chooses SpaceX to Develop Moon Lander
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2dSpaceX NASA Moon Artemis
NASA Leak NASA officially announced that it's going to announce who it will choose to build a rocket capable of bringing the first astronauts to the Moon's surface since the Apollo missions. But news of the decision may have just leaked to The Washington Post a little early. According to documents obtained by the newspaper, NASA has officially chosen Elon Musk's SpaceX to to build a lunar lander
Trained dogs can smell coronavirus in your pee
3dDogs can sniff out SARS-CoV-2 in urine samples with 96% accuracy, according to a proof-of-concept study.
Restoring the 'Soul of the Nation' Means Taking in Refugees
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3dBiden Refugee Trump
One of the Trump administration's early priorities was engineering a whiter America through immigration restrictions. We know this because it told us so. "U.S. demographics have been changing rapidly—and undesirably in the eyes of top Trump aides, including his chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, and domestic policy advisor Stephen Miller," the Los Angeles Times reported in February 2017. The tr
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'Like hunting for unicorns': Australians on the search for adequate, affordable mental healthcare
23hCountless inquiries have found the same problems afflicting the mental health system, but cost and access barriers still leave those seeking and providing care in despair 'The worst it's ever been': Guardian readers tell us about Australia's mental health system Many Australians experience the country's mental health system as inadequate, dangerous and financially punishing, saying they often fee
China and US pledge climate change commitment
1dThe US and China announced actions to tackle climate change following meetings in Shanghai last week.
SpaceX Wins $2.9 Billion Contract For Next Lunar Lander
1dThe company beat out two others in its bid to develop a lunar lander that will bring Americans back to the moon in the coming years. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Two Russian cosmonauts, NASA astronaut return from ISS
2dTwo Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut touched down Saturday on the steppe of Kazakhstan following a half-year mission on the International Space Station, footage broadcast by the Russian space agency showed.
Earthquakes in Taiwan are linked to seasonal changes in water levels
2dSeismic activity in Taiwan happens more often during the dry season when the groundwater built up during monsoon season is depleted, leaving Earth's crust more likely to rebound under stress
Microwave weapon could disable a swarm of military attack drones
2dMilitary drones can resist radio-jamming anti-drone devices, but a microwave weapon could take down a whole swarm at once, or disable just one with sniper-like precision
Strange muon behaviour hints at mysterious new particles and forces
2dParticles called muons spin slightly faster than our best models of physics predict, which may mean that there are more particles and forces that we haven't yet discovered
Wilhelm Reich: the strange, prescient sexologist who sought to set us free
2dHe believed orgasms could be a healing force and coined the term 'sexual revolution'. Reich's understanding of the body is vital in our age of protests and patriarchy, writes Olivia Laing There are certain people who speak directly into their moment, and others who leave a message for history to decipher, whose work gains in relevance or whose life becomes uncannily meaningful decades after their
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Study: Humanity Has Ravaged All But 3 Percent of The Land on Earth
2dGlobal Domination New research shows that humanity's influence has already altered about 97 percent of the land on the planet. Very little of the land surface on the Earth — just 2.8 percent — can still be considered "functionally intact," according to a study published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change . Therefore, the study's authors, who hail from a long list of un
Oldest piece of writing ever found in Israel identified on ancient shard of pottery
3dA team of researchers from the Austrian Academy of Science's, Austrian Archaeological Institute, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archeology, has identified a piece of writing on a shard of pottery unearthed in 2018 at the Lachish archaeological site as the oldest piece of writing ever found in Israel. In their paper published in Cambridge University Press's, Antiquity, the gr
India Covid variant found in UK specimens taken in February
3dResearchers worry that 'variant under investigation' contains mutations that could help it evade immune response Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The first of the 77 cases of the India variant of coronavirus found in the UK were detected in specimens dating back to February, the Guardian has learned. On Thursday Public Health England (PHE) revealed that 77 cases of a
Special Ops Soldier With Jetpack Boards Ship in Amazing Video
2hSpecial Jet Suit Ops In a new video released by jetpack maker Gravity Industries, a jetsuit-wearing special ops soldier from the Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Force can be seen boarding a ship — by flying there from a nearby pursuit vessel. It's a spectacular demonstration of Gravity Industries' flying technology. Rather than having to pursue and approach the ship in the tailing vessel,
Nasa's Mars helicopter in first powered, controlled flight on another planet
5hIngenuity successfully takes flight, hovering at height of about 3 metres before touching back down Nasa is celebrating the first powered, controlled flight on another planet after its Ingenuity helicopter rose into the Martian sky, hovered for a moment, and then gently returned to the dusty surface. The robotic craft climbed to an altitude of about 3 metres on its maiden flight on Monday morning
Photos: The Culture Of Whales
5hBelugas play, a sperm whale nurses, and orcas teach their pups to hunt in a series of photographs from National Geographic photographer and explorer Brian Skerry. (Image credit: Brian Skerry/National Geographic)
FAQ: America's New Promise On Climate
7hThe U.S. is planning to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is America's return to the international climate stage. We break it down for you. (Image credit: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
UK Covid news: Boris Johnson cancels trip to India as pressure grows for it to be added to travel red list
8hLatest updates: PM's forthcoming trip to India cancelled as country's total cases reach 15m 'If we catch Covid, we die': UK shielders reflect on still feeling unsafe Oxford trial to study effect of immune system on reinfection Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage 10.29am BST Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is making a statement to MPs on coronavirus at 3.30pm. Two maj
Tarantulas Are Basically All Over The Planet, And Scientists Can Finally Explain Why
10hEverywhere you look.
Mars helicopter Ingenuity: Nasa about to try historic flight
14hIf all goes to plan, craft will ascend to 10 feet above the surface of Mars, hover for 30 seconds, then rotate before descending Nasa on Monday will attempt to fly a miniature helicopter above the surface of Mars in what would be the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. If all goes to plan, the 1.8kg helicopter will slowly ascend to an altitude of three metres above
Ingenuity Is About to Try Its First Flight on Mars, And NASA Is Feeling 'Optimistic'
16h"We take risks that other missions cannot."
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The Pandemic Proved That Our Toilets Are Crap
1dThe core technologies for sewage systems were developed over a hundred years ago. It's time to get better, healthier updates in the pipeline.
The Incredible Shrinking And Growing Brains Of Indian Jumping Ants
1dA new study of Indian jumping ants shows they have the ability to shrink and expand their brains — a first for any insect. (Image credit: Clint Penick)
OPINION: Doctors Should Be More Candid With Their Patients
1dAs a doctor, I was eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in December, but I also was pregnant, and there wasn't yet much data to inform my decision. What I needed was a different kind of information. (Image credit: DrAfter123/Getty Images)
A Distinctly American Problem Needs Systematic Investigation
1dAviation deaths once looked like an intractable problem. Then the federal government began probing every plane crash with an eye toward preventing future loss of life. Our skies got much safer as a result. A similar approach could reduce police killings. A federal agency should investigate every single killing and significant injury caused by American police officers, who have long killed people
Så minskar du riskerna med plast i ditt hem
1dHormonstörande tillsatser i plast har flera negativa effekter för vår hälsa. Men genom att dra ned på mängden plast som kommer i kontakt med din mat, använda oparfymerade hygienprodukter och vädra dina nya möbler kan du dra ned på din exponering för kemikalierna.
The Brain's Pleasure System Wastes Away in Early-Onset Dementia, Study Finds
1dThe changes are distinct from depression.
Forskare: Massplantering av träd kan fånga upp nära 70 procent av tidigare utsläpp
1dUppskattningsvis växer tre biljoner träd på jorden idag. Men det finns plats för 1,2 biljoner till, enligt forskare som menar att storskaliga planteringar effektivt skulle minska koldioxidutsläppen. – Det är ett underskattat vapen i kampen mot klimatförändringar, säger Thomas Crowther, forskare i ekologi.
Så kyler trädens gaser ner planeten
1dAtt träd binder koldioxid är välkänt. Men träd håller även ner temperaturen på fler sätt än många tidigare har trott. Träd släpper ifrån sig gaser och de gaserna har en nedkylande effekt på atmosfären. – Den ljuvliga doften av en tallskog är just sådana gaser, säger klimatforskaren Catherine Scott vid Leeds universitet.
Technology Really Is Changing Human Circadian Rhythms, Scientists Say
1dThe impact on sleep is unclear.
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Feeling Hungry All The Time? Scientists Have a New Explanation For What's Going On
1dBlood sugar, but complicated.
The Mystery Deepens Over Why The Lost City of Cahokia Was Abandoned
2dAnother hypothesis is ruled out.
Who Wants to Watch Black Pain?
2dUpdated at 6:40 p.m. ET on April 17, 2021. In the trailer for Amazon's new horror series, Them , Diana Ross's "Home" soundtracks a tender scene: A Black husband and wife in the 1950s survey their new house in wonder and dance in the living room with their two daughters. "When I think of home / I think of a place where there's love overflowing," Ross sings. But, as in the song, the tenor of the tr
Walking or running in nature with a therapist is helping people heal
2dOutdoor therapy can help people to become reflective and their body language while moving gives clues to their feelings Covid has transformed the way many of us work and that includes the people who look after our mental health. For much of lockdown, psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists have all had to venture into the world of online therapy, tackling their clients' iss
AI ethicist Kate Darling: 'Robots can be our partners'
2dThe MIT researcher says that for humans to flourish we must move beyond thinking of robots as potential future competitors Dr Kate Darling is a research specialist in human-robot interaction, robot ethics and intellectual property theory and policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab . In her new book, The New Breed , she argues that we would be better prepared for the fu
The Covid-19 Plasma Boom Is Over. What Did We Learn From It?
2dThe U.S. government invested $800 million in plasma when the country was desperate for Covid-19 treatments. A year later, the program has fizzled.
We're Starting to See How Covid PPE Litter Affects Wildlife
2dMore than a year into the pandemic, scientists and environmentalists have the first data on where disposable gloves and masks are turning up in ecosystems.
Graffiti can now be removed in minutes without damaging underlying art
2dA cleaning system that uses a hydrogel can remove graffiti from street art within minutes, without any alteration to the artwork underneath
The US plans to put a nuclear-powered rocket in orbit by 2025
2dThe US is taking steps to put a rocket propelled using nuclear energy into orbit by 2025, paving the way for navigation in space to become much easier
Female monkeys call to males when they see a predator approaching
2dFemale putty-nosed monkeys of West Africa will use calls to enlist the help of males when they see a leopard approach
Basic income trial is testing how money affects child development
2dA pioneering trial is giving mothers in poverty either a large or small cash gift each month for several years to find out whether a basic income changes a baby's brain and development
Artificial nervous system senses light and learns to catch like humans
2dA simple artificial nervous system is able to mimic the way humans respond to light and learn to perform basic tasks. The principle could extend to creating more useful robots and prostheses
Why the UK changed covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine advice for under-30s
2dGuidance in the UK now says healthy people under 30 should be offered a different vaccine – here's everything you need to know
Dead eagles found across the US had rat poison in their blood
2dTests on 133 dead bald eagles and golden eagles from across the US show that 80 per cent of them had rat poison in their body, which could affect their reproduction or lead to death
Covid-19 vaccine passports tested in UK as lockdown restrictions ease
2dThe UK government says covid-19 vaccine passports are likely to become a "feature of our lives," despite mounting political opposition
Most alien civilisations risk fuelling global warming on their planets
2dHumans have influenced Earth's climate so much that we have triggered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. Now physicists say that around 60 per cent of alien civilisations could do the same on their home planets
Pandemic made 2020 'the year of the quiet ocean', say scientists
2dHuman-generated sounds faded substantially at height of Covid lockdown, studies show Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Covid-19 lockdown has produced the quietest year for the world's oceans in recent memory, according to a group of scientists working on a global map of underwater soundscapes. Noise pollution from ship engines, trawling activities, oil platforms, s
Nasa picks Elon Musk's SpaceX to build spacecraft to return humans to moon
2dSpace agency breaks with tradition by awarding $2.9bn contract to single company in 'big step' for moon-to-Mars strategy Nasa has chosen SpaceX to build the next-generation spacecraft that will return humans to the moon, further strengthening Elon Musk's grip on the burgeoning public-private space industry. The $2.9bn contract to build the lunar lander that will spearhead the Artemis program , Na
Svettarmband mäter om du riskerar att bli allvarligt sjuk i covid-19
2dForskare har utvecklat ett armband som mäter om det finns en inflammation i kroppen – via svetten. Svettarmbandet kan även larma om det finns risk för så kallade cytokinstormar som kan leda till svår sjukdom och död.
'We Were Flying Blind': A Dr.'s Account of a Woman's J.&J. Vaccine-Related Blood Clot Case
2dThe disorder is rare, but so severe that the vaccine is on hold while experts weigh the risks and alert doctors and patients about symptoms and treatment.
What are the new Covid variants and what do they mean for the pandemic?
2dFrom Doug to Nelly and Eeek, we look at how mutations are affecting the battle against the virus Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage From the moment public health officials started to track new variants of coronavirus, it became clear that the same mutations were cropping up time and again and making the virus more troublesome. What are these mutations, what do they do,
Pfizer CEO Says You'll "Likely" Need a Third Dose of COVID Vaccine
3dGetting both shots of the Pfizer vaccine may not be enough to permanently protect you against the coronavirus. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC yesterday that we may eventually need a third injection of the vaccine to serve as a booster when its protective benefits start to wane, or if the company reworks its formula to better protect against new variants of the coronavirus. "A likely scenario
87 Neanderthal footprints found on an ancient Iberian shoreline
3dA team of researchers from Spain, Argentina and France has identified 87 Neanderthal footprints found on an ancient shoreline on the Iberian Peninsula. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the group describes their study of the footprints and what they learned about them.
The Fast Lane for COVID Testing Has Opened Up in the U.S.
3dRecently approved rapid antigen tests are likely to help mitigate the chain of transmission and put the U.S. on par with other countries that have them — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
A rich marine algal ecosystem existed 600 million years earlier than previously thought
3dThe first photosynthetic oxygen-producing organisms on Earth were cyanobacteria. Their evolution dramatically changed the Earth allowing oxygen to accumulate into the atmosphere for the first time and further allowing the evolution of oxygen-utilizing organisms including eukaryotes. Eukaryotes include animals, but also algae, a broad group of photosynthetic oxygen-producing organisms that now domi
A Huge New Kroger Warehouse Is Staffed by 1,000 Grocery-Picking Robots
3dWith the pandemic at long last starting to wind down, many of us are beyond eager to get back to "the way things used to be," that is, being able to interact with other humans, spending time in public places, and getting some measure of joy out of life. But some of our habits may be permanently changed , like doing meetings over Zoom, working from home, and shopping online. One grocery store chai
How The U.S. Could Halve Climate Emissions By 2030
3dEnvironmental groups and business leaders are pushing President Biden to cut U.S. emissions 50% by 2030. The question is: what kind of climate policies will work that fast? (Image credit: Dennis Schroeder/NREL)
Women in England almost twice as likely as men to be prescribed opiate painkillers
3dExperts worried about high use of drugs such as codeine and tramadol after prescriptions rose during Covid pandemic 'I was told to live with it': women tell of doctors dismissing their pain Women in England are almost twice as likely as men to be prescribed powerful and potentially addictive opiate painkillers, prompting experts to warn that female pain is overly medicated and not properly invest
Adverse Events Linked to Pediatric "Alternative Medicine" in the Netherlands
3dA study out of the Netherlands documented pediatric adverse events associated with complementary and alternative medicine over three years. Thankfully there weren't a lot of kids harmed, but when there is no potential benefit from an intervention, even one is way too many. The post first appeared on Science-Based Medicine .
Under-30s less compliant with Covid rules, UK data shows
5hWhile most followed restrictions, one in seven admitted to decreasing levels of compliance Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage People under 30 were less compliant with Covid rules over the past year, according to survey data from more than 50,000 adults in the UK. While the still to be peer-reviewed analysis suggests most people followed lockdown and social distancing ru
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Microbes are 'unknown unknowns' despite being vital to all life, says study
12hUnderstanding these tiny organisms could be crucial to tackling threats such as coronavirus, but new research shows how little we know A new study has highlighted how little is known about microbes – the hidden majority of life on Earth. Life on the planet relies on an enormous quantity of bacteria, fungi and other tiny organisms. They generate oxygen, keep soils healthy and regulate the climate.
15h
The best climate solution you've never heard of
17hMeet the teams who track down and destroy hidden sources of greenhouse gases.
Covid: trial to study effect of immune system on reinfection
17hOxford scientists will track whether participants are reinfected when re-exposed to coronavirus Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The immune response needed to protect people against reinfection with the coronavirus will be explored in a new human challenge trial, researchers have revealed. Human challenge trials involve deliberately exposing healthy people to a diseas
New Warp Drive Research Dashes Faster-Than-Light Travel Dreams—but Reveals Stranger Possibilities
1dIn 1994, physicist Miguel Alcubierre proposed a radical technology that would allow faster-than-light travel: the warp drive , a hypothetical way to skirt around the universe's ultimate speed limit by bending the fabric of reality. It was an intriguing idea—even NASA has been researching it at the Eagleworks laboratory—but Alcubierre's proposal contained problems that seemed insurmountable. Now,
Readers reply: the universe is expanding – but what is it expanding into?
1dThe long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts Scientists and astronomers tell us that the universe is expanding. But what is it expanding into, ie what's beyond the universe? Phil Town, Lisbon Please email new questions to nq@theguardian.com Continue reading…
How the Smart Remote Lost Its Way
1dOnce, we dreamed of one controller to rule them all. But when Logitech killed off the Harmony line, it ended an era.
Vodka, toothpaste, yoga mats … the new technology making items out of thin air
1dAn exhibition at London's Science Museum shows how far carbon capture research has come Tackling climate change may bring unexpected benefits, London's Science Museum will reveal next month. A special exhibition on carbon capture, the fledgling technology of extracting greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and emissions from factories, will display bottles of vodka, tubes of toothpaste, pens and y
It's OK Our Bodies Have Changed During the Pandemic
1dThe coronavirus changed so much about our lives, including, for many of us, our bodies. It's OK.
$25 Million Worth Of Giant Clam Shells Seized In The Philippines
1dThe raid Friday was the third giant clam bust in just over a month. Since the beginning of March, about $30 million worth of giant clams have been seized from illegal operations.
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Physicists have created a new and extremely rare kind of uranium
2dA team of physicists in China has produced the lightest uranium atom ever, which is more than 10 per cent smaller than the most common type of uranium
Around 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rex ever walked the Earth
2dAn estimate for the number of Tyrannosaurus rex that ever existed suggests that around 20,000 adults lived at any one time, meaning there were a total of 2.5 billion of them during the lifespan of the species
Switching beef for chicken could reduce water footprint of US diets
2dSimple dietary changes – like switching beef for chicken and peas for asparagus – may help people in the US reduce the amount of water required to put their meals on the table
Just 3 per cent of the land on Earth is still ecologically intact
2dMost of Earth's terrestrial habitats have lost their ecological integrity – even areas previously categorised as being intact
Limiting fossil fuel use isn't enough – we must stop extraction too
2dTo limit climate change and meet even the modest goals of the Paris Agreement, governments need to focus less on reducing demand for fossil fuels and more on cutting the supply
What causes the rare blood clots linked with some covid-19 vaccines?
2dJohnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccines have been paused in the US after rare reports of blood clots, similar to those linked with the AstraZeneca vaccine in other countries. Could the cause of the clots be the same?
Animals with weird neurons may rewrite the story of brain evolution
2dThe neurons of comb jellies are a peculiar shape and use chemicals not found in the brains of other animals – hinting they might have evolved independently of other neurons
Mars swung between humid and arid conditions before it dried up
2dImages captured on the Martian surface by the Curiosity rover indicate that the planet fluctuated between arid and humid conditions in its ancient past
NASA is about to fly a helicopter on another planet for the first time
2dThe Ingenuity helicopter, which hitched a ride to Mars aboard NASA's Perseverance rover, is getting ready to perform its first test flight on 12 April
Dementia risk doubles if people have both vision and hearing loss
2dOver six years, a study following thousands of people aged 58 and up found that those who started to lose their vision and hearing were more likely to develop dementia
People are bad at spotting simple solutions to problems
2dWe tend to default to solving problems by adding features rather than removing them, potentially failing to recognise efficient solutions that involve simplification
Most fuel-hungry SUVs in the UK are bought by people in cities
2dSUVs in the UK are overwhelmingly bought by people in towns and cities, with the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea emerging as the country's Range Rover capital
Human brain organoids grown in cheap 3D-printed bioreactor
2dIt is now possible to grow and culture human brain tissue in a device that costs little more than the price of a cup of coffee
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Tarantula's ubiquity traced back to the cretaceous
2dTarantulas are among the most notorious spiders, due in part to their size, vibrant colors and prevalence throughout the world. But one thing most people don't know is that tarantulas are homebodies. Females and their young rarely leave their burrows and only mature males will wander to seek out a mate. How then did such a sedentary spider come to inhabit six out of seven continents?
Why the Vaccine Safety Numbers Are Still Fuzzy
2dPutting a risk in context: The rate of blood clots is extremely low, but the pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could reveal more cases.
Elon Musk Takes Cybertruck for Off-Road Joyride
3dOff-Road Joyride During a recent visit to Tesla's factory in Austin, Texas, CEO Elon Musk decided to take a prototype of the company's long-awaited electric pickup, the Cybertruck, out for a spin. Videos of the event showed the brutalist truck drive over the site's dirt-covered grounds. Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas! $TSLA #Tesla #Cybertruck #EV @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/g90Ml0NWTF — Tesla New
UK finds more cases of variant linked to severe second wave in India
3dDiscovery of 77 infections with new strain prompts calls to add India to Britain's travel 'red list'
What the Pandemic Has Done to the Class of 2020
3dNina Berman / NOOR / Redux Noah Baumbach's 1995 film, Kicking and Screaming , opens at a college-graduation party. Students dressed in boxy suits and flouncy dresses mill around campus, savoring their final moments of collegiate aimlessness: Today I am a student, an English major. Tomorrow these identities will fall away and I will have no idea who or what I am anymore. A group of friends gathers
Laos jars are slowly revealing their secrets
3dIn the rugged province of Xieng Khoaung in upper northern Laos are scattered more than 2,000 large carved stone jars. They vary in size, with the biggest standing at just over 2.5 meters tall and weighing in at 30 tons. The jars are believed to have been used for funerary purposes, with human remains (including teeth) found buried around some of the jars.
'They Just Feel That They've Been Violated'
3dPeople come to Shelly Hughes to get better. Most patients at the Washington State long-term-care facility she works at are there for the express purpose of getting well enough to go home. In a typical year, she would rarely see cases of "failure to thrive," the technical term for a sharp and sudden decline in health. But last year, multiple people who were expected to make a full recovery went in
Coping Strategies of Ocean Castaways Hold Lessons for the COVID Pandemic
3dShipwreck victims cast adrift for weeks or months exhibit a resilience that serves as a model to weather any extended crisis — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
There's a Booming Business in America's Forests. Some Aren't Happy About It.
8hThe fuel pellet industry is thriving. Supporters see it as a climate-friendly source of rural jobs. For others, it's a polluter and destroyer of nature.
11h
Whitest paint ever reflects 98 per cent of light and could cool homes
2dAn ultra-reflective white paint absorbs so little sunlight that it becomes cooler than its surroundings, so it could replace energy-intensive air conditioners to cool buildings
Can the European Union prevent an artificial intelligence dystopia?
2dLeaked draft legislation suggests the European Union is attempting to find a "third way" on artificial intelligence regulation, between the free market US and authoritarian China
Vibrations from a smartphone can help us spot unsafe drinking water
2dA smartphone's motion sensor and vibrating ringtone can be used to measure the viscosity of liquids, which can reveal impurities in water, and even test urine to diagnose kidney conditions or pregnancy
Australian bushfires warmed the stratosphere by 1°C for six months
2dSmoke pollution from the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires warmed the stratosphere over the southern hemisphere by at least 1°C for six months after the fires
Regular headphones can detect a heart rate and hear your conversations
2dStandard headphones with no microphone or sensors can detect your heart rate, identify you from the shape of your ear canal and even record your voice
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Hackers Used to Be Humans. Soon, AIs Will Hack Humanity
4hLike crafty genies, AIs will grant our wishes, and then hack them, exploiting our social, political, and economic systems like never before.
Union Says Amazon Violated Labor Law in the Alabama Election
4hAmazon defeated the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union's bid to represent workers at one warehouse. The union claims the company fought dirty.
Is the 'new muon' really a great scientific discovery? For now, I'm cautious | Carlo Rovelli
10hPhysicists are always looking for eureka moments – but we should be careful with headline-grabbing announcements There is something curious about the great experiments and discoveries in fundamental physics from the past few decades. They have covered black holes , gravitational waves , the Higgs particle and quantum entanglement . They have led to Nobel prizes, reached the front pages of newspap
Danske forskere har udviklet et insektmiddel, som får skadedyr til at tisse sig selv ihjel
1dInsektmidlet rammer ikke bierne på markerne. Kun de skadelige biller.
NASA's Mars copter flight could happen as soon as Monday
1dNASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue.
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4,000 to attend FA Cup semi-final as live sport cautiously reopens
1dLargest crowd at a major British stadium for more than a year will aid research into events reopening this summer Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A sporting record will be broken on Sunday when 4,000 football fans gather at Wembley to watch the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton. It will be the largest crowd to have watched a football match in a
How the FBI Got Into the San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone
2dPlus: Russian sanctions, Europe's SolarWinds fallout, and more of this week's top security news.
Everyone On Facebook's Oversight Board Should Resign
2dThe committee's coming decision on banning Donald Trump from the platform is meaningless. Its existence only gets in the way of actually fixing Facebook.
Left-Behind Suburbs Are a Civil-Rights Battleground
2dThe death of Daunte Wright, a Black motorist killed by police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, is a window into the future of civil-rights conflict in America. That Black Lives Matter was launched after a police shooting in a similar community outside St. Louis—Ferguson, Missouri—is not a coincidence. Both Brooklyn Center and Ferguson are small, older suburbs. Both have be
'Stol ikke på skyen': Holger mistede mange timers arbejde og flere tusinde kroner i brand
2d3,6 millioner hjemmesider blev påvirket af brand i Europas største datacenter.
Human cells grown in monkey embryos raise ethical concerns
2dHuman-monkey chimeras produced by implanting human stem cells in macaque embryos could be used to study how cells develop, but some ethicists have raised concerns
The Danger of a 'Dudes Only' Vaccine
2dThe Johnson & Johnson shot is teetering on the precipice of becoming America's "dudes only" vaccine. On Tuesday, the CDC and FDA advised halting the vaccine's nationwide rollout to investigate six cases of a rare blood-clotting disorder that's occurred in people within about two weeks of receiving the vaccine—all of them women under the age of 50. In an emergency meeting convened Wednesday by the
Tesla Helps Cops Catch Man Who Committed Racial Hate Crime
2dHello There A federal court charged 44-year-old Dushko Vulchev with repeatedly setting fire to a predominately Black church in Massachusetts thanks, in part, to video footage captured by a nearby Tesla's cameras . Vulchev reportedly set the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church on fire several times and slashing the tires of cars in the area, according to Gizmodo . Vukchev, who was
As many as 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rexes once stalked Earth
3dDigging deep into T.rex's history helped researchers determine how many of these apex predators ever existed.
NASA rocket to survey the solar system's windshield
3dEleven billion miles away—more than four times the distance from us to Pluto—lies the boundary of our solar system's magnetic bubble, the heliopause. Here the Sun's magnetic field, stretching through space like an invisible cobweb, fizzles to nothing. Interstellar space begins.
Microorganisms on the Rio Grande Rise are a basis for life and a possible origin of metals
3dThe abundant biological and mineral diversity of the Rio Grande Rise, a seamount in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean about 1,500 km from the coast of Brazil, is probably due, to a great extent, to little-known microscopic creatures.
Most-Vaccinated Country on Earth Has "Pretty Much Eradicated" COVID
1hAccording to a new paper published in the journal Nature today, the evidence is overwhelming: COVID-19 vaccines work, and they work well. In fact, Israel's vaccination program — the most expansive on Earth — has been so successful that it has "pretty much eradicated COVID-19 from Israel, at least for the time being," Weizmann Institute researcher and co-author of the new paper Eran Segal wrote in
Astronomers Surprised to Find That Stars Compete With Each Other
1hGas Guzzlers In a new study, Japanese scientists found that a star's final size doesn't depend on how big its initial core was but rather how successful it was at competing with its neighbors for resources. That came as a shock, as the astronomy community long assumed that the mass of a newly-formed core or one collapsed from a dead star — both the seeds of new star formation — had a much larger
The Two Memos With Enormous Constitutional Consequences
5hOne conclusion is apparent following Donald Trump's four years in office: A sitting president is perhaps the only American who is not bound by criminal law, and thus not swayed by its disincentives. What's astonishing is that this immunity has no grounding in actual law. It's not in the Constitution or any federal statute, regulation, or judicial decision. It is not law at all. Instead, the ban o
Nasa succesfully conducts Mars helicopter flight test – watch live
6hNasa has said its Ingenuity aircraft flew above the Martian surface in the first powered, controlled flight on another planet Continue reading…
I'm Not Ready to Perform
6hLast October, before the second pandemic wave took off in New York City, I had one last band practice in my backyard in South Brooklyn. Five of us were working on songs from my new solo record. Normally we'd play in the basement, but it's pretty low-ceilinged, and we'd read Zeynep Tufekci's recent Atlantic article on viral spread, so we were all hyper-focused on air circulation. My bandmate Sara
Christian Elliot's "18 Reasons I Won't Be Getting a Covid Vaccine": Viral antivaccine misinformation
10hChristian Elliot is a self-proclaimed "natural health nerd" and entrepreneur who recently published 18 reasons why he wouldn't take the COVID-19 vaccine. Unfortunately, it's viral disinformation based on conspiracy theories, bad science, pseudoscience, and nonsense. The post first appeared on Science-Based Medicine .
How to Schedule Emails and Texts to Send Anytime You Want
1dYour messages don't have to go out right away. Be strategic about when your recipient gets them.
How To Clean Your Patio
1dSprucing up for spring includes giving your lawn furniture the cleaning it deserves.
American export controls threaten to hinder global vaccine production
1dThe world's biggest vaccine-maker says it will feel the pinch in a month
An Ode to the Left Hand
2dTim Lahan This article was published online on April 17, 2021. I raised the drumstick , brought it down, and a dreamworld opened beneath me. A dreamworld, to be clear, of incompetence. A dreamworld of crapness and debility. A slump in tempo, an abyss. I was sitting at my practice drum kit, attempting one of the signature moves of the late John "Bonzo" Bonham, of Led Zeppelin: triplets with a left
India sees record surges in cases due to coronavirus variants
2dIndia's daily coronavirus cases are currently the highest in the world, with modelling suggesting the country's total tally could be close to 450 million
How good are the coronavirus vaccines at blocking transmission?
2dSome covid-19 vaccines seem to excel at stopping the virus spreading as well as preventing disease, but vaccines alone still might not be enough to achieve herd immunity
Chaos Walking review: Unsettling sci-fi that exposes men's thoughts
2dSci-fi film Chaos Walking, featuring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, is a disconcerting little masterpiece of sensitive acting and well-judged world-building, says Simon Ings
Redesign makes drones quieter and less annoying without losing thrust
2dDrones can be loud and irritating, but by redesigning the rotors the noise they make could become more palatable without a loss of thrust
How to watch the Lyrid meteor shower
2dThe Lyrid meteor shows will light up the skies from April 16 to April 30. Here's how to watch.
New Details Emerge About Fatal Jetpack Crash
2dJetpack Crash Daredevil jetwing pilot Vince Reffet tragically passed away in November 2020 during a training accident. While details about the cause of his death remained scarce at the time, we're finally starting to get a sense of what may have happened. According to a new report from the United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority, as obtained by the Associated Press , Reffet didn't
Martin Rowson on ethics and the Conservative party – cartoon
2dBuy a copy of this cartoon from our print shop Continue reading…
Tiny Jurassic 'Monkeydactyl' has the oldest pair of thumbs on Earth
2dResearchers unearthed the fossil of a pterosaur with opposable thumbs, making it the oldest known animal with thumbs on Earth.
Analysing long Covid and managing anxiety | Letters
3dThere is a greater need than ever for measured, up-to-date information about this condition, writes Prof Michael Sharpe. Plus letters from Robin Davies and Prof Paul Garner George Monbiot has written about post Covid-19 illnesses ( Apparently just by talking about it, I'm super-spreading long Covid , 14 April). He referred to slides he had obtained from a talk I was invited to give because of my
How are asteroids, space weather and space debris detected before they hit Earth?
3dThe European Space Agency's Space Situational Awareness program is tackling the problem on three fronts.
International paleontology team discovers tiny cat-sized stegosaur
3dA single footprint left by a cat-sized dinosaur around 100 million years ago has been discovered in China by an international team of paleontologists.
When Your Best Friend Becomes an 'Aunt' to Your Kids
3dEach installment of " The Friendship Files " features a conversation between The Atlantic 's Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship. This week she talks with Judie, an introvert, and Kristi, an extrovert, about their opposites-attract friendship, and how Judie leaned on it when her daughter was diagnosed with cancer during the pandemic. Th
You're Gonna Miss Zoom When It's Gone
3dI f there's a villain of the pandemic, other than COVID-19, it's probably Zoom. The videochatting platform is making people tired , it's making people awkward , and it's making people sick of their own faces. Zoom is such a shoddy substitute for real life that, according to o ne survey , nearly one in five workers has illicitly met up in person with colleagues to discuss work. And in another poll
The FDA's Decision to Pause J&J Could Help Defeat Covid-19
3dA slower vaccine rollout isn't ideal, but it's more important that Americans know they can trust officials to address health concerns when they arise.
Cord-Cutting Isn't About Saving Money. It's About Control
3dMaking the switch to streaming used to be a way to pay only for what you watched. Those days are long gone.
MIT Researcher: Sex Robots May Sell In-App Purchases During Intercourse
29minSuperliminal Advertising As new robots are built to be increasingly social and designed to appeal to our need for emotional connections, a prominent AI ethicist warns that humanity may end up being exploited. MIT Media Lab researcher Kate Darling, an expert on tech ethics and the relationships and interactions between humans and robots, warned The Guardian that the way we talk and think about rob
Climate change: Future-proofing coffee in a warming world
2hA "forgotten" coffee plant that grows in warmer conditions could help ensure the drink's future.
No, You're Crying About a Helicopter on Mars
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2hNASA Ingenuity Mars
NASA / JPL-Caltech / Jason Major For the first time in history, humankind has taken flight on another planet. Millions of miles from Earth, on an alien world with a wisp-thin atmosphere, a tiny helicopter rose into the air, hovered for 39 seconds , and then gently touched back down on the surface of Mars. Today's historic flight is a tremendous feat of engineering and a marvelous display of—as th
Were the first humans superpredators?
4hA new hypothesis suggests that humans were hypercarnivores more than 2 million years ago, specializing in taking down the largest prey.
Nations Need Ambassadors to Big Tech
5hGovernments see that companies have country-like powers, but they can't figure out how to deal with their un-country-like structures. Diplomats could help.
Watch two black holes bend the daylights out of space-time in this trippy NASA visualization
5hA simulated binary system animation shows how extreme gravity warps two black holes locked in a mesmerizing "dance."
Want to Get Along With Robots? Pretend They're Animals
6hRobotics ethicist Kate Darling surveys our history with animals—in work, war, and companionship—to show how we might develop similar relationships with robots.
Quantum Astronomy Could Create Telescopes Hundreds of Kilometers Wide
6hAstronomers hope to use innovations from the subatomic world to construct breathtakingly large arrays of optical observatories — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The Americans Who Still Can't Get Vaccinated
6hLike many Americans, Ariane Dvir is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Only, she doesn't live in America. From her home near Cologne, in western Germany, she has spent much of this year hearing about her loved ones back in the United States getting vaccinated. Her husband, an Israeli citizen, has heard about his family and friends in Israel doing the same. Though the couple had intended to wait the
UK adds India to travel 'red list' after Covid cases surge in country
8hBoris Johnson cancels trip as authorities lock down Delhi and restrict oxygen use in battle with new variant
On the Water in Alaska, Where Salmon Fishing Dreams Live On
8hEach summer, salmon begin their journey back to the rivers where they were spawned. Alaskan fishermen, along with whales, eagles and bears, share in the abundance.
Researcher Studies How Messaging On COVID-19 Disparities Affects Policy Preferences
19hNPR's Michel Martin speaks with professor Evan Lieberman about the study he co-authored looking at how sharing information about the pandemic's racial disparities affect peoples' policy opinions.
These Are Our Favorite Hair Straighteners
1dCurls and waves are beautiful. But when you want to smooth them out, these hot tools (including irons, a brush, and a comb) work wonders.
Ecobee's Ecosystem Is an Easy Way to Embrace the Smart Home
1dFor the past six months, this Alexa-integrated security and thermostat platform made my house feel safer and more comfortable.
Papier-Mache Globe
1dCreating a light-up globe from recycled materials is a good reminder of Earth's beauty.
Farvel til kæmpeskildpadder og sneleoparder? Sjældne dyr trues af klimaforandringer
1dStigende temperaturer risikerer at smadre dyrenes levesteder.
For Americans' Health, a Dollar of Carbon Emissions Prevented Is Worth a Ton of Cure
2dIncreasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are taking an enormous toll on the human body—and the situation is getting worse — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Russia is going back to the moon this year
2dRussia is revisiting its Soviet space heritage for a new series of missions that will take the nation back to the moon.
The Best Accessories for Your New PlayStation 5
2dFrom backup controllers to full-on sound systems, here are our favorite complements to your PS5.
What Is Hi-Fi Audio, and Should You Pay More for It?
2dA number of streaming services offer "high-quality" options, from Amazon Music to Spotify's upcoming tier. Here's how to demystify them.
US drug overdose deaths surged during COVID-19 lockdowns
2dU.S. overdose deaths surged during the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary data from the CDC.
15 Best Weekend Deals on TVs, Smart Speakers, and PC Gear
2dIt's a laid-back, put-your-feet-up kind of weekend. These discounts might help get your zen on.
NASA has selected SpaceX to build a lander to take humans to the moon
2dSpaceX has been awarded a $2.9 billion contract to build the lunar lander that will take astronauts to the surface of the moon as part of NASA's Artemis programme
Covid-19 news: Infections in England at lowest level in 7 months
2dThe latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic
Facebook says its AI could help find drug combinations to treat cancer
2dFacebook claims that its new artificial intelligence can predict the way drugs interact with each other inside cells, but other researchers say it may not translate into results that will be useful in humans
The alphabet may have been invented 500 years earlier than we thought
2dMany researchers think the alphabet emerged in Egypt about 3800 years ago – but possible examples of alphabetic writing from a 4300-year-old site in Syria challenge that idea
Blue Origin's latest launch brings it close to sending humans to space
2dThe 14 April launch of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket may have been the spacecraft's last test flight before it begins taking passengers to the edge of space
Heat overrides genes to make bearded dragon embryos change sex
2dSome Australian lizards that begin developing as males will hatch as females if the egg is particularly warm, because the heat triggers genes that override their sex chromosomes
We have overlooked a crucial cause of the world's nutrition crisis
2dAttempts to tackle undernutition in children around the world often overlook an important part of the puzzle, says Priti Parikh
Wasps with no social life may find it harder to recognise others
2dA species of social wasp can recognise its peers by patterns on their faces, but wasps raised in isolation experience less growth of the brain regions thought to be involved in the skill
People expect chocolate to taste bitter if it is in black packaging
2dPeople expect dark and milk chocolate to be taste more bitter if it is in black packaging, while yellow and pink packaging is associated with sweeter-tasting chocolate
We can't let vaccines create bad incentives that make things worse
2dWe are starting to vaccinate our way out of the pandemic, but we shouldn't let that make us complacent about the underlying problems, writes Graham Lawton
Upptäckt: Samband mellan barn som snarkar och fysiska förändringar i hjärnan
2dEn stor studie på barn som snarkar minst tre nätter i veckan visar att de har förändringar i hjärnans pannlob som just styr beteenden, känslor och vår personlighet.
Scientists may detect signs of extraterrestrial life in the next 5 to 10 years
2dResearch shows that a new telescope could detect a potential signature of life on other planets in as little as 60 hours.
Study shows past COVID-19 infection doesn't fully protect young people against reinfection
2dResults of a new study suggest vaccination against COVID-19 remains crucial even in young adults who were previously infected.
The future of particle accelerators is here
2dWhen the Electron Ion Collider received the go-ahead in January 2020, it became the only new major accelerator in the works anywhere in the world.
Here's What 'All Things Considered' Sounds Like — In Blackbird Song
2dA Finnish computer scientist had a dream that a blackbird was speaking to her in human language. So she devised a computer program to transform the sounds of the human voice into birdsong.
New CRISPR technology offers unrivaled control of epigenetic inheritance
2dScientists have figured out how to modify CRISPR's basic architecture to extend its reach beyond the genome and into what's known as the epigenome — proteins and small molecules that latch onto DNA and control when and where genes are switched on or off.
General Override
2dWho lost Afghanistan? Generations of diplomatic and military historians will debate that question, and there will be blame to share among presidents, members of Congress, generals, and statesmen. Here's an easier question: Who lost the debate over when to leave Afghanistan? The military did. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that the United States would fully withdraw from Afghanistan b
A Pause on J&J, Preparation for Booster Shots, and More News
2dCatch up on the most important updates from this week.
To become queen, these ants shrink their brains and balloon their ovaries (then, they reverse it)
3dThe researchers say that brain plasticity like this may not just be a trick of the ants. Other animals could do it too, and we may only just be noticing.
Scientists report remarkable enhancement of α-particle clustering in uranium isotopes
3dIt is always exciting to find new isotopes with extreme neutron/proton numbers in nuclear physics research. In the region of heavy nuclei, α-decay is one of the pervasive decay modes and plays an essential role in searching for new isotopes. However, even after about a century of studying α-decay, scientists still cannot perfectly describe how the α-particle is formed at the surface of the nucleus
Holotropic Breathing Promises Psychedelic-Like Trips Without the Drugs. Is It Safe?
3dMany people report having spiritual experiences and psychological shifts while practicing intense and forceful breathing. But experts say this type of hyperventilating can pose mental and physical risks.
Tips to Make Recovering From Surgery or Illness Easier
3dEmbracing the tools that let us live and work in a pandemic made a recent recovery much easier. Here's what I learned.
Can the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood Be Saved?
3dCinephiles have been mourning the news that the iconic movie theater won't reopen. But there might still be hope for the Cinerama Dome.
Examining the impact of Earth's most devastating mass-extinction event on invertebrates
3dDr. Luis Buatois (Ph.D.), a faculty member in the Department of Geological Sciences in USask's College of Arts and Science, is the lead author on a new paper published in the journal Terra Nova. The article, titled "Impact of Permian mass extinctions on continental invertebrate infauna," was co-authored with five researchers from universities in Madrid and Salamanca, Spain.
Scientists reject restrictive heat flux models using directly driven gold spheres
3dA team of scientists has conducted an analysis of directly driven gold sphere experiments to test heat transport models used in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high energy density (HED) modeling. It was found that overly restricting the heat flux caused disagreement with measurement.
Streams and rivers emit more carbon dioxide at night than day
3dStreams and rivers emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but a new study published in Nature Geoscience led by researchers at the universities in Umeå and Lausanne shows that the flux may be greater than previously thought.
The True Costs and Benefits of Fracking
3dAn oil-rig crewmember at work in 2012, during the Bakken Formation oil boom in North Dakota (Alec Soth / Magnum) This article was published online on April 16, 2021. I n January , President Joe Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and ordered a drilling moratorium on federal land. The following month, a historic cold snap and a failed power grid turned Texas into a disaster zone . Even as poli
People Are Playing a Guessing Game in Google Maps
3dFor most people, GeoGuessr is a fun way to pass the time. For others, it's a way into the record books.
Lokalpolitiker vil have reglerne ændret: Støjhelvede fra varmepumper er »fuldstændig uacceptabelt«
3dPLUS. Der er regler for enkelte varmepumper. Men ingen kan forhindre 'cikadeeffekten', når flere pumper står tæt sammen.
New analysis finds Spotted Owls harmed by post-fire logging, not fire
2dAre forest fires a threat to the imperiled Spotted Owl? For years, different groups of scientists assumed so, but a new study turns this assumption on its head. Researchers from the John Muir Project, Pennsylvania State University, and Wild Nature Institute found that these previous studies consistently had a serious methodological flaw: they failed to take into account the impact of post-fire log
How to Watch Tomorrow's Apple Event
6hThe company is expected to unveil some new hardware Tuesday. Here's how to stream the big show.
The Trojan-Horse mechanism: How networks reduce gender segregation
2dThe social science literature has long viewed homophily and network-based job recruitment as crucial drivers of segregation. Researchers at Linköping University and ESADE, Ramon Llull University, now show that this view must be revised. In their Science Advances article, they call attention to a previously unidentified factor, the Trojan horse mechanism, which shows that network-based recruitment
Inside the rise of police department real-time crime centers
7hAt a conference in New Orleans in 2007, Jon Greiner, then the chief of police in Ogden, Utah, heard a presentation by the New York City Police Department about a sophisticated new data hub called a " real time crime center. " Reams of information rendered in red and green splotches, dotted lines, and tiny yellow icons appeared as overlays on an interactive map of New York City: Murders. Shootings
SpaceX Awarded Lunar Lander Contract
5hI've been watching For All Mankind – a very interesting series that imagines an alternate history in which the Soviets beat the US to landing on the Moon, triggering an extended space race that puts us decades ahead of where we are now. By the 1980s we had a permanent lunar base and a reusable lunar lander, not to mention spacecraft with nuclear engines. Meanwhile, back in reality, we are approac
This Week's Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through April 17)
2dARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 15 Graphs You Need to See to Understand AI in 2021 Charles Q. Choi | IEEE Spectrum "If you haven't had time to read the AI Index Report for 2021, which clocks in at 222 pages, don't worry—we've got you covered. The massive document, produced by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, is packed full of data and graphs, and we've plucked out 15 tha
Simulations reveal how dominant SARS-CoV-2 strain binds to host, succumbs to antibodies
2dThe dominant G-form spike protein 'puts its head up' more frequently to latch on to receptors, but that makes it more vulnerable to neutralization.
Research finds a potential new 'silver bullet' nanoparticle to treat brain cancer
3dANSTO has contributed to a comprehensive investigation of a promising type of nanoparticle that could potentially be used for intractable brain cancers in a combined therapy.
Kraftig drivhusgas strømmer ud af rismarker og fiskeopdræt: 'Vi har lavet ubalance i regnskabet'
3dNår mennesker ændrer på naturen, skaber det store mængder metangas, som ender i atmosfæren.
Scientists paint best portrait yet of closest known fast radio burst
1dScientists have uncovered more details about perhaps the most famous repeating fast radio burst, a mysterious phenomenon astronomers cannot yet explain.
Unconventional takes on pandemics and nuclear defense could protect humanity from catastrophic failure
2dFrom engineered pandemics to city-toppling cyber attacks to nuclear annihilation, life on Earth could radically change, and soon.
Let Lonely Mountains: Downhill Take Your Breath Away
4hUnspoiled wilderness meets high-speed thrills in a meditative mountain biking game that's still picking up new fans.
5 steps to make offices as coronavirus-proof as possible
2dGood ventilation is one of the most effective measures offices can take to stop the spread of coronavirus, while relying on people to change their behaviour should be a last resort
US West prepares for possible 1st water shortage declaration
1dThe man-made lakes that store water supplying millions of people in the U.S. West and Mexico are projected to shrink to historic lows in the coming months, dropping to levels that could trigger the federal government's first-ever official shortage declaration and prompt cuts in Arizona and Nevada.
Experimental events offer glimpse of safe, post-lockdown nightlife
2dAllowing thousands of people to party side by side in different conditions is showing governments the best way to reignite the entertainment industry while keeping people safe
DNA robots designed in minutes instead of days
57minSomeday, scientists believe, tiny DNA-based robots and other nanodevices will deliver medicine inside our bodies, detect the presence of deadly pathogens, and help manufacture increasingly smaller electronics.
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The Year My Deductibles Disappeared
2dA little while ago, amid the timeless blur of pandemic lockdown, a calendar ping alerted me that April 15—Tax Day—was nigh. I had completely forgotten to set up an appointment with my accountant. Emailing him in a panic, I was relieved when he responded that he had a slot left the day before Saint Patrick's Day. He wouldn't be meeting clients in person this year, because of COVID-19, he explained
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COVID-19: Scientists identify human genes that fight infection
2dScientists have identified a set of human genes that fight SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19. Knowing which genes help control viral infection can greatly assist researchers' understanding of factors that affect disease severity and also suggest possible therapeutic options. The genes in question are related to interferons, the body's frontline virus fighters.
SpaceX wins $2.9bn Nasa contract to land Americans on the moon
2dElon Musk beats Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to be sole contractor to build next lunar lander
Crush the Dance Floor With These Colorful Retro Beat Machines
5hThe Polish company Polyend has collaborated with a trio of electronic music artists to infuse its audio creation hardware with blasts of color.
Pregnant women can receive Covid vaccine, say UK health chiefs
2dBut Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advises against using AstraZeneca shot
A new super-Earth detected orbiting a red dwarf star
2dResearchers report the discovery of a super-Earth orbiting the star GJ 740, a red dwarf star situated some 36 light years from Earth.
Come Cry With Us on Gadget Lab's 500th Episode Extravaganza
3dThis week, we mark a major milestone by inviting our podcast's past co-hosts to share their memories of working on the show. It's equal parts lulz and tears.
Fruit flies give researchers new insights into the 'highway of the nerve cells'
3dThe nervous system is the internet of the human body and can in the same way transfer signals over long distances very quickly. Some of the most important elements in this signaling are the axons. They are projections of the nerve cells which send signals to other nerve cells or muscles. For instance, axons that jut out from nerve cells in the spinal cord can be over one meter long.
Biden administration to allocate $1.7bn to target Covid variants
3dBoost to genomic sequencing efforts comes as new strains threaten to worsen US pandemic
How Fury Over Soccer Is Uniting Europe
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1hEuropean Super League
When I was a teenager, my hometown football—soccer—team was bought by a local businessman who began his career as a safecracker, became friends with Donald Trump, and ended his days broke and in jail. George Reynolds, who died last week, lived an Englishman's version of the American dream: He got rich, bought a local institution, then went bankrupt. For a moment, his ownership sparked a kind of g
Long-term consequences of CO2 emissions
2dAccording to a new study, the oxygen content in the oceans will continue to decrease for centuries even if all CO2 emissions would be stopped immediately. The slowdown of ocean circulation and the progressive warming of deeper water layers are responsible for this process.
Tiny cat-sized stegosaur leaves its mark
3dA single footprint left by a cat-sized dinosaur around 100 million years ago has been discovered in China by an international team of palaeontologists.
How Spiders Can Improve 3D Printing Technology
7hMarkus Buehler at MIT is learning from spiders. His lab turned the structure of spiderwebs into music, and could be on their way to "communicating" with them.
Glowing, red-eyed rat fetus is global photo contest's gorgeously creepy winner
3dButterfly wing scales, neurons, dividing cells and more showcased the beauty of microscopy in Olympus' second annual Global Image of the Year Award.
New amphibious centipede species discovered in Okinawa and Taiwan
5hResearchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University and Hosei University have discovered a new species of large, tropical centipede of genus Scolopendra in Okinawa and Taiwan. It is only the third amphibious centipede identified in the world, and is the largest in the region, 20 cm long and nearly 2 cm thick. It is also the first new centipede to be identified in Japan in 143 years, testament to the in
NASA has just flown a helicopter on Mars for the first time
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2hNASA Ingenuity Mars
The news: NASA has flown an aircraft on another planet for the first time. On Monday, April 19, Ingenuity, a 1.8-kilogram drone helicopter, took off from the surface of Mars, flew up about three meters, then swiveled and hovered for 40 seconds. The historic moment was livestreamed on YouTube , and Ingenuity captured the photo above with one of its two cameras. "We can now say that human beings ha
Selective mRNA degradation via autophagy: A novel role for autophagy in gene regulation
5hOptimal cell function requires a fine balance between the synthesis and degradation of biomolecules. Autophagy is the process by which cells degrade and recycle their own components, helping to clean up and maintain the cell's internal environment and ensure the smooth functioning of cellular processes. Autophagy is strongly induced when cells are subjected to stresses like nutrient deprivation, a
Dying white dwarf stars may explode like a nuclear bomb
1dWhen a white dwarf star explodes as a supernova, it may be detonating like a nuclear weapon on Earth, a new study finds.
Meteorologists can predict strength of Asian monsoon a year in advance
2dA climate model can reliably predict the strength of the Asian summer monsoon – and the tropical cyclone activity associated with it – more than one year ahead of time, which could help governments better prepare for damaging weather events
New Tech Makes Objects Invisible by Shining Light Straight Through Them
2dPiercing Gaze A team of scientists says they've found a specific kind of light wave that can pierce directly through objects, making it seem as though they were totally invisible. We can see objects because light bounces off of them and into the photoreceptors in our eyes. Now, scientists from Austria's TU Wien and The Netherlands' Utrecht University say they've found a way to make light pass dir
The Books Briefing: The New Legacy of America's Wilderness
3dIn nature documentaries such as A Perfect Planet and Planet Earth, the wilderness seems free of human influence, Emma Marris wrote in a recent story for The Atlantic . Sweeping, unpeopled vistas and close-up shots of animals render the world in an enhanced, almost unnatural, high-definition style. Such visions of untouched, wild lands are nothing new; John Muir, an early conservationist, even lik
Bottom trawling harms the ocean—and the climate
3dThe destructive effects of ocean-bottom trawling are easy enough to imagine from any basic description of the practice. Heavy nets 100 yards wide, equipped with weighted rollers and steel doors, are dragged across the seafloor to scoop up cod, halibut, flounder, rockfish, shrimp and other deep-dwelling prey.
NIH Reverses Limits on Human Fetal Tissue Research
4hA new ruling removes the requirement that grants and proposals using the material receive approval from an ethical review board, reverting to the process in place before 2019.
OOA sejrede sig selv ihjel
1dPLUS. Aktivister fra nu nedlagt organisation fortæller historien om, hvordan atomkraften blev skrevet ud af Danmarks energipolitik.
¿Nacidos para holgazanear? Esto es lo que los osos pueden enseñarnos sobre el ejercicio
4hLos científicos han descubierto que los osos pardos, al igual que las personas, parecen elegir el camino de menor resistencia.
Late-Night Classical Radio Host
1dThe first thing you need is a voice. One someone can fall asleep to. Can sleep through. Words twinkling in faint starbursts of static. Your timbre must sotto the way a library book smells like the mausoleum of Erato. You must bring a thermos— an old metal one, dinged. Fill it with quote-unquote coffee but drink slowly. Before 3, you'll have to say Saint-Saens without slurring. Oh, and you'll need
Later School Start Times
3dYet another study shows the benefits of delaying the start time for High School students. This study also looked at middle school and elementary school students, had a two year follow up, and including both parent and student feedback. In this study: "Participating elementary schools started 60 minutes earlier, middle, 40-60 minutes later, and high school started 70 minutes later," and found Rese
CRISPR: Can we control it?
1dCRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary technology that gives scientists the ability to alter DNA. On the one hand, this tool could mean the elimination of certain diseases. On the other, there are concerns (both ethical and practical) about its misuse and the yet-unknown consequences of such experimentation. "The technique could be misused in horribl
How a return to offices after covid-19 lockdown affects mental health
2dReturning to work in offices brings concerns over office socialising and using public transport, but working together brings mental health benefits too
Scientists create mechanism to precisely control soundwaves in metamaterials
3dUniversity of Oregon physicists have developed a new method to manipulate sound—stop it, reverse it, store it and even use it later—in synthetic composite structures known as metamaterials.
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Will Biden's Presidency Be One-and-Done?
2hJoe Biden spent the bulk of his adult life running for president or auditioning to be president. Now he is president, and yet the notion that he might walk away from the job while he still has a choice in the matter remains a source of undimmed speculation rare in the postwar era. No one seriously believed that Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, or any president over the pa
The Deadly Consequences of Hypersexualizing Asian Women
2hA long history of racism and misogyny set the stage for recent violence, including a murderous "bad day" in Atlanta — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Mexicans head for US in hunt for Covid jab
2dSome residents are flocking north of the border to take advantage of growing vaccine supply
Long-term consequences of carbon dioxide emissions
3dThe life of almost all animals in the ocean depends on the availability of oxygen, which is dissolved as a gas in seawater. However, the ocean has been continuously losing oxygen for several decades. In the last 50 years, the loss of oxygen accumulates globally to about 2% of the total inventory (regionally sometimes significantly more). The main reason for this is global warming, which leads to a
Insurers Struggle to Forecast Near-term Risks in a Shifting Climate
3dAfter a record-setting year for hurricanes and wildfires, the insurance industry is grappling with the role of our climate emergency in estimating local disaster damages — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The whitest paint is here — and it's the coolest. Literally.
1dIn an effort to curb global warming, engineers have created the whitest paint yet. Coating buildings with this paint may one day cool them off enough to reduce the need for air conditioning, the researchers say.
Beetles that pee themselves to death could be tomorrow's pest control
2hUp to 25 percent of global food production is lost annually due to insects, primarily beetles. For the past 500 million years, beetles have successfully spread and adapted to life around the globe and now account for one of every five animal species on Earth. Yet as far back as ancient Egypt, these tough little bugs have invaded granaries and vexed us humans by destroying our crops.
Ny maling reflekterer 98 procent af sollyset tilbage i rummet
1dMalingens køleeffekt er kraftigere end de mest almindelige køleanlæg, og dermed kan den erstatte aircondition i bygningen.
Want to be robust at 40-plus? Meeting minimum exercise guidelines won't cut it
2dYoung adults must step up their exercise routines to reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure or hypertension – a condition that may lead to heart attack and stroke, as well as dementia in later life.
Researchers surprised to find microplastics in Florida Keys lagoons
3dResearchers conducting a planned University of Florida-led study on plankton in two lagoons of the Florida Keys stumbled upon an unexpected presence in the course of their routine sampling: microplastics.
On the pulse of pulsars and polar light
2dFaced with the tragic loss of the Arecibo observatory in Puerto Rico and the often prohibitive cost of satellite missions, astronomers are searching for savvy alternatives to continue answering fundamental questions in physics.
Do you worry too much? Stoicism can help
3dStoicism is the philosophy that nothing about the world is good or bad in itself, and that we have control over both our judgments and our reactions to things. It is hardest to control our reactions to the things that come unexpectedly. By meditating every day on the "worst case scenario," we can take the sting out of the worst that life can throw our way. Are you a worrier? Do you imagine nightm
Can you solve it? Are you smarter than Britain's teenage brainiacs?
10hA colourful puzzle from the UK girls' maths olympiad Update: the solutions can now be read here. Today's puzzle celebrates the UK's outstanding performance at last week's European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad, which is the world's most prestigious female-only maths competition for pre-university students. Yuhka Machino and Jenni Voon, both aged 17, placed 6th and 7th overall, each earning gold me
Oxygen migration enables ferroelectricity on nanoscale
3dHafnium-based thin films, with a thickness of only a few nanometres, exhibit an unconventional form of ferroelectricity. This allows the construction of nanometre-sized memories or logic devices. However, it was not clear how ferroelectricity could occur at this scale. A study that was led by scientists from the University of Groningen showed how atoms move in a hafnium-based capacitor: migrating
Study shows education is not enough to overcome inequality
1hA recent study finds that social inequality persists, regardless of educational achievement – particularly for men.
How the Yazoo Land Scandal changed American history
4hFew people today are familiar with the Yazoo Land Scandal, which broke in the mid-1790s. Yet it sent shockwaves through American public life, influencing politics, law, and even geography. Without it, Georgia could have been a "super state" — and the Trail of Tears might not have happened. Seven of the original 13 states had extensive territorial claims, mainly toward the west. Credit: Library of
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NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter succeeds in historic first flight
2hThe small rotorcraft made history, hovering above Jezero Crater, demonstrating that powered, controlled flight on another planet is possible.
The Women Reinventing the Western
4hIllustration by John Gall; Searchlight Pictures This article was published online on April 19, 2021. I grew up in San Diego , which resembles the backdrop of High Noon or Unforgiven not at all but is extremely west , geographically speaking. Maybe this is what disposed me to feel that the Western as a film genre was trite and foolish, dangerously sentimental about horizons and stoicism and men sh
See Ingenuity Team's Joy after the First Mars Helicopter Soars
1hScientists and engineers react with elation to the historic interplanetary flight — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Experimental antiviral for COVID-19 effective in hamster study
2dThe experimental antiviral drug MK-4482 significantly decreased levels of virus and disease damage in the lungs of hamsters treated for SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a new study. MK-4482, delivered orally, is now in human clinical trials.
Scores of tule elk died at Point Reyes seashore in 2020. Are their days numbered?
3dTule elk are treasured creatures in California, and for years, animal rights groups have butted heads with the Point Reyes National Seashore over its practice of keeping elk fenced away from nearby cattle ranches.
Egg and sperm cell size evolved from competition
3dIn most living animals, egg cells are vastly larger than sperm cells. In humans, for example, a single egg is 10 million times the volume of a sperm cell.
Study: People will donate more to charity if they think something's in it for them
3dA study finds asking for donations by appealing to the donor's self-interest may result in more money than appealing to their better nature. Those who received an appeal to self-interest were both more likely to give and gave more than those in the control group. The effect was most pronounced for those who hadn't given before. Even the best charities with the longest records of doing great fundr
Microsoft Is Big Tech's Fifth Horseman
3dPlus: Bill Gates' departure, post-jab symptoms, and a new era for cryptocurrency.
SARS-CoV-2 variants from mink evade inhibition by antibodies
4hIt has been known for about a year that minks can become infected with SARS-CoV-2. The virus had been transmitted from humans to farmed mink and mutated in infected animals. Mutations were acquired in the spike protein, which is crucial for the entry of the virus into host cells and represents the central point of attack for antibodies. These SARS-CoV-2 variants from mink were transmitted back to
How to make online arguments productive
3hResearchers worked with almost 260 people to understand online disagreements and to develop potential design interventions that could make these discussions more productive and centered around relationship-building.
Svenska nyhetsmedier i topp i internationell demokratistudie
3hSvenska nyhetsmedier står starka på digitala plattformar och fortsätter att prioritera granskande och undersökande journalistik, visar en internationell studie. Men i Sverige, liksom i övriga undersökta länder, är det sämre ställt med journalisters anställningstrygghet. Sverige tillhör, tillsammans med Danmark och Storbritannien, de länder där nyhetsmedierna bäst klarat de senaste årens digitala
Xiongbin Lu nanobombs cancer with fluorescent nude mouse recycling
11h"IU School of Medicine scientists discover 'game-changer' treatment for triple negative breast cancer"
What the Oldest Known Cave Painting Reveals About Early Humans (and What It Doesn't)
2dAncient humans began to draw symbols on caves at least 45,500 years ago, according to a surprising finding on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Video: Mapping the radio sky
3dThe Very Large Array can't image a big section of sky all at once. Instead, it must scan the sky over time.
These Endangered Birds Are Forgetting Their Songs
3dAustralia's critically endangered regent honeyeaters are losing what amounts to their culture—and that could jeopardize their success at landing a mate.
As plant/animal diversity wanes, is microbial life changing too? A perilously 'profound ignorance'
5hAlarms about the declining diversity of plants and animals raise a related concern with equally profound implications: Is the variety of microbial life, including viruses, changing too? And if so, in which direction and how fast?
NASA aims for historic helicopter flight on Mars
9hNASA is hoping to make history early Monday when the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter attempts the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
SpaceX's next crew arrives in Florida for Earth Day launch
2dSpaceX's most international crew of astronauts yet arrived at their launch site Friday.
Researchers develop microscopic theory of polymer gel
2dRussian scientists have proposed a theory of phase transformation in polymer gels. It explains the mechanisms of the dramatic reduction in volume of zwitterionic hydrogels when they are cooled. The results are published in the journal Chemical Communications (ChemComm).
The United States is at risk of an armed anti-police insurgency, researcher says
3dThe killings of African Americans at the hands of police officers has continued unabated in the United States. In the past year, the deaths of Breonna Taylor in her bed and George Floyd by public asphyxiation are two of the most egregious.
Robotic elephant trunk can learn new tasks on its own
2dA robotic elephant trunk made of a chain of motorised segments is operated by an artificial intelligence that can allow on-the-job training
New Research Answers Questions About Pterosaur's Big Head
1dNPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to entomology PhD student Cariad Williams about new research into a pterosaur with an unusual structure in its vertebra to support their large heads.
Cielo review – love letter to the desert's starry skies
4hAlison McAlpine's documentary draws out tales from locals and astronomers to evoke the magic and mystery of Chile's stargazing hotspot Cielo means "sky" in Spanish, and "heaven", too. And it's with a sense of humbled wonder at the immense mystery of it all that the Canadian film-maker Alison McAlpine casts her camera upwards in this beautiful documentary about the night sky. It's filmed at the st
What's Really in Your Water?
1dRapid at-home tests for contaminants are on the way — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Beyond COVID, the Future of mRNA Is Bright
3dScientists say the technology behind the COVID-19 vaccines could change medicine and lead to new treatments against diseases like malaria, cancer and HIV.
When stars get too close to each other, they cast out interstellar comets and asteroids
4hIn October 2017, humanity caught its first-ever glimpse of an interstellar object—a visitor from beyond our solar system—passing nearby the sun. We named it "Oumuamua, and its unusual properties fascinated and confounded astronomers. Less than two years later, amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov found a second interstellar object: a comet-like body that began to disintegrate as it passed within 2 A
Once again, volcanic Caribbean island looks to recovery
2dA group of nervous fish sellers got very close to La Soufrière, the volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, on the morning of May 7, 1902.
Underweight and overweight women at higher risk of successive miscarriages
2dA new study has shown that underweight and overweight women are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing recurrent miscarriages compared to those of average weight.
Liftoff! First Flight on Mars Launches New Way to Explore Worlds
3hNASA's Ingenuity helicopter successfully hovered for 40 seconds in Mars's thin atmosphere — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Triangular-shaped spikes key to coronavirus transmission, finds new study
3dScientists have modeled the spikes of the coronavirus particle to unravel how their shape and number may influence the transmissibility of the virus.
WATCH: The Moment NASA Controllers Learn That Ingenuity Is '1st In Flight' On Mars
2hJet Propulsion Laboratory project manager MiMi Aung gave an enthusiastic two thumbs-up and then clenched fists before a roomful of engineers erupted in applause. (Image credit: NASA/AP)
»Du har corona, kammerat«: Så let kan svindlere sende mails fra sundhedsvæsenet
15hIt-kriminelle kan alt for let udgive sig for at være en række sundhedsmyndigheder og udnytte troværdige domæner til corona-relaterede phishing-angreb, fordi myndighederne mangler at implementere basal mail-sikkerhed. Det er ikke godt nok, lyder det fra eksperter.
Scientists call for climate projections as part of more robust biodiversity conservation
3dScientists have called for the use of climate projections in conservation planning, to ensure that areas most at risk from biodiversity loss and climate impacts are protected. Protected areas are often created in areas of low population density and remote locations, rather than because of their biodiversity conservation potential. Conservation planning in tropical forests especially tends to be le
Can a new type of glacier on Mars aid future astronauts?
2hOn April 21, 1908, near Earth's North Pole, the Arctic explorer Frederick Albert Cook scrawled in his diary a memorable phrase: "We were the only pulsating creatures in a dead world of ice." These words may soon take on new significance for humankind in another dead world of hidden ice, submerged beneath the red sand of its frigid deserts. This dead world is Mars, and the desert is the planet's mi
End of giant iceberg A-68
3hThe mission to determine the impact of the giant A-68a iceberg on the important marine ecosystem of sub-Antarctic South Georgia is a success according to a team of researchers and engineers, from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and National Oceanography Centre (NOC). This week (Monday 19 April) the U.S National Ice Center declared 'the end' of the A68 iceberg, because its fragments are now too smal
NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity takes off on historic 1st powered flight on another world
4hNASA's Ingenuity helicopter lifted off on the Red Planet early this morning (April 19), performing the first-ever powered flight on a world beyond Earth.
Researcher uses bat-inspired design to develop new approach to sound location
1dInspired by the workings of a bat's ear, a professor of mechanical engineering has created bio-inspired technology that determines the location of a sound's origin.
Fit matters most when double masking to protect yourself from COVID-19
2dA new study shows that wearing two face coverings can nearly double the effectiveness of filtering out SARS-CoV-2-sized particles, preventing them from reaching the wearer's nose and mouth and causing COVID-19.
Surprise twist suggests stars grow competitively
2dA survey of star formation activity in the Orion Nebula Cluster found similar mass distributions for newborn stars and dense gas cores, which may evolve into stars. Counterintuitively, this means that the amount of gas a core accretes as it develops, and not the initial mass of the core, is the key factor in deciding the final mass of the produced star.
Fast radio bursts shown to include lower frequency radio waves than previously detected
3dA team of researchers has established that fast radio bursts (FRBs) include radio waves at frequencies lower than ever detected before, a discovery that redraws the boundaries for theoretical astrophysicists trying to put their finger on the source of FRBs.
Leonardo da Vinci definitely did not sculpt the Flora bust
3d"It is machination, it is deception," said the director general of the Berlin Royal Museums in his defense when criticized for buying a fake. Wilhelm Bode did not budge an inch: The sculpture he acquired in 1909 was an as-yet unknown production of the great Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci.
Oregon scientists create mechanism to precisely control soundwaves in metamaterials
3dUniversity of Oregon physicists have developed a new method to manipulate sound — stop it, reverse it, store it and even use it later — in synthetic metamaterials. The discovery was made using theoretical and computational analysis of mechanical vibrations of thin elastic plates, which are the building blocks for the design.
Pandemic eviction bans found to protect entire communities from COVID-19 spread
1hA new study uses computer modeling to suggest that eviction bans authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the infection rate and not only protected those who would have lost their housing but also entire communities from the spread of infections.
Humans are directly influencing wind and weather over North Atlantic
3hA new study provides evidence that humans are influencing wind and weather patterns across the eastern United States and western Europe by releasing CO2 and other pollutants into Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists probe mystery of 'thunderstorm asthma' event that sent thousands to the ER
3hA new model digs into the mystery of why this occurred.
20h
New blast at St. Vincent volcano; cruise ship helps evacuees
2dLa Soufriere volcano shot out another explosive burst of gas and ash on Friday as a cruise ship arrived to evacuate some of the foreigners who had been stuck on a St. Vincent island coated in ash from a week of violent eruptions.
Hidden magma pools pose eruption risks that we can't yet detect
2dVolcanologists' ability to estimate eruption risks is largely reliant on knowing where pools of magma are stored, deep in the Earth's crust. But what happens if the magma can't be spotted?
L.A.'s legacy of oil drilling impacts lung function in residents living near active and inactive wells
3dA new USC study links living near urban oil wells with wheezing and reduced lung function, symptoms disproportionately borne by people of color in Los Angeles.
Atju! Vi forklarer dig, hvorfor pollen giver røde øjne og kradsende hals
1dForskerne ved stadig ikke præcist, hvorfor flere og flere bliver ramt af pollenallergi.
Alaskan forests may store more carbon after being burned by wildfire
2dAlaskan forests generally contain coniferous trees – but after wildfires sweep through, deciduous trees that store more carbon can become dominant
National Park Nature Walks, Episode 5: A Northwoods Voyage
3dHere is our next installment of a new pop-up podcast miniseries that takes your ears into the deep sound of nature. Host Jacob Job, an ecologist and audiophile, brings you inches away from a… — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
NASA-built instrument will help to spot greenhouse gas super-emitters
3dNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organization called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space. The data collected by the instrument will help to find super-emitters—the small percentage of individual sources that are responsible for a significant fraction of global
Common plants and pollinators act as anchors for ecosystems
4h'Generalist' plants and pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and may also serve as buffers against some impacts of climate change, finds new research. The findings provide valuable insights for prioritizing the conservation of species that contribute to the strength of ecological communities.
Alle med store muskler tager steroider – og tre andre myter om at løfte vægte
2dRigeligt søvn, sund kost og styrketræning giver de fleste mulighed for at få en muskuløs krop.
Honeywell Just Released Details About How Its Quantum Computer Works
3hEngineering giant Honeywell burst into the quantum computing race out of left field last year. Now the company has provided the first concrete details of how its device works in a peer-reviewed journal . Unlike its main rivals Google and IBM, who rely on superconducting qubits, Honeywell is using trapped ions to power its device. The technology has a long pedigree— most of the earliest quantum co
SpaceX has given up trying to catch rocket fairings—fishing them out of the ocean is fine
4hIf there is one driving force in the commercial space industry it is economics. The whole concept of reusable booster rocket emphasizes the importance of getting launch costs down. SpaceX, the company leading the charge in trying to bring launch costs down, doesn't just recover booster rockets however. It also recovers the rocket fairings that hold the payload during launch. SpaceX's original plan
Keeping fit with HIIT really does work
2dRecently, researchers have been studying whether shorter variations of HIIT, involving as little as 4-min of high intensity exercise per session (excluding a warm up and cool down), also improve health. A new review paper collates a decade's worth of research on the topic of this so-called low-volume high HIIT for health.
Virologists develop broadly protective coronavirus vaccines
2dA candidate vaccine that could provide protection against the COVID-19 virus and other coronaviruses has shown promising results in early animal testing.
Scientists crack 'the Brazil-nut' puzzle, how do the largest nuts rise to the top?
4hScientists have for the first time captured the complex dynamics of particle movement in granular materials, helping to explain why mixed nuts often see the larger Brazil nuts gather at the top. The findings could have vital impact on industries struggling with the phenomenon, such as pharmaceuticals and mining.
Materials advances are key to development of quantum hardware
57minA new study outlines the need for materials advances in the hardware that goes into making quantum computers if these futuristic devices are to surpass the abilities of the computers we use today.
Roman Space Telescope will also find rogue black holes
4hIn the past, we've reported about how the Roman Space Telescope is potentially going to be able to detect hundreds of thousands of exoplanets using a technique known as microlensing. Exoplanets won't be the only things it can find with this technique, though—it should be possible to find solitary black holes, as well.
Ny studie: Risk för 60 procent svårare pollensäsonger i framtiden
1dFramtida klimatförändringar riskerar att påverka pollenallergiker negativt. Det visar en ny internationell studie där forskarna tittat på hur gräs reagerar på förhöjda koldioxidnivåer. – Det är inte glädjande om fler behöver leva med dessa frågor i framtiden, säger Kristina Ljungros, generalsekreterare på Astma- och allergiförbundet.
Parasites and kelp forests
2dEven the mention of parasites can be enough to make some people's skin crawl. But to recent doctoral graduate these creepy critters occupy important ecological niches, fulfilling roles that, in her opinion, have too often been overlooked.
Nasa celebrates maiden helicopter flight on Mars
3hIngenuity provides a 'Wright Brothers moment' for extraterrestrial mobility
Nasa helicopter makes historic flight on Mars – video
3hNasa's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has completed the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, the space agency has announced. The small helicopter successfully took flight on the red planet on Monday morning, hovering in the air at about 3 metres (10ft), before descending and touching back down on the Martian surface Nasa's Mars helicopter makes first powered, controlled flight on anothe
Energy implications of the 21st century agrarian transition
7hNature Communications, Published online: 19 April 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22581-7 The global agrarian transition is characterized by a rise in large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs), whose energy impacts are unknown. Here, the authors assess how LSLAs change land use, finding that they necessitate greater investment in energy to meet demands, and greater greenhouse gas emissions.
How scientists are 'looking' inside asteroids
1hAsteroids can pose a threat to life on Earth but are also a valuable source of resources to make fuel or water to aid deep space exploration. Devoid of geological and atmospheric processes, these space rocks provide a window onto the evolution of the solar system. But to really understand their secrets, scientists must know what's inside them.
Self-propelling self-navigating vehicles a step closer
4hVehicles that can propel themselves along the water and self-navigate around any object in their path could soon be a reality thanks to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).
J&J's Covid setback risks damaging its vaccine programme
5hRebuilding trust may take time after blood clot concerns with adenovirus-based jab
Coronavirus does not infect the brain but still inflicts damage, study finds
2dSARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, does not infect brain cells but can inflict significant neurological damage, according to a new study of dozens of deceased patients.
Biden Administration Expected To Reverse Trump's Ban On Funding Fetal Tissue Research
2dThe Trump administration banned federal funding for scientific research on fetal tissue from abortions. The Biden administration is expected to reverse that.
Research shows to disrupt online extremism freewill is key
2dAccording to new research, when people are explicitly told that they are free to accept or reject propagandistic claims, the likelihood of choosing a moderate view increases. This was a result of a survey of attitudes that tested counter-propaganda strategies, which stressed a person's autonomy, and then measured sentiments after exposure.
Telling sunbathers what they don't want to hear: Tanning is bad
3dMost young women already know that tanning is dangerous and sunbathe anyway, so a campaign informing them of the risk should take into account their potential resistance to the message, according to a new study.
Natural gas leading source of EU's power emissions
3dGas power plants overtook lignite coal plants in 2020 to become the European Union's largest single source of emissions from electricity, an analysis of the bloc's Emissions Trading Scheme showed Friday.
Norovirus clusters are resistant to environmental stresses and UV disinfection
3dClusters of a virus known to cause stomach flu are resistant to detergent and ultraviolet disinfection, according to new research. The findings suggest the need to revisit current disinfection, sanitation and hygiene practices aimed at protecting people from noroviruses.
Regulatory Limbo for Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Continues
3dEvidence indicates that blood clots associated with the J&J vaccine are rare — far rarer than dying in a car crash, or contracting a severe case of Covid-19. But the exact incidence among certain demographic groups is unclear, partly because the U.S. does not have an efficient system for collecting such data.
Taking action to achieve Net Zero in the agriculture sector
3dFarmers need to be prepared to take action now in order to achieve Net Zero in the agriculture sector by 2050, according to UCL researchers.
Study sheds light on stellar origin of iron nuclide
3dResearchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators have recently made great progress in the study of the stellar beta-decay rate of 59Fe, which constitutes an important step towards understanding 60Fe nucleosynthesis in massive stars. The results were published in Physical Review Letters on April 12.
Earth scientists call for prevention and warning systems for Himalayan flooding events
3dA pair of earth scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology–Kanpu are calling for flood prevention and warning systems in areas around the Himalayan mountains to protect people from floods or to warn them of impending disasters. In their Perspectives piece published in the journal Science, Tanuj Shukla and Indra Sen point out that rising temperatures due to global warming are leading to an in
The Gulf of California May Be an Overlooked Home for Great White Sharks
3hThe existence of an artisanal fishery in the region shows that these key predators may be more than just occasional visitors
Weekend reads: 'The Damage Campaign;' timber industry retracts comments, apologizes; COVID-19 vaccine study conflicts disclosure
2dBefore we present this week's Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured: Palmitoleic acid paper pulled for data concerns Pharma company demands … Continue reading
Do more privately owned firearms lead to more firearm violence?
3dThis question is widely discussed and studied, in particular in the US, where firearm injuries are one of the leading causes of death. European research on the link between firearm availability and firearm violence is rare, according to a new study by University researchers Katharina Krüsselmann, Pauline Aarten and Marieke Liem. After systematically examining 1958 studies on the topic, they found
Why 'Zoom fatigue' is worse for women
4hWomen report feeling more exhausted than men do after video calls, according to the first large-scale study on Zoom fatigue. The researchers say the "self-view" display may be to blame for that exhausted feeling after a day of back-to-back online meetings. The research shows that overall, one in seven women —13.8%—compared with one in 20 men —5.5%—reported feeling "very" to "extremely" fatigued a
A new project to track and value climate innovation in the built world
4hCarbon is a universal building block of life—it's in almost every product we make and use, from the cement we walk on to the plastic packaging used for shipping products and the tires on cars and trucks. And while some products are more durable than others, at the end of the product's life cycle, the carbon stored in them is released into our air and oceans as carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gas emissi
3D biomaterial used as 'sponge' for stem cell therapy to reverse arthritis
5hA 3D biomaterial scaffold design to slowly release stem cells ensures that implanted stem cells stick around to relieve pain and reverse arthritis in mice knee joints. This reduces the use of stem cells by 90%, thus avoiding the challenge of redness, swelling and scar tissue that can arise from large doses of such stem cells, and potentially opening a path to reversal of osteoarthritis in humans f
Infrastruktur-pakke er overhovedet ikke klimaneutral
2dPLUS. Den storstilede plan når ifølge regeringen CO2- målet. Men anlægsprojekternes udledning er ikke regnet med, og fremskrivningen af bilismen er fuld af usikkerheder.
A time-domain phase diagram of metastable states in a charge ordered quantum material
7hNature Communications, Published online: 19 April 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22646-7 Tracking the evolution of non-equilibrium phases requires measurements over a wide range of timescales. Here, using a combination of femtosecond spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy, the authors map out a temporal phase diagram of metastable states in a charge-ordered material 1T-TaS2.
Kommunikationshandbok för vaccin mot covid-19
11hHur kommunicerar man bäst fakta om covid19-vaccin? Forskarna bakom Handbok i debunkning 2020 har presenterat ännu en handbok som översatts till svenska under ledning av Lotten Kalenius. Kommunikationshandbok för vaccin … Continued Inlägget dök först upp på Vetenskap och Folkbildning .
Japan Just Had Its Earliest Peak Bloom of Cherry Blossoms in 1,200 Years. Is Climate Change to Blame?
2dAn exceptionally warm spring has led to the early arrival of cherry blossoms in Japan, causing researchers to draw patterns between local temperature increases and global warming.
Differences in national food security best explained by household income, not agriculture
3dOne of the most comprehensive statistical analyses of drivers of food insecurity across 65 countries has concluded that household income consistently explains more discrepancy in food security than any other factor, including agricultural land resources and production. The Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth study, "Cross-national analysis of food security drivers: comparing results based on
Corporations agree to transparency on climate lobbying
3dInsurer American International Group Inc., railroad company CSX Inc. and electric companies Duke Energy Corp., FirstEnergy Corp. and Entergy Corp. have pledged to report publicly about their influence on climate policy and alignment with the Paris Agreement, according to investors.
A path toward clean drinking water for all Californians
3dCalifornia was the first U.S. state to legally recognize access to safe, clean and affordable water as a human right. But substantial parts of the state lack access to drinking water that meets those criteria.
What does the study of domesticated birds tell us about the evolution of human language?
1hLanguage is one of the most notable abilities humans have. It allows us to express complex meanings and transmit knowledge from generation to generation. An important question in human biology is how this ability ended up being developed, and researchers from the universities of Barcelona, Cologne and Tokyo have treated this issue in a recent article.
How oxygen-producing cyanobacteria facilitated complex life
4hThe "Great Oxygenation Event" (GOE), the process whereby the Earth's atmosphere was continuously enriched with oxygen, a waste product of photosynthesis, began ~2.43 billion years ago. The source, according to science, was photosynthesizing cyanobacteria. But why did this all-important turnaround occur so late? Cyanobacterial life existed, as rock samples show, at least 300 million years before th
Attack of the alien invaders: Pest plants and animals leave a $1.7 trillion bill
4hThey're one of the most damaging environmental forces on Earth. They've colonized pretty much every place humans have set foot on the planet. Yet you might not even know they exist.
A US ban on kangaroo leather would be an animal welfare disaster and a missed farming opportunity
4hThe US Congress is considering a proposed law to ban the import and sale of kangaroo parts. Backed by a campaign called Kangaroos Are Not Shoes, the bill is aimed at stopping Nike, Adidas and other big brands from using kangaroo leather in their products.
Phenological shifts in lake stratification under climate change
7hNature Communications, Published online: 19 April 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22657-4 Stratification has a considerable influence on lake ecology, but there is little understanding of past or future changes in its seasonality. Here, the authors use modelling and empirical data to determine that between 1901–2099, climate change causes stratification to start earlier and end later.
Cutting the cost of Covid tests for travellers | Letters
23hMike Whittaker has a suggestion to reduce test costs for those wishing to travel abroad, while Catherine Dunn says that if the government invested in public health infrastructure, we would have a more effective testing system Your article ( Airlines warn the cost of Covid tests will stop people going abroad , 9 April) considers the cost of Covid tests for a family, calculated as the cost of a sin
UK scientists assessing spread of new Covid variant 'on daily basis'
1dHealth officials investigating whether B. 1.617 strain is spreading within the community
Neural plasticity depends on this long noncoding RNA's journey from nucleus to synapse
1dA synaptically localized long noncoding RNA proves to be an important regulator of neural plasticity.
Highly dense urban areas are not more vulnerable to COVID-19, researchers say
2dA person who owns a car or who has a college education may be less vulnerable to COVID-19, according to an analysis of cases in Tehran, Iran, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic. While such variables do not inherently lower a person's risk, they do indicate an infrastructure of protection that persists despite how densely populated a person's district might be.
Experiments cast doubts on the existence of quantum spin liquids
2dA quantum spin liquid is a state of matter in which interacting quantum spins do not align even at lowest temperatures, but remain disordered. Research on this state has been going on for almost 50 years, but whether it really exists has never been proven beyond doubt. An international team has now put an end to the dream of a quantum spin liquid for the time being. Nevertheless, the matter remain
How to save beaches and coastlines from climate change disasters
3dThe frequency of natural disasters has soared in recent decades. Total damage topped $210 billion worldwide in 2020. With climate change, the costs attributed to coastal storms will increase dramatically.
Stability, security at risk for half of children in shared or doubled-up households, research finds
3dRoughly half the kids in shared households may be living as "guests" in a less stable and secure environment, according to new research from the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy.
Two distinct types of COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome identified
3dIdentifying subsets of patients with different biochemical characteristics can help clinical researchers develop more effective therapies for treating ARDS associated with COVID-19 infections. Results of a new study suggest that disruption of the normal regulation of blood vessels and circulation could be a key feature of critical illness, severe symptoms, and death related to COVID-19 infections.
Updated advice for safe COVID-19 vaccination in people with high-risk allergy histories
3minExperts have narrowed the group of individuals with prior allergies who should see an allergist before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Allergy evaluation with skin testing prior to COVID-19 vaccination is rarely needed.
Airbnb hosts in college towns hike up prices game days to deter rival fans
3minAirbnb hosts in college towns increase their listing prices much more than hotels when there are home football games against rival teams. Hosts experience a 78 percent reduction in rental income by listing prices too high, according to a new study by the University of California San Diego.
Pandemic led to profound changes in multiple sclerosis clinical practice
3minA survey of U.S. multiple sclerosis, or MS, specialist clinicians reveals the COVID-19 pandemic has created major changes in how they deliver care. More than 95% of survey respondents reported using telehealth platforms to provide care for their patients. Approximately one half of the respondents were MS specialist neurologists, four out of five of whom indicated that COVID-19 had changed how they
Study reveals a unique mode of cell migration on soft 'viscoelastic' surfaces
3minStanford engineers find that cancer cells exhibit a unique mode of migration on squishy materials, which are similar to biological tissues. In contrast, cell movement – a process central to cancer metastasis and other biological processes – is typically studied on very rigid materials.
What was the Deepwater Horizon disaster?
19minIn April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, killing 11 people. Two days later the rig capsized, and the pipe below began spewing oil.
UK waters are home again to the bluefin tuna
25minAtlantic bluefin tuna have returned to UK waters and can once again be seen during the summer and autumn months.
Historisk dag for rumfarten: Helikopter flyver for første gang på en anden planet
39minNasa lykkedes her til formiddag med at flyve med deres helikopter-drone på Mars.
Thousands of tons of microplastics are swirling around in the atmosphere, study finds
41minA new study has measured the number of microplastics in the atmosphere and modeled how the tiny particles get transported around the planet.
Without major changes, gender parity in orthopaedic surgery will take two centuries
46minAt the current rate of change, it will take more than 200 years for the proportion of women in orthopaedic surgery to reach parity with the overall medical profession, according to a study in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® (CORR®), a publication of The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Study reveals the workings of nature's own earthquake blocker
46minA new UC Riverside study finds a naturally occurring "earthquake gate" that decides which earthquakes are allowed to grow into magnitude 8 or greater. Sometimes, the "gate" stops earthquakes in the magnitude 7 range, while ones that pass through the gate grow to magnitude 8 or greater, releasing over 32 times as much energy as a magnitude 7.
In-ambulance consults cut down on critical treatment time for stroke patients
46minBy changing EMS workflows and incorporating telemedicine techniques, physicians at MUSC Health have significantly shortened the time between a patient's stroke symptom onset and their treatment, as recently reported in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. Before the telestroke program, stroke patients would be brought directly to the closest hospital, where they would begin their ex
Can magnitude 4 earthquake rates be used to forecast large earthquake events?
46minEbel looked for the California faults that had magnitude 4 or larger earthquakes occurring at a rate higher than 0.5 earthquakes per year from 1997 to 2016. If the pattern holds, the next magnitude 6.7 earthquakes in California are most likely to occur along these faults.
GPS data reveal possible earthquake, tsunami hazard in northwestern colombia
46minData from a GPS network in Colombia have revealed a shallow and fully locked part on the Caribbean subduction zone in the country that suggests a possible large earthquake and tsunami risk for the northwest region.
Once-a-week insulin treatment could be game-changing for patients with diabetes
46minTreating people with Type 2 diabetes with a new once-a-week injectable insulin therapy proved to be safe and as effective as daily insulin injections, according to the results of two international clinical trials published online today in Diabetes Care. The studies suggest that the once-weekly treatment could provide a convenient alternative to the burden of daily insulin shots for diabetes patien
Novel drug regenerates erectile nerves damaged by prostate surgery
46minResearchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a topical drug that regenerates and restores the function of erectile nerves damaged by radical prostatectomy, the most common treatment for localized prostate cancer. The drug was tested in rats, and the findings were published online today in JCI Insight.
World running out of time to tackle climate crisis: UN
51min2021 must be the year of action for protecting people against the "disastrous" effects of climate change, the United Nations insisted Monday, ahead of a crucial US-convened summit.
A molecular connection hints at how a genetic risk factor drives Crohn's disease
52minNature, Published online: 19 April 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00979-z Mutations of the NOD2 gene are risk factors for Crohn's disease. Many aspects of how they contribute to the condition are unknown. The discovery of cell populations that are involved suggests new therapeutic options.
Green hydrogen: 'Rust' as a photoanode and its limits
57minHydrogen will be needed in large quantities as an energy carrier and raw material in the energy system of the future. To achieve this, however, hydrogen must be produced in a climate-neutral way, for example through so-called photoelectrolysis, by using sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. As photoelectrodes, semiconducting materials are needed that convert sunlight into electricity a
Who is selling and trafficking Africa's wild meat?
57minA new study classifies different types of wildlife traffickers and sellers in two of Central Africa's growing urban centers, providing new insight into the poorly understood urban illegal wildlife trade. The findings can help conservation and law enforcement authorities prioritize their efforts on professional criminals, identify patterns among repeat offenders, and determine if wildlife offenders
Stone Age black bears didn't just defecate in the woods—they did it in a cave too
57minScientists have sequenced ancient DNA from soil for the first time and the advance will transform what is known about everything from evolution to climate change.
Did you solve it? Are you smarter than Britain's teenage brainiacs?
1hThe solutions to today's puzzles Earlier today I set you the following two puzzles. The first is from the UK's Mathematical Olympiad for Girls: Painting the houses Continue reading…
Northern Red Sea corals live close to the threshold of resistance to cold temperatures
1hCoral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. In the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba corals also have exceptionally high tolerance to increasing seawater temperatures, now occurring as a consequence of global warming. This characteristic led coral reef scientists to designate this region as a potential coral reef refuge in the face of climate change—a reef where cora
Gender-affirming hormone therapy may increase risk of high blood pressure
1hTransgender and gender-diverse people have higher rates of hypertension compared to the general population. Within two to four months of starting gender-affirming hormone therapy, transgender women had a lower average systolic blood pressure, and transgender men had a higher average systolic blood pressure.
Videoconferences more exhausting when participants don't feel group belonging
1hVideoconferences may be less exhausting if participants feel some sense of group belonging, according to new research.
Researchers use laser paintbrush to create miniature masterpieces
1hResearchers are blurring the lines between science and art by showing how a laser can be used to create artistic masterpieces in a way that mirrors classical paints and brushes. The new technique not only creates paint-like strokes of color on metal but also offers a way to change or erase colors.
Delaying cardiovascular surgeries due to COVID-19 has psychological effects on patients
1hPostponing procedures during the pandemic sparked anxiety and fear among patients, with many concerned about dying of their conditions before getting surgery.
Microglia, Stockholm syndrome and miraculous cures in glioblastoma patients
1hUniversity of Minnesota Medical School researchers revealed why some glioblastoma patients see exceptional benefits from chemotherapy and survive beyond expectations.
Ocean currents modulate oxygen content at the equator
1hDue to global warming, not only the temperatures in the atmosphere and in the ocean are rising, but also winds and ocean currents as well as the oxygen distribution in the ocean are changing. For example, the oxygen content in the ocean has decreased globally by about 2% in the last 60 years, particularly strong in the tropical oceans. However, these regions are characterized by a complex system o
Sustainable chemical synthesis with platinum
1hResearchers used platinum and aluminum compounds to create a catalyst which enables certain chemical reactions to occur more efficiently than ever before. The catalyst could significantly reduce energy usage in various industrial and pharmaceutical processes. It also allows for a wider range of sustainable sources to feed the processes, which could reduce the demand for fossil fuels required by th
Model predicts Texas COVID infection rates weeks in advance
1hA new model has proved successful in predicting COVID-19 infection rates two to three weeks in advance, researchers report. The new model could help public health officials and other organizations get accurate, reliable short-term projections of daily COVID-19 cases. The researchers used a method based on the SEIR (susceptible, exposed, infected, and recovered states) framework to project COVID-1
Making spaces on the high street for clothing repairs
1hMaking space in high street shops for people to repair clothes could mend the damage caused by fast fashion and transform sewing into a wellbeing activity, experts say.
Meet Water Advocate and Hero Shreya Ramachandran
1hThe Grey Water Project educates and provides resources to diverse audiences on water recycling at home and in the workplace
MicroMESH: A microscopic polymeric network to attack glioblastoma multiforme
1hA micro-sized polymeric net wrapping around brain tumors, just like a fishing net around a shoal of fish: this is microMESH, a new nanomedicine device capable of conforming around the surface of tumor masses and efficiently delivering drugs. It has been described by the researchers of the IIT—Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) in Nature Nanotechnology. The new biomed
The challenge of presenting novel nanostructural bimetallic composite for catalysis
1hSolid-matrix catalysts called heterogeneous catalysts are among the most widespread industrial applications in reducing toxic gases, unburned fuel, and particulate matter in the exhaust stream from the combustion chamber. They are also used in energy, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors, i.e., production of biodiesel, polymers, biomass/waste conversion into valuable products, and many others proc
Green hydrogen: "Rust" as a photoanode and its limits
1hA team at HZB, together with partners from Ben Gurion University and the Technion, Israel, has now analysed the optoelectronic properties of rust (haematite) and other metal oxides in unprecedented detail. Their results show that the maximum achievable efficiency of haematite electrodes is significantly lower than previously assumed. The study demonstrates ways to assess new photoelectrode materia
Mayo researchers, collaborators identify 'instigator' gene associated with Alzheimer's disease
1hIn a new paper published in Nature Communications, Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators report the protein-coding gene SERPINA5 may worsen tau protein tangles, which are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, and advance disease. By combining clinical expertise, brain tissue samples, pathology expertise and artificial intelligence, the team clarified and validated the relevance of the gene to
Gene therapy shows promise in initial trial for patients with childhood blindness
1hA new gene therapy for one of the most common forms of congenital blindness was safe and improved patients' vision, according to initial data from a clinical trial
New Horizons Reaches Deep-Space Milestone, Snaps Photo
1hThe New Horizons probe scanned Pluto in 2015, but it wasn't designed to remain in Orbiter of the dwarf planet. NASA's New Horizons probe has already made history a few times since its 2006 launch. At the time, Pluto was a planet, but it had become a dwarf planet when New Horizons beamed back the first close-up photos of it in 2015. After that, the probe flew deeper into the Kuiper Belt and delive
Two blood thinners at once: More risk with the same reward
1hFor some patients, adding aspirin to a direct oral anticoagulant is an equation that rarely adds up.
Sleep disorders and surgery: Anesthesia & Analgesia marks first decade of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine
1hAn estimated 50 million people undergo surgery each year in the United States, and a significant proportion of them have undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders (SD) or sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Issues at the intersection of anesthesiology and sleep medicine are the focus of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine (SASM) whose 10th anniversary is commemorated in the special theme May
Stone Age black bears didn't just defecate in the woods – they did it in a cave too
1hScientists have sequenced ancient DNA from soil for the first time and the advance will transform what is known about everything from evolution to climate change. The findings have been described as the 'moon landings' of genomics because researchers will no longer have to rely on finding and testing fossils to determine genetic ancestry, links and discoveries – and it is thanks to Stone Age black
National report highlights benefit of collaborative care models for people with dementia
1hA new National Academies report on benefits of collaborative care models for dementia cites research and implementation by Regenstrief Institute research scientists. Collaborative care models integrate medical and psychosocial care, delivered by a team of providers.
Attacking aortic aneurysms before they grow
1hNew basic science research shows what happens to the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms when you inhibit JMJD3 through both genetics and pharmacology.
NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop Micro-Fluidic Probe to isolate cancer spreading cells
1hA team of researchers led by Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering and Principal Investigator at the NYU Abu Dhabi Mohammad A. Qasaimeh, have developed a new microfluidic system, called the Herringbone Microfluidic Probe (HB-MFP), that effectively isolates both CTCs and clusters of CTCs from blood samples of cancer patients for easier and more insightful analysis.
Deaths rising in workers using methylene chloride paint strippers
1hResearchers and physicians from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and UC San Francisco have found that deaths of workers using methylene chloride paint strippers are on the rise. The solvent is widely used in paint strippers, cleaners, adhesives and sealants.
More than 60 years to achieve gender equity?
1hIt will take until at least 2080 before women make up just one-third of Australia's professional astronomers, an analysis published today in the journal Nature Astronomy reveals.
3D deep neural network precisely reconstructs freely-behaving animal's movements
1hFollowing the unveiling of CAPTURE in a December 2020 study, researchers led by Duke University and Harvard University present DANNCE (3-Dimensional Aligned Neural Network for Computational Ethology), an automated tool that can readily capture behavior of freely behaving animals and precisely reconstruct their three dimensional (3D) pose from a single video camera and without markers.
Paternal drinking before pregnancy, risk of birth defects
1hWhat The Study Did: This study examined the association of paternal drinking before pregnancy with the risk of birth defects in children among couples in China.
Association between hearing loss, physical activity
1hWhat The Study Did: The association between hearing loss and level of physical activity among U.S. adults ages 60 to 69 was analyzed in this study.
Investigating epidural labor pain relief, offspring risk of autism spectrum disorders
1hWhat The Study Did: This population-based study of multiple databases from Canada found no association between epidural labor pain relief and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children.
Epidural use at birth not linked to autism risk, study finds
1hHaving an epidural during childbirth is not associated with a greater risk of autism in the child, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Manitoba.
Bone microenvironment fosters breast cancer metastatic behavior
1hThe bone microenvironment reduced ER expression in ER+ breast cancer cells and triggered reprogramming that promoted the cancer cells' ability to metastasize.
How Opera Singing Is Helping Long-Haul Covid-19 Patients Recover
1hDeveloped in the United Kingdom, ENO Breathe is a virtual program that rehabilitates patients through the art of song
Team recovers ancient genomes from dirt, revealing new history of North America's bears
1h"Breakthrough" sampling method reveals a far-flung family tree
Tracking topological conditions in graphene
1hScientists have been able to demonstrate that graphene nanostructures can be generated by annealing of a nanostructured silicon carbide crystal for a few years. "These two-dimensional, spatially strongly restricted carbon bands exhibit a vanishingly small electrical resistance even at room temperature. They are thus ballistic," explains Prof. Dr. Christoph Tegenkamp, Head of the Professorship of S
Understanding interfaces of hybrid materials with machine learning
2hUsing machine learning methods, researchers at TU Graz can predict the structure formation of functionalized molecules at the interfaces of hybrid materials. Now they have also succeeded in looking behind the driving forces of this structure formation.
Mountain high: Andean forests have high potential to store carbon under climate change
2hThe Andes Mountains of South America are the most species-rich biodiversity hotspot for plant and vertebrate species in the world. But the forest that climbs up this mountain range provides another important service to humanity.
Researchers drill down to the core of wellbeing worldwide
2hResearchers at SAHMRI and Flinders University have conducted the largest ever meta-analysis of wellbeing studies from around the world to answer the question, "What's the best way to build personal wellbeing?".
Modelling shows urgent need to revamp hiring and working conditions for astronomers
2hIt will take until at least 2080 before women make up just one-third of Australia's professional astronomers, an analysis published today in the journal Nature Astronomy reveals.
Brazil's economic crisis, prolonged by COVID-19, poses an enormous challenge to the Amazon
2hBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed his country's participation in a virtual climate summit convened by the U.S. for April 22 and 23, vowing in a recent letter to U.S. President Joe Biden to end illegal deforestation in Brazil by 2030—a striking about-face from a longtime adversary to the country's environmental policies.
Brain mapping: explained
2hBrain mapping is an attempt to identify the location of everything in the brain. An accurate map of the brain would immeasurably enhance our ability to understand how it works. The project is massive, involving multiple fields of biomedical research and expensive cutting-edge technology. Brain mapping is one of the hottest current areas of research. The brain is nothing short of amazing. Billions
Patients who are obese or overweight are at risk for a more severe course of COVID-19
2hCOVID-19 patients who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop a more severe infection than patients of healthy weight, and they require oxygen and invasive mechanical ventilation more often. There is no increased risk of death . These conclusions, for which more than 7,000 patients were studied, appear from international research in eleven countries, including the Netherlands (Radboud u
MIPT and Harvard researchers grow stem cells to cure glaucoma
2hA joint research carried out by MIPT scientists and Harvard researchers have presented retinal cells that can integrate into the retina. This is the first successful attempt to transplant ganglion cells (retinal neurons that are destroyed by glaucoma) derived from stem cells in a lab setting. Scientists tested the technology in mice and established that the cells successfully integrated and surviv
Mapping performance variations to see how lithium-metal batteries fail
2hScientists have identified the primary cause of failure in a state-of-the-art lithium-metal battery, of interest for long-range electric vehicles: electrolyte depletion.
Can we learn to talk to sperm whales? | David Gruber
2hAnimals are communicating — but what are they saying? And can we talk back? Marine biologist David Gruber introduces Project CETI: a team of scientists, linguists and AI specialists hoping to decode sperm whale language. Using noninvasive robots and a machine-learning algorithm to collect and analyze millions of sperm whale vocalizations known as coda, the team aims to demystify the communication
Smallest stegosaur footprint ever came from cat-sized dino
2hResearchers have discovered a single footprint left by a cat-sized dinosaur around 100 million years ago in China. "This footprint was made by a herbivorous, armored dinosaur known broadly as a stegosaur—the family of dinosaurs that includes the famed stegosaurus," says Anthony Romilio, a researcher from the University of Queensland who was part of the team that investigated the track. "Like the
New Electron Tricks in Synthetic Chemistry
2hOne of specialties of Phil Baran's group at Scripps the last few years has been electrosynthesis, which has a traditional hmm-interesting-turn-the-page reputation among most synthetic chemists that they're trying to change . Photochemistry was in roughly the same category at one time, and has become much more mainstream (although it always had an advantage with lower barrier to entry). That field
Ämnesomsättning och sömn kopplat till ALS
2hALS-patienter har sjukdomsförändringar i de hjärnceller som tillverkar ämnen som reglerar ämnesomsättning och sömn. Det visar en grupp forskare i Lund och Australien. Fynden ger ökad kunskap om sjukdomens bakomliggande orsaker och kan förhoppningsvis på sikt bidra till nya behandlingar. Vanliga symtom vid ALS, amyotrofisk lateral skleros, är en smygande muskelsvaghet som sprider sig till olika de
Cotton wool proves effective in separating single-wall carbon nanotubes
2hCarbon nanotubes (CNT) are a family of 1D nanostructures with numerous verified applications, made possible due to their excellent mechanical, optical and conductive properties. However, application of CNTs is hampered by the presence of species with various structures in the raw production mixture, which obscures unique properties of individual species.
Consumers will pay more for crowdfunded products to boost equality in marketplace
2hNew research has revealed that shoppers are significantly more likely to purchase crowdfunded products than items that use an alternative funding source, as they want to see less inequality in the marketplace.
Modeling collisions between argon nuclei and neutrinos from a supernova
2hMassive stars end their lives in explosions called core-collapse supernovae. These explosions produce very large numbers of weakly interacting particles called neutrinos. Scientists working on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, hosted by Fermilab, are seeking to perform a detailed measurement of supernova neutrinos. This effort could lead to groundbreaking discoveries in particle physics an
Evidence for glaciation predating MIS-6 in southeastern Tibet
2hSoutheastern Tibet is one of the most glaciated regions on the Tibetan Plateau both at present and during the Quaternary. Numerical dating of glacial deposits has allowed the establishment of a provisional chronology of Quaternary glacial fluctuations in this region, with the oldest glaciation (Guxiang Glaciation) occurring in marine oxygen isotope stage 6 (MIS-6). However, glaciations predating M
Where's my horse-sized rabbit?
2hNext to cat videos, watching small and cuddly rabbits is probably one of the most popular internet pastimes. Plus they appear in literature as well as in traditional folklore spanning numerous cultures, thanks likely to the fact that rabbits reside on every continent except Antarctica.
Human land-use and climate change will have significant impact on animal genetic diversity
2hOver the last 200 years, researchers have worked towards understanding the global distribution of species and ecosystems. But so far even the basic knowledge on the global geography of genetic diversity was limited.
Where are the women on the Spanish-language Wikipedia site?
2hWith its more than 40 million articles in 301 different languages, Wikipedia is one of the largest human collaboration efforts in history. One of the main pillars on which this wish to bring together the sum of all knowledge is based is the achievement of a neutral space. However, several studies suggest that the site suffers from a persistent gender bias as regards both content and the compositio
To forget or to do not forget?
2hAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a form of progressive dementia interfering with daily living. It is caused by the decline in the number of brain cells resulting in the deterioration of our mental abilities. One of the main reasons for the worsening brain cells condition and even the brain shrinkage are molecules having a specific structure called β-amyloids. They are peptides that tend to agglomerate
Ice cap study promises new prospects for accurate local climate projections
2hNew, detailed study of the Renland Ice Cap offers the possibility of modelling other smaller ice caps and glaciers with much greater accuracy than hitherto. The study combined airborne radar data to determine the thickness of the ice cap with on-site measurements of the thickness of the ice cap and satellite data. Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute – University of Copenhagen gathered data f
Russian scientists discover a new gene regulation mechanism
2hA team of scientists from Russia studied the role of double-stranded fragments of the maturing RNA and showed that the interaction between distant parts of the RNA can regulate gene expression.
Army researchers create pioneering approach to real-time conversational AI
2hSpoken dialogue is the most natural way for people to interact with complex autonomous agents such as robots. Future Army operational environments will require technology that allows artificial intelligent agents to understand and carry out commands and interact with them as teammates.
Active liquid crystal systems examined in search of autonomous materials systems
2hLiquid Crystals (LC) are widely deployed in display technology and optical fibers. From smartphones in your pockets to large screen TVs, LCs are everywhere, as this special state of matter has been found in colorful soap bubbles as well as certain living tissues.
Study finds humans are directly influencing wind and weather over North Atlantic
2hA new study led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science provides evidence that humans are influencing wind and weather patterns across the eastern United States and western Europe by releasing CO2 and other pollutants into Earth's atmosphere.
New model describes the (scaling) laws of the jungle
2hA forest looks like a hotbed of randomness, with trees and plants scattered in wild and capricious diversity. But appearances can be deceiving, say a trio of complexity researchers at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI). Underneath that apparent messiness lurk extraordinary regularities, governed by the biological mechanisms that drive universal forces of growth, death, and competition.
Corals go hungry long before they bleach
2hThe results of coral beaching are obvious—stark underwater forests of white coral skeletons—yet the physiological processes of bleaching are not well understood. Now, KAUST researchers show that, long before signs of bleaching appear, prolonged spells of warm water cause heat stress that disrupts the nutrient cycling of the coral and its symbiotic algae.