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Elon Musk, Who Moved to TX For Less Regulation, Is Furious That the Power Went Down
1dWhen Tesla CEO Elon Musk moved to Texas earlier this year to escape stiff regulations and high taxes, he couldn't have predicted a cold snap that brought the state's infrastructure to its knees. In a tweet this week, Musk lashed out at the state's energy agency, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), quipping that the body is "not earning that R." The historic deep freeze caused sever
Texas snowstorms are due to rapid heating of the Arctic, say scientists
1dWinter Storm Uri brought snow and freezing temperatures to Texas this week, causing multiple deaths and damage to infrastructure. Climate scientists have spent years exploring the relationship between extreme winter weather and warming temperatures in the Arctic Circle. Some studies suggest that the warming Arctic disrupts a natural phenomenon known as the polar vortex, which normally contains co
Mars landing: Photo shows Perseverance about to touch down
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Nasa releases an astonishing image of its new Mars robot taken just moments before touchdown.
Scientists Found a Way to Communicate With People Who Are Asleep And Dreaming
1dThey even got them to solve math problems!
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People Who Have Had Covid Should Get Single Vaccine Dose, Studies Suggest
1dNew studies show that one shot of a vaccine can greatly amplify antibody levels in those who have recovered from the coronavirus.
Covid: vaccinated Israelis to enjoy bars and hotels with 'green pass'
1dMobile app inoculation certificate aims to help reopen economy, but privileges are untested and raise ethical questions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Israel is preparing itself to be split in half from next week, with the government creating a new privileged tier in society: the vaccinated. Nearly 50% of the population who have chosen to be inoculated against Covid
'I Am Worth It': Why Thousands of Doctors in America Can't Get a Job
1dMedical schools are producing more graduates, but residency programs haven't kept up, leaving thousands of young doctors "chronically unmatched" and deep in debt.
A Quite Possibly Wonderful Summer
1dEditor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here . The summer of 2021 is shaping up to be historic. After months of soaring deaths and infections, COVID-19 cases across the United States are declining even more sharply than experts anticipated . This is expected to continue, and rates of serious illness and death will plumm
'I Am Worth It': Why Thousands of Doctors in America Can't Get a Job
1dMedical schools are producing more graduates, but residency programs haven't kept up, leaving thousands of young doctors "chronically unmatched" and deep in debt.
Dolphins have similar personality traits to humans, study finds
1dCuriosity and sociability among traits found, despite dolphins having evolved separately for millions of years Dolphins have developed a number of similar personality traits to humans, despite having evolved in vastly different environments, researchers have found. A study, published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, looked at 134 male and female bottlenose dolphins from eight facilities
BioNTech/Pfizer Covid vaccine no longer needs ultra-cold storage
1dNew stability data come as Israel study shows efficacy of single dose
Coronavirus Vaccines Are Reaching American Arms
1dMillions of doses of coronavirus vaccine are still sitting in freezers, allocated in excess to nursing homes or stockpiled for later use. Now states are claiming them.
Texas Crisis Exposes a Nation's Vulnerability to Climate Change
6hContinent-spanning storms triggered blackouts in Oklahoma and Mississippi, halted one-third of U.S. oil production and disrupted vaccinations in 20 states.
Great white-shark-sized ancient fish discovered by accident from fossilized lung
1dA 66 million-year-old fossilized lung belonging to a previously unknown giant coelacanth fish was recently discovered in Morocco.
Coronavirus FAQs: Mammograms, Vaccine Ingredients … And Dogs Who Sniff Masks
19hAre there issues with having a mammogram right after a vaccine? Is there a list of vaccine ingredients — some people say they're scary. Also: My pooch loves to sniff discarded masks. Should I worry? (Image credit: Malaka Gharib/ NPR)
Texans Are Sleeping In Their Teslas to Survive Freezing Cold
1dHeat Seeker Texas was gripped by a deep freeze this week, bringing the second largest state in the United States to its knees. Millions are still without power, while many more continue to lack access to clean water or even water at all. Amid rolling blackouts, Texans are having to get creative to stay warm, as homes predominantly use electricity as a heat source in the state. But Tesla owners ha
Don't Suffer in The Cold? Turns Out There's a Genetic Mutation For That
1dThere's a reason ice baths aren't for everyone.
Studies Suggest People Who Had Covid-19 Should Get Single Vaccine Dose
1dNew studies show that one shot of a vaccine can greatly amplify antibody levels in those who have recovered from the coronavirus.
A leaked report shows Pfizer's vaccine is conquering covid-19 in its largest real-world test
1dA leaked scientific report jointly prepared by Israel's health ministry and Pfizer claims that the company's covid-19 vaccine is stopping nine out of 10 infections and the country could approach herd immunity by next month. The study, based on the health records of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, finds that the vaccine may sharply curtail transmission of the coronavirus. "High vaccine uptake c
Researchers observe stationary Hawking radiation in an analog black hole
1dBlack holes are regions in space where gravity is very strong—so strong that nothing that enters them can escape, including light. Theoretical predictions suggest that there is a radius surrounding black holes known as the event horizon. Once something passes the event horizon, it can no longer escape a black hole, as gravity becomes stronger as it approaches its center.
Mars landing: Excitement builds over new images from Nasa Perseverance rover
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
The rover touched down successfully on Thursday in Mars' Jezero Crater.
US Formally Rejoins Paris Climate Agreement
23hAfter US president Joe Biden signed an executive order almost a month ago to move the United States toward rejoining the Paris climate agreement, the country formally reentered the international pact today, as Scientific American reports . The reentry signals the start of a lengthy process of drafting new emissions pledges. Biden called for an international climate summit on April 22, which falls
Incredible Photo Shows NASA Mars Rover Hanging Below "Sky Crane"
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Jetpack Snapshot NASA has released a new photo sent to us all the way from Mars courtesy of its Perseverance rover, which successfully landed on the Red Planet on Thursday. The incredible image shows the rover hanging below the probe's "sky crane," a rocket-powered device that lowered Perseverance from an altitude of about 70 feet down to the surface below. A similarly designed crane also was use
Scientists Communicate With Lucid Dreamers During Sleep
1dHello There For the first time, scientists managed to open a line of two-way, real-time communication with sleeping volunteers who were in the midst of a lucid dream. Scientists from Northwestern University and various European institutions were able to chat with lucid dreamers and ask them questions, receiving answers in real-time in the form of specific eye movements, Motherboard reports . It's
The Border Mess That Trump Left Behind
1dAs President Joe Biden tries to undo the damage that his predecessor did to America's immigration system, three problems are getting in the way: The nation's existing laws are outmoded and overly restrictive, the United States hasn't devoted the resources necessary to review individual cases, and the Biden administration has little control over when migrants will arrive at the border and seek ent
How Did Texas Electricity Grid Fail Residents So Catastrophically? An Expert Explains
1dCheap, until it was gone.
Another new coronavirus variant now detected in 13 countries
22hAs of Feb. 17, there had been 46 cases of the new variant confirmed in the U.K.
Photos Show NASA Perseverance Rover Landing on Mars
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Scientists working on the mission are eagerly scrutinizing the first images sent back to Earth by the robotic explorer.
Nasa scientists release new image of Perseverance rover on Mars at news briefing – live
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Team of experts answer questions about mission following safe landing on the red planet on Thursday – follow the briefing live In pictures: Perseverance mission to Mars 6.40pm GMT The landing site, Jezero crater, was picked from more than 60 candidates because of its promise for preserving signs of life. Billions of years ago the site was once home to an ancient lake and river delta that may have
Hiking Is an Ideal Structure for Friendship
1dEach 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 a group of friends who have been going on monthly hikes for 25 years. They discuss why the hike organizer has absolute authority, how they've shown up for one another through tragedies, a
Origin of life: Did Darwinian evolution begin before life itself?
1dA study done by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich physicists demonstrates that fundamental characteristics of mopolymeric lecules, such as their subunit composition, are sufficient to trigger selection processes in a plausible prebiotic setting.
Origin of life: Did Darwinian evolution begin before life itself?
1dA study done by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich physicists demonstrates that fundamental characteristics of mopolymeric lecules, such as their subunit composition, are sufficient to trigger selection processes in a plausible prebiotic setting.
Nomadland Is a Gorgeous Journey Through the Wreckage of American Promise
8hFern (played by Frances McDormand), the hardscrabble hero of Chloé Zhao's Nomadland , is the kind of resolute, independent protagonist that has dominated American movies since the dawn of the Western genre. She drives around the country in her van, living as self-sufficiently as possible, and carries a flinty affect with people, revealing little about herself and the turmoil that has led to her l
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Mars landing team 'awestruck' by photo of descending rover
23hThe world got its first close-up look at a Mars landing on Friday, as NASA released a stunning picture of its newest rover being lowered onto the dusty red surface.
A speed limit also applies in the quantum world
23hEven in the world of the smallest particles with their own special rules, things cannot proceed infinitely fast. Physicists at the University of Bonn have now shown what the speed limit is for complex quantum operations. The study also involved scientists from MIT, the universities of Hamburg, Cologne and Padua, and the Jülich Research Center. The results are important for the realization of quant
Time-lapse reveals the hidden dance of roots
1dDuke researchers have been studying something that happens too slowly for our eyes to see. A team in biologist Philip Benfey's lab wanted to see how plant roots burrow into the soil. So they set up a camera on rice seeds sprouting in clear gel, taking a new picture every 15 minutes for several days after germination.
Time-lapse reveals the hidden dance of roots
1dDuke researchers have been studying something that happens too slowly for our eyes to see. A team in biologist Philip Benfey's lab wanted to see how plant roots burrow into the soil. So they set up a camera on rice seeds sprouting in clear gel, taking a new picture every 15 minutes for several days after germination.
The US is back in the Paris Agreement. What's next? | John Kerry and Al Gore
1dOn his first day as president, Joe Biden signed a letter of acceptance that set in motion the 30-day process for the United States to re-join the Paris Agreement on climate. On the day the US returns to the accord, John Kerry, the US Special Envoy for Climate, sits down with Nobel Laureate Al Gore to discuss the make-or-break decade ahead of us. Listen as Kerry lays out how the US fits into the gl
CRISPR-Edited Bananas
1dIn the British Drama, Years and Years , they imagine the very near future. I do wonder what someone from 2010 would have thought about a tv show accurately depicting 2020. In any case, one of the throw-away lines of the show was that there are no more bananas. The writers did their research – that the Cavendish banana will disappear sometime in the 2020's is extremely likely. It is being threaten
The AI Research Paper Was Real. The 'Coauthor' Wasn't
1dAn IBM researcher found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks."
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Decades After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Local Dolphins Are Still Suffering
20hThe damage lingers.
A Second AI Researcher Says She Was Fired by Google
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21hGoogle Mitchell AI
Margaret Mitchell was the co-leader of a group investigating ethics in AI, alongside Timnit Gebru, who said she was fired in December.
Curious Test Reveals Dogs May Have a Special Ability We Didn't Know About Before
1dNot unlike toddlers.
Nasa scientists hail Perseverance rover's arrival on Mars with stunning images
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Car-sized vehicle designed to seek signs of life is pronounced 'healthy' after dramatic descent to surface of the red planet Nasa scientists have said the Perseverance Mars rover is "healthy" and is beaming back many stunning new images from the surface of the planet, promising significant scientific discoveries ahead. Related: Perseverance's mission to Mars – in pictures Continue reading…
Nasa publicerar nya skarpa bilder från Mars
1dI går lyckades Nasa landa rymdsonden Perseverance på Mars. Uppdraget är att leta efter tecken på tidigare liv och redan nu har sonden skickat hem skarpa bilder från den steniga planeten.
Another Earthquake Nails the Crumbling Fukushima Power Plant
1dNot Again A powerful earthquake struck the site of Japan's already-crumbling Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant last weekend, further damaging the facility that experts and authorities have spent years trying to safely maintain. The power plant's operators found that cooling water levels had dropped in two of the plant's reactors, indicating that the earthquake caused them to spring new leaks,
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The Window for D.C. Statehood Won't Be Open Forever
1dWith one move, Democrats could reshape government and potentially lock in their majority in the Senate for years to come. Four of their own stand in the way. The party may have just a few months to make it happen—but leaders in the House and Senate are taking their time and arguing about the details. Advocates see statehood for Washington, D.C., as a moral issue, because it would give equal right
Florida Women Caught Wearing Elderly Disguises to Get Vaccine Early
1dTwo Florida women in their 30s reportedly dressed up as "grannies" to get the COVID-19 vaccine early, according to local Orlando news station WFTV . "OMG," WFTV reporter Lauren Seabrook wrote in a Thursday tweet . Director of the Florida Department of Health Raul Pino "just said two young girls in their 20s dressed up as grandmas with 'bonnets and gloves' and went through the line to try and get
Physicists Propose a 'Force Field' to Protect Sensitive Quantum Computers From Noise
1dWhat a time to be alive!
Critically endangered baby whale washes up dead on Florida coast
1dAn endangered whale calf has been found dead on a beach in Florida with signs it was hit by a boat. Fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales are left on Earth.
Scepticism over Oxford vaccine threatens Europe's immunisation push
1dGerman politicians voice support for jab after only 17% of doses delivered to country are administered so far Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Politicians in Germany are stepping out in support of the AstraZeneca vaccine as public scepticism around the University of Oxford-developed product threatens to hamper Europe's Covid-19 immunisation programme. The vaccine, sub
When There's No Heat: 'You Need Wood, You Get Wood.'
1dCommunity wood banks, like food banks, help people in need. Climate change is shaping their role.
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As Coronavirus Variants Spread, the US Struggles to Keep Up
1dThe nation is a sequencing superpower. But without a federal strategy or enough funding, scientists can't coordinate to track an evolving threat fast enough.
Experts Answer the Biggest COVID Vaccine Questions
1dWhat does "95 percent effective" mean? Should you get vaccinated if you have had COVID? Is there a best vaccine? — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Experts Answer the Biggest COVID Vaccine Questions
1dWhat does "95 percent effective" mean? Should you get vaccinated if you have had COVID? Is there a best vaccine? — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The Battle of Iwo Jima: A gruesome victory for the Allied Forces
1dFought on a tiny volcanic island 76 years ago, this brutal clash between American and Japanese forces defined the horror of the Pacific theater.
Foot-and-mouth outbreak's parallels with Covid pandemic
1dTwenty years on from the start of the foot-and-mouth crisis, the Covid parallels appear stark.
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The dentist who helped a koala to walk
1dJon Doulman built a unique prosthetic after hearing about Triumph, a koala born without a foot.
UK to launch 'high risk' science agency
1dThe new agency will help "cement the UK's position as a science superpower", the government says.
Neanderthals May Have Been Killed Off By Magnetic Pole Flip
1hPolar Opposites Scientists have discovered evidence that Earth's magnetic poles flipped 42,000 years ago — possibly leading to the Neanderthals' extinction. Researchers from Sydney's University of South Wales (UNSW) and the South Australian Museum released a paper describing the findings in the journal Science detailing how the reversal of the poles caused abrupt solar storms and climate shifts t
Long Covid: 'It's a year since I've felt like myself'
4hThere is fresh hope for those still suffering the effects of the virus after 12 months with £18.5m of new funding and 70 new NHS clinics Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Today is an anniversary that George Hencken never imagined. It is exactly one year since she caught Covid-19. But unlike most people who have suffered from the disease, she remains ill. "It's a year s
NASA's New Mars Rover Is Less Powerful Than Many Smartphones
5hiMars If you thought a NASA rover that cost $2.4 billion to build and launch would be more powerful your old smartphone, you have another thing coming. NASA's Perseverance rover, which landed successfully on Mars Thursday , is powered by an old chipset that gives it about the same processing power as an iMac from 1998, according to PCMag 's breakdown . More specifically, it's packing 256MB of RAM
A New Era of Black Holes Is Here
9hWhen the first black-hole collision was detected in 2015, it was a watershed moment in the history of astronomy. Using gravitational waves, astronomers were observing the universe in an entirely new way. But this first event didn't revolutionize our understanding of black holes—nor could it. This collision would be the first of many, astronomers knew, and only with that bounty would answers come.
Octopuses Have a Secret Sense to Keep Their 8 Arms Out of Trouble
12hEven when an octopus can't see light with its eyes, its arms seem to know it is there.
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New technology enables predictive design of engineered human cells
1dNorthwestern University synthetic biologist Joshua Leonard used to build devices when he was a child using electronic kits. Now he and his team have developed a design-driven process that uses parts from a very different kind of toolkit to build complex genetic circuits for cellular engineering.
New technology enables predictive design of engineered human cells
1dNorthwestern University synthetic biologist Joshua Leonard used to build devices when he was a child using electronic kits. Now he and his team have developed a design-driven process that uses parts from a very different kind of toolkit to build complex genetic circuits for cellular engineering.
New study identifies 126 species that could host coronavirus
1dThe novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is a product of different coronaviruses recombining in animal species. A new study suggests that hundreds of animal species may harbor multiple types of coronaviruses, meaning recombination events could be more likely than previously thought. The authors noted that their results could help improve surveillance programs to mitigate the risks associated wi
Are billionaires bad for the environment?
1dA 100-meter yacht like this one can TK. (Arno Senoner//) Richard Wilk is a distinguished professor and provost's professor of anthropology at the Director of the Open Anthropology Institute at Indiana University. Beatriz Barros is a Ph.D. Candidate in anthropology at Indiana University. This story originally featured on The Conversation . Tesla's Elon Musk and Amazon's Jeff Bezos have been vying
Is this winter weather 'normal'? And other questions about the historic storms in the US.
1dSnow-covered streets were the norm across the US this week. (Sam Farallon/Un/) It's been a wild and dangerous week for weather in the US. With record cold and snowfalls across nearly the entire country, many Americans are wondering what exactly is going on. Here are some answers to your most burning questions. Why did wind turbines fail in the winter storm? Sweden, which is no stranger to chilly
Conservation paradox: The pros and cons of recreational hunting
1dRecreational hunting—especially hunting of charismatic species for their trophies—raises ethical and moral concerns. Yet recreational hunting is frequently suggested as a way to conserve nature and support local people's livelihoods.
Global study of 48 cities finds nature sanitizes 41.7 million tons of human waste a year
1dThe first global-scale assessment of the role ecosystems play in providing sanitation finds that nature provides at least 18% of sanitation services in 48 cities worldwide, according to researchers in the United Kingdom and India. The study, published February 19 in the journal One Earth, estimates that more than 2 million cubic meters of the cities' human waste is processed each year without engi
Conservation paradox: The pros and cons of recreational hunting
1dRecreational hunting—especially hunting of charismatic species for their trophies—raises ethical and moral concerns. Yet recreational hunting is frequently suggested as a way to conserve nature and support local people's livelihoods.
Nvidia's latest effort to fix the graphics card shortage takes aim at crypto miners
1dNvidia's RTX 3060 is in high-demand due to its relatively low price and high performance. (Nvidia/) The past year has left PC gamers feeling conflicted. Hardware makers like Nvidia have released some of the most powerful and compelling new graphics cards—essential components for running games at high frame rates and resolutions—in years. Cards like the Nvidia RTX 30-series promise big performance
Scientists Name Old Dinosaur for the Smithsonian
1dA new study has reclassified a fossil discovered in 1883 as a dicraeosaurid—a family of long-necked dinosaurs rarely found in North America
UK scientists highlight 12 criteria for Covid vaccine passports
1dRoyal Society says issues such as certifying immunity and data protection need to be considered Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Vaccine passports are feasible, according to scientists at the Royal Society, but many pressing questions need to be answered around their use, from knowing whether vaccines protect people against transmitting coronavirus, to ensuring they d
Quartz crystals in the stomach of fossil bird complicates the mystery of its diet
1dIt's hard to know what prehistoric animals' lives were like—even answering seemingly simple questions, like what they ate, can be a challenge. Sometimes, paleontologists get lucky, and pristine fossils will preserve an animal's stomach contents or provide other clues. In a new study in Frontiers in Earth Science, researchers investigating the fossil of a bird that lived alongside the dinosaurs got
Quartz crystals in the stomach of fossil bird complicates the mystery of its diet
1dIt's hard to know what prehistoric animals' lives were like—even answering seemingly simple questions, like what they ate, can be a challenge. Sometimes, paleontologists get lucky, and pristine fossils will preserve an animal's stomach contents or provide other clues. In a new study in Frontiers in Earth Science, researchers investigating the fossil of a bird that lived alongside the dinosaurs got
Nicaragua leaders face backlash after forming space agency amid human rights crisis
1dCritics say President Daniel Ortega is attempting to distract from his dismal human rights record and poor response to the pandemic Nicaragua has created a new National Ministry for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, prompting scorn from critics in a nation experiencing a steady erosion of human rights since a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests three ye
Why thousands of turtles were paralyzed off the coast of Texas this week
9hHere's why thousands of sea turtles were paralyzed in the frigid waters along the Texas coastline during the unprecedented winter storm that swept across the country this week.
Astronomers publish map showing 25,000 supermassive black holes
1dAn international team of astronomers has published a map of the sky showing over 25,000 supermassive black holes. The map, to be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, is the most detailed celestial map in the field of so-called low radio frequencies. The astronomers, including Leiden astronomers, used 52 stations with LOFAR antennas spread across nine European countries.
To Meet Ambitious Emissions Goals, Large Food Companies Are Looking to Lock Carbon in Soil
1dBut the logistics of moving farmers in their supply chains to regenerative agriculture practices can be complicated
Stromatolites—fossils of earliest life on Earth—may owe existence to viruses
1dAs the Mars Rover sets out to look for evidence of life on another planet, scientists back on Earth suggest viruses played a key role in creating stromatolites, our planet's earliest lifeforms.
A first-of-its-kind geoengineering experiment is about to take its first step
1dTrapped inside a long glass tube in a ground-floor lab at Harvard University is a miniature copy of the stratosphere. When I visited Frank Keutsch in the fall of 2019, he walked me down to the lab, where the tube, wrapped in gray insulation, ran the length of a bench in the back corner. By filling it with the right combination of gases, at particular temperatures and pressures, Keutsch and his co
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Potassium nucleus loses some of its magic
1dA new study at ISOLDE finds no signature of a "magic" number of neutrons in potassium-51, challenging the proposed magic nature of nuclei with 32 neutrons.
When World of Warcraft Is an Escape—and a Memorial
1dAs kids, my cousin Kano and I spent hours together in this fantastical world. During quarantine, and for the first time since his death, I logged in again.
Dødelighed under corona overstiger influenza: Over 20 millioner leveår er gået tabt
1dNye data viser, at coronavirussen har en langt højere dødelighed end tidligere influenzaepidimier.
FN advarer: Menneskets ødelæggelse af naturen er 'meningsløs og selvmorderisk'
1dEn ny rapport fra FN gennemgår menneskets rolle i klimaforandringerne og fremlægger konkrete tiltag, der kan være med til at rette op på skaderne.
Unusual creatures uncovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf
1dA new study details the discovery of sessile organisms living under the Antarctic's Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. In recent years, scientists have discovered more creatures living in environments once thought inhospitable to life. It's currently unknown how these new organisms find food in such an environment, nor how plentiful they are beneath the continent's ice-blanketed coastlines. Life finds a w
Climate Change: How much did it cost US economy in 2020?
1dLast year saw a record numbers of costly extreme weather events.
Johns Hopkins Professor: US Will Hit COVID Herd Immunity by April
4hCOVID-19 will be "mostly gone" by April, according to a Johns Hopkins professor. Dr. Marty Makary, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, points to several reasons to be hopeful in a new op-ed for The Wall Street Journal . He believes a combination of natural immunity from previous infection, rising vaccination rates, and a dramatic drop in cases mean America will reach herd immuni
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Why a dazed deer in Tennessee had hair growing from its eyeballs
10hThe buck was likely born with the odd condition.
Intense Strength Training Does Not Ease Knee Pain, Study Finds
23hMillions of patients with knee osteoarthritis are told to exercise. A new study casts doubt on what sort of exercise is helpful.
For the First Time, Scientists Clone Endangered Species
1dIt's Alive! For the first time, scientists cloned an organism on the United States' list of endangered species: a black-footed ferret that they've named Elizabeth Ann. Elizabeth Ann was born on December 10 and, as far as the Fish and Wildlife Service scientists raising her can tell, is a perfectly healthy and lively young critter, The Associated Press reports . The tentative success story, a firs
Researchers decode a deep-sea-vent-endemic snail hologenome
1dA research team led by Prof. Qian Peiyuan, Head and Chair Professor from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)'s Department of Ocean Science and David von Hansemann Professor of Science, has published their cutting-edge findings of symbiotic mechanisms of a deep-sea vent snail (Gigantopelta aegis) in the scientific journal Nature Communications. They discovered that the Gigant
Release of nutrients from lake-bottom sediments worsens Lake Erie's annual 'dead zone'
1dRobotic laboratories on the bottom of Lake Erie have revealed that the muddy sediments there release nearly as much of the nutrient phosphorus into the surrounding waters as enters the lake's central basin each year from rivers and their tributaries.
Location tracking apps and privacy implications
1dA recent study shows how, from location data, apps can retrieve a wide range of personal information about users, including their health, socio-economic status, ethnicity and religion.
The Double Meaning of the American Dream
1dHaving moved from the teeming cityscape of Taipei to the rural American South in the 1970s as a preteen, I know something of the shock, at once awe-inspiring and estranging, of that first sight of the great American landscape—just sheer land—that seems to stretch on forever. Watching Minari , the new semi-autobiographical film from Lee Isaac Chung about a Korean-American family newly arrived in t
Stromatolites—fossils of earliest life on Earth—may owe existence to viruses
1dAs the Mars Rover sets out to look for evidence of life on another planet, scientists back on Earth suggest viruses played a key role in creating stromatolites, our planet's earliest lifeforms.
In step toward autonomous materials, researchers design patterns in self-propelling liquid crystals
1daterials capable of performing complex functions in response to changes in the environment could form the basis for exciting new technologies. Think of a capsule implanted in your body that automatically releases antibodies in response to a virus, a surface that releases an antibacterial agent when exposed to dangerous bacteria, a material that adapts its shape when it needs to sustain a particula
CSI Solid-State: The fingerprints of quantum effects
1dIn solid-state physics, the precise interactions of electrons are analyzed through meticulous detective work, ultimately to gain a better understanding of fundamental physical phenomena.
How to calculate the social cost of carbon? Researchers offer roadmap in new analysis
1dThe Biden administration is revising the social cost of carbon (SCC), a decade-old cost-benefit metric used to inform climate policy by placing a monetary value on the impact of climate change. In a newly published analysis in the journal Nature, a team of researchers lists a series of measures the administration should consider in recalculating the SCC.
G7 leaders vow to boost vaccine supplies to developing world
1dRich nations increase Covax pledges but US less certain on when to share 'surplus' doses
Photos of the Week: Mars Rover, Green Fur, Icicle Tunnel
1dLava flows on Mount Etna, ski championships in Italy, scenes from the Australian Open, ice-skating in the Netherlands, an image from New York Fashion Week, freezing conditions in Texas, a monument to cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, snowy scenes in Greece, and much more
EU-politikere går efter 'atomkraft-renæssance' med opsigtsvækkende rapport: »Det er rystende«
1dPLUS. »Det er så voldsomt med falske antagelser og påstande i rapporten, at det er rystende,« siger dansk energiprofessor om en ny rapport, der konkluderer, at atomkraft er billigere end både vind- og solenergi.
Vinder: Engagement hos alle faggrupper giver topplacering
1dPernille Mørk Hansen er ledende overlæge på afdelingen for nyresygdomme på Herlev og Gentofte Hospital, som besætter førstepladsen inden for dialyse.
6 Clever Ways to Use the Windows Command Prompt
10hA rundown of things you can do faster, easier, and with less hassle, all just by peeking under the hood.
'An exciting time': European Space Agency takes diversity to space
10hHelen Sharman, the UK's first astronaut, praises the agency as it begins a search for 26 recruits Helen Sharman, the UK's first astronaut, has welcomed the European Space Agency's decision to improve diversity among crew as an "exciting time for human space flight expansion". Esa announced earlier this week that as part of its bid to recruit up to 26 new astronauts it was casting its net wider th
Coronavirus: UK should donate vaccines to poorer nations now, says new WTO chief; two die amid lockdown protests in Gabon
13hThousands of China's Sinovac vaccine on way to Mexico France reports increase in daily Covid death toll Ireland reports three cases of Brazilian variant See all our coronavirus coverage 9.50am GMT A year ago, Laura Ricevuti and Annalisa Malara – both doctors at Codogno hospital in Italy – had a hunch something was different about a patient in the intensive care ward. As Reuters reports, their dec
Superspridarna oftare äldre och överviktiga
14hVarför vissa blir superspridare av covid-19 har hittills varit en gåta för forskarna. En ny studie visar att det kan hänga ihop med infektionsgrad, ålder och övervikt.
Who Will Be the Next F.D.A. Chief?
14hTwo leading contenders generate wider debate about the leadership needed to restore morale and scientific integrity to an agency battered by the politicized Trump administration.
Möjligt förändra sina personlighetsdrag med hjälp av en app
17hDet går att förändra vissa oönskade personlighetsdrag som att vara neurotisk eller introvert, enligt en ny studie. Och förändringen består i minst tre månader.
The UK Is the Latest Country to Tighten the Screws on Uber
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1dUK Court Uber Drivers
The country's highest court ruled that the 25 drivers who filed a lawsuit should be considered workers and entitled to minimum wage and vacations.
Eating more refined grains increases risk of heart attack, early death
1dA new study found consuming a high number of refined grains, such as croissants and white bread, is associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular disease, stroke and early death.
30% of people with COVID-19 experience symptoms up to 9 months later
1dMost participants in the study initially had mild cases of COVID-19.
Celtic god or 1980s hockey player? Ancient deity statue wears a mullet and mustache
1dA tiny statue of a deity dating to the Iron Age has a surprisingly modern hairstyle.
Why 'no jab' should not always mean 'no job'
1dA combination of vaccinations and testing will make for a safer workplace
The Coronavirus is Here to Stay–Here's What That Means
1dA Nature survey shows many scientists expect the virus that causes COVID-19 to become endemic, but it could pose less danger over time — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Researchers decode a deep-sea-vent-endemic snail hologenome
1dA research team led by Prof. Qian Peiyuan, Head and Chair Professor from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)'s Department of Ocean Science and David von Hansemann Professor of Science, has published their cutting-edge findings of symbiotic mechanisms of a deep-sea vent snail (Gigantopelta aegis) in the scientific journal Nature Communications. They discovered that the Gigant
The government failed Texans—so people on the internet stepped in
1dOn Valentine's Day, Texas plunged into a polar vortex the likes of which hadn't been seen since 1899. Freezing temperatures led to widespread power outages. Homes more used to the swampy heat were useless against the wind and cold, with pipes bursting and ceilings caving in. Where water, clothing, and food were being distributed, lines snaked around the block. Hundreds of people in Texas have bee
How Antidepressants Work, At Last?
1dOver the years I've very much enjoyed being startled by the scientific literature, and there haven't been many times when I've been more surprised than I was this morning. I've been making references on this blog for years about how we don't even know how antidepressants work, but if this new paper is correct, then perhaps now we do. I'm amazed. It's from a multinational team led out of the Unive
Perseverance's mission to Mars – in pictures
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Nasa's rover, the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another world, landed safely on the floor of a vast crater on Thursday, the first stop on its search for life on the red planet Mars rover landing: Nasa's Perseverance touches down safely in search of life Continue reading…
Boys who play video games have lower depression risk
1dBoys who regularly play video games at age 11 are less likely to develop depressive symptoms three years later, finds a new study.
Ultraviolet 'television' for animals helps us better understand them
1dUniversity of Queensland scientists have developed an ultraviolet 'television' display designed to help researchers better understand how animals see the world.
Ultraviolet 'television' for animals helps us better understand them
1dUniversity of Queensland scientists have developed an ultraviolet 'television' display designed to help researchers better understand how animals see the world.
Massive Power Failure Could Finally Cause Texas to Connect with the Nation's Power Grids
1dEnergy from neighboring states could have helped Texans survive their extreme winter storm — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Massive Power Failure Could Finally Cause Texas to Connect with the Nation's Power Grids
1dEnergy from neighboring states could have helped Texans survive their extreme winter storm — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Arctic and tropical Pacific synergistic effects cause extremely cold winter in China
1dChina is just one of many countries in the Northern Hemisphere experiencing an extremely cold winter due in part to both the tropical Pacific and the Arctic, according to an analysis of temperatures from Dec. 1, 2020 to mid-January of 2021.
Gut microbiome implicated in healthy aging and longevity
1dThe gut microbiome is an integral component of the body, but its importance in the human aging process is unclear. Researchers have identified distinct signatures in the gut microbiome that are associated with either healthy or unhealthy aging trajectories, which in turn predict survival in a population of older individuals.
Pfizer Vaccine Has Weaker Response Against South African COVID Variant, Study Hints
1dDon't panic just yet.
NASA Releases Amazing Photo of Rover Parachuting to Mars Surface
16minFree Falling NASA continues to give Annie Leibovitz a run for her money with its stunning new photos of the Perseverance rover as it landed on Mars on Thursday. One of its latest is a spectacular wide shot of Perseverance as it descends on parachute through the Martian atmosphere — another historic document of what may be the most technologically advanced off-planet exploration in the history of
See the wonderful world of fermented foods on one delicious chart
4hFrom snacks to sauces, fermentation is an important culinary tool across eras and cultures. (Mona Chalabi/) No matter who you are or where you live, you've almost certainly eaten something fermented . Humans have been processing food this way for at least 10,000 years in cuisines on every populated continent. Microbes like bacteria and fungi flourish when feeding off carbohydrates, turning sugars
America has sent five rovers to Mars—when will humans follow?
5hWith its impeccable landing on Thursday, NASA's Perseverance became the fifth rover to reach Mars—so when can we finally expect the long-held goal of a crewed expedition to materialize?
Drug companies look to AI to end 'hit and miss' research
6hTechnology that speeded the development of Covid vaccines has potential to transform the pharmaceutical industry The hunt for new medicines has often been more like a game of roulette than high-end science. But now the pharmaceutical sector is on the cusp of a transformation, as it delves into cutting-edge technology to come up with new treatments for diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis
Sites Have a Sneaky New Way to Track You Across the Web
7hPlus: A LastPass rate change, Clubhouse concerns, and more of the week's top security news.
The U.S. Needs a Federal Department of Science and Technology
7hCurrently, STEM-related policy is administered by a bewildering array of entities, which dilutes its effectiveness — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Can Hamburger Buns Save Your Pipes from Freezing?
8hWater expands when it freezes, and that's bad for plumbing. Insulation—any insulation—is better than nothing.
How The Military Helped Bring Back The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
9hThe U.S. military and conservation groups forged an unusual alliance to help save the red-cockaded woodpecker, but a Trump-era move to take the bird off the endangered list could threaten the species.
Inside the Strange World of the Police
10hPhotographs by Joseph Rodríguez "Police work is doing what people in the city want done," Willie Williams, the Los Angeles Police Department chief, told me in 1994. Williams, the agency's first Black chief, had been brought in from Philadelphia to make changes after LAPD officers beat Rodney King in 1991, the incident that ultimately led to the Los Angeles riots. A commission that year concluded
When did lap dogs become popular?
10hTrends, set by royals and movies, help to influence a dog breed's popularity.
Storing the Pfizer vaccine could get a lot simpler in coming weeks
23hThe Pfizer vaccine can actually be stored in normal freezers. (Pixabay/) Click here to see all of PopSci's COVID-19 coverage. In an announcement this morning, Pfizer and BioNTech described new findings showing that their COVID vaccine could be stored for at standard freezing temperatures, setting the stage for a dramatically simplified vaccine distribution effort. That's a big step for Pfizer's v
Researchers find evidence of protein folding at site of intracellular droplets
1dScientists have discovered the first evidence of protein folding driven by liquid-liquid phase separation, a phenomenon in which fluids form into microscopic droplets and separate inside cells—like drops of oil in water.
Researchers find evidence of protein folding at site of intracellular droplets
1dScientists have discovered the first evidence of protein folding driven by liquid-liquid phase separation, a phenomenon in which fluids form into microscopic droplets and separate inside cells—like drops of oil in water.
The melting of large icebergs is a key stage in the evolution of ice ages
1dA new study, in which the Andalusian Earth Sciences Institute (IACT) (CSIC-UGR) participated, has described for the first time a key stage in the beginning of the great glaciations and indicates that it can happen to our planet in the future. The study claims to have found a new connection that could explain the beginning of the ice ages on Earth.
Nasa reveals new colour images of Mars from Perseverance rover – video
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1dNASA Perseverance Mars
Adam Steltzner, the chief engineer on the Perseverance project, said his team was 'overwhelmed with excitement and joy' as he revealed new colour photographs beamed back from Nasa's Perseverance rover Nasa scientists release new images of Perseverance rover on Mars at news briefing Nasa scientists hail Perseverance rover's arrival on Mars with stunning images Continue reading…
L.L.Bean's Extra-Warm Bean Boots Are $140 Off Right Now
1dThe limited-edition, Gore-Tex lined, insulated version of the classic duck boot is $129 at the moment.
How the brain processes sign language
1dOver 70 million deaf people use sign languages as their preferred communication form. Although they access similar brain structures as spoken languages, it hasn't been identified the brain regions that process both forms of language equally. Scientists have now discovered that Broca's area in the left hemisphere, central for spoken languages, is also crucial for sign languages. This is where the g
Listen: 'A Disaster for Feminism'
1dNearly a year ago, Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis predicted that the pandemic would be " a disaster for feminism ," and far too many of her predictions have proved true. With women leaving the workforce at unprecedented rates, why has the pandemic's burden fallen so much harder on them? And what can we, as a society, do about it? Lewis joins staff writer James Hamblin and comedian Maeve Higgin
Artificial Intelligence-Worshipping Church Officially Shuts Down
1dClosed Doors Remember that artificial intelligence-worshipping church, the Way of the Future? Well, first of all: Yes, that existed . But secondly, founder Anthony Levandowski told TechCrunch this week that he has now decided to dissolve the church and donate all of its funds — just over $175,000 — to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Levandowski still supports the church's mission to r
Escaping lockdown: when will life return to normal?
1dBoris Johnson reveals his road map for lifting restrictions on Monday. The world will be watching to see how far he goes
Study reveals energy sources supporting coral reef predators
1dSince Charles Darwin's day, the abundance of life on coral reefs has been puzzling, given that most oceanic surface waters in the tropics are low in nutrients and unproductive.
Study reveals energy sources supporting coral reef predators
1dSince Charles Darwin's day, the abundance of life on coral reefs has been puzzling, given that most oceanic surface waters in the tropics are low in nutrients and unproductive.
Nasa rover to begin search for ancient Mars life after safe landing
1dLargest vehicle sent from Earth will conduct experiments and prepare samples for future missions to bring back
Insight-HXMT gives insight into origin of fast radio bursts
1dThe latest observations from Insight-HXMT were published online in Nature Astronomy on Feb. 18. Insight-HXMT has discovered the very first X-ray burst associated with a fast radio burst (FRB) and has identified that it originated from soft-gamma repeater (SGR) J1935+2154, which is a magnetar in our Milky Way.
Abandoned moonshine still linked to Al Capone uncovered in South Carolina woods
1dArchaeologists uncovered an illegal 1920s-era liquor still in South Carolina that may have been linked to Al Capone's criminal empire.
Lab-grown 'mini-bile ducts' used to repair human livers in regenerative medicine first
1dScientists have used a technique to grow bile duct organoids – often referred to as 'mini-organs' – in the lab and shown that these can be used to repair damaged human livers. This is the first time that the technique has been used on human organs.
Handheld DNA sequencers show promise for monitoring microbes during food production
1dHandheld devices are well suited to environmental monitoring during food production, and have key advantages in ease of use and in identifying a broad variety of bacteria, according to a new study published in the journal npj Science of Food.
Cold dust cores in the central zone of the Milky Way
1dThe Milky Way's central molecular zone (CMZ) spans the innermost 1600 light-years of the galaxy (for comparison, the Sun is 26,600 light-years away from the galactic center) and includes a vast complex of molecular clouds containing about sixty million solar-masses of molecular gas. The gas in these clouds exists under more extreme physical conditions than elsewhere in the galaxy on average, with
What Would It Take to Actually Settle an Alien World?
1dDavid Gerrold's new novel Hella is about a low-gravity planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures—and it doesn't skip the logistical details of human habitation.
Frigid Temperatures Bring Disaster to Texas
1dA pulse of frigid Arctic air sent temperatures dropping to record lows in Texas this week, leading to widespread power outages and dozens of deaths. The disruptions have raised questions about how well the country's second-largest state is prepared for natural disasters in the face of climate change.
New-found molecular signature keeps key genes ready for action
1dDuring development, scores of molecular signals prod cells to take on specialized identities and functions. In response to some of these signals, the cellular machinery awakens specific genes called 'immediate early genes' within minutes. The Rijli group has now identified a unique molecular signature that keeps immediate early genes quiet yet poised for rapid activation. Working out how immediate
A powerful, pocket-sized optical imager, no longer science fiction
1dBefore Wilhelm Röntgen, a mechanical engineer, discovered a new type of electromagnetic radiation in 1895, physicians could only dream of being able to see inside the body. Within a year of Röntgen's discovery, X-rays were being used to identify tumors. Within 10 years, hospitals were using X-rays to help diagnose and treat patients.
New-found molecular signature keeps key genes ready for action
1dDuring development, scores of molecular signals prod cells to take on specialized identities and functions. In response to some of these signals, the cellular machinery awakens specific genes called 'immediate early genes' within minutes. The Rijli group has now identified a unique molecular signature that keeps immediate early genes quiet yet poised for rapid activation. Working out how immediate
Asthmatics at no higher risk getting or dying from COVID-19, assessment of studies consisting of 587,000 people shows
1dA review of 57 studies shows people with asthma had a 14 percent lower risk of getting COVID-19 and were significantly less likely to be hospitalized with the virus.
Preschoolers with higher cardiorespiratory fitness do better on cognitive tests
1dResearchers report that 4-6-year-old children who walk further than their peers during a timed test – a method used to estimate cardiorespiratory health – also do better on cognitive tests and other measures of brain function. The study suggests that the link between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive health is evident even earlier in life than previously appreciated.
Earth's magnetic field broke down 42,000 years ago and caused massive sudden climate change
1dThe world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun's behavior. That's the key finding of our new multidisciplinary study, published in Science.
Bacterial magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications
1dMagnetic nanoparticles biosynthesized by bacteria might soon play an important role in biomedicine and biotechnology. Researchers of the University of Bayreuth have now developed and optimized a process for the isolation and purification of these particles from bacterial cells. In initial tests, magnetosomes showed good biocompatibility when incubated with human cell lines. The results, presented
Skanska slår fast: Højhastighedsjernbane mellem Göteborg og Stockholm kan bygges på ni år
1dEn højhastighedsforbindelse mellem Göteborg og Stockholm til godt 150 milliarder danske kroner kan blive en realitet på bare ni år, viser ny rapport fra Skanska Sverige.
Australia Is Fighting a Platform War on the Wrong Battlefield
1dPlus: Google's ad software, the future of space travel, and the Texas governor's weird tune.
The future of electronics is stretchy
1dStretchable electronic circuits are critical for soft robotics, wearable technologies, and biomedical applications. The current ways of making them, though, have limited their potential.
Coronavirus latest: US carriers to send overseas passengers' contact tracing data to CDC
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Widely shared vitamin D-COVID-19 preprint removed from Lancet server
1dA preprint promoted by a member of the UK Parliament for claiming to show that vitamin D led to an "80% reduction in need for ICU and a 60% reduction in deaths" has been removed from a server used by The Lancet family of journals. The preprint, "Calcifediol Treatment and COVID-19-Related Outcomes," was posted to … Continue reading
It Shouldn't Be This Hard to Get a PlayStation 5
1dThis week, we share our horror stories about trying to procure Sony's elusive new gaming console. We also share tips for testing your own luck.
Christian Happi: 'With pathogens, we need to play offence'
1dThe scientist who helped beat Ebola in Nigeria on Africa's success against Covid-19 — and his trailblazing plans to preempt future pandemics
Read a free issue of How It Works magazine!
1dOur sister publication is the action-packed magazine that's bursting with the answers to your curious questions
UK Covid live: Johnson to make vaccine pledge to poorer nations as he chairs G7 meeting
1dLatest updates: PM expected to say that the UK will share any surplus vaccines; primary school students to return to class in Wales on 15 March Boris Johnson to pledge surplus Covid vaccine to poorer countries at G7 New universal credit claimants forced to skip meals in Covid crisis Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage 10.19am GMT Sadiq Khan has insisted there should be n
Her er de dygtigste inden for 65 behandlinger
1dSe de bedste inden for de 65 behandlings- og diagnoseområder.
Nasa-robotten er landet på Mars: Se de første billeder her
1dRobotten, der har været undervejs i seks måneder, har dansk udstyr ombord.
Ny teknologi skal afsløre skjulte lungeskader efter COVID-19-infektion
1dNyt billeddiagnostisk udstyr hentet i England skal give forskere på Aarhus Universitetshospital en unik mulighed for at afdække skjulte skader i lungerne hos personer med senfølger efter COVID-19. Professor håber på hurtig myndighedsgodkendelse
Spacewatch: Hope spacecraft sends back pictures of Mars volcanoes
1dHope mission is to study Martian atmosphere to help understand how water has been lost The first photograph of Mars taken by the Emirates Mars Mission's Hope spacecraft has been released by the UAE Space Agency and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre . Captured at 20:36 GMT on 10 February 2021, one day after the Hope probe successfully entered orbit around the red planet, the image shows sunlight cr
Damage to the heart found in more than half of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital
1dAround 50 percent of patients who have been hospitalized with severe COVID-19 and who show raised levels of a protein called troponin have damage to their hearts. The injury was detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at least a month after discharge, according to new findings.
Pandemic got you down? A little nature could help
1dResearchers have long been aware of the positive impact of a connection with nature on psychological health and, according to a new study, the pandemic hasn't decreased the power of nature to improve mental well-being.
Friends fur life help build skills for life
1dA new study finds children not only reap the benefits of working with therapy dogs — they enjoy it too.
What we can learn from the Facebook-Australia news debacle
9hDemocracies around the world are all mired in one crisis or another, which is why measures of their health are trending in the wrong direction. Many look at the decline of the news industry as one contributing factor. No wonder, then, that figuring out how to pay for journalism is an urgent issue, and some governments are pushing ahead with ambitious plans. Big ideas for ways to funnel billions o
Gamify Your Workouts With Ergatta's Rowing Machine
9hThis internet-connected rower makes sweating fun by adding a layer of video game logic to your exercise routine.
The Atlantic Daily: The Real Scandal of Ted Cruz's Vacation
1dEvery weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox . When the snow came, the state of Texas failed. Its self-maintained power grid stopped working—and its politicians seemed to do the same: Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancún, Mexico, with his family,
Storm Delays for Vaccines, Expanded Sequencing, and More News
1dCatch up on the most important updates from this week.
Space Force sounds like a joke thanks to pop culture—that could be a problem for an important military branch
1dThe U.S. Space Force has a serious role to play in the modern world. Its stated mission is to train and equip personnel to defend U.S. interests in space. Given the increasing military and economic importance of space, the USSF is likely to grow in importance.
The Blackmagic 6K Pro is the budget camera filmmakers have been waiting for
1dThe angled viewfinder is an available add-on to make the camera feel more like a DSLR-style mirrorless camera. (Blackmagic Design /) By now, you've seen cameras—even those attached to smartphones—with specs boasting the ability to shoot 8K footage. It's an impressive number and it looks great on marketing material, and it does comes in handy for some specific purposes. But for many pro and high-e
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
1dMicroorganisms possess natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may harbor unique bioactivities for use in drug development and agricultural applications. However, many uncharacterized microbial BGCs remain inaccessible. Researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign previously demonstrated a technique using transcription factor decoys to activate large, silent BGCs in bacter
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
1dMicroorganisms possess natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may harbor unique bioactivities for use in drug development and agricultural applications. However, many uncharacterized microbial BGCs remain inaccessible. Researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign previously demonstrated a technique using transcription factor decoys to activate large, silent BGCs in bacter
Disastrous Houston blackouts captured from space
1dMore than one million people lost power in the Houston area.
Physicists discover new route to active matter self-organisation
1dAn international team led by Professor Yilin Wu, Associate Professor of the Department of Physics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has made a novel conceptual advance in the field of active matter science. The team discovered a new route in which the self-organization of active fluids in space and time can be controlled by a single material property called viscoelasticity. This new fi
Decade-long study shows half of all rivers in the world heavily impacted by humans
1dA team of researchers from several institutions in France and China has conducted a decade-long study of the degree of human impact on river systems around the world over the past two centuries. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study and what their findings revealed.
What Your Sense of Humor Says About Your Mental Health
1dAccording to researchers, humor comes in four types. Which of these you lean towards can act as a window into your psychological well-being.
Mitochondrial function can play significant part in serious disease
1dDisorders of the cells' energy supply can cause a number of serious diseases, but also seem to be connected to ageing. More research is needed on mitochondrial function to find future treatments. A new study shows how an important molecule inside the mitochondria affects their function in mice and fruit flies. The study adds valuable knowledge on formerly relatively unexplored protein modification
Sweet marine particles resist hungry bacteria
1dA major pathway for carbon sequestration in the ocean is the growth, aggregation and sinking of phytoplankton—unicellular microalgae like diatoms. Just like plants on land, phytoplankton sequester carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. When algae cells aggregate, they sink and take the sequestered carbon with them to the ocean floor. This so called biological carbon pump accounts for about 70 per
Sweet marine particles resist hungry bacteria
1dA major pathway for carbon sequestration in the ocean is the growth, aggregation and sinking of phytoplankton—unicellular microalgae like diatoms. Just like plants on land, phytoplankton sequester carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. When algae cells aggregate, they sink and take the sequestered carbon with them to the ocean floor. This so called biological carbon pump accounts for about 70 per
The Love Triangle Is a Sex Toy With a Pleasurable Price
1dThis adorable little device is actually a powerful two-in-one suction toy and vibrator.
How a longevity gene protects brain stem cells from stress
1dA gene linked to unusually long lifespans in humans protects brain stem cells from the harmful effects of stress, according to a new study.
The 18 Best Weekend Deals on Masks, Headphones, and MacBooks
10hIf you're looking to stay warm or just need a bit of self-care, check out these discounts.
The original antigenic sin: How childhood infections could shape pandemics
1dA child's first influenza infection shapes their immunity to future airborne flu viruses – including emerging pandemic strains. But not all flu strains spur the same initial immune defense, according to new findings published today. The results are relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the senior author, who says they may explain age-based distributions of SARS-CoV-2 disease severity and
Ramping up COVID-19 vaccine production is harder than it seems
1dmRNA vaccines are technically easier to mass produce, but its never been done on this massive scale before. (Pixabay/) Click here to see all of PopSci's COVID-19 coverage. After a rocky start, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been improving over the past several weeks. More than 14 million Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the number rising each day. How quickly vaccine ma
Genetics may play role in determining immunity to COVID-19
1dResearchers report that individual immune response to SARS-CoV-2 may be limited by a set of variable genes that code for cell surface proteins essential for the adaptive immune system. The finding may help explain why COVID-19 immunity varies by individual.
Still no evidence of COVID-19 transmission from food, FDA says
1dThe FDA statement pours cold water on a theory that the novel coronavirus emerged outside China and was brought in on imported frozen food.
UK to launch £800m science research agency
1d'Aria', which was championed by former Boris Johnson aide Dominic Cummings, set to open in 2022
Sounding rocket CLASP2 elucidates solar magnetic field
1dCooperative operations between a solar observation satellite and a sounding-rocket telescope have measured the magnetic field strength in the photosphere and chromosphere above an active solar plage region. This is the first time that the magnetic field in the chromosphere has been charted all the way up its top. This finding brings us closer to understanding how energy is transferred between laye
New method converts methane in natural gas to methanol at room temperature
1dResearchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have discovered a way to convert the methane in natural gas into liquid methanol at room temperature.
Orker du ikke løbeturen? Derfor kan det være lige så sundt at gå
2hDer kan hentes en lille ekstra forbrænding ved løbeturen. Vi spørger lægen, hvor meget det er.
Seeing stable topology using instabilities
1dWe are most familiar with the four conventional phases of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Changes between two phases, known as phase transitions, are marked by abrupt changes in material properties such as density. In recent decades a wide body of physics research has been devoted to discovering new unconventional phases of matter, which typically emerge at ultra-low temperatures or in spe
The Lancet: USA failing to reach populations most in need of HIV prevention and treatment services as epidemic grows in the South and rural areas
1dThe USA continues to lag behind other G-7 nations when it comes to controlling its HIV epidemic and is the only high-income country among the top 10 most HIV-affected countries worldwide. The majority of HIV infections are now concentrated in the South and rural areas, where women and minorities are disproportionately affected; a disparity that has also been seen in the COVID-19 pandemic which has
Skies of blue: Recycling carbon emissions to useful chemicals and reducing global warming
1dResearchers optimize a novel process for the efficient conversion of carbon emissions into useful chemicals like acetate using microbes
'I could physically feel the germs on me': how Covid is a double-edged sword for those with OCD
3hFor some the pandemic has worsened their symptoms, but others say social distancing and hygiene measures have made life easier Luka Buchanan has always been consumed by the fear of contamination and germs, washing their hands until they were raw, and terrified the food they ate would poison them. Diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder at age 19, Buchanan, who uses they/them pronouns, spent
Pets grounded by pandemic as flights are cut and costs soar
1dWith flight numbers halved and essential cargo prioritised, pet transport companies are struggling to reunite animals with owners
The First Endangered American Animal Has Been Cloned
1dLast summer a horse named Kurt was born in Texas. Kurt wasn't just any horse—he was a clone made from DNA that had been frozen for 40 years and came from an endangered wild horse species from Central Asia. Kurt was—and still is—pretty special. But now he's got some competition for the title of "most amazing endangered animal cloned from frozen DNA." The new contender is a black-footed ferret name
Frankrig beskylder russisk cyberhær for stort angreb: 'Det samme kan sagtens ramme Danmark'
11hCyberhæren 'sandormen' tilhører den russiske efterretningstjeneste GRU.
42,000-year-old trees allow more accurate analysis of last Earth's magnetic field reversal
1dThe last complete reversal of the Earth's magnetic field, the so-called Laschamps event, took place 42,000 years ago. Radiocarbon analyses of the remains of kauri trees from New Zealand now make it possible for the first time to precisely time and analyse this event and its associated effects, as well as to calibrate geological archives such as sediment and ice cores from this period. Simulations
Best portable WiFi: Five things to consider when you want internet connection anywhere
1dWork from anywhere. (Standsome Worklifestyle via Unsplash/) We are living in the age of the "Internet of Things." Nearly every device from your phones to your lamps to your toothbrush has WiFi capabilities, and the interconnected IoT network almost requires you to be always on, all the time. Rather than overloading your cellular data plan or hoping that if you wander around long enough you'll stu
COVID-19: Future targets for treatments rapidly identified with new computer simulations
1dResearchers have detailed a mechanism in the distinctive corona of COVID-19 that could help scientists to rapidly find new treatments for the virus, and quickly test whether existing treatments are likely to work with mutated versions as they develop.
COVID-19: Future targets for treatments rapidly identified with new computer simulations
1dResearchers have detailed a mechanism in the distinctive corona of COVID-19 that could help scientists to rapidly find new treatments for the virus, and quickly test whether existing treatments are likely to work with mutated versions as they develop.
Discovery illuminates how thyroid hormone 'dims' metabolism
1dBasic biology finding on thyroid hormone function could lead to new treatments for obesity, diabetes and related disorders
How to reconcile after a family rift
5hEstrangement is surprisingly common – so how can the injured parties put their differences aside? Harry and Meghan have apparently severed links with the royal family and moved halfway across the globe. Nicole Kidman has been allegedly snubbed by her two eldest Scientologist children. Angelina Jolie has a difficult relationship with her father Jon Voight – it probably doesn't help that he's Donal
The Books Briefing: The Works That Changed Our Understanding of America
1dA government of the people, by the people, and for the people: That was the idea behind the American experiment. But there has always been tension between the idea and the reality. Inspired by great works of American inquiry, The Atlantic and WNYC Studios earlier this month launched a new podcast, The Experiment : stories from an unfinished country. Literary works such as a speech from Eleanor Ho
Study finds no gender discrimination when leaders use confident language
1dPeople tend to listen to big talkers, whether they are women or men. Still, more women prefer not to use assertive language, according to a new study. Participants in an experiment more often followed advice of people using assertive 'cheap talk,' statements that cannot be verified as true.
Radiological images confirm 'COVID-19 can cause the body to attack itself'
1dMuscle soreness and achy joints are common symptoms among COVID-19 patients. But for some people, symptoms are more severe, long lasting and even bizarre, including rheumatoid arthritis flares, autoimmune myositis or 'COVID toes.' A new has confirmed and illustrated the causes of these symptoms through radiological imaging.
The Moment Britain's Army Knew It Was Lost
11hThis is a story about the nadir, the end of days. Monday, March 24, 2008, marked five years to the month after the British army arrived in Iraq, preaching to the Americans their apparent expertise in counterinsurgency operations and understanding of the manifold ways of, in the historical British upper-class vernacular, "the Arab." This is the story of how that complacency—the claimed legacy of i
A speed limit also applies in the quantum world
1dEven in the world of the smallest particles with their own special rules, things cannot proceed infinitely fast. Physicists have now shown what the speed limit is for complex quantum operations. The results are important for the realization of quantum computers, among other things.
Johnson puts final touches to easing of England lockdown
1dPrime minister expected to reopen schools and alow care home visits from March 8 followed by shops and then hospitality
Life of a pure Martian design
1dExperimental microbially assisted chemolithotrophy provides an opportunity to trace the putative bioalteration processes of the Martian crust. A study on the Noachian Martian breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 composed of ancient crustal materials from Mars has now delivered a unique prototype of microbial life experimentally designed on a real Martian material.
Everything you need to know to start leatherworking
1dMake your own wallet and your own ASMR at the same time. (Anna Tarazevich / Pexels/) If you've fallen into the leatherworking ASMR TikTok vortex , you might be thinking about getting into the craft yourself. After all, leather is just very expensive paper, right? Just cut it up, glue it together, and voilá! You have a nice wallet you can brag to your friends about. What more is there to it? A lot
Ny forskning: Det går att kommunicera med en person som drömmer
17hSvara på frågor och lösa mattetal samtidigt som man drömmer är möjligt, enligt en ny studie.
Depression, anxiety, loneliness are peaking in college students
2hNew nationwide survey data uncovers college students' current mental health challenges and needs.
'Perseverance will get you anywhere': After 300-million-mile journey, NASA's Mars rover shares Twitter updates
1d"I'm safe on Mars" isn't a tweet you see every day.
Rymdsonden Perseverence har landat på Mars
7hÖver hälften av alla försök att nå planeten har misslyckats, men i kväll lyckades rymdsonden Perseverance landa på Mars.
Researchers developing drugs to enable longer space missions
1dThe University of Adelaide is sending pills to the International Space Station (ISS) to determine if it will be possible to produce medicine in space to enable longer-term space missions.
Eight priorities for calculating the social cost of carbon
1dNature, Published online: 19 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00441-0 Advice to the Biden administration as it seeks to account for mounting losses from storms, wildfires and other climate impacts.
Best heated slippers: Say goodbye to cold feet
5hDon't fear the chilly floor. (Dima Pechurin via Unsplash/) When it's cold out, warmth is always welcome inside, especially from your head to your toes. To keep your feet as toasty as possible, slip into a pair of heated slippers and get instant relief from cold floors and draughty indoor air. But it's not just about the heat this footwear provides. Winter weather can leave feet dry, chapped, and
The Undark Interview: A Conversation With Charles Vidich
1dPublic health and bioterrorism expert Charles Vidich spent a decade working on quarantine policy. Now, in his aptly-timed book "Germs at Bay," Vidich discusses the nation's long struggle to fight infectious diseases, with an emphasis on early Boston, whose quarantine strategies were copied by other cities.
The hidden dance of roots revealed
21hNew time-lapse videos capture something that's too slow for our eyes to see: the growing tips of plant roots make corkscrew-like motions, waggling and winding in a helical path as they burrow into the soil. By using time-lapse footage, along with a root-like robot to test ideas, researchers have gained new insights into how and why rice root tips twirl as they grow.
Evidence of protein folding at site of intracellular droplets
1dResearchers have found that elevated concentrations of proteins within the droplets triggered a folding event, increasing the potential for protein aggregation — or misfolding — which has been linked to neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Migratory birds track climate across the year
1dAs climate change takes hold across the Americas, some areas will get wetter, and others will get hotter and drier. A new study of the yellow warbler, a widespread migratory songbird, shows that individuals have the same climatic preferences across their migratory range.
Spin Hall effect of light achieved with near 100% efficiency
1dA POSTECH-KAIST joint research team has successfully developed a technique to reach near-unity efficiency of SHEL by using an artificially-designed metasurface.
Quantum computing: When ignorance is wanted
1dQuantum technologies for computers open up new concepts of preserving the privacy of input and output data of a computation. Scientists have shown that optical quantum systems are not only particularly suitable for some quantum computations, but can also effectively encrypt the associated input and output data.
Irregular sleep schedules connected to bad moods and depression, study shows
1dIrregular sleep schedules can affect mood and risk of developing symptoms of depression according to a study of first-year medical residents that used Fitbits and smartphones.
New snake species and genus discovered in Myanmar
1dMud snakes (family Homalopsidae) live in wetlands across Southeast Asia. Their habitats include natural swamps and open lands flooded during the rainy season, typically rice paddies. Scientists of the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt and the East Yangon University have now discovered a new species in a wetland near the university campus. "We collected four individuals with short tails d
Ozone pollution levels dropped early in pandemic
1dDuring spring and summer of 2020, ozone at 1-8 kilometers (0.6-5 miles) above Earth's surface fell by 7% on average across the Northern Hemisphere, a new study finds. The decrease is likely explained by curtailed transportation due to COVID-19 quarantines, according to the report, published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Touchdown: NASA's Perseverance rover ready to search for life on Mars
1dAfter seven months in space, NASA's Perseverance rover overcame a tense landing phase with a series of perfectly executed maneuvers to gently float down to the Martian soil Thursday and embark on its mission to search for signs of past life.
Discovery of biomarker could help predict Alzheimer's years before symptoms emerge
22hA unique brain protein measured in the blood could be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease decades before symptoms develop, according to new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research.
Impact of COVID-19 in Africa 'vastly underestimated', warn researchers
1dThe impact of COVID-19 in Africa has been vastly underestimated, warn researchers in a new study that showed that COVID-19 deaths accounted for 15 to 20 percent of all sampled deaths — many more than official reports suggest and contradicting the widely held view that COVID-19 has largely skipped Africa and had little impact.
The inflated significance of neutral genetic diversity in conservation genetics [Evolution]
1dThe current rate of species extinction is rapidly approaching unprecedented highs, and life on Earth presently faces a sixth mass extinction event driven by anthropogenic activity, climate change, and ecological collapse. The field of conservation genetics aims at preserving species by using their levels of genetic diversity, usually measured as…
Animal evolution: glimpses of ancient environments
1dZoologists report the discovery of a trove of fossil fly larvae, and an intriguing caterpillar, encapsulated in samples of amber that are tens of millions of years old.
US officially back in Paris accord, vows climate action
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1dUS Paris Climate Accord
The United States on Friday officially returned to the Paris climate accord, with President Joe Biden vowing to make the fight against global warming a top priority.
Continental Drift: A Revolutionary Theory That Was Once Considered Pseudoscience
1dIn the early 20th century, one man withstood a lifetime of ridicule to uphold the revolutionary idea that land masses move.
Spin hall effect of light with near 100% efficiency
22hA research team has successfully developed a technique to reach near-unity efficiency of SHEL by using an artificially-designed metasurface.
Researchers uncover new information on the effects of antidepressants
1dThe findings of a new study challenge the prevailing thinking on the primary role of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the effects of antidepressants.
Swimming upstream on sound waves
1dScientists have succeeded in propelling microvehicles against a fluid flow using ultrasound. In future, these tiny vehicles are set to be introduced into the human bloodstream, thereby revolutionizing the field of medicine.
Origin of life: Did Darwinian evolution begin before life itself?
1dA study done by physicists demonstrates that fundamental characteristics of polymeric molecules, such as their subunit composition, are sufficient to trigger selection processes in a plausible prebiotic setting.
How Will the Coronavirus Evolve?
1dIf we're lucky, mutations will make SARS-CoV-2 less lethal, as happened with the 1918 flu—but there's no guarantee of that — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Shale gas development in PA increases exposure of some to air pollutants
1dAir pollution levels may have exceeded air quality standards during the development of some Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in Pennsylvania, potentially impacting more than 36,000 people in one year alone during the drilling boom, according to scientists.
Blueprint for fault-tolerant qubits
1dBuilding a quantum computer is a challenging task because of the fragility of quantum bits. To deal with this problem, various types of active error correction techniques have been developed. In contrast, researchers have now proposed a design for an inherently fault protected circuit with passive error correction that could significantly accelerate the construction of a quantum computer with a la
Has Earth been visited by an alien spaceship? Harvard Professor Avi Loeb vs. everybody else
1dA highly unusual object was spotted traveling through the solar system in 2017. Given a Hawaiian name,ʻOumuamua, it was small and elongated—a few hundred meters by a few tens of meters, traveling at a speed fast enough to escape the Sun's gravity and move into interstellar space.
Physicists Need to Be More Careful with How They Name Things
5hThe popular term "quantum supremacy," which refers to quantum computers outperforming classical ones, has inescapable racist overtones — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Now that Perseverance has landed on Mars, what will the rover do inside Jezero Crater?
1dLooking at the engineering and science behind selecting samples for NASA's Perseverance rover.
New snake species and genus discovered in Myanmar
1dMud snakes (family Homalopsidae) live in wetlands across Southeast Asia. Their habitats include natural swamps and open lands flooded during the rainy season, typically rice paddies. Scientists of the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt and the East Yangon University have now discovered a new species in a wetland near the university campus. "We collected four individuals with short tails d
Cone snail venom shows potential for treating severe malaria
1dUsing venom from a cone snail, a new study suggests these conotoxins may potentially treat malaria. The study provides important leads toward the development of new and cost-effective anti-adhesion or blockade-therapy drugs aimed at counteracting the pathology of severe malaria. Similarly, mitigation of emerging diseases like COVID-19 also could benefit from conotoxins as potential inhibitors of p
Study suggests link between DNA and marriage satisfaction in newlyweds
1dPsychologists suggest a link between DNA and traits beneficial to bonding and satisfaction in first years of marriage.
COVID-19: Future targets for treatments rapidly identified with new computer simulations
1dResearchers have detailed a mechanism in the distinctive corona of COVID-19 that could help scientists to rapidly find new treatments for the virus, and quickly test whether existing treatments are likely to work with mutated versions as they develop.
New study contradicts pseudoscientific beliefs about the influence of the moon on agriculture
1dA research team from the Botanical Garden and Department of Experimental and Social Sciences Education of the Faculty of Teacher Training of the University of Valencia warns of the risk of pseudoscience in relation with myths or beliefs about the influence of the moon on agriculture. The findings of this scientific review of over 100 papers (including scientific articles, papers and higher educati
'Classic triad' of symptoms misses positive COVID-19 cases, study finds
1dExtending the symptoms that trigger a PCR test for COVID-19 could help detect around a third more cases of the disease, new research shows.
Global study of 48 cities finds nature sanitizes 41.7 million tons of human waste a year
1dResearchers found that nature provides at least 18% of sanitation services in 48 cities worldwide, according to researchers in the United Kingdom and India. The study estimates that more than 2 million cubic meters of the cities' human waste is processed each year without engineered infrastructure. This includes pit latrine waste that gradually filters through the soil — a natural process that cl
Mars rovers safe from lightning strikes, research finds
1dIf experiments done in small bottles in a University of Oregon lab are accurate, the friction of colliding Martian dust particles are unlikely to generate big electrical storms or threaten the newly arrived exploration vehicles or, eventually, human visitors.
Scientists identify over 140,000 virus species in the human gut
1dViruses are the most numerous biological entities on the planet. Now researchers have identified over 140,000 viral species living in the human gut, more than half of which have never been seen before.
New research shows parents are major producers of child sexual abuse material
1dChild sexual abuse material—images and videos of kids being sexually abused—is a growing international problem. Almost 70 million reports of this material were made to US authorities in 2019. That figure rose still further in 2020, as the COVID pandemic drove children and adults to spend more time online
Learning from prostate cancer-detecting dogs to improve diagnostic tests
1dNew research demonstrates the ability of dogs to detect aggressive prostate cancer from urine samples and suggests that an artificial neural network could learn from this olfactory ability, with an eye toward replicating it in novel detection tools.
Depression, anxiety, loneliness are peaking in college students
1dA survey by a Boston University researcher of nearly 33,000 college students across the country reveals the prevalence of depression and anxiety in young people continues to increase, now reaching its highest levels, a sign of the mounting stress factors due to the coronavirus pandemic, political unrest, and systemic racism and inequality.
Tuberculosis: New biomarker indicates individual treatment duration
1dThe treatment of tuberculosis (TB) is long and demanding. In particular, in cases of resistant tuberculosis, the WHO generally recommends a standard treatment duration of at least 18 months, as there are no reliable biomarkers for an early termination. Scientists have now succeeded in identifying a biomarker that points to an individual end of therapy based on the activity of 22 genes. In many cas
Atomic nuclei in the quantum swing
1dThe extremely precise control of nuclear excitations opens up possibilities of ultra-precise atomic clocks and powerful nuclear batteries.
Chatter between cell populations drives progression of gastrointestinal tumors
1dResearchers identified new therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) that could lead to new treatment options for patients.
Lab-grown 'mini-bile ducts' used to repair human livers in regenerative medicine first
1dScientists have used a technique to grow bile duct organoids – often referred to as 'mini-organs' – in the lab and shown that these can be used to repair damaged human livers. This is the first time that the technique has been used on human organs.
Metabolic mutations help bacteria resist drug treatment
1dResearchers have identified a new class of mutations that help bacteria develop antibiotic resistance. In a study of E. coli, they discovered that mutations to genes involved in metabolism can help bacteria to evade the toxic effects of several different antibiotics.
An evolutionary method for reprogramming proteases
1dA team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has developed an evolutionary method for reprogramming proteases. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how their technique works and how well it performed when tested. Pål Stenmark, with Stockholm University has published a Perspectives piece in the same journal issue outlining efforts to re-eng
An evolutionary method for reprogramming proteases
1dA team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has developed an evolutionary method for reprogramming proteases. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how their technique works and how well it performed when tested. Pål Stenmark, with Stockholm University has published a Perspectives piece in the same journal issue outlining efforts to re-eng
Antibody response may drive COVID-19 outcomes
1dResearchers show that levels of specific antibodies developed in the immune response may influence COVID-19 outcomes in both children and adults.
Human impact on solar radiation levels for decades
1dBased on the long-term Potsdam radiation time series, researchers have shown that variations in the intensity of sunlight over decades are down to ultra-fine, human-made dirt particles in the atmosphere.
Magnetic attraction: Breakthrough test for malaria
1dAfter nearly a decade of research, a new test that detects the magnetic properties of malaria-infected blood could soon be used to help eliminate the mosquito-borne disease.
Is Vaping Healthier Than Smoking? Here's What One Lung Specialist Can Tell Us
1dVaping is often touted as a less harmful alternative to smoking. Is that true?
Fuel for earliest life forms: Organic molecules found in 3.5 billion-year-old rocks
1dA research team including the geobiologist Dr. Helge Missbach from the University of Cologne has detected organic molecules and gases trapped in 3.5-billion-year-old rocks. A widely accepted hypothesis says that the earliest life forms used small organic molecules as building materials and energy sources. However, the existence of such components in early habitats on Earth was as yet unproven. The
Weather experts: Lack of planning caused cold catastrophe
23hThis week's killer freeze in the U.S. was no surprise.
Så mycket vaccin är planerat till våren
1dNär kommer egentligen vaccinleveranserna? Hur många vaccindoser kommer att levereras? SVT Vetenskap listar vårens preliminära siffror.
Best gaming keyboard: Light up your setup
1dPlay better—and win more—with one of these sweet keyboards. (Christian Wiediger via Unsplash /) Gaming keyboards are the literal way that a gamer connects with a PC; they're the physical interface between player and action. That makes them extremely important for gaming quality. The best gaming keyboard can improve your game by ensuring that each key you press is correctly identified and passed t
New study examines leeches for role in major disease of sea turtles in Florida
1dResearchers are homing in on the cause of a major disease of sea turtles, with some of their latest findings implicating saltwater leeches as a possible factor. The results present the first evidence of a significant association between leeches and the disease in sea turtles, according to the researchers.
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
2hMicroorganisms possess natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may harbor unique bioactivities for use in drug development and agricultural applications. However, many uncharacterized microbial BGCs remain inaccessible. Researchers previously demonstrated a technique using transcription factor decoys to activate large, silent BGCs in bacteria to aid in natural product discovery.
Wisconsin Biologist Charged In Caviar Scam
9hThe top sturgeon biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and several others have been charged with crimes related to an illegal sturgeon caviar bartering ring.
Best Windshield Snow Cover: Protect Your Car With a Frost Guard
1dMake sure your windshield doesn't get too icy. (Le Duc via Unsplash/) With wintry weather comes all manner of seasonal outdoor fun, from skiing to snowball fights and everything in between. The season is somewhat less fun for your car. Choosing the best windshield snow cover will ensure that you get the most enjoyment out of snowy weather without the hassle and worry that come from needing to scr
Bar stools that bring a room together
1dHave a seat at the counter. (Unsplash/) Bar stools keep it low key—whether in the kitchen or on the patio, the bar stool is where you want to sit to enjoy a quick lunch, sunset cocktail, or passing conversation. Save the dinner table for, well, having dinner! And if you've got a bar lining your kitchen then stools are simply indispensable. They're awesome for entertaining and arguably even better
Is odor the secret to bats' sex appeal?
1dOdor-producing glands and tissues in bats may play a prominent role in mating behavior.
Light and genetic probes untangle dynamics of brain blood flow
1dNew research on tiny capillaries and cells called pericytes details how blood moves through over 400 miles of total vasculature in the human brain.
Release of nutrients from lake-bottom sediments worsens Lake Erie's annual 'dead zone'
1dRobotic laboratories on the bottom of Lake Erie have revealed that the muddy sediments there release nearly as much of the nutrient phosphorus into the surrounding waters as enters the lake's central basin each year from rivers and their tributaries.
New piece of the puzzle increases understanding of speciation
1dSpeciation is important because it increases biodiversity. A new thesis examines the speciation process in multiple marine species where different populations of the same species might evolve into two completely new species.
Magnetic attraction: Breakthrough test for malaria
1dAfter nearly a decade of research, a new test that detects the magnetic properties of malaria-infected blood could soon be used to help eliminate the mosquito-borne disease.
Study reveals impact of evictions on people with mental health disorders
1dAll renters facing eviction deal with anxiety and stress at the prospect of losing the roof over their heads.
The distribution of vertebrate animals redefines temperate and cold climate regions
1dThe distribution of vegetation is routinely used to classify climate regions worldwide, yet whether these regions are relevant to other organisms is unknown. Researchers have established climate regions based on vertebrate species' distributions in a new study. They found that while high-energy climate regions are similar across vertebrate and plant groups, there are large differences in temperate
We could find extraterrestrial civilizations by their air pollution
1dUpcoming telescopes will give us more power to search for biosignatures on all the exoplanets we've found. Much of the biosignature conversation is centered on biogenic chemistry, such as atmospheric gases produced by simple, single-celled creatures. But what if we want to search for technological civilizations that might be out there? Could we find them by searching for their air pollution?
Temperature affects susceptibility of newts to skin-eating fungus
1dEastern newt populations in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada are at greatest risk of infection with a new skin-eating fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), according to a new study.
Floods cripple Indonesia's capital
5hWhole neighbourhoods of Indonesia's capital Jakarta and dozens of major roads were flooded on Saturday after torrential rains pounded the Southeast Asian city overnight.
Southern cities hit hard by storms face new crisis: No water
5hSouthern cities slammed by winter storms that left millions without power for days have traded one crisis for another: Busted water pipes ruptured by record-low temperatures created shortages of clean drinking water, shut down the Memphis airport on Friday and left hospitals struggling to maintain sanitary conditions.
Apophis: Doomsday Asteroid, or Just a Passing Space Rock?
6hThe asteroid Apophis is about to make its close flyby of Earth. And astronomers want to get a good look at it while they can.
Electricity can be transmitted through the air
6hA New Zealand firm is trying to make an old idea work commercially
Explainable AI for decoding genome biology
1dResearchers have developed advanced explainable artificial intelligence (AI) in a technical tour de force to decipher regulatory instructions encoded in DNA.
Engineers place molecule-scale devices in precise orientation
1dA technique for controlling the orientation of manufactured DNA shapes now removes one of the last barriers for the combination of molecular devices with conventional semiconductor chips.
Sweet marine particles resist hungry bacteria
1dRather sweet than salty: In the ocean microalgae produce a lot of sugar during algae blooms. These enormous quantities of algal biomass are normally recycled rapidly by marine bacteria, degradation process that is an important part of the global carbon cycle. Especially sugars have been considered as easily digestible and therefore poor candidates for natural carbon sequestration. Now scientists r
Engineers place molecule-scale devices in precise orientation
1dA technique for controlling the orientation of manufactured DNA shapes now removes one of the last barriers for the combination of molecular devices with conventional semiconductor chips.
Fuel for earliest life forms: Organic molecules found in 3.5 billion-year-old rocks
1dFor the first time, biologically-relevant organic molecules have been detected in Archaean fluid inclusions, which most likely served as nutrients for early life on Earth.
Dynamics of nanoparticles using a new isolated lymphatic vessel lumen perfusion system
1dNanoparticles used in drug delivery systems, bioimaging, and regenerative medicine migrate from tissues to lymphatic vessels after entering the body, so it is necessary to clarify the interaction between nanoparticles and lymphatic vessels. Although technology to observe the flow of nanoparticles through lymphatic vessels in vivo has been developed, there has been no method to evaluate the flow of
Deep learning may help doctors choose better lung cancer treatments
1dResearchers have developed a deep learning model that, in certain conditions, is more than 71 percent accurate in predicting survival expectancy of lung cancer patients, significantly better than traditional machine learning models that the team tested. The other machine learning models the team tested had about a 61 percent accuracy rate.
Smartphone study points to new ways to measure food consumption
1dA team of researchers has devised a method using smartphones in order to measure food consumption — an approach that also offers new ways to predict physical well-being.
Wolves prefer to feed on the wild side
1dWhen there is a choice, wolves in Mongolia prefer to feed on wild animals rather than grazing livestock. Previous studies had shown that the diet of wolves in inland Central Asia consists mainly of grazing livestock, which could lead to increasing conflict between nomadic livestock herders and wild predatory animals like wolves.
A new piece of the HIV infection puzzle explored
1dResearchers combine high-resolution imaging to observe the infection process in cell nuclei, opening the door for new therapeutics.
Saharan dust expected to hit Europe again this weekend
1dDust and sand particles whipped up from the Sahara will once again blanket skies over Europe this weekend, impacting air quality, the European Union's Copernicus satellite monitoring service said Friday.
India's glacier disaster highlights Himalayan dangers
1dLong before this month's deadly flash flood in a remote Indian Himalayan valley, Kundan Singh Rana knew that all the construction work in the fragile region would one day mean disaster.
Indonesia volcano erupts, spews red-hot lava
1dIndonesia's Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted on Friday, belching out fiery red lava.
Combination therapy suppresses pancreatic tumor growth in mice
1dResearchers have uncovered a potential new way to target pancreatic tumors that express high intratumoral interferon signaling (IFN).
Coronavirus News Roundup, February 13 – February 19
1dPandemic highlights for the week — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
U.S. Officially Rejoins Paris Climate Agreement
1dThe Biden Administration aims to strengthen the country's emissions reduction pledge under the pact by Earth Day — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Biotechnologists developed an effective technology for nutrient biocapture from wastewater
1dBiotechnologists from RUDN University in collaboration with Lomonosov MSU and Kurchatov institute made an important contribution to the technology of phosphate and nitrate biocapture from wastewater using Lobosphaera algae fixed on the filters.The biomass obtained in the course of this process can be used as a fertilizer.
Unique study of isolated bobcat population confirms accuracy of extinction model
1dThe reintroduction of 32 bobcats to an island off the coast of Georgia more than three decades ago created an ideal experiment to examine the accuracy of a genetic-modeling technique that predicts extinction of isolated wildlife populations.
Cryptic sex: How female and unisexual animals reproduce without males
1dNot all species need sperm to fertilize an egg for sexual reproduction. Some species need sperm in order to induce completion of egg nucleus development, but then never use the sperm's DNA. I describe how this self-sexual reproduction occurs in many animals, including some insects, molluscs, fish, amphibians and reptiles, but not mammals.
Cryptic sex: How female and unisexual animals reproduce without males
1dNot all species need sperm to fertilize an egg for sexual reproduction. Some species need sperm in order to induce completion of egg nucleus development, but then never use the sperm's DNA. I describe how this self-sexual reproduction occurs in many animals, including some insects, molluscs, fish, amphibians and reptiles, but not mammals.
Citing levels of uncertainty decreases public faith in science
1dWe seem to face apocalyptic forecasts on a more and more frequent basis and yet often the predictions do not manifest themselves in the anticipated doom and gloom. Of course, some predictions have long-term consequences such as those surrounding climate change. However, as with all areas of science, the error bars that scientists know only too well can simply look like uncertainty and dithering to
Behold This Sky Map of 25,000 Supermassive Black Holes
1dNightlight Scientists just published a massive map of the night sky speckled with twinkling white lights. But instead of distant stars and constellations, the map actually shows the locations of more than 25,000 supermassive black holes, according to research accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics . Each one is surrounded by its own galaxy, illuminated by the radio emiss
Even Tiny Phytoplankton Have Microbiomes
1dThese algae exchange vital chemicals with bacteria that live around their surface — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Even Tiny Phytoplankton Have Microbiomes
1dThese algae exchange vital chemicals with bacteria that live around their surface — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Researchers identify mechanisms that are essential for proper skin development
1dLatest discovery could improve development of future stem cell therapies and cancer treatments.
Animal evolution—glimpses of ancient environments
1dAlthough amber looks like a somewhat unusual inorganic mineral, it is actually derived from an organic source—tree resins. Millions of years ago, when this aromatic and sticky substance was slowly oozing from coniferous trees, insects and other biological material could become trapped in it. That is why some samples of amber contain fossilized specimens, preserved in a virtually pristine state, wh
Animal evolution—glimpses of ancient environments
1dAlthough amber looks like a somewhat unusual inorganic mineral, it is actually derived from an organic source—tree resins. Millions of years ago, when this aromatic and sticky substance was slowly oozing from coniferous trees, insects and other biological material could become trapped in it. That is why some samples of amber contain fossilized specimens, preserved in a virtually pristine state, wh
Tuning electrode surfaces to optimize solar fuel production
1dScientists discovered that changing the topmost layer of atoms on electrode surfaces can impact the activity of splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen — a clean fuel.
Songbirds' reproductive success reduced by natural gas compressor noise
1dSome songbirds are not dissuaded by constant, loud noise emitted by natural gas pipeline compressors and will establish nests nearby. The number of eggs they lay is unaffected by the din, but their reproductive success ultimately is diminished.
Ultrafast electron dynamics in space and time
1dOften depicted as colorful balloons or clouds, electron orbitals provide information on the whereabouts of electrons in molecules, a bit like fuzzy snapshots. In order to understand the exchange of electrons in chemical reactions, it is not only important to know their spatial distribution but also their motion in time. Scientists have now made huge progress in this direction: They successfully re
Quartz crystals in the stomach of fossil bird complicates the mystery of its diet
1dThe fossil of a bird that lived alongside the dinosaurs was found with some sort of rocks in its stomach. Previously, researchers thought that these rocks were swallowed on purpose to help clean its stomach, like modern birds of prey do, giving a hint at its diet. But in a new study, scientists discovered that these rocks are quartz crystals that likely formed after the bird died — its diet is st
Unique study of isolated bobcat population confirms accuracy of extinction model
1dThe reintroduction of 32 bobcats to an island off the coast of Georgia more than three decades ago created an ideal experiment to examine the accuracy of a genetic-modeling technique that predicts extinction of isolated wildlife populations.
Investigating the wave properties of matter with vibrating molecules
1dResearchers used a novel, high-precision laser spectroscopic experiment to measure the internal vibration of the simplest molecule. This allowed the researchers to investigate the wave character of the motion of atomic nuclei with unprecedented accuracy.
Tourism desperately wants a return to the 'old normal' but that would be a disaster
1dWith each passing day, the grave future of Earth becomes more stark. The disruption of COVID-19 has not been enough to shift the trajectory, nor has it prompted polluting sectors of the economy to reconsider the harms they inflict on the planet.
Warming seas could wipe out Snake River chinook by 2060, scientists predict
1dSnake River spring-summer chinook could be nearly extinct by 2060 and interventions are "desperately needed" to boost survival in every stage of their lives, scientists warn.
Warming seas could wipe out Snake River chinook by 2060, scientists predict
1dSnake River spring-summer chinook could be nearly extinct by 2060 and interventions are "desperately needed" to boost survival in every stage of their lives, scientists warn.
Dozens of whales die stranded on Indonesian beach
1dForty-six small whales stranded on a beach in Indonesia have died, after rescue efforts succeeded in saving three others, local officials said Friday.
Dozens of whales die stranded on Indonesian beach
1dForty-six small whales stranded on a beach in Indonesia have died, after rescue efforts succeeded in saving three others, local officials said Friday.
Exclusive: Ohio State researcher kept six-figure job for more than a year after a misconduct finding
1dIn 2016, Mingjun Zhang, a biomedical engineering researcher at The Ohio State University, along with collaborators, published a paper that explored the mechanism behind ivy's impressive adhesive strength. In it, the authors claimed to report the genetic sequences of the proteins making up the adhesive. The paper, entitled "Nanospherical arabinogalactan proteins are a key component … Continue readi
Origin of life — Did Darwinian evolution begin before life itself?
1dA study done by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich physicists demonstrates that fundamental characteristics of polymeric molecules, such as their subunit composition, are sufficient to trigger selection processes in a plausible prebiotic setting.
Genetic variants for skin color in African Americans linked to vitamin D deficiency
1dOne day physicians may be able to look at an African American's skin color and, with the help of other determinants, know if prescribing vitamin D supplements would lower that person's risk of getting cancers of the prostate, colon, rectum or breast.
How the brain processes sign language
1dOver 70 million deaf people use sign languages as their preferred communication form. Although they access similar brain structures as spoken languages, it hasn't been identified the brain regions that process both forms of language equally. MPI CBS has now discovered that Broca's area in the left hemisphere, central for spoken languages, is also crucial for sign languages. This is where the gramm
COVID-19 has crippled the winter sports industry—but a digital revolution will help it recover
1dIt was all going so well. When China sparked the greatest winter sports boom in history by trying to inspire 300m people ahead of the Olympics in Beijing in 2022, the forecast for the industry was great. The 2018/2019 season was the most successful for 20 years, as the American and European markets were thriving too.
Investigating the wave properties of matter with vibrating molecules
1dResearchers used a novel, high-precision laser spectroscopic experiment to measure the internal vibration of the simplest molecule. This allowed the researchers to investigate the wave character of the motion of atomic nuclei with unprecedented accuracy.
Extending maser techniques to Floquet systems
1dA team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China and one in Germany has investigated the possibility of extending maser techniques to Floquet systems. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their approach to creating a new type of maser by amplifying radio frequencies in Floquet systems. Ren-Bao Liu, with the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Fierce winter storm in US seen tapering off
1dA fierce and deadly winter storm that wreaked havoc in the southern and central US and blanketed the East Coast in snow was forecast Friday to start tapering off.
Selective concentration of cationic species
1dSample pretreatment processes such as concentration or classification are essential to finding trace substances present in a fluid. In scientific communities recently, prolific research is being conducted on sample pretreatment techniques utilizing electrokinetics.
Farmers and scientists unite for pint-sized pygmies
1dFifty-two pygmy bluetongue lizards have been released on a farm in a southern area of the mid-north, 90km north of Adelaide, as part of a $400,000 Flinders University Australian Research Council Linkage project to save them from looming extinction as our climate warms.
Farmers and scientists unite for pint-sized pygmies
1dFifty-two pygmy bluetongue lizards have been released on a farm in a southern area of the mid-north, 90km north of Adelaide, as part of a $400,000 Flinders University Australian Research Council Linkage project to save them from looming extinction as our climate warms.
Cell-free DNA in urine as potential method for cancer detection
1dWhat if a simple urine sample could detect cancer in its very earliest stages when the disease responds more favorably to treatment and improved outcomes are more likely? That was the question posed by scientists who have found a way of zeroing in on early-stage cancer by analyzing short strands of cell-free DNA in urine.
What studying children's attitudes can tell us about gender‑based pay inequity
1dChildren as young as five recognize the unfairness of gender-based pay inequality and appear willing to incur a personal cost to ensure both boys and girls are paid equitably, according to a new study by a Dalhousie researcher.
Easily Keep Your Email Private With the Highly-Rated StartMail
44minWhen you use Siri, or predictive text on your email, or have something snagged in your spam filter, you can thank Enron. No, really: In 2003, California regulators released the Enron Corpus , half a million email messages from senior management at the disgraced energy company. Everything from flirty messages to spam was just dumped onto the internet. That's set the tone for email privacy, unfortu
Deer Developed Hairy Eyeballs Due to Rare, Bizarre Condition
54minIt would be like 'covering your eyes with a washcloth.'
Novel two-polymer membrane boosts hydrogen fuel cell performance
1hsubmitted by /u/Hyric89 [link] [comments]
Origin of life: Did Darwinian evolution begin before life itself?
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US Miltary Technology could be used on Soldiers to reprogram cells and give them the ability to heal five times faster than human body.
1hsubmitted by /u/Bream1000 [link] [comments]
First black hole ever detected is even more massive than first thought
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Mosquito massacre: Can we safely tackle malaria with a CRISPR gene drive?
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The exponential improvement of "StyleFlow" over "StyleGAN2". Aging and other modifications off the chart. This new computing derived AI is proprietary and was released exclusively to "Two Minute Papers"
1hsubmitted by /u/izumi3682 [link] [comments]
In 2020, California lost about 1,587 gigawatt-hours in renewable energy because solar and wind farms generated more power than the grid needed at the time. Could hydrogen be the storage key?
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Artificial Intelligence Could Mean Large Increases in Prosperity—But Only for a Privileged Few
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Scientists Achieve Real-Time Communication With Lucid Dreamers in Breakthrough
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Chemists developed two sustainable plastic alternatives to polyethylene, derived from plants, that can be recycled with a recovery rate of more than 96%, as low-waste, environmentally friendly replacements to conventional fossil fuel-based plastics. (Nature, 17 Feb)
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Soon an electric tanker with a huge 3.5 MWh battery
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Psychedelic drug therapy now offered at Calgary clinic, the first of its kind in Alberta
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Researchers Create DNA Modified "Super Soldiers" to Fight Cancer
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The future of work after COVID-19 – Two-thirds of senior executives plan to increase investment in automation and AI during the recovery from COVID-19, while 107 million workers in eight countries may need to change occupations by 2030, according to a global McKinsey study.
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US Air Force progresses testing of anti-drone laser weapons
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The Solution Isn't Trees. It's Trees Plus Math.
1hsubmitted by /u/redingerforcongress [link] [comments]
The environmental cost of #Bitcoin: "One mine alone was using 175MW of electricity, the government said"
1hsubmitted by /u/Jackson_Filmmaker [link] [comments]
OpenAI GPT-3 Powered NPCs: A Must-Watch Glimpse Of The Future
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Scientists have found a way to compute neural networks, using mathematical models to analyze how neurons behave at the 'edge of chaos.' This could help AI learn the way humans do, and might even help us predict brain patterns.
1hsubmitted by /u/monisharavisetti [link] [comments]
Millions of jobs probably aren't coming back, even after the pandemic ends
1hsubmitted by /u/Gari_305 [link] [comments]
Right To Repair: The Last Stand In Checking Big Tech's Power Grab – Right to Repair safeguards our right to keep the electronics we own for as long as we want to.
1hsubmitted by /u/speckz [link] [comments]
If We Want To End Homelessness, We Need To End Social Darwinism
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Save 75% On a Lifetime Subscription to Knowable's Audio Learning Platform
2h2020 was a year of involuntary social experiments, from drastic emissions reductions to using Google to track public health trends . Yet the one we'll probably remember the most is the toll the year took on education. Around the world, people had to switch to new forms of teaching and learning, many of them involving videoconferencing, instructional videos, and other uses of screens. Knowable is
Elon Musk Collaborated With MIT to Track COVID Infections at SpaceX
3hMore than 4,000 SpaceX employees took part in a study, helmed by Elon Musk, to track the spread of COVID-19 throughout the company. Musk partnered with researchers from Harvard and MIT to develop the antibody testing program, which required volunteer SpaceX employees to submit to monthly blood tests. This week, the group published a peer-reviewed study — Musk, known as an unusually hands-on execu
Australia vs. Facebook
3hThe tech giant's ban on Australians searching for news on its platform suggests that equitable control of international reporting is very much a work in progress — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
4 fun techniques to keep kids learning while they're stuck at home
3hPlaythings that come with no set rules, like these colorful blocks, encourage kids to be creative. (La-Rel Easter/Unsplash/) Editor's Note: This story was produced in collaboration with the team behind PopSci's new line of STEM toys . A year into living in a COVID-19 world, we've learned to live with things like face masks and one-third-capacity gyms, but challenges remain. Even as some schools i
This Week's Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through February 20)
5hARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE A New Artificial Intelligence Makes Mistakes—on Purpos e Will Knight | Wired "It took about 50 years for computers to eviscerate humans in the venerable game of chess. A standard smartphone can now play the kind of moves that make a grandmaster's head spin. But one artificial intelligence program is taking a few steps backward, to appreciate how average humans play—blunder
Nordic Harvest producerer grøntsager på hylder: »Uden maskiner skulle vi have 150 arbejdere ansat«
7hPLUS. Det vertikale landbrug er i konstant udvikling for at holde omkostningerne nede. Nordic Harvest er ingen undtagelse.
Best desk organizer: Desk accessories that banish clutter
7hMake sure you know where everything is in your office. (Slava Keyzman via Unsplash/) Countless books, television shows, and organizing gurus will tell you that a tidy workspace can improve your mood, productivity, and ultimately your happiness. The best desk organizers are stylish and minimalist, and offer ingenious tricks to help reduce clutter and maximize usable desk space. If you've ever trie
Weekend reads: An editorial board resigns over interference; what a manuscript rejection means; the scientific 1%
7hBefore 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: Exclusive: Ohio State researcher kept six-figure job for more than … Continue reading
This High Tech Sauna Blanket Uses Infrared Light to Fight Seasonal Affective Disorder
8hIt's the dead of winter, it's freezing, and you haven't felt the warm kiss of the sun on your skin for longer than you can remember. Even though it won't last forever, the effect it has on your mental and physical well-being can add up. According to Psychology Today , it's estimated that Seasonal Affective Disorder affects 10 million Americans. With another 10-to-20 percentof people suffering fro
Master i akustik åbnede ny karrierevej for tonemester
10hPLUS. 29-årig brite specialiserede sig i design af studiemikrofoner på DTU's toårige masteruddannelse i akustik, der tiltrækker mange udenlandske studerende.
Banecykling er en af ingeniørkunstens favoritter ved OL: Har vi dårligere udstyr, får de andre et forspring
11hPLUS. Der bliver skruet i døgndrift på alle de teknologiske knapper i cykel-laboratoriet frem mod verdens største sportsbegivenhed i Tokyo.
Shared Imagination Social Network
12hGiven that the brain/mind is – in a sense – a biological computer, wouldn't a shared imagination social network be feasible at some point? I.e Have users imagine the color "red", and that's it. Report back their experience (quite the hallucinations.) Obviously assessing an individuals response is going to be…complicated. Language is very limited, very simplified. But its not impossible to imagi
Join the new server Society where have intellectual discussions on how to improve the world and bring forth human flourishing:
12hhttps://discord.gg/VTT9SFsBNm submitted by /u/ArcherMan12 [link] [comments]
[R] Sleep researchers demonstrate the ability to communicate with people during lucid REM sleep
12hsubmitted by /u/MostlyAffable [link] [comments]
Is OpenAI's GPT3 good enough to fool the general population? / The world's largest scale Turing Test
12hI finally managed to get access to GPT3 🙌 and am curious about this question so have created a web application to test it. At a pre-scheduled time, thousands of people from around the world will go on to the app and enter a chat interface. There is a 50-50 chance that they are matched to another visitor or GPT3. Through messaging back and forth, they have to figure out who is on the other side,
Isn't it better not to have any feelings?
12hConsidering the evolution of cortex in humans, isn't it better not to have any feelings and make decisions only rationally using critical thinking rather than emotionaly? Is amygdala going to get smaller through evolution? Would you like to go under a surgery to make your thinking less emotionaly biased and more rational and critical? ( without any surgical risks ) Please share your scientific op
A passing moment of gratitude
12hHey all, long-time lurker, first-time blah blahs. I just wanted to share that, thanks to my dive into the rabbit hole that is cognitive science and helping out with virtual lab work, I finally feel "alive" again. I look forward to what might be in store the next day. When thinking about this as I was prepping a quick shake, I realized this field makes me feel what World of Warcraft did as a tween
Study pinpoints hormonal pathway through which early poverty may contribute to poor psychological health
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How can I change my diet to improve brain function and mood?
12hI consume a lot of sugar and carbs, in layman's terms how does this effect my psychological state? And what can I do to improve it? submitted by /u/bilbo_bag_holder [link] [comments]
Research Study: The REACT Study (Boston, MA)
12hHi everyone! My name is Meghan and I am a researcher at Mass General. I'm writing to share some information about a study in my unit that's currently recruiting. If you or someone you know are interested, please feel free to share this info and/or PM me. Thank you. REACT is a 12-week study for females ages 14- 35 who have missed their period in the past 6 months because of exercise activity or re
Capturing all text entry including keystroke timing for studying cognition
12hApologies if this shouldn't be posted here. If you could direct me to the right subreddit, I would appreciate it. I'm not sure why I'm having so much trouble with this, but I'm just trying to capture the text and keystroke information in a free text entry field. For example, if a user typed "I am", the following would be captured: Text: "I am" Keystroke, Keypress, KeyUp SHIFT, 1, 3 i, 2, 3 SPACE,
Hi all, if you don't know me, my name is Ava, a PhD student in mental health neuroscience. This video talks about what I've learned making YouTube videos on sensitive mental health topics, including how to talk specifically about different vulnerable groups. I hope you enjoy x
12hsubmitted by /u/ava_flava123 [link] [comments]
Smakprov ur "Tio ekvationer som styr världen"
15hVi tänker ofta på matematiken som en hård, objektiv vetenskap. Och det är den: Många av de frågor jag tittar på i Tio ekvationer som styr världen handlar om spel, finansvärlden och algoritmerna i sociala medier. Men matematik kan också hantera mjukare och vardagligare problem, som att bedöma om det är dags att bli rädd när flygplanet skakar extra mycket, eller att avgöra hur generös det är rimligt
Ekvationer för underhållning och makt
15h1 | Hur kom det sig att du skrev just den här boken? – Efter min förra bok Uträknad funderade jag på hur jag skulle kunna nå en bredare publik och förklara varför matematik är viktigt.
Två som slår hål på myter om träning och hälsa
15hKänns det segt att börja träna? Helt normalt. Att vi skulle vara födda för att träna är en av många myter om träning som Daniel Lieberman, professor i evolutionsbiologi vid Harvard i USA, slår hål på i sin nya bok Träningsparadoxen. Mest känd är han för en artikel i tidskriften Nature 2004 om att människan är fysiologiskt utvecklad för att springa, som sedan blev temat i journalisten Christopher M
Samlad kunskap om hästar och människor
15hKunskap, sådan som nog inte hade funnits om den inte hade rört vid både hjärta och hjärna, kunskap om en praktik som berör många vetenskapliga områden och som samtidigt är ett vetenskapligt område i sin egen rätt. Det är sådan kunskap som förmedlas i antologin Hästen och den mänskliga hälsan, redigerad av Gunilla Silfverberg, professor i vårdetik, och Henrik Lerner, lektor i vårdetik, båda vid Ers
Om sorg och fjärran planeter
15hLivets stora frågor berör många olika plan av tillvaron. Sara Seager är astronom och arbetar med att söka efter tecken på liv långt ute i universum. Samtidigt ställdes hennes eget liv på ända när hennes man dog i cancer och hon blev ensam med två barn. Hur fungerar livet alls, när en närståendes liv tar slut? Ett slumpartat möte i en pulkabacke blev en viktig nyckel för Sara Seager när hon skulle
Kvinnors våld var ofta grovt
15hAtt 1800-talets kvinnor endast var offer för mäns våld stämmer inte. I själva verket utövade många kvinnor både grovt och genomtänkt våld mot såväl vuxna som barn, och sig själva. Det konstaterar historikerna Marie Eriksson och Roddy Nilsson i en ny bok. 1 | Ni har djupdykt i domstolshandlingar och obduktionsprotokoll. Varför ville ni skriva boken?
Optical frequency combs found a new dimension
17hScientists from EPFL and IBM Research Europe have demonstrated thegeneration of tunable and coherent frequency combs in a pair ofhybridised optical microresonators.
In dueling ants vying to become queen, behavioral and molecular cues quickly determine who will win
22hIn one species of ants, workers duel to establish new leadership after the death of their queen. While these sparring matches stretch for more than a month, changes in behavior and gene expression in the first three days of dueling can accurately predict who will triumph, according to a New York University study published in the journal Genes & Development.
What Does Wind Chill Mean, Exactly?
23hThough often talked about as the "feels like" temperature, wind chill involves a lot more than just how you feel outside.
Eco-friendly golf balls for a greener game
23hFore! (Unsplash/) The average golf course has nearly 75 acres of land. That's a lot of space for errant balls to disappear, and even if you put a RFID tracker on your autographed favorite, it can still get stuck in the mud under six feet of water. Fortunately, unlike lost socks, lost golf balls don't always appear to vaporize into a parallel universe. Enterprising companies have done the work to
Say Goodbye To 'Coronasomnia' With the Yana Sleep Body Pillow
1dIt's harder than ever to get a good night's sleep . Thanks to the pandemic, almost everyone's life has been impacted. It's taken a toll on our work, home, family life–and subsequently the quality of our sleep. A report out of the National Institutes of Health reveals that Coronasomnia, the loss of sleep due to pandemic-related stress, has resulted in a nearly 40-percent increase in clinical insom
Depression, anxiety, loneliness are peaking in college students
1dNew nationwide survey data uncovers college students' current mental health challenges and needs.
Road map to U.S. fusion power plant comes into clearer focus—sort of
1dNational academies lay out to-do list to build multibillion-dollar plant by 2035
Time-lapse reveals the hidden dance of roots
1dNew time-lapse videos capture something that's too slow for our eyes to see: the growing tips of plant roots make corkscrew-like motions, waggling and winding in a helical path as they burrow into the soil. By using time-lapse footage, along with a root-like robot to test ideas, researchers have gained new insights into how and why rice root tips twirl as they grow.
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
1dMicroorganisms possess natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may harbor unique bioactivities for use in drug development and agricultural applications. However, many uncharacterized microbial BGCs remain inaccessible. Researchers at Illinois previously demonstrated a technique using transcription factor decoys to activate large, silent BGCs in bacteria to aid in natural product di
Pore-like proteins designed from scratch
1dScientists have created new proteins that adopt one of the most complex folds known to molecular biology. These pore-like barrel-shaped proteins spontaneously fold into their intended structures and embed into lipid membranes. Although the scientists drew inspiration from proteins found throughout the living world, they arrived at sequences that differ from any known before. The resulting compact
Dinner plates that make your food look more delicious
1dYum! (Unsplash/) A good-looking meal makes the eyes grow wide and whets the appetite, so be sure your food is dressed for success. The ideal dinner plate will both suit the food you prepare and fit the look of your home. Maybe you make elaborate meals in your maximalist palace and need plates that put on a show. Or perhaps you're more of a meat-and-potatoes type cooking in a cozy log cabin. There
Emergency flashlights for both survival and adventure
1dAn emergency flashlight should be small enough to stash away, but powerful enough to light up an area when needed. (Pexels/) You don't have to be a survivalist to keep jumper cables in your car or your pantry stocked with canned food. And you don't have to believe in Murphy's Law to know that things don't always go according to plan. Emergency flashlights are great tools for those hard-to-foresee
Pore-like proteins designed from scratch
1dScientists have created new proteins that adopt one of the most complex folds known to molecular biology. These pore-like barrel-shaped proteins spontaneously fold into their intended structures and embed into lipid membranes. Although the scientists drew inspiration from proteins found throughout the living world, they arrived at sequences that differ from any known before. The resulting compact
New Data sheds light on genesis of our body's powerhouses
1dScientists uncover for the first time how the body's energy makers are made. An international team of researchers report an insight into the molecular mechanism of membrane-tethered protein synthesis in mitochondria. This is a fundamental new understanding of how the human mitoribosome functions and could explain how it is affected by mutations and deregulation leading to disorders like deafness a
LSU Health study finds psychosocial factors may drive peritoneal dialysis patient dropout
1dA retrospective study conducted by LSU Health New Orleans reports that contrary to previous research, most patients who drop out of peritoneal dialysis may do so for psychosocial reasons. The findings are published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences . The paper inspired a companion editorial.
Dog food bowls that will please any pooch
1dSomebody is ready for dinner! (Unsplash/) Dogs require love and attention in large quantities. Raising a puppy in particular—fun as it may be—can feel like a full time job. Luckily, feeding time is a moment when your dog is excited, engaged, and well, out of your hair. So use this rare respite to your advantage and make their experience nourishing and satisfying. Dog bowls can regulate the rate a
God kræftbehandling er også god diagnostik, god rehabilitering og god palliation
1dDer er behov for, at sundhedsvæsenet arbejder ud fra en national kvalitetsplan med fælles kvalitetsstandarder for hver enkelt del af kræftbehandlingen fra start til slut, uafhængigt af hvem der yder den sundhedsfaglige indsats.
Call to action for research ethics in the time of COVID-19 and BLM
1dIn their paper 'Ethics of Research at the Intersection of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter: A Call to Action,' UIC faculty authors highlight the historical issues that impact research involving Black populations. They also provide recommendations for researchers to ethically engage Black populations in research. The article is published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
RUDN University chemist used iodine to synthesize new chalcogenides
1dA chemist from RUDN University, working with a group of colleagues, synthesized three new chalcogenides (compounds that contain metals and elements from group 16 of the periodic table). The team suggested an unusual approach to synthesis that was based on iodine.
Paper shredders to eat up sensitive documents and information
1dKeep your private information secure with a paper shredder. (Boxis/) You don't need to be doing anything salacious to benefit from a paper shredder. While they do evoke images of government evasion and organized crime, these helpful appliances are great for getting rid of sensitive, personal information. Don't let old documents pile up because you're afraid of dumping them in the recycling bin fo
Humble dung beetles may be ideal DNA detectors for animal surveys
1dOther animals' poop found in the beetles' guts could reveal local biodiversity
The melting of large icebergs is a key stage in the evolution of ice ages
1dA new study, in which the Andalusian Earth Sciences Institute (IACT) (CSIC-UGR) participated, has described for the first time a key stage in the beginning of the great glaciations and indicates that it can happen to our planet in the future. The findings were recently published in the scientific journal NatureThe study claims to have found a new connection that could explain the beginning of the
Parasites' dispersal capacity and rates of genetic introgression–a study
1dThe results, recently published in the journal Communications Biology, have important applications in the field of coevolutionary biology
Targeting MAPK4 emerges as a promising therapy for prostate cancer
1dNew research opens the possibility that targeting the enzyme MAPK4 in human prostate cancer might provide a novel therapeutic strategy for this disease that is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.
The Lancet: 3-month interval between first and second dose of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine results in higher vaccine efficacy than 6-week interval
1d* Exploratory analyses including 17,178 participants find that higher vaccine efficacy is obtained with a longer interval between the first and second standard dose (81% for 3-month interval vs 55% for up to 6-week interval). In addition, a single dose of vaccine is highly efficacious in the first 3 months (76% efficacy from 22 days after vaccination onwards).
A speed limit also applies in the quantum world
1dEven in the world of the smallest particles with their own special rules, things cannot proceed infinitely fast. Physicists at the University of Bonn have now shown what the speed limit is for complex quantum operations. The study also involved scientists from MIT, the universities of Hamburg, Cologne and Padua, and the Jülich Research Center. The results are important for the realization of quant
Blue light blocking glasses that give your eyes a needed screen reprieve
1dBlue light blocking glasses can help to reduce eye strain. (Pexels/) We as humans spend a lot of our waking lives in front of screens. Wearing blue light blocking glasses can improve sleep and help reduce the risk of developing eye-related problems and other negative effects. They can also be a cute new accessory for switching up your personal style. Here are our most effective, affordable, and s
New review compiles immunogenicity data on leading SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates
1dIn a new Review, P.J. Klasse and colleagues present an extensive overview of the immunogenicity profiles of several leading SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates, including several developed under the auspices of
First multi-whole-genome study of IBD in African Americans
1dIn African Americans, the genetic risk landscape for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is very different from that of people with European ancestry, according to results of the first whole-genome study of IBD in African Americans. The authors say that future clinical research on IBD needs to take ancestry into account.
Researchers find evidence of protein folding at site of intracellular droplets
1dResearchers at the University of Notre Dame found that elevated concentrations of proteins within the droplets triggered a folding event, increasing the potential for protein aggregation — or misfolding — which has been linked to neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Targeting RNA polymerase II Mediator subunits in cancer therapy [Cell Biology]
1dTargeting Transcription Factors in Cancer Human cancers undergo an extremely diverse range of DNA mutations and rearrangements to generate oncogenes and to inactivate tumor suppressors in the process of their malignant transformation. As a consequence, decades of research have focused on the genes and the molecular pathways as well as…
Biodiversity and community structure [Ecology]
1dIn natural plant communities, one finds ample examples of both competitive and facilitative interactions. The effect of a species A on another species B is said to be competitive (facilitative) if an increase in A's population size reduces (enhances) the population growth rate of B. Competition may arise if two…
Giant spontaneous Hall effect in a nonmagnetic Weyl-Kondo semimetal [Physics]
1dNontrivial topology in condensed-matter systems enriches quantum states of matter to go beyond either the classification into metals and insulators in terms of conventional band theory or that of symmetry-broken phases by Landau's order parameter framework. So far, focus has been on weakly interacting systems, and little is known about…
Precise initial abundance of Niobium-92 in the Solar System and implications for p-process nucleosynthesis [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
1dThe niobium-92–zirconium-92 (92Nb–92Zr) decay system with a half-life of 37 Ma has great potential to date the evolution of planetary materials in the early Solar System. Moreover, the initial abundance of the p-process isotope 92Nb in the Solar System is important for quantifying the contribution of p-process nucleosynthesis in astrophysical…
Tissue folding at the organ-meristem boundary results in nuclear compression and chromatin compaction [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
1dArtificial mechanical perturbations affect chromatin in animal cells in culture. Whether this is also relevant to growing tissues in living organisms remains debated. In plants, aerial organ emergence occurs through localized outgrowth at the periphery of the shoot apical meristem, which also contains a stem cell niche. Interestingly, organ outgrowth…
Mechanism and function of root circumnutation [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
1dEarly root growth is critical for plant establishment and survival. We have identified a molecular pathway required for helical root tip movement known as circumnutation. Here, we report a multiscale investigation of the regulation and function of this phenomenon. We identify key cell signaling events comprising interaction of the ethylene,…
Kinetic description of site ensembles on catalytic surfaces [Chemistry]
1dWe demonstrate that the Langmuir–Hinshelwood formalism is an incomplete kinetic description and, in particular, that the Hinshelwood assumption (i.e., that adsorbates are randomly distributed on the surface) is inappropriate even in catalytic reactions as simple as A + A → A2. The Hinshelwood assumption results in miscounting of site pairs…
Nonreciprocity of spin waves in the conical helix state [Physics]
1dNonreciprocity emerges in nature and in artificial objects from various physical origins, being widely utilized in contemporary technologies as exemplified by diode elements in electronics. While most of the nonreciprocal phenomena are realized by employing interfaces where the inversion symmetry is trivially lifted, nonreciprocal transport of photons, electrons, magnons, and…
Profile of Mark Stoneking [Profiles]
1dMolecular anthropologist Mark Stoneking's contributions to the field of human evolution began in the mid-1980s. As a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, Stoneking helped to identify the first genetic evidence supporting the African origin of modern humans. Since then, Stoneking, now a Group Leader at the Max…
Not Just Bats: Researchers Say Numerous Mammals Could Host Unknown Coronaviruses
1dCreature amalate Fri, 02/19/2021 – 14:19 Image Media credits Victor Sassen A new model suggests that many more mammal species than was previously known could host the creation of novel coronaviruses. Tuesday, February 16, 2021 Meredith Fore, Contributor https://www.insidescience.org/news/not-just-bats-researchers-say-numerous-mamma…
Eating more refined grains increases risk of heart attack & death: SFU researcher
1dA new study published in The British Medical Journal by researchers including SFU health sciences professor Scott Lear found consuming a high number of refined grains, such as croissants and white bread, is associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular disease, stroke and death.
Combined vaccination and physical distancing enough to prevent future COVID-19 surges
1dA combination of robust vaccination programmes and strict physical distancing could avoid recurring peaks of COVID-19 without the need for stay-at-home restrictions, according to a new study by epidemiologists and demographers from WorldPop at the University of Southampton and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.Using anonymised mobile phone geolocation data with epidemiological and coronavirus ca
New research on mitochondrial function can play significant part in serious disease
1dDisorders of the cells' energy supply can cause a number of serious diseases, but also seem to be connected to ageing. More research is needed on mitochondrial function to find future treatments. A new study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet shows how an important molecule inside the mitochondria affects their function in mice and fruit flies. The study, which is published in Science
The CLASP2 space experiment achieves an unprecedented map of the Sun's magnetic field
1dEvery day space telescopes provide spectacular images of the solar activity. However, their instruments are blind to its main driver: the magnetic field in the outer layers of the solar atmosphere, where the explosive events that occasionally affect the Earth occur.
New technology enables predictive design of engineered human cells
1dNorthwestern University synthetic biologists have developed a design-driven process to build complex genetic circuits for cellular engineering. The new technology utilizes computational modeling to more efficiently identify useful genetic designs before building them in the lab. Faced with myriad possibilities, modeling points researchers to designs that offer real opportunity. The researchers con
Sounding rocket CLASP2 elucidates solar magnetic field
1dCooperative operations between a solar observation satellite and a sounding-rocket telescope have measured the magnetic field strength in the photosphere and chromosphere above an active solar plage region. This is the first time that the magnetic field in the chromosphere has been charted all the way up to its top. This finding brings us closer to understanding how energy is transferred between l
Study reveals energy sources supporting coral reef predators
1dSince Charles Darwin's day, the abundance of life on coral reefs has been puzzling, given that most oceanic surface waters in the tropics are low in nutrients and unproductive. But now research, led by Newcastle University and published in in the journal Science Advances, has confirmed that the food web of a coral reef in the Maldives relies heavily on what comes in from the open ocean.
New U.K. funding agency would tackle innovative research
1dAdvanced Research & Invention Agency managers would have freedom to fund risky ideas
Learning hierarchical sequence representations across human cortex and hippocampus
1dSensory input arrives in continuous sequences that humans experience as segmented units, e.g., words and events. The brain's ability to discover regularities is called statistical learning. Structure can be represented at multiple levels, including transitional probabilities, ordinal position, and identity of units. To investigate sequence encoding in cortex and hippocampus, we recorded from intr
A distinct population of heterogeneously color-tuned neurons in macaque visual cortex
1dColor is a key feature of natural environments that higher mammals routinely use to detect food, avoid predators, and interpret social signals. The distribution of color signals in natural scenes is widely variable, ranging from uniform patches to highly nonuniform regions in which different colors lie in close proximity. Whether individual neurons are tuned to this high degree of variability of
A stapled peptide mimetic of the CtIP tetramerization motif interferes with double-strand break repair and replication fork protection
1dCancer cells display high levels of DNA damage and replication stress, vulnerabilities that could be exploited by drugs targeting DNA repair proteins. Human CtIP promotes homology-mediated repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and protects stalled replication forks from nucleolytic degradation, thus representing an attractive candidate for targeted cancer therapy. Here, we establish a peptide
An autophagy-related protein Becn2 regulates cocaine reward behaviors in the dopaminergic system
1dDrug abuse is a foremost public health problem. Cocaine is a widely abused drug worldwide that produces various reward-related behaviors. The mechanisms that underlie cocaine-induced disorders are unresolved, and effective treatments are lacking. Here, we found that an autophagy-related protein Becn2 is a previously unidentified regulator of cocaine reward behaviors. Becn2 deletion protects mice
Synaptic communication mediates the assembly of a self-organizing circuit that controls reproduction
1dMigration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons from their birthplace in the nasal placode to their hypothalamic destination is critical for vertebrate reproduction and species persistence. While their migration mode as individual GnRH neurons has been extensively studied, the role of GnRH-GnRH cell communication during migration remains largely unexplored. Here, we show in awake zebra
PKA C{alpha} subunit mutation triggers caspase-dependent RII{beta} subunit degradation via Ser114 phosphorylation
1dMutations in the PRKACA gene are the most frequent cause of cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenomas leading to Cushing's syndrome. PRKACA encodes for the catalytic subunit α of protein kinase A (PKA). We already showed that PRKACA mutations lead to impairment of regulatory (R) subunit binding. Furthermore, PRKACA mutations are associated with reduced RIIβ protein levels; however, the mechanism
Imaging the mechanisms of anti-CD20 therapy in vivo uncovers spatiotemporal bottlenecks in antibody-dependent phagocytosis
1dAnti-CD20 antibody (mAb) represents an effective strategy for the treatment of B cell malignancies, possibly involving complement activity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and phagocytosis (ADP). While ADP by Kupffer cells deplete circulating tumors, mechanisms targeting non-circulating tumors remain unclear. Using intravital imaging in a model of B cell lymphoma, we establish here the d
Noninvasive monitoring of hepatic glutathione depletion through fluorescence imaging and blood testing
1dHepatic glutathione plays a key role in regulating redox potential of the entire body, and its depletion is known to increase susceptibility to oxidative stress involved in many diseases. However, this crucial pathophysiological event can only be detected noninvasively with high-end instrumentation or invasively with surgical biopsy, limiting both preclinical research and clinical prevention of o
Naked mole rat TRF1 safeguards glycolytic capacity and telomere replication under low oxygen
1dThe naked mole rat (NMR), a long-lived and cancer-resistant rodent, is highly resistant to hypoxia. Here, using robust cellular models wherein the mouse telomeric protein TRF1 is substituted by NMR TRF1 or its mutant forms, we show that TRF1 supports maximal glycolytic capacity under low oxygen, shows increased nuclear localization and association with telomeres, and protects telomeres from repli
Kinetics of osmotic stress regulate a cell fate switch of cell survival
1dExposure of cells to diverse types of stressful environments differentially regulates cell fate. Although many types of stresses causing this differential regulation are known, it is unknown how changes over time of the same stressor regulate cell fate. Changes in extracellular osmolarity are critically involved in physiological and pathophysiological processes in several tissues. We observe that
SUGAR-seq enables simultaneous detection of glycans, epitopes, and the transcriptome in single cells
1dMultimodal single-cell RNA sequencing enables the precise mapping of transcriptional and phenotypic features of cellular differentiation states but does not allow for simultaneous integration of critical posttranslational modification data. Here, we describe SUrface-protein Glycan And RNA-seq (SUGAR-seq), a method that enables detection and analysis of N-linked glycosylation, extracellular epitop
Patient-tailored design for selective co-inhibition of leukemic cell subpopulations
1dThe extensive drug resistance requires rational approaches to design personalized combinatorial treatments that exploit patient-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities to selectively target disease-driving cell subpopulations. To solve the combinatorial explosion challenge, we implemented an effective machine learning approach that prioritizes patient-customized drug combinations with a desired syne
Quantification of Cas9 binding and cleavage across diverse guide sequences maps landscapes of target engagement
1dThe RNA-guided nuclease Cas9 has unlocked powerful methods for perturbing both the genome through targeted DNA cleavage and the regulome through targeted DNA binding, but limited biochemical data have hampered efforts to quantitatively model sequence perturbation of target binding and cleavage across diverse guide sequences. We present scalable, sequencing-based platforms for high-throughput filt
Mapping solar magnetic fields from the photosphere to the base of the corona
1dRoutine ultraviolet imaging of the Sun's upper atmosphere shows the spectacular manifestation of solar activity; yet, we remain blind to its main driver, the magnetic field. Here, we report unprecedented spectropolarimetric observations of an active region plage and its surrounding enhanced network, showing circular polarization in ultraviolet (Mg h & k and Mn ) and visible (Fe ) lines. We infer
Model-guided design of mammalian genetic programs
1dGenetically engineering cells to perform customizable functions is an emerging frontier with numerous technological and translational applications. However, it remains challenging to systematically engineer mammalian cells to execute complex functions. To address this need, we developed a method enabling accurate genetic program design using high-performing genetic parts and predictive computatio
The one-carbon pool controls mitochondrial energy metabolism via complex I and iron-sulfur clusters
1dInduction of the one-carbon cycle is an early hallmark of mitochondrial dysfunction and cancer metabolism. Vital intermediary steps are localized to mitochondria, but it remains unclear how one-carbon availability connects to mitochondrial function. Here, we show that the one-carbon metabolite and methyl group donor S -adenosylmethionine (SAM) is pivotal for energy metabolism. A gradual decline i
An all-epitaxial nitride heterostructure with concurrent quantum Hall effect and superconductivity
1dCreating seamless heterostructures that exhibit the quantum Hall effect and superconductivity is highly desirable for future electronics based on topological quantum computing. However, the two topologically robust electronic phases are typically incompatible owing to conflicting magnetic field requirements. Combined advances in the epitaxial growth of a nitride superconductor with a high critica
Offshore pelagic subsidies dominate carbon inputs to coral reef predators
1dCoral reefs were traditionally perceived as productive hot spots in oligotrophic waters. While modern evidence indicates that many coral reef food webs are heavily subsidized by planktonic production, the pathways through which this occurs remain unresolved. We used the analytical power of carbon isotope analysis of essential amino acids to distinguish between alternative carbon pathways supporti
Suppression of dendrite growth by cross-flow in microfluidics
1dFormation of rough, dendritic deposits is a critical problem in metal electrodeposition processes and could occur in next-generation, rechargeable batteries that use metallic electrodes. Electroconvection, which originates from the coupling of the imposed electric field and a charged fluid near an electrode surface, is believed to be responsible for dendrite growth. However, few studies are perfo
Study reveals how a longevity gene protects brain stem cells from stress
1dA gene linked to unusually long lifespans in humans protects brain stem cells from the harmful effects of stress, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.
Mayo Clinic researchers develop test to measure effect of breast cancer gene variants
1dResearchers at Mayo Clinic have combined results from a functional test measuring the effect of inherited variants in the BRCA2 breast and ovarian cancer gene with clinical information from women who received genetic testing to determine the clinical importance of many BRCA2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS). The findings were published today in a study in the American Journal of Human Gene
G7 pledges faster vaccine rollout to developing world
1dMacron urges Europe and US to allocate 5 per cent of supplies to poorer countries
Turning back the clock: reversing aging to restore sight
1dTick, tock; tick …. tock. I'd like you to imagine a giant clock counting off seconds, tracking history's passing and marking the future's arrival. Our clocks and calendars monitor time, distinguishing new pieces of information, people, and things from older ones. But how do our cells record time? If there are little molecular clocks inside each cell, could we turn them back? Could we trick cells
'In the blink of an eye' statistics
1dHSE University researchers Yuri Markov and Natalia Tiurina discovered that when people visually estimate the size of objects, they are also able to consider their distance from the observer, even if there are many such objects. The observers rely not only on the objects' retinal representation, but also on the surrounding context. The paper was published in the journal Acta Psychologica .
Perseverance's 'sky crane' captures Mars descent
1dShot provides unprecedented look at rover's landing
Data show lower daily temperatures lead to higher transmission of COVID-19
1dUnderstanding the impact of seasonal temperature changes on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is an important factor in reducing the virus's spread in the years to come. Researchers compared daily low temperature data and logged cases of COVID-19 in 50 countries in the Northern Hemisphere between Jan. 22 and April 6, 2020. Their research, published this week in PLOS ONE, showed that as temperatures rose,
Sex that is not for reproduction
1dConjugation (or mating) of ciliates is a unique phenomenon among living beings. They have sex not for reproduction or pleasure – they seek to increase genetic variation. Scientists from St Petersburg University, together with colleagues from Poland and France, have studied the mating process in five sibling species of the Paramecium aurelia complex. Their findings enabled them to describe genetic
Coronavirus diaries: Laughter is the best medicine
1dNature, Published online: 19 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00474-5 John Tregoning reckons with gallows humour in a serious time.
No sign of Planet Nine? Trail runs cold for hypothetical world
1dNature, Published online: 19 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00456-7 Analysis of three astronomical surveys provides some of the best evidence yet against the existence of a giant planet at the fringes of the Solar System.
Prion diseases: new clues in the structure of prion proteins
1dA new study carried out by SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di StudiAvanzati in collaboration with other institutions including Genos Glycoscience. Research Laboratory from Zagreb, Croatia and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste,provides important information on the differences in structures of the prions, proteins responsible for diseases that at the state of the art are incurable.
3D biopsies to better understand brain tumors
1dResearchers at the Institut de Neurociències of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB) obtained a highly accurate recreation of human glioblastoma's features using a novel 3D microscopy analysis. The study, published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications, provides new information to help with the diagnose, by finding therapeutical targets and designing immunotherapeutical st
Innovative parenting programs address inequality in young children's development
1dParent education programs and interventions that begin shortly after the birth of a child have shown to significantly impact parenting behaviors that support social and academic engagement for children growing up in poverty, according to a study led by pediatricians and psychologists across the country, including NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Steinhardt, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Asthma may lead to dangerous flu mutations
1dA subtype of asthma in adults may cause higher susceptibility to influenza and could result in dangerous flu mutations, researchers report. Animal studies have found that paucigranulocytic asthma (PGA)—a non-allergic form of the condition—allows the flu virus to flourish in greater numbers. This was due to the asthma's suppression of the immune system, says Katina Hulme, a PhD candidate at the Un
Stora utmaningar i vaccinplanen
1dEnligt regeringen ska alla över 18 år ha blivit erbjudna vaccin före 30 juni. Men den preliminära vaccinplan som finns har många utmaningar. – Jag tror att den här vaccinplanen är realistisk. Men alla vaccinbolagen måste vara med för att den ska fungera, säger Richard Bergström, Sveriges vaccinsamordnare.
Basque ethnic identity and collective empowerment are associated with wellbeing
1dA member of the Culture, Cognition and Emotion research group at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque country has explored how social identification with Basque speakers and collective psychological empowerment relate to personal and social wellbeing and community participation. Individuals who experience a high degree of identification with Basque speakers and a high degree of empowerment have be
What impact will robots and autonomous systems have on urban ecosystems?
1dUnmanned aerial vehicles (drones), autonomous cars, robots that can repair urban infrastructure and wireless sensor networks used for monitoring, etc. are just some of the devices that will spring up all over our cities in a few years. They have a wide range of potential applications, such as autonomous transport, waste collection, infrastructure maintenance and repair, surveillance and precision
Coronapod: our future with an ever-present coronavirus
1dNature, Published online: 19 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00457-6 Scientists expect SARS-CoV-2 to become endemic, but what does that mean?
Fynd av urgamla fossila svampar i Siljans meteoritkrater
1dNyupptagna djupa borrkärnor från Siljansringens berggrund visar att svamp koloniserade kratern för miljontals år sedan. Svampar som levde helt utan syre, och som bidrog till att växthusgasen metan bildades. – Mikroorganismer och deras förmåga att kolonisera och överleva i jordens mest ogästvänliga miljöer fortsätter att förbluffa oss, säger forskaren Henrik Drake som lett studien. Den mäktiga met
Life of a pure Martian design
1dExperimental microbially assisted chemolithotrophy provides an opportunity to trace the putative bioalteration processes of the Martian crust. A study on the Noachian Martian breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 composed of ancient crustal materials from Mars, led by ERC grantee Tetyana Milojevic from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Vienna, now delivered a unique prototype of microbia
Sweet marine particles resist hungry bacteria
1dRather sweet than salty: In the ocean microalgae produce a lot of sugar during algae blooms. These enormous quantities of algal biomass are normally recycled rapidly by marine bacteria, degradation process that is an important part of the global carbon cycle. Especially sugars have been considered as easily digestible and therefore poor candidates for natural carbon sequestration. Now scientists f
An eco-route for heavy-duty vehicles could reduce fuel consumption
1dSemi-trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for nearly half of road transportation carbon dioxide emissions in Europe, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation. A team of researchers in Italy has proposed a plan to reduce the emissions without compromising priorities such as delivery times. They published their approach in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica,
Animal evolution — glimpses of ancient environments
1dZoologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich report the discovery of a trove of fossil fly larvae, and an intriguing caterpillar, encapsulated in samples of amber that are tens of millions of years old.
Rousseau explained: What his philosophy means for us
1dJean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss Enlightenment philosopher with some radical ideas. He argued passionately for democracy, equality, liberty, and supporting the common good by any means necessary. While his ideas may be utopian (or dystopian), they are thought-provoking and can inform modern discourse. Modern political debates often ask how much democracy we should have and what should, and shoul
Technique Talk: Improving IHC and IF Staining Results
1dIn this workshop, Craig Pow will explore optimizing IHC and IF staining workflows.
Communal activities boost rehabilitation for older adults in long term care
1dA group of researchers has developed a new program showing participation and activity is critical for the rehabilitation of older adults in long-term care.
Tuberculosis: New biomarker indicates individual treatment duration
1dThe treatment of tuberculosis (TB) is long and demanding. In particular, in cases of resistant tuberculosis, the WHO generally recommends a standard treatment duration of at least 18 months, as there are no reliable biomarkers for an early termination. Under the leadership of the DZIF scientists at the Borstel Research Center have now succeeded in identifying a biomarker that points to an individu
COVID-19 may have caused the loss of more than 20.5 million years of life worldwide
1dA study by a group researchers from several international universities and research centres, including lecturers from the UPF Department of Economics and Business, has estimated the premature mortality impact of covid-19. It has done so by calculating years of life lost (YLL) due to covid-19 compared to YLL for other common illnesses, such as the flu or cardiovascular diseases.
Deep brain stimulation prevents epileptic seizures in mouse model
1dScientists led by neurobiologist Prof. Dr. Carola Haas, head of the research group at the Department of Neurosurgery at Medical Center – University of Freiburg and the BrainLinks-BrainTools research center, have investigated a new therapeutic approach to prevent epileptic seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy. They showed in mice that low-frequency stimulation of specific brain areas could completely
Atomic nuclei in the quantum swing
1dThe extremely precise control of nuclear excitations opens up possibilities of ultra-precise atomic clocks and powerful nuclear batteries.
Insight-HXMT gives insight into origin of fast radio bursts
1dThe latest observations from Insight-HXMT were published online in Nature Astronomy on Feb. 18. Insight-HXMT has discovered the very first X-ray burst associated with a fast radio burst (FRB) and has identified that it originated from soft-gamma repeater (SGR) J1935+2154, which is a magnetar in our Milky Way.
Swimming upstream on sound waves
1dETH researchers are among the first scientists to have succeeded in propelling microvehicles against a fluid flow using ultrasound. In future, these tiny vehicles are set to be introduced into the human bloodstream, thereby revolutionising the field of medicine.
Turbocharging the killing power of immune cells against cancer
1dCreating "super soldiers" of specific white blood cells to boost an anti-tumour response has been shown in a series of elegant experiments by Princess Margaret researchers.
Conservation paradox – the pros and cons of recreational hunting
1dIn a new article published in the journal One Earth, scientists from the University of Helsinki in Finland and Flinders University in Australia have reviewed more than 1,000 studies on recreational hunting — the first such attempt to summarize the scientific literature examining the biodiversity and social effects of recreational hunting globally.
Race, income, education affect access to 3D mammography
1dWomen of minority races and ethnicities and with less education and income have had relatively lower access to 3D mammography, a technology that can improve breast cancer detection and decrease false alarms, according to new research.
Including racial/ethnic minorities, females, older adults in vaccine trials
1dUsing data from completed interventional vaccine trials from 2011 to 2020, researchers examined whether racial/ethnic minority groups, females and older adults were underrepresented in U.S.-based vaccine clinical trials.
Mental health, substance use, suicidal ideation during COVID-19 pandemic
1dThis survey study compared patterns of mental health concerns, substance use and suicidal ideation during June and September of the COVID-19 pandemic and examined at-risk demographic groups.
Symptoms months after COVID-19
1dPersistent symptoms among adults with COVID-19 up to nine months after illness onset were analyzed in this study.
New study highlights lack of diversity and inclusion in vaccine clinical trials
1dA team of scientific experts from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico are advocating for increased diversity in vaccine trials after publishing a new report that highlights a decade's worth of disparities.