Search Posts

Nyheder2021maj26

Tegn abonnement på BioNyt!

Vil du hjælpe med at finde nyheder? DO YOU WANT TO HELP FINDING SCIENCE NEWS? Email: bionyt@gmail.com Phone-sms: (45)21729908

 

 

Branching out: is communication possible between trees and people?
Trees communicate with each other, store memories and respond to attacks. They have a profoundly positive effect on our emotions … but can we know how they feel about us? Why can’t we communicate with trees the same way we communicate with, say, elephants? Both live in social groups and look after not only their young but also their elders. That famous elephant memory is also found in trees, and
5h

 

Super blood moon 2021: total lunar eclipse will bring cosmic show across Pacific on Wednesday
Hawaii will have the best view of May’s full supermoon, followed by California, the Pacific north-west, New Zealand and Australia Here’s how to take a good picture of the full supermoon The first total lunar eclipse in more than two years coincides with a supermoon this week for quite a cosmic show. This super “blood” moon will be visible on Wednesday across the Pacific – offering the best viewin
3d
Super blood moon and lunar eclipse light up skies around the globe – in pictures
The first total lunar eclipse in more than two years coincided with a supermoon. The reddish-orange colour of the super ‘blood’ moon was the result of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth’s atmosphere projected on to the surface of the eclipsed moon. It captured viewers from China to California, Turkey to Canberra. • Video: the lunar phenomenon around the world Continue reading…
1d
Astronaut: If You Think UFOs Are Aliens, You’re an Idiot
Sky Mysteries In a recent CBC interview , retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield shared his opinion on the elevated public interest in “unidentified aerial phenomena” sightings. Hadfield had a clear answer as to whether extraterrestrial lifeforms were behind the mysterious incidents. If you think they’re aliens, he says, you’re a moron. “Obviously, I’ve seen countless things in the sky that I
2d
An almost complete extinct dwarf emu egg found on King Island
A pair of researchers, one with the UK's Natural History Museum, the other a King Island historian, has found an almost complete extinct dwarf emu egg on King Island. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Julian Hume and Christian Robertson describe the egg and compare it to other dwarf emu eggs and also with the eggs from the mainland emu.
2d
Doctors Restored a Blind Man’s Vision by Gene-Hacking His Retina Cells
Two decades after an unusually severe case of the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa robbed a French man of his vision, an experimental gene therapy seems to have brought it part of the way back. In order to reverse the man’s blindness, the BBC r eports , doctors in France used a new gene therapy to exploit a technique called optogenetics . Optogenetics is a common tool in neuroscience research t
2d
Russia Wants to Send a Nuclear-Powered “Space Tug” to Jupiter
Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has announced that it’s planning to send a nuclear-powered “space tug” as far as Jupiter in 2030. According to state-owned news agency TASS , the mission of the uncrewed transport and energy module, dubbed “Zeus,” will last for about 50 months. “Together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, were are now making calculations about this flight’s ballistics and payloa
1d
Global Warming May Be Way Worse Than We Thought, Scientists Say
Swing and Miss The satellites that we use to track the global environment may have painted an inaccurate picture of climate change over the years. It turns out that the satellite data that scientists rely on to create climate models doesn’t actually match the laws of physics, according to research published last week in the Journal of Climate . In nature, there’s a clearly defined link between te
19h
AI is learning how to create itself
A little stick figure with a wedge-shaped head shuffles across the screen. It moves in a half crouch, dragging one knee along the ground. It’s walking! Er, sort of. Yet Rui Wang is delighted. “Every day I walk into my office and open my computer, and I don’t know what to expect,” he says. An artificial-intelligence researcher at Uber, Wang likes to leave the Paired Open-Ended Trailblazer , a piec
1d
Does the Milky Way move like a spinning top?
An investigation carried out by the astrophysicists of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) Žofia Chrobáková, a doctoral student at the IAC and the University of La Laguna (ULL), and Martín López Corredoira, questions one of the most interesting findings about the dynamics of the Milky Way in recent years: the precession, or the wobble in the axis of rotation of the disc warp is incorrec
2d
Scientists overhear two atoms chatting
How materials behave depends on the interactions between countless atoms. You could see this as a giant group chat in which atoms are continuously exchanging quantum information. Researchers from Delft University of Technology in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University and the Research Center Jülich have now been able to intercept a chat between two atoms. They present their findings in Science
19h
Prebiotic ethanolamine found in a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way
An international team of researchers has found evidence of prebiotic ethanolamine (NH2CH2CH2OH) in a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of the amino alcohol and why they believe it could have contributed to the development of life on earth.
3d
Impacts of social distancing policies on mobility and COVID-19 case growth in the US
Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23404-5 In response to COVID-19, many states have implemented social distancing orders, but the effect of these orders on population mobility has not been fully quantified. Here, the authors use data from the US to show that state-level social distancing orders substantially reduced mobility and limited the spread of dis
3d
Wolves make roadways safer, generating large economic returns to predator conservation [Economic Sciences]
Recent studies uncover cascading ecological effects resulting from removing and reintroducing predators into a landscape, but little is known about effects on human lives and property. We quantify the effects of restoring wolf populations by evaluating their influence on deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) in Wisconsin. We show that, for the average…
2d
Language and ethnobiological skills decline precipitously in Papua New Guinea, the world’s most linguistically diverse nation [Anthropology]
Papua New Guinea is home to >10% of the world’s languages and rich and varied biocultural knowledge, but the future of this diversity remains unclear. We measured language skills of 6,190 students speaking 392 languages (5.5% of the global total) and modeled their future trends using individual-level variables characterizing family…
1d
How hijacked journals keep fooling one of the world’s leading databases
It keeps happening. There was the case of Talent Development and Excellence, which cloned an existing journal and managed to index hundreds of articles in Scopus, one of the world’s leading databases for scholarly literature. The Transylvanian Review did the same thing, and so did Test Engineering and Management. These journals — which can make … Continue reading
2d
Narcissism linked to aggression in review of 437 studies
A comprehensive analysis of 437 studies from around the world provides the best evidence to date that narcissism is an important risk factor for both aggression and violence, researchers said. The link between narcissism and aggression was found for all dimensions of narcissism and for a variety of types of aggression. Results were similar regardless of gender, age, whether they were college stude
2d
Pfizer and AstraZeneca ‘highly effective’ against India Covid variant
A Public Health England study has revealed the vaccines can be up to 88% effective after a second dose Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs are highly effective at protecting people from the strain of the Covid-19 virus first found in India, a study by Public Health England (PHE) has found. The analysis, carried out between 5 April and
3d
Dominic Cummings tells MPs on Covid: ‘When the public needed us most, the government failed’ – live
Latest updates: prime minister’s former top adviser offers testimony including on mistakes he claims No 10 made as coronavirus hit Britain last year Ministers braced for Dominic Cummings testimony on Covid crisis What to expect when Dominic Cummings gives evidence to MPs Coronavirus global updates – live See all our coronavirus coverage 10.12am BST Cummings says, around 5 March, he was reluctant
2d
‘Stranger than anything dreamed up by sci-fi’: will we ever understand black holes?
In the new documentary Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know, the work of Stephen Hawking and others in trying to figure out a mystery for the age is put under the spotlight So, what would it feel like to fall into a black hole? “Well, at the moment you crossed the horizon, you wouldn’t feel anything – there would be nothing dramatic,” Peter Galison, co-founder of the Black Hole Initiative at Harv
2d
Supermoon, lunar eclipse, red blood moon — and they're happening all at once
The first lunar eclipse of 2021 is going to happen during the early hours of May 26 . But this is going to be an especially super lunar event, as it will be a supermoon, a lunar eclipse and a red blood moon all at once. So what does this all mean? The Moon appears 12% bigger when it is closest to Earth compared with its appearance when it's farthest away. ( Tomruen/WikimediaCommons , CC BY-SA ) W
2d
New CAPTCHA Forces Users to Prove They’re Human by Playing “Doom”
Super Shotgun An independent programmer is dead-set on making CAPTCHA tests fun for a change. So instead of identifying pictures of buses and traffic lights, now you can prove you’re a human by gunning down demonic enemies in a mini version of the iconic game “Doom” before time runs out, according to PCMag . It’s pretty straightforward as far as gameplay is concerned — just point and shoot — and
2d
Astronomers create largest map of the universe’s dark matter
International team reveal vast cosmic voids over the Earth’s skies that could challenge Einstein We can’t see it, barely understand it, but know that it exists because of the powerful influence it exerts on space. Dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe, and its gravitational force is enough to mesh entire galaxies together in a structure known as the cosmic web. Now, scientists have creat
22h
Startup Says It’ll Fly Passengers Between Cities in Giant Blimps
Clean Air A startup called Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has an unusual idea for helping clean up the aviation industry: replacing airplanes with blimps, at least for short-range flights. Cutting down on the number of planes traveling short distances — HAV plans to travel between cities like Vancouver and Seattle or Oslo and Stockholm — could help airlines drastically cut their carbon emissions, The
1d
Monkeys adopt ‘accent’ of other species when in shared territory – study
Brazilian Amazon primates found to adapt their calls to get along better with their neighbours Monkeys will use the “accent” of another species when they enter its territory to enhance communication, much like a British person living in the US might forgo their ‘tomahto’ for ‘tomayto , researchers have found. Researchers investigated the behaviour of 15 groups of two roughly squirrel-sized primat
1d
Then She Asked Me About Benghazi
I n the winter of 2018, I drove out to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to finish writing my White House memoir. The town is built on a hill that descends to the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, ringed by mountains. A railroad bridge over the rivers, the brick buildings, and the church steeples give the place the feel of 19th-century America, a landscape that you might glimpse in a pai
2d
How to take a good photograph of May’s lunar eclipse and super blood moon with a phone or camera
Guardian Australia picture editor Carly Earl explains the dos and don’ts of taking photos of the supermoon Total lunar eclipse 2021: when and how to view the super blood moon across Australia tonight Lunar eclipse will bring cosmic show across Pacific on Wednesday With a super blood moon rising on Wednesday, many people will pull out their mobile phones to try and get an Instagram-worthy photogra
2d
Total lunar eclipse 2021: when and how to view the super blood moon in Australia tonight
Here is the time when you can look at May’s full supermoon lunar eclipse on Wednesday night – and if skies are cloudy, where you can see the livestream Here’s how to take a good picture of the full supermoon Lunar eclipse will bring cosmic show across Pacific on Wednesday A total lunar eclipse coinciding with a supermoon will be visible in Australian skies on Wednesday night for the first time in
2d
Scientists find dark matter “bridges” that may reveal future of our galaxy
Scientists use artificial intelligence to produce a new map of dark matter in the local universe. The map's precision may lead to new insights into dark matter and the future of our universe. The map contains previously unknown "hidden bridges" that link galaxies. A new map derived with the help of artificial intelligence reveals previously unknown "bridges" linking galaxies in the local universe
15h
UK Covid: Hancock refuses to deny telling No 10 patients would be tested before discharge into care homes – as it happened
Health secretary dodges question about whether he told No 10 patients would be tested before hospital discharge after Cummings’ allegation. This live blog is now closed – please follow the global live blog for latest updates Three-quarters of new Covid cases could be India variant, says Hancock Hancock says not all patients sent to care homes were tested for Covid Johnson and Hancock dismiss Cumm
20h
Why NASA Scientists Are So Excited by New Hints of Organic Compounds on Mars
NASA scientists working with the Curiosity rover say they’ve found evidence of remnants of organic compounds on Mars, dating back to when the planet was probably a whole lot more hospitable. Specifically, the Curiosity rover’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument, a tool that vaporizes samples to determine what they’re made of, picked up signs of organic salts, which can be thought of as the
1d
How a ranger stumbled upon one of the largest fossil finds in California history
While on a routine patrol, Greg Francek came across bone fragments from prehistoric animals that existed millions of years before humans Imagine a California with volcanoes erupting to the east and Los Angeles buried under the Pacific Ocean. Giant camels, rhinoceros and four-tusked miniature elephants graze on a lush landscape, only to be preyed upon by bone-crushing dogs. This is the prehistoric
2d
May’s super flower moon lights up the night skies – in pictures
The May full moon, known as the flower moon, coincided with it being at its closest to the Earth during its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter. May’s supermoon also coincides with a lunar eclipse in which the moon will turn red, but that will be visible only in parts of South America, Australia and south-east Asia. This celestial incident, known as super flower blood moon, is the only fu
2d
All the Sad, Lonely Pandemic Puppies
Bowen the goldendoodle is never home alone. When he first came home as a puppy, last June, his parents were working remotely because of the pandemic. If they try to leave their Boston apartment for even a few minutes now, he makes his unhappiness audible. “He’s whining and barking, and we just don’t want to upset the neighbors,” Jon Canario told me. So they don’t. Wherever they go, he goes. Where
20h
Democrats Are Running Out of Time
A nxiety is growing among a broad range of civil-rights, democracy-reform, and liberal groups over whether Democrats are responding with enough urgency to the accelerating Republican efforts to both suppress voting and potentially overturn future Democratic election victories. With the congressional calendar dominated by President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar spending proposals, these activis
22h
If the Lab-Leak Theory Is Right, What’s Next?
jarun011 / Getty; Katie Martin / The Atlantic L ast summer, Michael Imperiale , a University of Michigan virologist and 10-year member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, published an essay on the need to “rethink” some basic research-safety practices in light of the coronavirus pandemic. But he and his co-author—another biosecurity-board veteran—did want to make one thing cle
1d
Stephen Hawking’s office and archive gifted to UK to settle tax bill
Scientist’s treasure trove and personal objects to go to Science Museum and Cambridge University Library A vast treasure trove of papers and personal objects belonging to Stephen Hawking, from dizzying black hole theories to scripts for the Simpsons, have been acquired for the nation. It was announced on Thursday that Hawking’s archive and the contents of his university office have been acquired
1d
Couple Buys House, Discovers Huge, Mars-Like Lava Cave Underneath
Cave Surprise Homeowners in Bend, Oregon, made a fascinating discovery lurking below their house: a massive lava tube, big enough to stand in. Suzanne and James Brierley bought their house four years ago, but only knew about a small cave mentioned by their realtor, as local news channel KTVZ reports . The entrance is an unassuming small hole in the side of a hill. But once inside, the lava tube i
1d
India Reports More Than 11,000 Cases of Brain-Eating Fungus
The number of deadly black fungus infections, also known as mucormycosis, among coronavirus patients and survivors in India has reached alarming new heights. The government tallied up 11,717 ongoing cases of the fungal infection on Tuesday, according to New Delhi Television ( NDTV ) , prompting the country’s health ministry to declare an official epidemic and take emergency measures. The black fu
1d
Mathematicians Find Long-Sought Building Blocks for Special Polynomials
Problems in mathematics often have a simple “yes or no” structure: Is this statement true or false? But the most enduring and interesting problems propagate through generations, the products of decades of work, like the medieval cathedrals that took centuries to build. The answers to these questions open new doors and provide novel structures on which to continue building. In the year 1900… Sou
2d
Nasa’s Mars helicopter goes on ‘stressful’ wild flight after malfunction
Problem with camera-based navigation system saw helicopter wobble through the air in biggest tech issue Ingenuity has faced A navigation timing error sent Nasa’s Mars helicopter on a lurching ride, its first major problem since it took to the Martian skies last month. The experimental helicopter, named Ingenuity, managed to land safely after the problem occurred, officials at the Jet Propulsion L
9h
Arsonists Reportedly Set Fire at New Tesla Factory Site
A fire broke out overnight at a construction site of Tesla’s Gigafcatory in Germany this week. Police are now investigating whether the fire had a political motive after far-left activists claimed responsibility, Reuters reports . The fire damaged six high-power cable lines, according to criminal investigators. It’s yet another sign that Tesla has a lot of hearts to still win over if it wants to
19h
Trump’s Supporters Are Getting the Lab-Leak Story Backwards
Suppose it’s true. Suppose the coronavirus spread throughout the world from a Chinese lab. What then? A ferocious early promoter of the idea that the coronavirus was a Chinese attack was the Trump White House’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon hoped to transfer responsibility for Donald Trump’s failures onto China’s rulers. As he told a Polish interviewer in May 2020: “They are totall
22h
Investing 0.1% of global GDP could avoid breakdown of ecosystems, says UN report
Nature’s financial value must be considered to avoid ‘irreversible’ degradation to biodiversity and land The world needs to quadruple its annual investment in nature if the climate, biodiversity and land degradation crises are to be tackled by the middle of the century, according to a new UN report . Investing just 0.1% of global GDP every year in restorative agriculture, forests, pollution manag
22h
A Number Theorist Who Connects Math to Other Creative Pursuits
“There are many different pathways into mathematics,” said Jordan Ellenberg, a mathematician at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “There is the stereotype that interest in math displays itself early. That is definitely not true in general. It’s not the universal story — but it is my story.” That account was backed up by a biostatistician at the University of Pennsylvania — his mother… Sourc
23h
German scientists say they can help improve Covid vaccines to prevent blood clots
AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson jabs have caused rare blood clots but scientists say they can be redesigned to avoid problem Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A team of German scientists believe that they have worked out why some people given the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines against Covid-19 develop blood clots – and claim they can tell the manufacturer
1d
A new 'gold standard' compound for generating electricity from heat
Thermoelectric power generators that make electrical power from waste heat would be a useful tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if it weren't for a most vexing problem: The need to make electrical contacts to their hot side, which is often just too hot for materials that can generate a current.
1d
How Colleges Tell Student-Parents They Don’t Belong
H. Armstrong Roberts / ClassicStock / Getty Over the past five years, Yoslin Amaya would return home most days in the early-morning hours from her night shift as a janitor to her in-laws’ house in Rockville, Maryland, where she lived in a bedroom with her husband and two sons, Andrew and James. Though she was often exhausted, her long days were not over. While her family slept, she would crack op
1d
Squishy Neutron Star Setback Dampens Hopes of Exotic Matter
In the known universe, there is nothing quite like a neutron star. Born from supernovas, these objects contain a star-size mass in a city-size space. This unique trait has led scientists to believe that some extreme physics might take place in their innards — perhaps even the dissolution of neutrons themselves into a softer goo known as quark matter. Yet we cannot peer inside neutron stars… Sou
1d
What is plate tectonics?
Blame plate tectonics for Earth’s mountains, earthquakes, volcanoes, and why its continents fit together like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle.
1d
Fact-checked: Dominic Cummings’ evidence to MPs on Covid crisis
We check claims made by Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser against the facts Dominic Cummings gives evidence before MPs – live coverage See all our coronavirus coverage Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser, has been giving evidence to MPs about lessons from the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some of his claims, checked against facts where possible but also put int
2d
The New Head of NASA Says COVID May Have Leaked From a Lab
Former Senator Bill Nelson, the newly-minted Administrator of NASA, made some unusual remarks about China, the pandemic, and national security during a virtual event. Specifically, Nelson cited unofficial reports that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, may have escaped from a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, according to The Verge reporter Joey Roulette — and added that the
2d
Raging Fire, Huge Explosion Devastate Giant Container Ship
Ship Explosion A massive explosion just rocked a container ship anchored off the coast of Sri Lanka, Al Jazeera reports . The vessel, called MV X-Press Pearl, was waiting to enter its port before a fire erupted on board four days ago, according to the Sri Lankan navy. The navy believes the ensuing explosion was caused by chemicals on board, which included 25 tons of nitric acid — another reminder
2d
America’s Entire Understanding of the Pandemic Was Shaped by Messy Data
To understand any data set, you have to understand the way its information is compiled. That’s especially true for a patchwork data set such as the one composed of U.S. COVID-19 data, which is the product of 56 smaller systems belonging to each state and territory in the country. In our year of working with COVID-19 data, we harnessed our attention on these systems and found that much of the info
2d
If Aliens Are Out There, They’re Way Out There
The mysterious flying objects showed up in Washington, D.C., on a hot, humid night in the summer of 1952. The air-traffic controllers at the airport saw them first , and then so did the operators at nearby Air Force bases—seven unexplained blips on their radar screens. A commercial pilot in the vicinity reported seeing bright lights in the darkness. The Air Force dispatched fighter jets but found
2d
China Announces Huge Crackdown on Cryptocurrency Mining
According to a new announcement by the Chinese government, the country is looking to crack down on cryptocurrency mining. The Thursday statement, penned by the State Council’s Financial Stability and Development Committee, comes just three days after regulators banned financial institutions from doing any business related to cryptocurrencies. The Chinese government will “crack down on bitcoin min
2d
What Biden Didn’t Realize About His Presidency
Joe Biden had been president for less than two weeks when he told me something he’d heard from a friend after the election. Biden was like the dog that caught the car, the friend told him—after a lifetime of dreaming of becoming president, he’d finally done it. “I said, ‘No, I think I got the bus,’” Biden told me, reflecting on the combined crises of the pandemic, the economic collapse, and the s
3d
Milky Way photographer of the year 2021 – in pictures
The annual Milky Way photographer of the year competition features the best photos of our galaxy as selected by Capture the Atlas . This year’s images were taken from around the world by 25 photographers of 14 different nationalities. The best time to see and photograph the Milky Way is usually between May and June with maximum hours of visibility on both hemispheres Continue reading…
7h
Bad luck or bad management: why has Victoria had so many Covid outbreaks?
Medical experts explain how much quarantine breaches, cold weather and pure chance contribute to the spread of coronavirus cases in Melbourne Victoria’s new Covid lockdown restrictions explained Victoria Covid case alerts and list of public exposure sites Follow LIVE Covid updates on Friday as Victoria begins seven-day lockdown Victoria has started its seven-day circuit-breaker lockdown – its fou
13h
Neuroscience Pioneer Slams Elon Musk’s Neuralink Claims
Neuroscience pioneer and physician Miguel Nicolelis has some choice words for Elon Musk and his brain-computer interface (BCI) company Neuralink. “Mr. Musk doesn’t understand a bit of neuroscience and what is the brain,” Nicolelis told Inverse . “He barely knows where it’s located.” Neuralink has been working on a brain implant that allows for some forms of interaction between the human mind and
18h
Views of the Super Flower Blood Moon and Its Eclipse
Last night, sky watchers across the Pacific Rim were treated to views of the so-called super flower blood moon. “Flower moon” is the name for a full moon in May, “super” describes a full moon that occurs when the Earth and moon are closest together, and “blood” denotes the dark-red color seen during a lunar eclipse. The moon appeared about 10 percent larger than average—however, that size differe
20h
Mitch McConnell’s Gift to Progressives
R epublicans plan to mount their first legislative blockade of the Biden presidency this week, and progressive activists are ready to send them a thank-you note. The GOP’s maiden filibuster won’t come on a tax increase or Medicare for All or the Green New Deal—not even on the Democrats’ big voting-rights package. No, Republicans are planning to block the creation of an independent, bipartisan com
21h
Chinese hackers posing as the UN Human Rights Council are attacking Uyghurs
Chinese-speaking hackers are masquerading as the United Nations in ongoing cyber-attacks against Uyghurs, according to the cybersecurity firms Check Point and Kaspersky. Researchers identified an attack in which hackers posing as the UN Human Rights Council send a document detailing human rights violations to Uyghur individuals. It is in fact a malicious Microsoft Word file that, once downloaded,
1d
Don’t Approach Life Like a Picky Eater
“ How to Build a Life ” is a weekly column by Arthur Brooks, tackling questions of meaning and happiness. M any parents of young children struggle to introduce new foods into their kids’ diets. About half of American children are picky eaters by the age of two; they are, in the vernacular of nutritionists, “food neophobic.” Our pediatrician once told me that one of our sons, who was a fussy eater
1d
The ‘Talking’ Dog of TikTok
Bunny, an internet-famous sheepadoodle, has brought attention to a new area of study within animal cognition: the use of assistive technology for language acquisition.
1d
NASA's Roman mission to probe cosmic secrets using exploding stars
NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see thousands of exploding stars called supernovae across vast stretches of time and space. Using these observations, astronomers aim to shine a light on several cosmic mysteries, providing a window onto the universe's distant past and hazy present.
1d
Studies likely to be wrong have 153 more citations
Science is facing a replication crisis, namely, that many studies published in top journals fail to replicate. A new study examined the citation count of "failed" studies, finding that these nonreplicable studies accumulated 153 more citations than more reliable research, even after they are shown to be nonreplicable. The study suggests the replication crisis might be driven, in part, by incentiv
1d
How army ants' iconic mass raids evolved
Army ants form some of the largest insect societies on the planet. They are quite famous in popular culture, most notably from a terrifying scene in Indiana Jones. But they are also ecologically important. They live in very large colonies and consume large amounts of arthropods. And because they eat so much of the other animals around them, they are nomadic and must keep moving in order to not run
2d
Court Finds Tesla Guilty of Nerfing Battery Performance in Software Update
Cannot Stop the Battery A court in Norway has found Tesla guilty of limiting charging speeds and battery capacity via software update, Electrek reports . Barring an appeal, Tesla will have to pay $16,000 to any Norwegian drivers whose Teslas were affected by the update — roughly 10,000 customers, according to Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen . In fact, in Electrek ‘s analysis, the case could
2d
The Truth About Deinstitutionalization
W hen a person has a mental-health crisis in America, it is almost always law enforcement—not a therapist, social worker, or psychiatrist—who responds to the 911 call. But most officers aren’t adequately trained to deal with mental-health emergencies. And while laws intended to protect civil liberties make it exceedingly difficult to hospitalize people against their will, it is remarkably easy to
3d
Health chiefs seek urgent answers on travel advice for England hotspots
Local officials ‘astonished’ as Westminster fails to notify them of new Covid guidance Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Public health chiefs are demanding urgent answers about why the government failed to announce new travel advice urging millions of people not to travel into or out of Covid hotspots. As news spread of the guidance on Tuesday, four days after it was q
3d
Celebrate this Memorial Day by getting the latest grills and electronics for deep discounts
It’s always tough to find a great deal on quality products, and when the economy is as difficult as it has been, every dollar counts. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your electronics or searching for that perfect grill to use for your Memorial Day party, you should first check out eBay’s Certified Refurbished department . Premium quality Certified Refurbished isn’t synonym for used, they’re pro
3d
Mars Helicopter Suffered Glitch During Flight, Forced Emergency Landing
During its sixth flight across the desolate Martian surface earlier this month, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter experienced a bit of a software glitch. The tiny four pound rotorcraft “began adjusting its velocity and tilting back and forth in an oscillating pattern” according to an official update , just after covering just over 500 feet. The event forced it to make an emergency landing some 16
17h
Super blood moon and lunar eclipse stun spectators around the world – video
The Earth's shadow crept across the full moon as people waited for a cosmic event known as a super blood moon. A total eclipse lasted about 15 minutes as Earth passed directly between the moon and the sun. As the eclipse deepened, it appeared as though half the moon had vanished. The moon's reddish-orange colour was the result of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth’s atmosphere projected on to
1d
A startup using minerals to draw down CO2 has scored funding—and its first buyer
A new startup is relying on minerals to pull carbon dioxide out of the air, in one of the first commercial efforts to deploy what’s known as enhanced weathering to slow climate change. Heirloom Carbon Technologies says it could do carbon dioxide removal for $50 a ton once it reaches commercial scale, which would come in well below the estimates for other industrial approaches. Its goal is to remo
1d
Red Flags of a Crank Study
The pandemic has brought into sharp focus the potential danger of misinformation. There are times when we need to act collectively as a society to accomplish certain goals. This is particularly challenging in a society that is organized around a principle of individualism – a principle I endorse and value. Liberty is a precious right to be jealously defended. But it is not the only right, or prin
22h
New Regulations Let Scientists Keep Lab-Grown Human Embryos Alive for Longer
An international organization of biomedical researchers just updated their recommendations for controversial human embryo research , loosening up restrictions on the kinds of studies scientists can conduct with lab-grown human embryos. Specifically, the “14-day rule” that’s been in place for decades, which urges and in some countries legally requires researchers to terminate experimental human em
1d
Dark matter and dark energy: the mysterious ingredients in our universe
The history of modern cosmology is one of the great triumphs of the human imagination. Still, mysteries abound, particularly the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Science moves forward by embracing the unknown as a challenge; taking the wrong turn is part of the way forward. "Where did everything come from?" is perhaps the most fascinating question we can ask — so much so, that it's much old
1d
COVID Morbidity
The emerging burden of long COVID is significant, and needs to be considered when evaluating the risk vs benefit of pandemic measures. The post first appeared on Science-Based Medicine .
2d
Startup Phantom Space wants to be the Henry Ford of rockets
Jim Cantrell calls himself “one of the intellectual fathers of the small-launch business.” It’s hard to disagree. When Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, Cantrell became its first vice president of business development. His expertise was critical to the development of the company’s first rocket, the Falcon 1. Cantrell later founded Strategic Space Development (StratSpace), which has worked on proj
2d
UK Covid live news: minister rejects claims travel advice for England’s Indian variant hotspots came ‘out of the blue’
Latest updates: guidance that travel to Bolton and seven other areas should be avoided ‘unless essential’ apparently put online without announcement Ministers urged to clarify travel advice for England’s Covid hotspots Up to 8,700 patients died after catching Covid in English hospitals Coronavirus global updates – live See all our coronavirus coverage 10.29am BST Here is the PA Media story on the
3d
Scientists unravel noise-assisted signal amplification in systems with memory
Signals can be amplified by an optimum amount of noise, but stochastic resonance is a fragile phenomenon. Researchers at AMOLF were the first to investigate the role of memory for this phenomenon in an oil-filled optical microcavity. The effects of slow non-linearity (i.e. memory) on stochastic resonance were never considered before, but these experiments suggest that stochastic resonance becomes
16h
New Microscope Technique Can Peer Inside a Brain Without Surgery
A team of scientists just cleared a major hurdle in the path of biological imaging. With a new microscopy technique, they were able to peer four times deeper into a living mouse brain — without needing to cut through the animals’ scalp or skull whatsoever. Typically, microscopes are blocked by the skull, which scatters and blocks light from passing through. That means researchers need to peel bac
21h
Body augmentation: People adjust quickly to robotic third thumb
Researchers trained people to use a robotic extra thumb in daily situations. Brain scan data suggest the brain's quick adaptability to new limbs. The scientists think body augmentation could transform human abilities. Would you be willing to attach artificial limbs to enhance your body? A research team that asked people to use robotic extra thumbs found that their brains quickly adapted to body a
1d
Canada Wants to Land Its Own Rover on the Moon by 2026
Canadian Rover The Canadian Space Agency wants to send its own rover to the surface of the Moon, with the help of NASA, within the next five years. The agency is now looking to chose two Canadian companies to develop concepts and science instruments. As a sign of good faith and commitment to the mission, François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, announced a $2.5 m
1d
The US worried about vaccine tourists. Now it’s encouraging them.
Like many vaccine tourists, “Alex” doesn’t want you to know his real name. The British expat arrived on a red-eye flight from his home in Nairobi, Kenya, at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday, May 21, with the intention of staying just a few days—more than enough time, he hoped, to get a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Alex had been thinking about how to get vaccina
2d
Dan Frank Was a Gifted and Generous Editor
I don’t know how many people in the reading public would recognize the name Dan Frank. Millions of them should. He was a gifted editor, mentor, leader, and friend, who within the publishing world was renowned. His untimely death of cancer yesterday, at age 67, is a terrible loss especially for his family and colleagues, but also to a vast community of writers and to the reading public. Minute by
2d
The secret social lives of trees
Trees demonstrate an incredibly complex array of social behaviors. Urban trees are cut off from their natural social groupings and do not thrive as they would "in the wild." Many trees live on a timescale that humans find difficult to fathom. There's a short story by Roald Dahl called The Sound Machine . It involves a man who invents a machine that allows him to tune into the frequency of surroun
2d
Research team develops self-healing quantum emitter with unprecedented brightness
Perovskite quantum dots are the rising stars of quantum emitters, but their inherent instability has hampered their development. Professor Hao-Wu Lin of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Associate Professor Chih-Sung Chuu of the Department of Physics, and Professor Richard Schaller of the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University in the United States have jointly develo
3d
The CDC Can’t Tell You What You Want
M ore than six weeks ago , I received my second Moderna shot, so I’ve had time to ease into fully vaccinated life. And yet I still haven’t eaten a meal inside a restaurant. Is that because I’m an overcautious ninny who can’t estimate risk? Bent into a defensive trauma crouch from a year of COVID-19 restrictions? Or worried I’ll shed some stray mRNA and disrupt the menses of surrounding diners? No
3d
Chinese Officials Are Investigating Crypto Mining Operations
Regulators in China’s Sichuan province are gathering information on cryptocurrency mining, potentially leading to a full crackdown on the practice, Reuters reports . The news comes after the Chinese government announced it will “crack down on bitcoin mining and trading behavior, and resolutely prevent the transfer of individual risks to the society.” It’s yet another warning sign that Bitcoin cou
17h
Tips for reclaiming your peace of mind online | Naomi Shimada
To post or not to post? The real question is: How do you feel about it? Author Naomi Shimada reflects on the anxiety-inducing aspects of social media, sharing advice on how to step back from the shame, optics and echo chambers of the internet and untangle your self-worth from follower counts, likes and the unattainable perfectionism perpetuated online. (This conversation, hosted by TED curator Clo
17h
What Breakthrough Infections Can Tell Us
With 165 million people and counting inoculated in the United States, vaccines have, at long last, tamped the pandemic’s blaze down to a relative smolder in this part of the world. But the protection that vaccines offer is more like a coat of flame retardant than an impenetrable firewall. SARS-CoV-2 can, very rarely, still set up shop in people who are more than two weeks out from their last COVI
18h
The impossible cool of Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop is a genre-busting Japanese anime series. The stories, music, and science fiction are among the best I've ever experienced. The show is being rebooted on Netflix. Every now and then in our movie/TV-show watching careers, there comes a moment when we are confronted with the shock of the new. It could be that first scene in The Matrix when Trinity evades the cops by running sideways al
21h
Magnificent spiral galaxy is being stretched by passing neighbor
The myriad spiral galaxies in our universe almost all look like fried eggs. A central bulge of aging stars is like the egg yolk, surrounded by a disk of stars that are the egg white. The galaxy in this Hubble photo looks like it is sliding off the frying pan. The central bulge is off in one corner relative to the surrounding disk of bright young blue stars. In reality, the stars on the right side
23h
Sleep paralysis: a terrifying encounter with our own mind
Sleep paralysis, which 20 percent of people experience at least once, can be terrifying. Though it is a neurological phenomenon, our culture and beliefs can make the experience worse. One potential treatment is to learn to control the content of our dreams. Imagine waking up in the middle of pitch darkness, only to realize you are completely paralyzed. You suddenly notice out of nowhere, an aggre
1d
Swimming in the Wild Will Change You
Some months ago, as the weather was first turning warm, I was out walking along the Mill River in New Haven when I saw a young man emerge from the water. He appeared to have gone for a swim wearing nothing more than boxer briefs. The sight was shocking; the river had barely thawed, and I’d always thought the unspoken rule about urban rivers was that you didn’t get into them (especially not half n
1d
Physicists uncover secrets of world's thinnest superconductor
Physicists from across three continents report the first experimental evidence to explain the unusual electronic behavior behind the world's thinnest superconductor, a material with myriad applications because it conducts electricity extremely efficiently. In this case the superconductor is only an atomic layer thick.
1d
General Motors Is Working on a Self-Driving Electric Car for Moon Astronauts
Lockheed Martin and General Motors are partnering to build an electric car meant to allow astronauts to travel across the surface of the Moon. According to an official statement , the two juggernaut companies are hoping to “design the next generation of lunar rovers, capable of transporting astronauts across farther distances on the lunar surface,” going far beyond the mere four mile range of ast
1d
Biden Orders Spies to Figure Out Whether COVID Leaked From Lab
President Joe Biden announced that he wants American intelligence agencies to thoroughly investigate the lab leak hypothesis, or the idea that the coronavirus may have first infected people after being released from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “As of today, the US Intelligence Community has ‘coalesced around two likely scenarios’ but had not reached a definitive conclusion on this question,”
1d
Can Electric Fish Talk Like Obama?
In many, many ways, fish of the species Brienomyrus brachyistius do not speak at all like Barack Obama. For starters, they communicate not through a spoken language but through electrical pulses booped out by specialized organs found near the tail. Their vocabulary is also quite unpresidentially poor, with each individual capable of producing just one electric wave—a unique but monotonous signal
1d
Time limit on lab-grown human embryos is relaxed by experts
International body paves way for key research as it lifts ban on growing embryos beyond 14 days The ban on growing human embryos in the lab beyond 14 days has been relaxed by an international body of experts, paving the way for research that could help to unpick issues ranging from why recurring miscarriages occur to improving IVF. The decades-old rule is laid down in the law in a number of count
1d
One CRISPR Treatment Lowered Cholesterol in Monkeys by 60 Percent
More than one in three American adults have high cholesterol , which can lead to serious health problems like heart disease and stroke. The best remedies we have right now are cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins , a diet rich in vegetables and low in fat, and good old-fashioned exercise. But in the future, there may be another way to reduce our cholesterol levels. A study published last wee
1d
Indian astronomers investigate magnetar CXOU J010043.1−721134
Astronomers from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have performed long-term observations of a peculiar magnetar known as CXOU J010043.1−721134. Results of this monitoring campaign shed more light on the nature of this source. The study was presented in a paper published May 19 on arXiv.org.
2d
Pacific sees a 'Blood Moon' rising
Stargazers across the Pacific Rim will cast their eyes skyward on Wednesday night to witness a rare "Super Blood Moon", as the heavens align to bring an extra-spectacular lunar eclipse.
2d
US joins calls for transparent, science-based investigation into Covid origins
Several countries tell the WHO annual meeting that a new inquiry with new terms of reference must be launched The United States and other countries have called for a more in-depth investigation of the pandemic origins, after an international mission to China earlier this year proved inconclusive . Addressing the World Health Organization’s main annual meeting of member states in Geneva, represent
2d
George Floyd’s Murder Changed Americans’ Views on Policing
President Joe Biden likes to recall a conversation he had with Gianna Floyd, George Floyd’s daughter, at Floyd’s funeral last summer. “Daddy changed the world,” she told Biden. If the first step to changing the world is changing people’s minds, Floyd’s murder one year ago did that—though just how much, and with what long-term effects, remain unclear. In the weeks following Floyd’s May 25, 2020, d
2d
Havana syndrome: How a “directed-energy” weapon may be injuring American intelligence operatives
In recent history, the first reports of a potential directed-energy attack on U.S. personnel came in 2016 from American diplomats working in Cuba. There's no "smoking gun" evidence of who's behind the attacks, but some U.S. officials suspect the Russians. Supporting that claim is the history of the so-called Moscow Signal, an event in which the Soviets blasted microwaves at the U.S. embassy in Mo
2d
Man Beats Usain Bolt’s 100 Meter Dash Record Using Actual Jetpack
Faster Than Bolt Turns out jetsuits aren’t just good for boarding a moving ship . British stuntman and jetpack pilot Richard Browning broke world-renowned athlete Usain Bolt’s 100-meter record while wearing his famous “Iron Man”-like jetsuit, according to Guinness World Records . Bolt, however, can rest assured that his title is still safe — Browning’s new record includes the obvious caveat: “fas
2d
Probing deeper into origins of cosmic rays
Cosmic rays are high-energy atomic particles continually bombarding Earth's surface at nearly the speed of light. Our planet's magnetic field shields the surface from most of the radiation generated by these particles. Still, cosmic rays can cause electronic malfunctions and are the leading concern in planning for space missions.
2d
How COVID Changed Science
What is unprecedented is not just the speed and focus with which the community responded to the pandemic but also the singular willingness of scientists all over the world to share new ideas and… — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
2d
Could sniffer dogs soon be used to detect Covid-19? (an update) – podcast
This week, a study has added to the evidence that specially trained dogs could be used to sniff out people with Covid-19, showing that canines are faster than PCR tests and more accurate than lateral flow tests at detecting infections. Anand Jagatia speaks to the Guardian’s science correspondent Linda Geddes, who went to see the dogs in action Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus
2d
Scientists recognize intruders in noise
A team of scientists from MIPT and Kazan National Research Technical University is developing a mathematical apparatus that could lead to a breakthrough in network security. The results of the work have been published in the journal Mathematics.
2d
Stone age desert kites found in southern Africa
A team of researchers with the University of Johannesburg's Palaeo-Research Institute has found multiple instances of desert kites in a part of South Africa. In their paper published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, the group describes their study of ancient hunting "runways" built to corral wild animals.
3d
Researchers design an engine that uses information as fuel
Their engine is the fastest ever such contraption, using information as "fuel." The application of the technology may lie in nanotechnology and nano-biology. Inspired by an 1867 thought experiment, researchers design an information engine. Can information become a source of energy? Scientists from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Canada devised an ultrafast engine that claims to operate on inform
3d
New energetic pulsar discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Using ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has detected a new energetic rotation-powered pulsar in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The newly found pulsar, designated PSR J0058–7218, appears to be the most energetic pulsar so far discovered in the SMC. The finding is detailed in a paper published May 17 on arXiv.org.
3d
Collective data rights can stop big tech from obliterating privacy
Every person engaged with the networked world constantly creates rivers of data. We do this in ways we are aware of, and ways that we aren’t. Corporations are eager to take advantage. Take, for instance, NumberEight, a startup, that, according to Wired , “helps apps infer user activity based on data from a smartphone’s sensors: whether they’re running or seated, near a park or museum, driving or
3d
Most children with post-Covid disease recover within six months, study finds
Small study looks at complications affecting tiny minority of children, which had caused major concern Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Children at a leading London hospital who were admitted with a rare but severe illness as a result of coronavirus infection had made a good recovery by the end of six months, although some needed ongoing physical therapy or mental hea
3d
How Gene Therapy and Algae Proteins Partially Restored a Blind Man’s Sight
Thanks to gene therapy and optogenetics—a neuroscience game-changer that relies on light to control neurons—a previously blind man can now partially see the world . And he’s doing it with the help of light-sensing algae proteins in his eyes. With training and a pair of custom goggles, the man could see white stripes on a crosswalk and recognize different objects. His brain’s visual cortex also re
2d
Artificiell intelligens maxar basilika-odlingen
I en robotbädd på Örebro universitet växer basilika. Artificiell intelligens håller på att lära sig vad varje enskild planta behöver. – Framtidens jordbruk är datoriserat och kombinerar kunskap från olika vetenskapsområden, säger Ajay Arunachalam, forskare vid institutionen för naturvetenskap och teknik. Varje enskild planta övervakas av sensorteknik för att få värdefull data. Data som som sedan
now
Nanofibrous filters for PM2.5 filtration
Narrating the basic knowledge of nanofibrous filters. The mechanical-dependent and electrostatic-dependent nanofibrous filters were summarized according to their mechanical adsorption and electrostatic adsorption to the nanoparticles, respectively, which will help to understand and design better performance nanofibrous filters.
4min
Proton's travel route in polymers could lead the way to clean fuels
Proton transfer is an essential process for energy conversion in biological systems, but the transfer mechanism is little understood. Now, in a new study, a team of researchers from Japan has investigated the nature of proton transport for various concentrations of a proton-donating group in thin film polymers mimicking a biomaterial, providing important insights about the transport pathways and o
4min
UM research suggests social factors important for human-wildlife coexistence
University of Montana researchers recently published a new study in the Journal of Wildlife Management analyzing why landowners do or don't secure attractants in bear country. The results suggest that collective or socially motivated factors may be a missing and important piece of the puzzle for encouraging voluntary steps to secure attractants and improve wildlife-human coexistence. The researche
4min
How retroviruses become infectious
Understanding every step in the life cycle of a virus is crucial for identifying potential targets for treatment. Now, scientists were able to show how a virus from the retrovirus family – the same family as HIV – protects its genetic information and becomes infectious. Furthermore, they show an unexpected flexibility of the virus.
10min
Reef-building corals and the microscopic algae within their cells evolve together
The microscopic algae that live inside and provide nutrients to their reef-building coral hosts may be evolving in tandem with the corals they inhabit. A new study by Penn State biologists reveals that genetic differences within a species of these microalgal symbionts correspond to the coral species they inhabit, a discovery that could have implications for the conservation of these endangered cor
25min
A helping hand for working robots
Researchers at the Department of Robotics Engineering at South Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) have developed and tested a new type of human-like mechanical hand that combines the benefits of existing robot hands while eliminating their weaknesses. They describe their new design in the journal Soft Robotics.
25min
Immunity boost in the gut
Varying immune response to vaccinations could be countered with microbiota-targeted interventions helping infants, older people and others to take full advantage of the benefits of effective vaccines, Australian experts say.A comprehensive review in Nature Reviews Immunology concludes that evidence is mounting in clinical trials and other studies that the composition and function of individuals' g
25min
Dark energy survey releases most precise look at the universe's evolution
In 29 new scientific papers, the Dark Energy Survey examines the largest-ever maps of galaxy distribution and shapes, extending more than 7 billion light-years across the universe. The extraordinarily precise analysis, which includes data from the survey's first three years, contributes to the most powerful test of the current best model of the universe, the standard cosmological model. However, h
32min
Video platforms normalize exotic pets
Researchers at the University of Adelaide are concerned video sharing platforms such as YouTube could be contributing to the normalization of exotic pets and encouraging the exotic pet trade.
32min
Study of bat navigation in extra-large spaces reveals an unknown neuronal code
The brain is often likened to a computer, its hardware consisting of neurons organized in complex circuits; its software a plethora of codes that govern the neurons' behavior. But sometimes, the brain performs exceptionally well even when its hardware seems inadequate for the task. For example, it's been puzzling how humans and other mammals manage to navigate large-scale environments even though
38min
Reef-building corals and microscopic algae within their cells evolve together
The microscopic algae that live inside and provide nutrients to their reef-building coral hosts may be evolving in tandem with the corals they inhabit, so each partner is fine-tuned to meet one another's needs. A new study by Penn State biologists reveals that genetic differences within a species of these microalgal symbionts correspond to the coral species they inhabit, a discovery that could hav
38min
How scientists are improving cold-region water and climate prediction models
The world is changing rapidly, and the past is no longer a guide to the future in terms of extreme events and floods. That's one of the findings from a paper on the Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN), a summary of the research program that wrapped up in 2018 and which recently compiled many of its scientific advances in a special issue of the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.
38min
The GOP Now Stands for Nothing
The Republicans in Congress are blocking a bipartisan investigation into the January 6 insurrection. Their spines crushed by years of obedience to Donald Trump, the members of the GOP have once again retreated from civic responsibility, with one more humiliation of those last few in the party who thought that the Senate Republicans might mimic something like statesmanship. However, this effort is
38min
Raccoons love you, but not unconditionally
A recent study used motion-triggered cameras to study mammal behavior at 61 sites across North America. The results showed that large, carnivorous mammals with slow life histories are most negatively impacted by human presence and development. The researchers noted that although some mammals are able to tolerate or even benefit from humans, there might be a threshold to how much human disturbance
49min
Reaping the benefits of healthy soils, for food, people, nature and the climate
Life on Earth depends on healthy soil. 95 % of global food production relies on soil. Soil is home to a quarter of all terrestrial species, and it plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling as well as in storing carbon and filtering water, which helps mitigate climate change and prevent flooding and droughts. Yet regardless of soils' fundamental role in the functioning of our planet's ecosystems, so
56min
New Dark Matter Map Mystery
Scientists have published the most extensive map of dark matter in the universe to date, based on a survey of 100 million galaxies. The findings don’t quite match with predictions made by computer models, suggesting that there is some physics at work which scientists do not yet understand. This, of course, is exciting for physicists. As I discussed previously , we don’t know what dark matter is,
1h
Can racial identity shield Black teens from stress of racism?
The vast majority of Black adolescents have experienced racism, experience anticipatory stress about experiencing racism again, and their racial identity can influence that stress in a variety of ways, research finds. “We know that racism is stressful,” says Elan Hope, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University. “Part of that stre
1h
DNA-based material with tunable properties
While DNA is often idealized as the "molecule of life," it is also a highly sophisticated polymer that can be used for next-generation materials. Beyond the fact that it can store information, further fascinating aspects of DNA are its geometric and topological properties, such as knotting and super-coiling. Indeed, very much like a twisted telephone cord, DNA is often found coiled up inside bacte
1h
How a national police misconduct registry can help rebuild trust in law enforcement
This week, the USC Safe Communities Institute announced the pilot rollout of the Law Enforcement Work Inquiry System Registry, the first comprehensive national catalog of police officers who have been terminated or resigned due to misconduct. The LEWIS Registry, named after the late Rep. John Lewis, is designed to hold police officers and departments accountable and increase public trust in law en
1h
Allow us to post short comments with high value
I see we're not allowed to post short comments. To be honest, I think short comments have way more value than pages of text I see on these post comments. What's the reason for the censorship on single sentence comments; it's disgusting; sometimes, they have way more value. I also see that people are simply writing wafty comments on purpose with no real value since they can't write short-to-the-po
1h
The Participatory Evaluation (of) Aging (with) Rapamycin (for) Longevity Study AMA
Hi, On 28th-29th May we will be taking questions about the PEARL project, whose aim is to launch a human trial with rapamycin to see if it has an influence on the aging process. It has been shown to increase lifespan in multiple species through its influence on the mTOR pathway, a central metabolic pathway but the human data is lacking. PEARL will aim to find out if rapamycin in humans can slow d
1h
Samarbete som ska motverka falska nyheter
Stiftelsen Natur & Kultur är idéburen och har som mål att verka för bildning och demokrati. En viktig del i arbetet är att bidra till att sprida forskning till en bred allmänhet. Nu inleder man ett långsiktigt samarbete med tidskriften Forskning & Framsteg – Utmaningen med falska nyheter gör att forskarna själva i högre grad behöver höras och synas mer. Genom att satsa på att göra forskarnas röste
1h
Weird Natural Product Time Again
So let’s take a break today by looking at some compounds that, to a good approximation, many synthetic organic chemists would agree shouldn’t even exist. Yep, it’s time for a dive into Weirdo Natural Products, as I do every so often around here . I’ll point out some of the more ridiculous features for the non-chemists in the crowd, but some of the structures may well speak for themselves (!) Firs
1h
The guitar industry's hidden environmental problem
Musicians are often concerned about environmental problems, but entangled in them through the materials used in their instruments. The guitar industry, which uses rare woods from old-growth trees, has been a canary in the coal mine—struggling with scandals over illegal logging, resource scarcity and new environmental regulations related to trade in endangered species of trees.
1h
Sustaining sub-Saharan Africa: Investigating financial support methods
Sub-Saharan Africa is developing rapidly with its rich resources although still lags behind those developing regions that are hard on the heels of the developed nations. New research published in the International Journal of Sustainable Development considers how this development might be sustainable and how it might be financed to be so. Samuel Orekoya and Peter Oluleke of the University of Ibadan
1h
Simulations examine performance of materials in NIF experiments
Scientists have examined the performance of pure boron, boron carbide, high-density carbon and boron nitride ablators—the material that surrounds a fusion fuel and couples with the laser or hohlraum radiation in an experiment—in the polar direct drive exploding pusher (PDXP) platform, which is used at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The platform uses the polar direct drive configuration to d
1h
Researchers unearth oldest gold find in southwest Germany
rchaeologists working in the district of Tübingen in southwest Germany have discovered the region's earliest gold object to date. It is a spiral ring of gold wire unearthed in autumn 2020 from the grave of an Early Bronze Age woman. It is about 3,800 years old, according to analyses. Precious metal finds from this period are very rare in southwestern Germany. The gold probably originates from Corn
1h
Pick Up Courses on Mixology, Coding, Finance, And More With This Memorial Day Sale
You might have big plans for Memorial Day weekend, but if you still plan on staying indoors, why not use that time to learn something new? In our Memorial Day sale, we’re dropping 14 of our most popular and useful courses to just $20 each, a savings up to 99% per course. Act fast: The discounts only last until June 2nd. The Complete Stock & Cryptocurrency Investment Toolkit Bundle Learn how stock
2h
India is grappling with covid grief
Spring 2021 in India has been horrific and frightening: ambulances wail constantly, funeral pyres are alight 24 hours a day, seemingly endless body bags stack up, and grief hangs heavy in the air. A year ago, it looked as if India might have escaped the worst of the coronavirus. While the Western world was struggling, India was relatively unscathed, hitting a high of about 1,300 deaths per day in
2h
Will the Housing Market Ever Be Normal Again?
H ow wild is the U.S. housing market right now? So wild, half of the houses listed nationwide in April went pending in less than a week. So wild, one poll found that most buyers admitted to bidding on homes they’d never seen in person. So wild, a Bethesda, Maryland, resident recently included in her written offer “a pledge to name her first-born child after the seller,” according to the CEO of th
2h
Andrew Yang, Political Kardashian
S pring of junior year was my last time on the ballot. I was running for student-council president at the fancy prep school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that I attended on scholarship. I had staked my electoral hopes on witty posters, but a lot of my classmates gravitated toward a new kid with a simple promise: putting a Snapple machine in the cafeteria. Snapple was huge in the late ’90s,
2h
Potential new sunscreen is coral-safe and provides more UVB/UVA protection
A new study published in Scientific Reports has found that methylene blue, a century-old medicine, has the potential to be a highly effective, broad-spectrum UV irradiation protector that absorbs UVA and UVB, repairs ROS and UV irradiation induced DNA damage, and is safe for coral reefs. The study suggests that methylene blue could become an alternative sunscreen ingredient that supports the envir
2h
3D shape reconfiguration of stretchable electronics
Azobenzene functionalized liquid crystalline polymers are considered "smart" materials owing to their programmable shape transformations under various external stimuli (i.e., thermal, chemical, and photomechanical shape morphing). In particular, their light responsivity allows for untethered powering and actuating systems. Now, researchers from Inha University have demonstrated preparation and act
2h
University Major
So Im a second year (trent ca) BA-psychology & business student transferring for my last 2 years to a different Uni (york ca). Thing is I have 2 offers, one in Cog sci which is a BA & one for Psychology which is a BSc. If both degrees were BSc I would choose Cog sci in a heartbeat but the fact that I have a BSc offer for psychology seems really appealing. Even-though the subject of cog sci intere
3h
PODCAST: Elbiler vil revolutionere bilmarkedet
Mange gange har vi hørt, at NU ville de elektriske køretøjer ændre trafikken og vores transportmønstre – men salget lod vente på sig. Men endelig ser det faktisk ud til at der sker noget – og det kommer til at gå stærkt. Konsekvenserne bliver store både for bilister og bilforhandlere.
3h
Watch me move it, move it: Gliding structure in Mycoplasma mobile revealed
In collaboration with Kanazawa University, researchers from Osaka City University used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to visualize at the nanometer level the movement of individual particles within the parasitic bacterium Mycoplasma mobile. After confirming the outline on the surface of the cell structure in an immobilized state with previous data gathered from electron microscopy, th
3h
How the Belarus-Ryanair Incident Changed the World
O n Sunday, Ryanair Flight 4978 was traveling over Belarussian airspace from Athens to Vilnius when Minsk air-traffic control delivered alarming news. “You have bomb on board,” the controller said . “We recommend you to land.” A Belarussian MiG fighter jet showed up on Ryanair’s wing to emphasize the recommendation. Minutes later, the Ryanair plane landed, and Belarussian authorities arrested two
3h
Democrats Need to Choose a Path on Voting Rights
Where Republicans control local power, they are building a new infrastructure of minority rule. They are gerrymandering districts, raising barriers to voting, biasing election administration, and politicizing election certification. There is nothing secret about this effort; everybody can see it happening. Yet the members of the threatened, narrow Democratic majorities in Congress—the people who
3h
Forskning pågår: Hur jämlik är tandregleringen?
Ungefär 70 procent av alla barn och ungdomar har någon form av bettavvikelse, och cirka 30 procent har behov av tandreglering med någon form av tandställning. Emma Göranson är doktorand vid odontologiska fakulteten, Malmö universitet och specialist i ortodonti i Region Östergötland. Hon berättar här om sin forskning om bettavvikelsers påverkan på livskvalitet, och om jämlik tandregleringsvård.
3h
Munnen och kroppen hör ihop
Forskningsintresset för samband mellan tandhälsa och sjukdomar i kroppen har ökat sedan 80-talet. Flera studier tyder på att bakterier och inflammationsämnen från munnen kan påverka sjukdomsförloppet vid exempelvis diabetes typ-2, reumatism och kolorektal cancer.
3h
Frisk- och riskfaktorer vid karies
Tandvården vill hellre förebygga hål än att borra bort dem. Men att riskbedöma vilka som har störst sannolikhet att utveckla karies är komplext och involverar många vitt skilda faktorer. Mer kunskap behövs.
3h
Spottet speglar hur kroppen och munnen mår
Hur spännande är spott? Oändligt spännande anser, två Lundaforskare som dyker djupt ner i spottets universum för att söka svar på varför sjukdomar i munhålan drabbar vissa. Svaret kan delvis finnas i spottet, i ett ämne som fungerar som kroppens väktare och helt egna antibiotika.
3h
Går du för ofta till tandläkaren?
– Vi behöver bli bättre på att identifiera patienter som löper störst risk att utveckla svår karies eller tandlossning, och sluta överbehandla dem som inte är i riskzonen, säger Gunnel Svensäter, övertandläkare och professor i oral biologi vid Malmö universitet.
3h
Elsevier retracts entire book that plagiarized heavily from Wikipedia
The periodic table is, as a recent book notes, a guide to nature’s building blocks. But the building blocks of said book appear to have been passages from Wikipedia. The book, The Periodic Table: Nature’s Building Blocks: An Introduction to the Naturally Occurring Elements, Their Origins and Their Uses, was published by Elsevier last year. … Continue reading
3h
Revisiting the Pennsylvania ‘She Doctor’ Panic of 1869
When Pennsylvania Hospital made the radical decision to allow female students to attend a clinical medicine lecture, “pandemonium broke loose” among the male students, who hurled epithets and spitballs at the women. But the widely-reported riot gave considerable momentum to the women’s movement.
3h
Med invånarna som brobyggare
Invånarnas egna frågor och behov blev ingången till en medborgarbaserad forskningscirkel om kost och munhälsa i stadsdelen Lindängen i Malmö. Engagemanget blev stort och träffarna ledde bland annat fram till en broschyr på arabiska om socker i mat, en broschyr som snabbt tog slut.
3h
Kirurgen som opererar på kontoret
Det är tisdag. Övertandläkare Per Dérand dricker kaffe och sitter på sitt kontor och opererar. Idag behövs varken skalpell eller såg. Med hjälp av några klick med datormusen flyttar han patientens käke på datorskärmen med millimeterprecision. Utrustningen som behövs till operationen skrivs sedan ut på sjukhusets egen 3D-skrivare.
3h
Att möta barn som far illa
Barnkonventionen är lag sedan januari 2020 och innebär bland annat att barns bästa ska komma i första rummet. – Alla barn har rätt till samma förutsättningar och till bästa möjliga hälsa och vi får inte diskriminera barn. Och om vi märker att barn inte mår bra måste vi agera, säger Gunilla Klingberg, professor i barn- och ungdomstandvård.
3h
Sexuella övergrepp kan ligga bakom tandvårdsrädsla
Tandvårdsrädsla kan ibland bero på tidigare sexuella övergrepp. Genom att vara uppmärksamma på signaler och fråga har tandvården möjlighet att hjälpa sina patienter. Det kan göras genom att lotsa dem vidare till professionell hjälp. Samtidigt är det också viktigt att bygga upp ett förtroende mellan tandläkare och patient och skapa en vårdsituation som upplevs som mindre hotfull.
3h
Metaller som försvinner
Brutna ben måste fixeras för att läka rätt. En del kan gipsas medan andra behöver fästas med skruvar och plattor. Skruvar som ibland måste opereras bort efter att benet har läkt. Tänk om de kunde försvinna av sig själva efter en tid? Silvia Galli, tandläkare och forskare vid Malmö universitet, undersöker möjligheterna att använda skruvar av magnesium.
3h
Tandreglering, smärta och livskvalitet
Hur påverkas ungdomars livskvalitet under tandreglering och efter det att tandställningen plockats bort? Och hur kan man förebygga vanligt förekommande bieffekter som karies under behandlingen? Vetenskap & hälsa har träffat forskare från Malmö universitet som undersöker detta.
3h
Vad avgör om implantaten håller?
Den tekniska utvecklingen och ökad kunskap har gjort dagens tandimplantat väldigt hållbara. Men komplikationer kan ändå uppstå. Riskfaktorer är saker som dålig benkvalitet, rökning och att gnissla tänder. Även den mänskliga faktorn spelar in.
3h
Menar vi samma saker?
För att forskare och vårdpersonal runt om i världen ska kunna jämföra patienter, tillstånd och behandlingar behövs gemensamma klassificeringar. Bildligt talat kan man inte jämföra äpplen med päron – om man tänkt att man ska jämföra just päron med päron. Smärta i ansiktet berör flera olika specialiteter inom tand- och sjukvård och 2019 publicerades ett gemensamt klassifikationssystem.
3h
Röntgendiagnostik med kraftigt minskad stråldos
Den röntgen som kallas Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) har blivit allt vanligare för dentalt bruk eftersom den kan bidra med mer diagnostisk viktig information än vad konventionell röntgenundersökning kan. En nackdel med CBCT är att den ger högre strålningsdoser. Men ny forskning visar att stråldosen i vissa fall sänkas med hela 80 procent och ändå ge tillfredsställande resultat.
3h
Tonsillernas gerillakrig mot HPV
Humant papillomvirus (HPV) är världens vanligaste sexuellt överförda infektion. Runt 90 procent av alla HPV-infektioner läker ut av sig själv, men det finns några få HPV-typer som i sällsynta fall inte läker ut och som orsakar cancer – bland annat tonsillscancer.
3h
Forskare vill utreda varför vissa blir muntorra
Muntorrhet kan leda till många negativa följder men det är fortfarande inte helt klarlagt varför vissa får problem men andra inte. Det vill forskare på odontologiska fakulteten vid Malmö universitet nu ändra på. – Vi vill ta reda på vad det är i saliven som gör att individer upplever muntorrhet, säger forskaren Amela Fisic.
3h
Forskning som rör oss alla
Munhälsan har betydelse, inte bara för livskvaliteten och vårt sociala liv – forskning visar att den även spelar roll för resten av kroppen. I det här numret kommer vi att dyka ned i forskning som rör just munhälsan.
3h
Revealing the etching process of water-soluble Au25 nanoclusters at the molecular level
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23568-0 Etching is one of the key considerations in the synthesis, storage, and application of metal nanoparticles. Here, the authors study the etching of water-soluble thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters at a molecular level and reveal an unusual recombination process in the oxidative reaction environment.
4h
Bell-state tomography in a silicon many-electron artificial molecule
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23437-w Multielectron quantum dots offer a promising platform for high-performance spin qubits; however, previous demonstrations have been limited to single-qubit operation. Here, the authors report a universal gate set and two-qubit Bell state tomography in a high-occupancy double quantum dot in silicon.
4h
CRISPR/Cas9 mediated deletion of the adenosine A2A receptor enhances CAR T cell efficacy
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23331-5 Activation of the adenosine receptor A2AR is associated with suppression of T cell function in the tumor microenvironment. To overcome immunosuppression, here the authors show that CRISPR/Cas9 mediated deletion of A2AR enhances CAR T cell effector functions without altering memory or persistence properties, impro
4h
Phototunable self-oscillating system driven by a self-winding fiber actuator
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23562-6 Self-oscillating systems that enable autonomous motions driven by a constant stimulus find applications in numerous fields but these systems are plagued with problems that restrict their practical applicability. Here, the authors create a photoactive self-winding fiber actuator that possesses a broad range of osc
4h
Structure of the mature Rous sarcoma virus lattice reveals a role for IP6 in the formation of the capsid hexamer
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23506-0 Inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) is a known assembly cofactor for HIV-1. Here, the authors show the role of IP6 in the assembly of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Reported cryo-ET structures of mature capsid-like particles (CLPs) suggest that IP6 modulates the formation of capsid polyhedrons of variable shape.
4h
Intratumoral SIRPα-deficient macrophages activate tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells under radiotherapy
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23442-z Signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα) is an inhibitory receptor expressed by myeloid cells. Here the authors show that, in preclinical cancer models, resistance to radiotherapy (RT) observed in wild-type mice is overcome in Sirpα-deficient mice, providing evidences that RT-activated Sirpα-deficient macrophages prom
4h
Automated annotation and visualisation of high-resolution spatial proteomic mass spectrometry imaging data using HIT-MAP
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23461-w MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) can reveal the distribution of proteins in tissues but tools for protein identification and annotation are sparse. Here, the authors develop an open-source bioinformatic workflow for false discovery rate-controlled protein annotation and spatial mapping from MALDI-MSI data.
4h
Kwasi Kwarteng defends Hancock over Covid care home claims
Business secretary says residents ‘were protected as far as we could’ during early days of pandemic Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, has defended Matt Hancock against criticism that he failed to protect people in care homes at the outset of the Covid pandemic, saying residents “were protected as far as we could”. The health s
4h
All together now: the most trustworthy covid-19 model is an ensemble
Earlier this spring, a paper studying covid forecasting appeared on the medRxiv preprint server with an authors’ list running 256 names long. At the end of the list was Nicholas Reich, a biostatistician and infectious-disease researcher at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The paper reported results of a massive modeling project that Reich has co-led, with his colleague Evan Ray, since th
4h
Blood test detects childhood tumors based on their epigenetic profiles
A new study exploits the characteristic epigenetic signatures of childhood tumors to detect, classify and monitor the disease. The scientists analyzed short fragments of tumor DNA that are circulating in the blood. These "liquid biopsy" analyses exploit the unique epigenetic landscape of bone tumors and do not depend on any genetic alterations, which are rare in childhood cancers. This approach pr
4h
Research shows potential new sunscreen is coral-safe and provides more UVB/UVA protection
A new study published in Nature Scientific Reports has found that Methylene Blue, a century old medicine, has the potential to be a highly effective, broad-spectrum UV irradiation protector that absorbs UVA and UVB, repairs ROS and UV irradiation induced DNA damages, and is safe for coral reefs. The study suggests that Methylene Blue could become an alternative sunscreen ingredient that supports t
4h
UK Covid live: calls to push back 21 June reopening in England after PM admits ‘we may need to wait’
Latest updates: Boris Johnson facing pressure to delay lifting of Covid restrictions in England from 21 June over threat of third wave caused by India variant Kwasi Kwarteng defends Hancock over Covid care home claims Covid bereaved demand public inquiry and end to ‘political pantomime’ Three-quarters of new UK cases could be India variant, says Hancock Global coronavirus updates – live 10.39am B
5h
Site in Syria could be world’s oldest war memorial, study finds
Archaeologists say White Monument in Tal Banat was tribute to war dead of 3rd millennium BC A burial mound in northern Syria has been identified by researchers as perhaps the world’s oldest known war memorial. The site, known as the White Monument, in the town of Tal Banat had previously been thought to be an ancient mass grave of enemy fighters. However, a report published in the journal Antiqui
5h
Debat: Folketinget mod lægefagligheden?
Formanden for Lungeforeningen mener, at han stiller sig på 'folkets' side, og kalder det arrogant, at vi i DSAM efterspørger, hvad det er for begrundelser, der skal føre til ordination, og hvilke der kunne føre til at nægte nogen ordination af en COVID-19-vaccine. Argumentet er, at vaccinerne er godkendt af Lægemiddelstyrelsen, men det argument holder ikke.
5h
Nytt sätt att se på serotonin vid depression
Nästan var tredje person i Sverige beräknas drabbas av depression vid minst ett tillfälle under livet. En vanlig förklaring till sjukdomen är brist på signalämnet serotonin i hjärnan. Den behandling som oftast erbjuds är SSRI-läkemedel, som hjälper hjärnan att behålla sitt serotonin, se faktaruta. Jonas Svensson är psykiater och forskare vid Karolinska institutet, där han intresserat sig för om se
6h
Nasa’s Mars helicopter goes on wild flight after technical malfunction – video
A navigation error sent Nasa’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity on a wild ride through the Martian atmosphere. The issue is the first major problem since its maiden voyage in April. The technical issue occurred one minute into Ingenuity's sixth test flight after one of the pictures taken by onboard cameras did not register in the navigation system – confusing the helicopter about its location. It was ab
6h
Here are the top 10 jobs of the future
As some countries begin to pull out of pandemic-induced lockdown, and the corporate engines of "return to the office" begin to whir, an open question hangs: What kind of jobs will people return to following months of work-from-home exile in "Remotopia" ? Will the online "big-bang" of the 2020s (when everything that could go online did go online) accelerate digitally enabled jobs? And which jobs w
6h
Virgin Galactic takes another leap towards space tourism
SpaceShipTwo rocket plane soars above Earth on successful test flight to edge of space Virgin Galactic has performed its third voyage to the edge of space using the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane. This flight, which took place on 22 May, was the first to take off from the company’s Spaceport America facility in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic’s system comprises two parts: the rocket ship VSS Unity and the
8h
Ny organisering sparer tid for patienterne
Blodprøver, fodscreening og samtaler samlet på ca. tre timer i alt er den måde, som Steno Diabetes Centrenes patienter fremover vil blive kontrolleret på ved såkaldt sammedagsscreening. Initiativet er i gang på tværs af landet, og i Region Midt har de efter det første år gode erfaringer med de nye forløb tilpasset patienterne.
9h
Helping doctors manage COVID-19
New tool uses AI technology to assess the severity of lung infections and inform treatmentArtificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo is capable of assessing the severity of COVID-19 cases with a promising degree of accuracy.
9h
Regionerne vil have penge til kritisk infrastruktur
Ny analyse fra Danske Regioner forud for økonomiforhandlingerne med regeringen peger på stort behov for it-investeringer til især det diagnostiske område. Derudover er der brug for fornyelse af scannere og andet medikoteknisk udstyr, som i flere regioner lever på overtid.
9h
Derfor er CRIC i verdensklasse
Forskerne tester etablerede behandlinger på meget vanskelige patienter inden for et felt, hvor der i udpræget grad mangler evidens for effekten. Sådan lyder vurderingen fra Niels-Henrik von Holstein-Rathlou, der har ansvaret for Novo Nordisk Fondens bevillinger til sundhedsvidenskabelig forskning.
9h
Kultur skal være intens og nærværende
KULTURKANYLEN Da Klaus Wilbrandt Kjær og familien for otte år siden skiftede København ud med Thisted, blev de samtidig en del af et kulturliv, som er dybt afhængigt af frivillighed og aktiv deltagelse. Men det passer den 52-årige praktiserende læge godt. Han foretrækker den intense atmosfære på de mindre scener, og som hobby-violinist og ditto pottemager bidrager han også selv til det lokale kul
9h
Lead levels in urban soil are declining but hotspots persist
Lead paint and leaded gasoline have been banned for decades, but unsafe levels of lead remain in some urban soils, a new study finds. The researchers mapped soil lead concentrations along 25 miles of streets in Durham, N.C. Though contamination generally has declined since the 1970s, soil collected near houses predating 1978 still averaged 649 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil, well above th
11h
Fish adapt to ocean acidification by modifying gene expression
To survive in a reduced pH environment, marine organisms have to adjust their physiology which, at the molecular level, is achieved by modifying the expression of genes. The study of such changes in gene expression can aid in revealing the adaptive mechanisms of life under predicted future ocean acidification conditions.
12h
New microscopy method reaches deeper into the living brain
Researchers have developed a new technique that allows microscopic fluorescence imaging at four times the depth limit imposed by light diffusion. Fluorescence microscopy is often used to image molecular and cellular details of the brain in animal models of various diseases but, until now, has been limited to small volumes and highly invasive procedures due to intense light scattering by the skin a
12h
Novel sensor discovered that helps bacteria detect and respond to formaldehyde
Bacteria called methylotrophs can use methane and methanol as fuel; in doing so, they produce large amounts of formaldehyde during growth, but until recently no one knew how they detected and responded to this toxic compound. Researchers describe their discovery of a novel formaldehyde sensor in the bacterium Methylorubrum extorquens, and other methylotrophs.
12h
5 Best Melatonin Gummies
We all know how important it is to get quality sleep at night. But most adults are lacking when it comes to getting the appropriate amount of sleep. If you have issues falling asleep, staying asleep, or experience other sleep disruptions, you definitely aren’t alone! According to the American Sleep Association, around 50-70 million adults in the U.S. have a sleep disorder, which includes conditio
13h
This Stimulant Recovery Supplement Helps Fight Adderall’s Negative Side Effects
If you’re one of the 16-million adults who take prescription stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, and Modafinil to increase productivity and sharpen your focus, you’ve probably come to terms with managing their negative side effects. That’s because they artificially increase stress hormones in the brain, putting your body and mind in prolonged overdrive, which can result in harmful health effects –
14h
Podcast: It’s Time to Tango
Now that Jim’s “Quite Possibly Wonderful Summer” is coming to fruition, a lot of listeners have been considering the present and future. Can you go to a tango festival? What should parents be watching for? And why, exactly, is the surgeon general wearing that uniform? Hit play for answers and a short history lesson from Ruth Fairbanks, a listener and history professor, in conversation with hosts
15h
Covid-19 news archive: May 2021
This is an archive of the New Scientist daily covid-19 news update with updates in May 2021. See updates from March 2021, February 2021, January 2021, November/December 2020, and March to November 2020.
15h
Driving in the snow is a team effort for AI sensors
A major challenge for fully autonomous vehicles is navigating bad weather. Snow especially confounds crucial sensor data that helps a vehicle gauge depth, find obstacles and keep on the correct side of the yellow line, assuming it is visible. Averaging more than 200 inches of snow every winter, Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula is the perfect place to push autonomous vehicle tech to its limits.
15h
Microbial gene discovery could mean greater gut health
As the owner of a human body, you're carrying trillions of microbes with you everywhere you go. These microscopic organisms aren't just hitching a ride; many of them perform essential chemical reactions that regulate everything from our digestion to our immune system to our moods.
16h
Back to the Beach: Nearly 3 years later, Florence survivors still aren’t home
By Elisa Raffa, Fox 46 Charlotte and Charles Wohlforth—Climate Central Three years later, some survivors of Hurricane Florence still aren’t home, but the damage was not evenly distributed. Flooding highlighted disparities, and today the most vulnerable of us continue to be at the highest risk of rising seas that increasingly threaten North Carolina’s coastal region. —– This segment and story were
16h
Partners in crime: Agricultural pest that relies on bacteria to overcome plant defenses
The oral secretions of herbivorous insects can activate plant defense mechanisms that protect plant cells from being digested. However, scientists have discovered that some larvae 'partner up' with bacteria that help interrupt these plant defense mechanisms. This disrupts the plant's defenses before the digestive proteins that the larvae smear on them. These findings may help agricultural scientis
16h
Fisheries resilience following Tohoku tsunami
A small Japanese fishing community devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 managed to recover from the disaster through cooperative community activity despite the propensity for individualist-competitive behavior within fisheries – cooperative activity that continued many years later.
16h
Roofstock: The Ultimate Platform To Sell Your Rental Property Online
When it comes to investing, real estate has a lot of advantages over traditional portfolios of stocks and bonds. However, those advantages do not come without a cost. And historically, the biggest cost when investing in real estate had to do with liquidity. The stock market may be a fickle beast, but at least selling your shares in a company or commodity is as easy as making a phone call or tappi
16h
Hip replacement surgery improves symptoms and biomechanics — but not physical activity
Patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) show significant reduction in pain and other symptoms and improvement in walking gait biomechanics. However, those improvements do not lead to increased daily physical activity levels, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.
16h
Measuring the effects of radiotherapy on cancer may open up avenues for treatment
Radiotherapy works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells. It's an effective strategy overall, but many cancers have subsets of cells that are able to survive initial radiotherapeutic regimens by using DNA damage repair mechanisms. This often results in resistance to further radiation as cancerous growth recurs. A team led by Roel Verhaak analyzed patient cancers before and after radiotherapy and fou
16h
Shiny mega-crystals that build themselves
Researchers are playing with shape-engineered nanoscale building blocks that are up to 100-times larger than atoms and ions. Although these nano 'Lego bricks' interact with each other with forces vastly different and much weaker than those holding atoms and ions together, they form crystals all by themselves, the structures of which resemble the ones of natural minerals. These superlattices exhibi
17h
Artificial neurons recognize biosignals in real time
Researchers have developed a compact, energy-efficient device made from artificial neurons that is capable of decoding brainwaves. The chip uses data recorded from the brainwaves of epilepsy patients to identify which regions of the brain cause epileptic seizures. This opens up new perspectives for treatment.
17h
An Entire Town Is Getting Swallowed by the Earth
Going Down In central California, almost exactly in between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a farming town called Corcoran is sinking into the Earth at an alarming rate. While the descent has been uneven over the years and happens at too large a scale to notice on the ground — NASA satellites had to confirm the problem — some parts of Corcoran have dropped by more than 11 feet over the last 14 yea
17h
Partners in crime: Agricultural pest relies on bacteria to overcome plant defenses
Although insect larvae may seem harmless to humans, they can be extremely dangerous to the plant species that many of them feed on, and some of those plant species are important as agricultural crops. Although plants cannot simply flee from danger like animals typically would, many have nonetheless evolved ingenious strategies to defend themselves from herbivores. Herbivorous insect larvae will co
17h
Bacterium causing rabbit fever remains virulent for months in cold water
Although it is not spread through human contact, Francisella tularensis is one of the most infectious pathogenic bacteria known to science—so virulent, in fact, that it is considered a serious potential bioterrorist threat. It is thought that humans can contract respiratory tularemia, or rabbit fever—a rare and deadly disease—by inhaling as few as 10 airborne organisms.
17h
Study sheds light on population history of northern east Asia
A study led by research groups of Prof. Fu Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. Zhang Hucai from Yunnan University covers the largest temporal transect of population dynamics in East Asia so far and offers a clearer picture of the deep population history of northern East Asia.
17h
Decades after ban, lead in soil still puts kids at risk
Decades after federal bans ended widespread use of lead in paint and gasoline, some urban soils still contain levels that exceed federal safety guidelines for children, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed and mapped soil lead concentrations along 25 miles of streets in Durham, North Carolina, a city of about 270,000 people. They found that while soil lead levels have generally decreased since
17h
Effects of nanoplastics on Canadian and Guadeloupean oysters
Oysters' exposure to plastics is concerning, particularly because these materials can accumulate and release metals which are then absorbed by the mollusks. According to a recent study published in the journal Chemosphere, the combined presence of nanoplastics and arsenic affects the biological functions of oysters. This study was conducted by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (IN
17h
Visits to 'crisis pregnancy centers' common in Ohio
An estimated one in seven Ohio women of adult, reproductive age has visited a crisis pregnancy center, a new study has found. In a survey of 2,529 women, almost 14% said they'd ever attended a center. The prevalence was more than twice as high among Black women and 1.6 times as high among those in the lowest socioeconomic group.
18h
‘Wasted’ WiFi signals can power small devices
Researchers have developed a way to harvest energy from WiFi signals to power small devices. The amount of WiFi sources to transmit information wirelessly between devices has grown exponentially. This results in the widespread use of the 2.4GHz radio frequency that WiFi uses, with excess signals available to be tapped for alternative uses. To harness this under-utilized source of energy, research
18h
Did primates evolve expressive faces for babysitting?
Non-parents expand the range of their facial expressions in caring for infants, research on primate alloparenting finds. The study shows the ability, among non-relatives, to both decipher facial expressions and to be attuned to others’ emotional states, revealing the evolutionary nature of communication. The research, which appears in the journal Evolution , focuses on the relationship between al
18h
Comprehensive electronic-structure methods for materials design
Nicola Marzari, head of the Theory and Simulation of Materials laboratory at EFPL and director of NCCR MARVEL, has just published a review of electronic-structure methods as part of a special edition Insight on Computational Materials Design, published by Nature Materials. The article, written with Andrea Ferretti of CNR–Instituto Nanoscienze and Chris Wolverton of Northwestern University, provide
18h
Researchers develop technique to functionally identify and sequence soil bacteria one cell at a time
Researchers from the Single-Cell Center at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a technique to sort and sequence the genome of bacteria in soil one bacterial cell at a time, while also identifying what its function is in the soil environment.
18h
Shedding new light: A new type of immunosensor for immunoassay tests
Immunosensors are widely used in immunoassays to detect antigens. One such immunosensor is a quenchbody (Q-body), which contains a modified antibody fragment with a quenched fluorescent dye. When an antigen binds to the Q-body, the dye leaves the antibody and the fluorescence intensifies. The change in fluorescence intensity is easy to measure, making Q-body-based antigen detection systems incredi
19h
Exploring optimization of duplex velocity criteria for diagnosis of ICA stenosis
Published online May 19, 2021 in Vascular Medicine, researchers from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) Vascular Testing division report findings of their multi-centered study of duplex ultrasound for diagnosis of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. The study was developed in response to wide variability in the diagnostic criteria used to classify severity of ICA stenosis across
19h
Worldviews, trust, and risk perceptions shape public acceptance of COVID-19 public health measures [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Because of the outbreak of COVID-19, most countries have implemented measures aimed at reducing the number of infected people. However, these measures only work if they are generally accepted by the public. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal survey in Switzerland (n = 1,223) to study the factors that would influence…
19h
Translational shutdown and evasion of the innate immune response by SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 protein [Microbiology]
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented global health crisis. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. Subversion of host protein synthesis is a common strategy that pathogenic viruses use to replicate and propagate in their host. In this study, we show that…
19h
Many COVID-19 patients don’t function as well after discharge
A new study shows that many patients hospitalized for COVID-19 experienced significant functional decline after being discharged. The researchers found that 45% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 they studied experienced significant functional decline after being discharged. Over a year after the novel coronavirus cemented its grip on the world, much of the conversation surrounding the disease
19h
Astonishing quantum experiment in Science raises questions
Quantum systems are considered extremely fragile. Even the smallest interactions with the environment can result in the loss of sensitive quantum effects. In the renowned journal Science, however, researchers from TU Delft, RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Jülich now present an experiment in which a quantum system consisting of two coupled atoms behaves surprisingly stable.
19h
Seabirds' success reveals asymmetry in ocean health
In a study that uniquely evaluates marine ecosystem responses to a changing climate by hemisphere, researchers report that the fish-eating, surface-foraging bird species of the Northern Hemisphere suffered greater breeding productivity stresses over the last half-century than their Southern Hemisphere counterparts.
19h
Mass gatherings during Malaysian election directly and indirectly boosted COVID-19 spread
New estimates suggest that mass gatherings during an election in the Malaysian state of Sabah directly caused 70 percent of COVID-19 cases detected in Sabah after the election, and indirectly caused 64.4 percent of cases elsewhere in Malaysia. Jue Tao Lim of the National University of Singapore, Kenwin Maung of the University of Rochester, New York, and colleagues present these findings in the ope
19h
Dynamic remodeling of host membranes by self-organizing bacterial effectors
During infection, intracellular bacterial pathogens translocate a variety of effectors into host cells that modify host membrane trafficking for their benefit. We found a self-organizing system consisting of a bacterial phosphoinositide kinase and its opposing phosphatase that formed spatiotemporal patterns, including traveling waves, to remodel host cellular membranes. The Legionella effector Ma
19h
Noncanonical crRNAs derived from host transcripts enable multiplexable RNA detection by Cas9
CRISPR-Cas systems recognize foreign genetic material using CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs). In type II systems, a trans-activating crRNA (tracrRNA) hybridizes to crRNAs to drive their processing and utilization by Cas9. While analyzing Cas9-RNA complexes from Campylobacter jejuni , we discovered tracrRNA hybridizing to cellular RNAs, leading to formation of "noncanonical" crRNAs capable of guiding DNA targ
19h
Quantum walks on a programmable two-dimensional 62-qubit superconducting processor
Quantum walks are the quantum mechanical analog of classical random walks and an extremely powerful tool in quantum simulations, quantum search algorithms, and even for universal quantum computing. In our work, we have designed and fabricated an 8-by-8 two-dimensional square superconducting qubit array composed of 62 functional qubits. We used this device to demonstrate high-fidelity single- and
19h
Role of the ionic environment in enhancing the activity of reacting molecules in zeolite pores
Tailoring the molecular environment around catalytically active sites allows for the enhancement of catalytic reactivity through a hitherto unexplored pathway. In zeolites, the presence of water creates an ionic environment via the formation of hydrated hydronium ions and the negatively charged framework aluminum tetrahedra. The high density of cation-anion pairs determined by the aluminum concen
19h
Removing energy with an exoskeleton reduces the metabolic cost of walking
Evolutionary pressures have led humans to walk in a highly efficient manner that conserves energy, making it difficult for exoskeletons to reduce the metabolic cost of walking. Despite the challenge, some exoskeletons have managed to lessen the metabolic expenditure of walking, either by adding or storing and returning energy. We show that the use of an exoskeleton that strategically removes kine
19h
Control of polarization in bulk ferroelectrics by mechanical dislocation imprint
Defects are essential to engineering the properties of functional materials ranging from semiconductors and superconductors to ferroics. Whereas point defects have been widely exploited, dislocations are commonly viewed as problematic for functional materials and not as a microstructural tool. We developed a method for mechanically imprinting dislocation networks that favorably skew the domain st
19h
Free coherent evolution of a coupled atomic spin system initialized by electron scattering
Full insight into the dynamics of a coupled quantum system depends on the ability to follow the effect of a local excitation in real-time. Here, we trace the free coherent evolution of a pair of coupled atomic spins by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. Rather than using microwave pulses, we use a direct-current pump-probe scheme to detect the local magnetization after a current-induced exci
19h
Mitochondrial NADP(H) generation is essential for proline biosynthesis
The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP + ) and its reduced form (NADPH) regulate reductive metabolism in a subcellularly compartmentalized manner. Mitochondrial NADP(H) production depends on the phosphorylation of NAD(H) by NAD kinase 2 (NADK2). Deletion of NADK2 in human cell lines did not alter mitochondrial folate pathway activity, tricarboxylic acid cycle activity, or
19h
Nematic quantum criticality in an Fe-based superconductor revealed by strain-tuning
Quantum criticality may be essential to understanding a wide range of exotic electronic behavior; however, conclusive evidence of quantum critical fluctuations has been elusive in many materials of current interest. An expected characteristic feature of quantum criticality is power-law behavior of thermodynamic quantities as a function of a nonthermal tuning parameter close to the quantum critica
19h
Local conditions magnify coral loss after marine heatwaves
Climate change threatens coral reefs by causing heat stress events that lead to widespread coral bleaching and mortality. Given the global nature of these mass coral mortality events, recent studies argue that mitigating climate change is the only path to conserve coral reefs. Using a global analysis of 223 sites, we show that local stressors act synergistically with climate change to kill corals
19h
Hemispheric asymmetry in ocean change and the productivity of ecosystem sentinels
Climate change and other human activities are causing profound effects on marine ecosystem productivity. We show that the breeding success of seabirds is tracking hemispheric differences in ocean warming and human impacts, with the strongest effects on fish-eating, surface-foraging species in the north. Hemispheric asymmetry suggests the need for ocean management at hemispheric scales. For the no
19h
3D genomics across the tree of life reveals condensin II as a determinant of architecture type
We investigated genome folding across the eukaryotic tree of life. We find two types of three-dimensional (3D) genome architectures at the chromosome scale. Each type appears and disappears repeatedly during eukaryotic evolution. The type of genome architecture that an organism exhibits correlates with the absence of condensin II subunits. Moreover, condensin II depletion converts the architectur
19h
Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2: Detection by community viral surveillance
Surveillance of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has mainly relied on case reporting, which is biased by health service performance, test availability, and test-seeking behaviors. We report a community-wide national representative surveillance program in England based on self-administered swab results from ~594,000 individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2, regard
19h
Material-structure-performance integrated laser-metal additive manufacturing
Laser-metal additive manufacturing capabilities have advanced from single-material printing to multimaterial/multifunctional design and manufacturing. Material-structure-performance integrated additive manufacturing (MSPI-AM) represents a path toward the integral manufacturing of end-use components with innovative structures and multimaterial layouts to meet the increasing demand from industries
19h
Multiscale representation of very large environments in the hippocampus of flying bats
Hippocampal place cells encode the animal’s location. Place cells were traditionally studied in small environments, and nothing is known about large ethologically relevant spatial scales. We wirelessly recorded from hippocampal dorsal CA1 neurons of wild-born bats flying in a long tunnel (200 meters). The size of place fields ranged from 0.6 to 32 meters. Individual place cells exhibited multiple
19h
19h
Socioeconomic status determines COVID-19 incidence and related mortality in Santiago, Chile
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected cities particularly hard. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of disease incidence and mortality and their dependence on demographic and socioeconomic strata in Santiago, a highly segregated city and the capital of Chile. Our analyses show a strong association between socioeconomic status and both COVID-19 outcomes and public health capacity. People li
19h
Different neurons make hairy and hairless skin itch
Researchers have uncovered differences in itch in non-hairy versus hairy areas of the skin. The work could open new, more effective treatments for patients suffering from persistent skin itching. Chronic skin itching drives more people to the dermatologist than any other condition. In fact, the latest science literature finds that 7% of US adults, and between 10 and 20% of people in developed cou
19h
Not fear, but goal importance and others' behavior makes you favour COVID-19 measures
Fear that you are at particularly lethal risk of COVID-19 infection might not be quite as strong of motivation to support strict government regulations and drastically change your lifestyle as your perception of whether others are doing enough to fight COVID-19, concludes a new study looking into data from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The research paper is published in the peer-reviewed sci
20h
Eating noises make you crazy? You have misophonia
Some people are driven absolutely bonkers when they hear other people eating or even breathing. Such people likely have a condition called "misophonia," or "hatred of sound." fMRI brain scans reveal a surprising cause for the condition. Maybe it's happened to you. You're sitting there quietly munching away on something, and suddenly, you feel someone's eyes burning into you. When you turn toward
20h