244 articles from MONDAY 10.2.2020
'Reaper of death': scientists discover new dinosaur species related to T rex
Species is thought to be the oldest member of the T rex family yet discovered in northern North AmericaScientists in Canada have announced the discovery of a new species of dinosaur closely related to Tyrannosaurus rex that strode the plain of North America about 80m years ago. Related: Dinosaurs had feathers ruffled by parasites, study finds Continue...
Harnessing the domino effect for deployable structures
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 22:57
Researchers have harnessed the domino effect to design deployable systems that expand quickly with a small push and are stable and locked into place after deployment.
New threads: Nanowires made of tellurium and nanotubes hold promise for wearable tech
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 22:57
Wearable tech requires both strength and flexibility. A new nanowire design -- a boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) filled with tellurium atomic chains -- holds promise for electronics triggered by light and pressure. Physicists have now created and tested the new nanowire alongside carbon nanotubes.
How some mammals pause their pregnancies
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 22:57
Some species of mammals can delay the implantation of their embryos until conditions are better for bearing and rearing offspring. This enigmatic reproductive strategy can help improve the odds of survival. Researchers have found some of the biological mechanisms behind this suspension of embryonic development. Similar reversible dormant states are also found in some cancer tumors.
Adapting to climate change: We're doing it wrong
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 22:57
When it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change, scientists and policymakers are thinking too small, according to a new research review.
New method offers more stable, efficient electrocatalytic reactions
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 22:57
By fluidizing catalyst particles in electrolyte instead of gluing them to electrodes, researchers made electrocatalytic reactions that are more efficient and longer lasting, which play an important role in energy storage.
Coronavirus death toll rises over 1,000
In this Feb. 2, 2020, file photo, a military officer wearing a protective suit gives instructions to evacuees from Wuhan, China, as they travel to a hospital after their arrival at a military base in Wroclaw, Poland. Arek and Jenina Rataj were starting a new life in the Chinese industrial center of Wuhan when a viral outbreak spread across the city of 11 million. While they were relatively safe...
Swarms of locusts forced Somalia to declare a national emergency. Skin-crawling photos show how menacing their plagues can be.
Africa's worst locust plague in decades is threatening the continent, and there's no telling just how far the ravenous creatures will...
The first crewed SpaceX flight could happen around May 7th
Last month, Elon Musk said he expected the SpaceX Crew Dragon to launch, with astronauts onboard, sometime between April and June. Now, Ars Technica's Eric Berger reports that first crewed flight could take off on May 7th. Though, due to "a number of variables not hardware related" the launch could happen in late April or later in May. We don't know yet how long the flight will...
Gulf coast mollusks rode out past periods of climate change
About 55 million years ago, a rapidly warming climate decimated marine communities around the world. But according to new research, it was a different story for snails, clams and other mollusks living in the shallow waters along what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States. They were able to survive.
Distant giant planets form differently than 'failed stars'
A team of astronomers led by Brendan Bowler of The University of Texas at Austin has probed the formation process of giant exoplanets and brown dwarfs, a class of objects that are more massive than giant planets, but not massive enough to ignite nuclear fusion in their cores to shine like true stars.
Half-a-million insect species face extinction: scientists
Half of the one million animal and plant species on Earth facing extinction are insects, and their disappearance could be catastrophic for humankind, scientists have said in a "warning to humanity".
Himalayan glacier shows evidence of start of Industrial Revolution
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 21:33
Human beings altered one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas hundreds of years before a person ever set foot there, new research has found. The study indicates that the byproducts of burning coal in Europe in the late 18th century made their way to the Dasuopu glacier in the central Himalayas, some 6,400 miles as the crow flies from London, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
Chemistry technique is 'warp drive' for creating better synthetic molecules for medicine
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 21:33
In a study with implications for the future of drug discovery, scientists showed they were able to turn simple chemicals into unique 3-D structures resembling those found in nature -- structures with desirable properties for medicines. In the process, they found a potential drug lead for inflammatory disease, which is now being investigated further.
Impact of oil contaminated water on tubeworms and brittlestars
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 21:33
A new study adds a new layer to understanding how an oil spill could impact marine life. A diverse community of worms and other marine organisms on the seafloor plays a large role in nutrient cycling, organic matter burial, and remineralization. The burrowing and feeding activities of these organisms or bioturbation helps in the oxygenation of the sediment.
Gulf coast mollusks rode out past periods of climate change
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 21:33
About 55 million years ago, a rapidly warming climate decimated marine communities around the world. But according to new research, it was a different story for snails, clams and other mollusks living in the shallow waters along what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States. They were able to survive.
To slow an epidemic, focus on handwashing
- ScienceDaily
- 20/2/10 21:33
A new study estimates that improving the rates of handwashing by travelers passing through just 10 of the world's leading airports could significantly reduce the spread of many infectious diseases. And the greater the improvement in people's handwashing habits at airports, the more dramatic the effect on slowing the disease, the researchers found.
Record 209-mph wind gust whipped Northern California ... not so fast
On a windy, wintry day, a wobbly chairlift can feel like the scariest place to be. And with potentially record-breaking wind gusts lashing the mountain, Kirkwood Ski Resort in Northern California near the Nevada border wasn't going to take a chance.An unverified 209-mph wind gust was recorded shortly before 8 a.m. PST on Sunday by the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Reno. If the...
Chemistry technique is 'warp drive' for creating better synthetic molecules for medicine
In a study with implications for the future of drug discovery, Scripps Research scientists showed they were able to turn simple chemicals into unique 3-D structures resembling those found in nature—structures with desirable properties for medicines.
Chemists develop safer hydrogenation processes
Safe and environmentally-friendly hydrogen gas on demand could be on the horizon following a new "hydrogenation" chemical process in development at The City College of New York. Led by Mahesh K. Lakshman, the research uniquely bypasses the need for an external source of hydrogen gas to accomplish a wide range of hydrogenations. It appears as an inside cover feature in the 2020 issue #1 of journal...