244 articles from MONDAY 10.2.2020

How some mammals pause their pregnancies

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.

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...

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.

Himalayan glacier shows evidence of start of Industrial Revolution

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.

Impact of oil contaminated water on tubeworms and brittlestars

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

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

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...

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...

AccuWeather predicts a record-setting year for one US crop

After 2019's nightmare of a year for farmers in the United States, AccuWeather is predicting a record-setting corn crop, as well as a substantial increase year-over-year in soybean production."The crop story for 2020 is the bounce-back in U.S. production for both corn and soybeans," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jason Nicholls.AccuWeather is predicting U.S. corn production...