156 articles from FRIDAY 13.3.2020

Behavioural scientists form new front in battle against coronavirus

Experts look at role of psychology in public responses to idea of quarantineCoronavirus – latest newsAs epidemiologists work round the clock to calculate the mortality rate of Covid-19, its ease of transmission and other vital statistics, a different group of experts are interrogating the role that human psychology could play in the unfolding pandemic.The government’s new measures, its experts...

Mercury's 400 C heat may help it make its own ice

It is already hard to believe that there is ice on Mercury, where daytime temperatures reach 400 degrees Celsius, or 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Now an upcoming study says that the Vulcan heat on the planet closest to the sun likely helps make some of that ice.

Weatherwatch: how can we avoid a mighty pile-up in space?

Debris from thousands of disused satellites is in orbit around Earth. It can be buffeted around by space weather. We need better forecastsWhat’s the weather like in Earth’s upper atmosphere today? Most of us only care about how the weather feels on the Earth’s surface, but understanding “space weather” is becoming increasingly important. That’s because small changes in space weather...

How skin cells embark on a swift yet elaborate death

Scientists have identified the mechanism that allows skin cells to sense changes in their environment, and very quickly respond to reinforce the skin's outermost layer. The findings provide insight into how errors in this process might lead to skin conditions like psoriasis.

First-time direct proof of chemical reactions in particulates

Researchers have developed a new method to analyze particulate matter more precisely than ever before. With its help, they disproved an established doctrine: that molecules in aerosols undergo no further chemical transformations because they are enclosed in other suspended particulate matter. Their findings will help to improve the understanding of global processes involved in cloud formation and...

What can you do with spiral graph? Help understand how galaxies evolve

Researchers have developed a technique to accurately measure the winding arms of spiral galaxies that is so easy, virtually anyone can participate. This new and simple method is currently being applied in a citizen science project, called Spiral Graph, that takes advantage of a person's innate ability to recognize patterns, and ultimately could provide researchers with some insight into how...

How plants sound the alarm about danger

Just like humans and other animals, plants have hormones. One role of plant hormones is to perceive trouble and then signal to the rest of the plant to respond. A multicenter team is reporting new details about how plants respond to a hormone called jasmonic acid, or jasmonate. The findings could help researchers develop crops that are hardier and more able to withstand assault, especially in an...

Invisible plastics in water

A research team has found that nanoscale particles of the most commonly used plastics tend to move through the water supply, especially in fresh water, or settle out in wastewater treatment plants, where they end up as sludge, in landfills, and often as fertilizer.

Invisible plastics in water

A Washington State University research team has found that nanoscale particles of the most commonly used plastics tend to move through the water supply, especially in fresh water, or settle out in wastewater treatment plants, where they end up as sludge, in landfills, and often as fertilizer.

What can you do with spiral graph? Help understand how galaxies evolve

Spiral structure is seen in a variety of natural objects, ranging from plants and animals to tropical cyclones and galaxies. Now researchers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences have developed a technique to accurately measure the winding arms of spiral galaxies that is so easy, virtually anyone can participate. This new and simple method is currently being applied in a citizen science...

How sperm unpack dad's genome so it can merge with mom's

A sperm enters an egg, an embryo develops and eventually a baby is born. But back up a second—how does the mother's half-genome actually merge with the father's half-genome to form one new human genome? Turns out researchers don't really know that much about these relatively brief, yet crucial, incipient moments in fertilization.

Herd immunity: will the UK's coronavirus strategy work?

Ministers look to have given up on containment in favour of a novel approach some experts are wary ofCoronavirus: latest updatesHerd immunity is a phrase normally used when large numbers of children have been vaccinated against a disease like measles, reducing the chances that others will get it. As a tactic in fighting a pandemic for which there is no vaccine, it is novel – and some say...

'Do not let this fire burn': WHO warns Europe over coronavirus

Europe now centre of pandemic, says WHO, as Spain prepares for state of emergency Coronavirus latest - live updatesThe World Health Organization has stepped up its calls for intensified action to fight the coronavirus pandemic, imploring countries “not to let this fire burn”, as Spain said it would declare a 15-day state of emergency from Saturday.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director...

Scientists work toward more reliable prediction of South Asian summer monsoon rainfall for the upcoming 15-30 years

The South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) provides the principal water supply for over a billion people. In good monsoon years, farmers reap a rich harvest, while in bad monsoon years, severe droughts wipe out crops. And heavy rains during monsoon season cause floods and hit economy badly. Policymakers and stakeholders urgently need projection of SASM for the coming 15-30 years —usually termed as...

First-time direct proof of chemical reactions in particulates

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have developed a new method to analyse particulate matter more precisely than ever before. Using it, they disproved an established doctrine: that molecules in aerosols undergo no further chemical transformations because they are enclosed in other suspended particulate matter. In the smog chamber at PSI, they analysed chemical compounds directly in...

Prehistoric hyenas and humans share migration patterns

New research into the evolutionary history and prehistoric migrations of hyenas reveals surprising similarities between hyenas and prehistoric humans. The results from the University of Copenhagen and University of Potsdam also indicate that humans had a detrimental effect on hyena populations about 100,000 years ago.

Semi-metal compound could treat foal pneumonia without promoting drug resistant bacteria

Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia may have discovered a way to treat deadly foal pneumonia without promoting multi-drug resistant bacteria. In a clinical trial, they found that gallium maltolate (GaM), a semi-metal compound with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, could be a viable alternative to overprescribed...

Inside an ICU: how long can we stay calm in the face of the coronavirus crisis?

Now, more than ever, the NHS must prioritise care - not just for frail, elderly and vulnerable people but for staff tooCoronavirus – latest updatesThere’s a strange mood in the intensive care unit (ICU) where I work at the moment. It’s one of controlled planning, paperwork and people pulling together in ways that on a normal day perhaps wouldn’t happen.ICUs are as prepared as they can be....

The Guardian view on science and coronavirus: no certainties, just judgments | Editorial

The government is sticking to its cautious approach in dealing with the pandemic. But action on the ground may be overtaking this strategyFriday was the day when the coronavirus pandemic began to radically redraw the map of everyday life in Britain. Bill Shankly, Liverpool’s much-loved manager in the 1970s, is fondly remembered for suggesting that football was more important than matters of life...

Bee lawns generate national buzz

Bees are excellent dancers. When a forager bee alights upon an Eden of pollen and nectar, it goes home to tell its hive mates. The greater the intensity of the dance, the richer the source of food being indicated.

Silicon-graphene hybrid plasmonic waveguide photodetectors beyond 1.55 μm

Silicon photonics are known as a key technology for modern optical communications at the near infrared wavelength-band, i.e., 1.31/1.55 μm. Currently silicon photonics researchers have attempted to extend the technology to the wavelength-band beyond 1.55 μm, e.g., 2 μm, for important applications in optical communications, nonlinear photonics, and on-chip sensing. However, the realization of...

Hornwort genomes could lead to crop improvement

Some 500 million years ago—when our continents were likely connected in a single land mass and most life existed underwater—hornworts were one of the first groups of plants to colonize land. But biologists have never understood much about the genetics of these ancient plants, which have very unique biology.

How plants sound the alarm about danger

Just like humans and other animals, plants have hormones. One role of plant hormones is to perceive trouble—whether an insect attack, drought or intense heat or cold—and then signal to the rest of the plant to respond.

How many will die of coronavirus in the UK? A closer look at the numbers

What the statistics from the outbreak so far can tell us about infection and mortality ratesCoronavirus – latest updatesThe startling spread of the coronavirus across the globe is causing understandable alarm. But though it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions about how many deaths may occur, the statistics do point to general trends that can get lost in the drama.At present, one...

Revolutionary Guards to enforce coronavirus controls in Iran

Streets, shops and public spaces to be cleared in next 24 hours after virus kills hundredsCoronavirus latest – live updatesIran’s Revolutionary Guards are to clear streets, shops and public places in the country within the next 24 hours, in a dramatic escalation of efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus.The near-curfew follows growing exasperation among MPs that calls for Iranian citizens...