307 articles from TUESDAY 5.5.2020
UK could relax lockdown for millions if over-70s are shielded, say scientists
Plan involves beefing up protection for vulnerable people while easing controls on othersCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain could exit the coronavirus lockdown by relaxing restrictions on more than half of the population and beefing up protection for those over 70 and vulnerable people, scientists have said.The strategy from researchers at Edinburgh University,...
Astronomers find Jupiter-like cloud bands on closest brown dwarf
A team of astronomers has discovered that the closest known brown dwarf, Luhman 16A, shows signs of cloud bands similar to those seen on Jupiter and Saturn. This is the first time scientists have used the technique of polarimetry to determine the properties of atmospheric clouds outside of the solar system, or exoclouds.
Coronavirus and airborne transmission: scientists warn Australia to be on guard
Although the science is not yet settled, researchers say government should be acting on ventilation and other measures nowSign up for Guardian Australia’s daily coronavirus emailDownload the free Guardian app to get the most important news notificationsA collective of Australian researchers across scientific disciplines will call on the government to introduce minimum requirements for building...
Study reveals how spaceflight affects risk of blood clots in female astronauts
A study of female astronauts has assessed the risk of blood clots associated with spaceflight.
Four years of calculations lead to new insights into muon anomaly
Two decades ago, an experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory pinpointed a mysterious mismatch between established particle physics theory and actual lab measurements. When researchers gauged the behavior of a subatomic particle called the muon, the results did not agree with theoretical calculations, posing a potential challenge to the Standard Model—our...
Simulations forecast nationwide increase in human exposure to extreme climate events
By 2050, the United States will likely be exposed to a larger number of extreme climate events, including more frequent heat waves, longer droughts and more intense floods, which can lead to greater risks for human health, ecosystem stability and regional economies.
An AI can simulate an economy millions of times to create fairer tax policy
Income inequality is one of the overarching problems of economics. One of the most effective tools policymakers have to address it is taxation: governments collect money from people according to what they earn and redistribute it either directly, via welfare schemes, or indirectly, by using it to pay for public projects. But though more taxation can lead to greater equality, taxing people too much...
Number of key workers getting Covid-19 overtakes positive tests in hospitals
Figures prompt renewed calls to ensure health and social workers have PPE needed The number of key workers and members of their families who are testing positive for Covid-19 has overtaken the number of sick people testing positive in hospitals.New figures showing that 2,067 key workers had tested positive at a new daily count prompted calls for a greater focus on how and why health and social...
Even if it works, this coronavirus tracking app is no get-out-of-jail-free card | Gaby Hinsliff
Tracing the path of the virus is vital, but so is people’s continued willingness to cooperate and isolate if necessaryYour country needs you. Or to be specific, it needs your phone.The new NHS coronavirus tracing app is to be trialled from this week on the Isle of Wight and ministers are pushing it with all the fervent appeal to moral duty they can muster. Since it’s being sold as the nearest...
How race affects listening during political conversations
A new study offers a rare look at how black and white people listen to each other during political discussions, including those that touch on controversial issues about race.
Electrical activity in living organisms mirrors electrical fields in atmosphere
Most electrical activity in vertebrates and invertebrates occurs at extremely low frequencies, and the origin—and medical potential—of these frequencies have eluded scientists. Now a Tel Aviv University study provides evidence for a direct link between electrical fields in the atmosphere and those found in living organisms, including humans.
Worms freeload on bacterial defence systems
Scientists have untangled a sensory circuit in worms that allows them to choose whether to spend energy on self-defence or rely on the help of nearby bacteria, a new study in eLife reveals.
How David wins against Goliath in established industry
Researchers from University of Nebraska and York University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines what can happen when 'little guys' work together to pursue common interests.
Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to ethanol
NUS scientists have discovered a new mechanism for selective electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to ethanol using copper-silver (Cu-Ag) composite catalysts.
Norwegian Cruise Line warns of 'substantial doubt' it will survive
World’s third-largest cruise operator says coronavirus crisis threatens firm’s futureCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNorwegian Cruise Line, the world’s third-largest cruise operator, has warned there is “substantial doubt” that it will be able to stay in business.The company, which is listed on the New York stock market, said: “Covid-19 has had, and is...
Webtool created by researchers helps predict climate change in agriculture
A webtool giving an overview of climate change in Europe and predicting subsequent developments was created as a joint collaboration between French, Spanish, German and Estonian researchers.
Demographic expansion of several Amazonian archaeological cultures by computer simulation
Expansions by groups of humans were common during prehistoric times, after the adoption of agriculture. Among other factors, this is due to population growth of farmers which was greater than of hunter-gatherers. We can find one example of this during the Neolithic period, when farming was introduced to Europe by migrations from the Middle East.
A hydrological model leads to advances in the creation of a world water map
Water is a global resource which is essential for life on our planet, thus hydrological research and the study of its management has also become crucial work for the continuity of life on Earth. The availability of public data on water behavior such as data about river flow and rainfall are key for the research community in order to create a world water map. When drawing this map, the public and...
Simulations forecast US nationwide increase in human exposure to extreme climate events
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:26
Using the now-decommissioned Titan supercomputer, a team of researchers estimated the combined consequences of many different extreme climate events at the county level, a unique approach that provided unprecedented regional and national climate projections that identified the areas most likely to face climate-related challenges.
Potato power: Spuds serve high quality protein that's good for women's muscle
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:17
Researchers have found that the potato, primarily known as a starchy vegetable, can be a source of high-quality protein that helps to maintain muscle.
Cognition and gait speed often decline together, study shows
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:17
Measures of cognition and gait speed largely paralleled each other in a San Antonio study of 370 participants that included 9½ years of follow-up. One-fifth of participants were classified into a cognitive and physical vulnerability group. Mexican American participants were almost four times more likely than European Americans to be in the cognitive and physical vulnerability group.
Despite millennial stereotypes, burnout just as bad for Gen X doctors in training
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:17
Despite the seemingly pervasive opinion that millennial physicians are more prone to burnout and a lack of empathy compared to older generations, a new study of 588 millennial and Generation X residents found that no such generational gap exists.
Evidence that human brains replay our waking experiences while we sleep
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:17
When we fall asleep, our brains are not merely offline, they're busy organizing new memories -- and now, scientists have gotten a glimpse of the process. Researchers report the first direct evidence that human brains replay waking experiences while asleep, seen in the brains of two participants who had been implanted with microelectrode arrays as part of a brain-computer interface pilot clinical...
Broadband enhancement relies on precise tilt
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:17
If a photon source could be placed on a single chip and made to produce photons at a high rate, this could enable high-speed quantum communication or information processing. A simple on-chip photon source using a hyperbolic metamaterial is proposed, and investigators carried out calculations to show that a prototype arranged in a precise way can overcome problems of low efficiency and allow for...
Fossil fuel-free jet propulsion with air plasmas
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/5 18:17
Humans depend on fossil fuels as their primary energy source, especially in transportation. However, fossil fuels are both unsustainable and unsafe, serving as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers have demonstrated a prototype device that uses microwave air plasmas for jet propulsion, generating the high-temperature, high-pressure plasma in situ using only injected air and...