231 articles from MONDAY 8.6.2020
Titan is migrating away from Saturn 100 times faster than previously predicted
By Earthly standards, Saturn's moon Titan is a strange place. Larger than the planet Mercury, Titan is swaddled in a thick atmosphere (it is the only moon in the solar system to have one) and covered in rivers and seas of liquid hydrocarbons like methane and ethane. Beneath these is a thick crust of water ice, and beneath that may be a liquid water ocean that could potentially harbor life.
Making nanoparticle analysis quicker and more affordable
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 22:34
Scientists introduce an open-source method to simplify nanoparticle analysis using scanning electron microscope images.
Milkweed, only food source for monarch caterpillars, ubiquitously contaminated
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 22:34
New evidence identifies 64 pesticide residues in milkweed, the main food for monarch butterflies in the west. Milkweed samples from all of the locations studied in California's Central Valley were contaminated with pesticides, sometimes at levels harmful to monarchs and other insects. 32% of the samples contained pesticide levels known to be lethal to monarchs, according to a new study.
Radiocarbon dating pins date for construction of Uyghur complex to the year 777
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 22:34
Dating archaeological objects precisely is difficult, even when using techniques such as radiocarbon dating. Using a recently developed method, based on the presence of sudden spikes in carbon-14 concentration, scientists have pinned the date for the construction of an eighth-century complex in southern Siberia to a specific year. This allows archaeologists to finally understand the purpose for...
Research team builds better rock models
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 22:34
Once you crush, cut or fracture a rock, there are no do-overs. It's a fact that means geoscientists have to be particularly careful about which rock samples they can sacrifice to physics experiments versus which ones should stay on the shelf. A team of geoscience researchers is working to change that with a new method for creating digital replicas of rock samples that is more accurate and simpler...
Physicists study mirror nuclei for precision theory test
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 22:34
A precision measurement of helium and hydrogen mirror isotopes reveals new questions in understanding of nuclear structure.
Ultra-sensitive device for detecting magnetic fields
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 22:34
The new magnetic sensor is inexpensive to make, works on minimal power and is 20 times more sensitive than many traditional sensors.
New books present the PhyloCode, an evolution-based system for naming organisms
Move over, Linnaeus: There's a new way of naming organisms.
Milkweed, only food source for monarch caterpillars, ubiquitously contaminated
New evidence identifies 64 pesticide residues in milkweed, the main food for monarch butterflies in the west. Milkweed samples from all of the locations studied in California's Central Valley were contaminated with pesticides, sometimes at levels harmful to monarchs and other insects.
New tool helps nanorods stand out
Rice University scientists have developed an easy and affordable tool to count and characterize nanoparticles.
Shock waves created in the lab mimic astrophysical particle accelerators powered by exploding stars
When stars explode as supernovas, they produce shock waves in the plasma surrounding them. So powerful are these shock waves, they can act as particle accelerators that blast streams of particles, called cosmic rays, out into the universe at nearly the speed of light. Yet how exactly they do that has remained something of a mystery.
Marine energy devices likely pose minimal impacts to marine life, report shows
Marine scientists from around the world spent the last four years reviewing numerous studies and other data on the possible environmental effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) devices and found that the potential impact to marine life is likely small or undetectable.
Physicists study mirror nuclei for precision theory test
It's not often in nuclear physics that you can clearly get both sides of the story, but a recent experiment allowed researchers to do just that. They compared very similar nuclei to each other to get a clearer view of how the components of nuclei are arranged and found that there's still more to learn about the heart of matter. The research, carried out at the Department of Energy's Thomas...
Researchers develop ultra-sensitive device for detecting magnetic fields
A team of Brown University physicists has developed a new type of compact, ultra-sensitive magnetometer. The new device could be useful in a variety of applications involving weak magnetic fields, the researchers say.
Researchers shed light on new enzymatic reaction
Researchers have identified key ingredients for producing high-value chemical compounds in an environmentally friendly fashion: repurposed enzymes, curiosity, and a little bit of light.
You are what you eat is as important for fish as it is for people
There is truth in the saying "you are what you eat"; even more so if you are a salmon or herring swimming off the British Columbia coast, a recent UBC study discovered.
Researchers build better rock models
Once you crush, cut or fracture a rock, there are no do-overs. It's a fact that means geoscientists have to be particularly careful about which rock samples they can sacrifice to physics experiments versus which ones should stay on the shelf.
Engineers put tens of thousands of artificial brain synapses on a single chip
MIT engineers have designed a "brain-on-a-chip," smaller than a piece of confetti, that is made from tens of thousands of artificial brain synapses known as memristors—silicon-based components that mimic the information-transmitting synapses in the human brain.
Gently caressing atoms
Oxygen is highly reactive. It accumulates on many surfaces and determines their chemical behavior. At the Vienna University of Technology, scientists study the interaction between oxygen and metal oxide surfaces, which play an important role in many technical applications, from chemical sensors and catalysts to electronics.
Scientists engineer one protein to fight cancer and regenerate neurons
Our lungs, bones, blood vessels and other major organs are made up of cells, and one way our bodies keep us healthy is by using protein messengers known as ligands that bind to receptors on the surfaces of cells to regulate our biological processes. When those messages get garbled, it can make us ill with a host of different diseases.
Using multiomics in an agricultural field, scientists discover that organic nitrogen plays a key rol
Researchers from a collaboration led by the RIKEN BioResource Science Center in Japan have analyzed agricultural systems using a multiomics approach, and successfully digitalized the complex interactions between plants, microbes and soil in an agricultural field. Using the new approach, they made the surprising finding that organic nitrogen plays a key role in promoting plant growth. The study,...
New technique pinpoints locations of individual molecules in their cellular neighborhoods
Scientists have married two of today's most powerful microscopy techniques to make images that pinpoint, for the first time, the identities and precise locations of individual proteins within the detailed context of bacterial cells. This information is crucial for learning how protein molecules work together to organize cell division and carry out other important tasks, such as enabling microbes...
Replacing GDP with Gross Ecosystem Product reveals value of nature
Replacing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with a new "ecosystem" measure reveals the enormous value of the natural world, new research shows.
Sharing of tacit knowledge is most important aspect of mentorship, study finds
When it comes to education and mentorship, Northwestern University researchers believe that Albert Einstein had the right idea. The most important aspect of teaching, Einstein thought, isn't relaying facts but imparting tacit knowledge that students will build on for the rest of their lives.
UK ministers face legal challenge for refusal to order PPE inquiry
Doctors and campaigners seek judicial review of government’s efforts to provide PPE for NHSCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters are facing a high court legal challenge after they refused to order an urgent investigation into the shortages of personal protective equipment faced by NHS staff during the coronavirus pandemic.Doctors, lawyers and campaigners for...
Shock waves created in the lab mimic supernova particle accelerators
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:44
Scientists have found new details about how supernovas boost charged particles to nearly the speed of light.
Researchers shed light on new enzymatic reaction
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:44
Researchers have discovered that repurposed enzymes and light are key to producing chemical compounds in an environmentally friendly fashion. By blending bio- and photocatalysis and experimenting with reactionary 'ingredients,' the research team developed a visible-light-induced reaction using the enzyme family ene-reductase (ER). The substrates used in this study, alkenes, can be derived in...
Integrating nanomaterial with light-absorbing molecule powers hydrogen production from water and sun
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:25
Scientists have developed a hybrid material constructed from a metal oxide nanosheet and a light-absorbing molecule for splitting water molecules (H2O) to obtain dihydrogen (H2) under sunlight. Since H2 can be used as carbon-free fuel, this study provides relevant insight towards clean energy generation.
Drug researcher develops 'fat burning' molecule
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:25
Scientists have recently identified a small mitochondrial uncoupler, named BAM15, that decreases the body fat mass of mice without affecting food intake and muscle mass or increasing body temperature.
Tiny, magnetically powered neural stimulator
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:25
Neuroengineers have created a tiny surgical implant that can electrically stimulate the brain and nervous system without using a battery or wired power supply.
Crystalline 'nanobrush' clears way to advanced energy and information tech
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:25
Engineers have synthesized a tiny structure with high surface area and discovered how its unique architecture drives ions across interfaces to transport energy or information. Their 'nanobrush' contains bristles made of alternating crystal sheets with vertically aligned interfaces and plentiful pores.
New approach to reducing spread of mosquito-borne diseases
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:25
Researchers working in rural Kenya have identified the most productive breeding habitats for mosquitoes that spread a range of untreatable viruses. Their findings point to more effective health interventions that focus on the purpose of water-holding containers.
Engineers put tens of thousands of artificial brain synapses on a single chip
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:25
Engineers have designed a 'brain-on-a-chip,' smaller than a piece of confetti, that is made from tens of thousands of artificial brain synapses known as memristors -- silicon-based components that mimic the information-transmitting synapses in the human brain.
Monkeys appreciate lifelike animation
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 19:24
Monkeys can overcome their aversion to animated monkeys through a more realistic avatar, according to new research.
Ocean geoengineering tests violate UN convention: green groups
Experimental geoengineering schemes to protect areas such as Australia's Great Barrier Reef are "distracting technofixes" that violate an international moratorium on the largely untested tech projects, a coalition of nearly 200 environmental groups said Monday.
Protection of seagrasses is key to building resilience to climate change and disasters
Seagrass meadows can be a powerful nature-based climate solution and help sustain communities hard-hit by stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but these important ecosystems continue to decline. The importance of seagrasses is highlighted in a new report, "Out of the Blue: The Value of Seagrasses to the Environment and to People," released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)...
Red tape may have a silver lining for micro businesses: new study
Small business owners who complain about excessive regulation may be overlooking the business benefits it brings, according to a new study from the University of Bath.
RCMP agrees to outfit some Mounties with body cameras
The head of the RCMP says her organization will begin the work of outfitting some of its officers with body cameras — a move that comes in the midst of a global wave of mass protests against police...
Monkeys appreciate lifelike animation
Monkeys can overcome their aversion to animated monkeys through a more realistic avatar, according to research recently published in eNeuro.
Crystalline 'nanobrush' clears way to advanced energy and information tech
A team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory synthesized a tiny structure with high surface area and discovered how its unique architecture drives ions across interfaces to transport energy or information. Their "nanobrush" contains bristles made of alternating crystal sheets with vertically aligned interfaces and plentiful pores.
Facebook needs 30,000 of its own content moderators, says a new report
Imagine if Facebook stopped moderating its site right now. Anyone could post anything they wanted. Experience seems to suggest that it would quite quickly become a hellish environment overrun with spam, bullying, crime, terrorist beheadings, neo-Nazi texts, and images of child sexual abuse. In that scenario, vast swaths of its user base would probably leave, followed by the lucrative advertisers....
'Social distancing' saves frogs: New approach to identify individual frogs noninvasively
Globally, 41% amphibian species are regarded as threatened with extinction. However, when it comes to the case of India, the majority of the species falls in the Data Deficient group, according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Temperate insects as vulnerable to climate change as tropical species
In previous research, it has been assumed that insects in temperate regions would cope well with or even benefit from a warmer climate. Not so, according to researchers from the Universities of Uppsala and Lund in Sweden and Oviedo, Spain, in a new study. The earlier models failed to take into account the fact that insects in temperate habitats are inactive for much of the year.
Threats to global food security from emerging fungal crop pathogens
Amongst the world's most challenging problems is the need to feed an ever-growing global population sustainably.
Chemists are able to induce uniform chirality
Chirality is a fundamental property of many organic molecules and means that chemical compounds can appear in not only one form, but in two mirror-image forms as well. Chemists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg have now found a way to spontaneously induce chirality in crystalline, liquid-crystalline and liquid substances, without requiring any external influence. The findings could be...
Green cities roadmap touts COVID-19 recovery stimulus
A Roadmap to fast-track flourishing green roofs, walls and facades in Australian cities released today promotes six positive actioned based strategies to help grow green cities.
NASA calculates soaking rainfall in Tropical Depression Cristobal
When Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall in southern Louisiana yesterday, May 7, it dropped a lot of rain, and continues to as it weakens and moves inland. NASA's GPM satellite provided a look at the rainfall rates in the now depression.
Novel eco-friendly electrochemical reaction can synthesize useful semiconductor materials
Organic solar cells have a variety of applications in the field of electronics, especially in the development of novel electronic devices like wearable devices. Often, these batteries are composed of organic semiconductor molecules, which are light and robust. Thus, finding novel strategies for the development of these semiconductor molecules has been the goal of many scientists globally. But...
First global map of rockfalls on the Moon
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 18:23
A research team counted over 136,000 rockfalls on the moon caused by asteroid impacts. Even billions of years old landscapes are still changing.
Temperate insects as vulnerable to climate change as tropical species
- ScienceDaily
- 20/6/8 18:23
In previous research, it has been assumed that insects in temperate regions would cope well with or even benefit from a warmer climate. Not so, according to researchers. The earlier models failed to take into account the fact that insects in temperate habitats are inactive for much of the year.