292 articles from WEDNESDAY 24.6.2020

Changes in water of Canadian Arctic

Melting of Arctic ice due to climate change has exposed more sea surface to an atmosphere with higher concentrations of carbon dioxide. Scientists have long suspected this trend would raise CO2 in Arctic Ocean water. Now researchers have determined that, indeed, CO2 levels are rising in water across wide swaths of the Arctic Ocean's Canada Basin.

Scientists develop new tool to design better fusion devices

One way that scientists seek to bring to Earth the fusion process that powers the stars is trapping plasma within a twisting magnetic coil device shaped like a breakfast cruller. But the device, called a stellarator, must be precisely engineered to prevent heat from escaping the plasma core where it stokes the fusion reactions. Now, researchers have demonstrated that an advanced computer code...

Steep NYC traffic toll would reduce gridlock, pollution

New research by Cornell University and the City College of New York (CCNY), shows that by enforcing a $20 toll for cars and taxis to enter the central business district of Manhattan, traffic congestion could be reduced by up to 40%, public transit ridership could grow by 6% and greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 15%.

Beneath the surface of our galaxy's water worlds

Out beyond our solar system, visible only as the smallest dot in space with even the most powerful telescopes, other worlds exist. Many of these worlds, astronomers have discovered, may be much larger than Earth and completely covered in water—basically ocean planets with no protruding land masses. What kind of life could develop on such a world? Could a habitat like this even support life?

Self-powered alarm fights forest fires, monitors environment

Smokey the Bear says that only you can prevent wildfires, but what if Smokey had a high-tech backup? In a new study, a team of Michigan State University scientists designed and fabricated a remote forest fire detection and alarm system powered by nothing but the movement of the trees in the wind.

Simulations reveal how saltwater behaves in Earth's mantle

Scientists estimate that the Earth's mantle holds as much water as all the oceans on the planet, but understanding how this water behaves is difficult. Water in the mantle exists under high pressure and at elevated temperatures, extreme conditions that are challenging to recreate in the laboratory.

Plug-and-play lens simplifies adaptive optics for microscopy

Researchers have developed a new plug-and-play device that can add adaptive optics correction to commercial optical microscopes. Adaptive optics can greatly improve the quality of images acquired deep into biological samples, but has, until now, been extremely complex to implement.

Resident parasites influence appearance, evolution of barn swallows

Barn swallows live almost everywhere on the planet, recognizable by their forked tail and agility in the air. Yet while they share these characteristics, these little birds often look slightly different in each place they live—with some so distinct they're splitting off to become new species.

Study quantifies socioeconomic benefits of satellites for harmful algal bloom detection

Heading to the lake this summer? While harmful algal blooms can cause health problems for lake visitors, satellite data can provide early detection of harmful algae, resulting in socioeconomic benefits worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from one harmful algal bloom event, a new study finds. A Resources for the Future (RFF) and NASA VALUABLES Consortium study published in GeoHealth examines the...

NASA, Partner Space Agencies Amass Global View of COVID-19 Impacts

Portal origin URL: NASA, Partner Space Agencies Amass Global View of COVID-19 ImpactsPortal origin nid: 462262Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2020 - 15:18Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: In response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) have joined forces to use...

Crops: Light environment modifications could maximize productivity

Crops form canopies with overlapping leaves. Typically, the sun leaves at the top of the canopy photosynthesize at maximum efficiency at high light, while shade leaves at the bottom photosynthesize at maximum efficiency at low light. However, this is not the case for maize (corn) and the bioenergy crop Miscanthus. Researchers have published a study that looked into the cause for this maladaptation...

Resident parasites influence appearance, evolution of barn swallows

Researchers think that local parasites are influencing why barn swallows in Europe, the Middle East and Colorado are choosing their mates differently. Their new research finds that these parasites could be playing an important role in changing the traits displayed to attract mates early in the process of the creation of new species.

Twitter posts reveal polarization in Congress on COVID-19

The rapid politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen in messages members of the US Congress sent about the issue on the social media site Twitter, a new analysis found. Using artificial intelligence and resources from the Ohio Supercomputer Center, researchers conducted an analysis that covered all 30,887 tweets that members sent about COVID-19 from the first one on Jan. 17 through March...

Genes affecting brains and brawn?

Genes located in 'copy number variants' (CNVs) -- parts of chromosomes that are missing in some individuals and duplicated in others -- that are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders affect more than just brain development, according to new research.

Rogue's gallery of dusty star systems reveals exoplanet nurseries

The Gemini Planet Imager on the Gemini South telescope looked at 104 young, nearby stars, 10-100 million years old, in search of debris disks. It found 26, 25 of which had inner holes indicating a planet. These debris rings, similar to the Kuiper Belt in our solar system, display amazing diversity in size and distance from the star. Such studies help astronomers understand the formation of planets...

Plug-and-play lens simplifies adaptive optics for microscopy

Researchers have developed a new plug-and-play device that can add adaptive optics correction to commercial optical microscopes. Adaptive optics can greatly improve the quality of images acquired deep into biological samples, but has, until now, been extremely complex to implement.

Adirondack boreal peatlands near southern range limit likely threatened by warmer climate

A study documents an invasion happening in the Adirondacks: the black spruce, tamarack, and other boreal species are being overcome by trees normally found in warmer, more temperate forests. Ultimately, researchers predict that these invaders could overtake a variety of northern species, eliminating trees that have long been characteristic of wetlands like Shingle Shanty Preserve in the...

A shorter IQ test for children with special needs

For decades, neuropsychologists have used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children test as the gold-standard intelligence quotient (IQ) test to determine the intellectual abilities of children with special needs. However, this comprehensive test can take up to 2 hours to complete, and many children with special needs have a difficult time participating in such long tests.

Adirondack boreal peatlands near southern range limit likely threatened by warmer climate

A study published in the journal Wetlands documents an invasion happening in the Adirondacks: the black spruce, tamarack, and other boreal species are being overcome by trees normally found in warmer, more temperate forests. Ultimately, researchers from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) predict that these invaders could overtake a variety of northern species, eliminating...

Study examines media coverage of protests worldwide

As anti-racism solidarity protests continue around the world, new research suggests mainstream media have a tendency to focus on the violence and spectacle of a protest rather than the substance. That mentality and approach need to change according to Summer Harlow, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Houston Jack J. Valenti School of Communication.

Entry point for curbing the evolution of antibiotic resistance discovered

The team of Professor Tobias Bollenbach from the Institute for Biological Physics at the University of Cologne has published a study on a new approach to improving the effectiveness of antibiotics in bacterial infections. The study 'Highly parallel lab evolution reveals that epistasis can curb the evolution of antibiotic resistance,' on ways to controlling antibiotic resistance through targeted...

Study suggests light environment modifications could maximize productivity

The crops we grow in the field often form dense canopies with many overlapping leaves, such that young "sun leaves" at the top of the canopy are exposed to full sunlight with older "shade leaves" at the bottom. In order to maximize photosynthesis, resource-use efficiency, and yield, sun leaves typically maximize photosynthetic efficiency at high light, while shade leaves maximize efficiency at low...

Scientists identify the mechanism that regulates mitochondrial energy production

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have identified the molecular mechanism by which mitochondria, the main source of the cell's energy supply, regulate their function to optimize energy production in order to meet the body's changing needs. The discovery, published in the journal Science Advances, helps to explain how the body regulates its metabolism.

Antarctic penguins happier with less sea ice

Researchers have been surprised to find that Adélie penguins in Antarctica prefer reduced sea ice conditions, not just a little bit, but a lot. As climate models project rapid reduction of the continent's sea ice over the rest of the century, this iconic polar predator could be a rare global warming winner. Their research findings are published on June 24, 2020 in Science Advances.

The Guardian view on scientists in Downing Street: a brief encounter | Editorial

Boris Johnson sometimes uses experts to bolster his authority but his real guide is fear of being held responsible for bad governmentIt is clear from the volume and complexity of new hygiene guidelines that the grand reopening of England’s consumer economy, scheduled for 4 July, marks no return to normality. The long-deferred pleasure of the pub will be diluted by measures to enforce physical...