163 articles from FRIDAY 17.7.2020
When Scott Morrison muses about crossroads, he's really pondering his own prime ministership
With close to a million Australians unemployed, the government’s next run of decisions will need to be right, or at least right enoughScott Morrison has been musing out loud about crossroads. The brief foray into symbolism was prompted by the cluster of coronavirus infections at the Crossroads hotel in Casula in New South Wales. So far, state authorities seem to be on top of that outbreak....
China moves rocket into place for upcoming Mars mission
China has moved a rocket into position to launch a rover to Mars in one of three upcoming missions to the red planet, one from the U.S. and another by the United Arab Emirates.
Ecuadorian hummingbirds chirp ultrasonic songs of seduction
Perched on a flowering shrub on a windy Andean mountainside, the tiny Ecuadorian Hillstar hummingbird chirps songs of seduction that only another bird of its kind can hear.
A call to arms: Enlisting private land owners in conservation
In 1872 the United States created Yellowstone, the first National Park in the world. Since then many more parks, monuments, preserves, wildernesses and other protected areas have been created in the USA. Protected areas, like Yellowstone, are invaluable, but are they actually effective at preserving endangered species? And if not, how can future protected areas do better?
Scientists find faster way to count animal sperm using DNA
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have identified a quicker and less expensive way to count sperm in lobsters that could help scientists looking at any animal better understand mating, a key aspect of species survival.
New species of 'fish lizard,' a reptile dating back to the dinosaurs, discovered by McGill student
A McGill University doctoral student and a professor in Germany have identified a new species of Ichthyosaur — an extinct reptile that swam in the oceans back when dinosaurs still roamed the...
Enhanced water repellent surfaces discovered in nature
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 20:07
Through the investigation of insect surfaces, researchers have detailed a previously unidentified nanostructure that can be used to engineer stronger, more resilient water repellent coatings.
The Guardian view on the government’s coronavirus gamble: winter will come | Editorial
Boris Johnson suggested that England could see something like normality by Christmas. Don’t count on itCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn Aesop’s fable, the ant uses summer to prepare for the bleak months to come, while the grasshopper idles its time away, only to regret it as temperatures plummet. England must hope Boris Johnson remembers the tale, since as of...
Scientists achieve major breakthrough in preserving integrity of sound waves
In a breakthrough for physics and engineering, researchers from the Photonics Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY (CUNY ASRC) and from Georgia Tech have presented the first demonstration of topological order based on time modulations. This advancement allows the researchers to propagate sound waves along the boundaries of topological metamaterials...
Enhanced water repellent surfaces discovered in nature
Through the investigation of insect surfaces, Penn State researchers have detailed a previously unidentified nanostructure that can be used to engineer stronger, more resilient water repellent coatings.
Researchers create a roadmap to better multivalent batteries
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from mobile phones to laptop computers and electric vehicles, but demand is growing for less expensive and more readily available alternatives. The top candidates all hold promise, but researchers report that steep challenges remain.
Cannabis shows potential for mitigating sickle cell disease pain
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
Cannabis appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for the chronic pain that afflicts people with sickle cell disease, according to a new clinical trial.
Synapse-saving proteins discovered, opening possibilities in Alzheimer's, schizophrenia
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
Loss of synapses is a contributing factor to Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Researchers discovered a class of proteins that inhibit synapse elimination, opening possibilities for novel therapies for the two diseases.
Uplifting of Columbia River basalts opens window on how region was sculpted
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
Information drawn from analyses of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of materials from exposed Columbia River basalts has provided insights about how magma from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago shaped the region and why those eruptions did not trigger a global extinction event.
Study reveals intricate details about Huntington's disease protein
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
The research focuses on axonal transport -- the way in which vital materials travel along pathways called axons inside nerve cells, or neurons. Scientists found that HTT sometimes journeys along these roadways in cellular vehicles (called vesicles) that also carry freight including a protein called Rab4. The research also identified other materials that may be present in these shipments.
Pesticides speed the spread of deadly waterborne pathogens
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
Widespread use of pesticides can speed the transmission of the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, while also upsetting the ecological balances in aquatic environments that prevent infections, finds a new study. The infection, which can trigger lifelong liver and kidney damage, affects hundreds of millions of people every year and is second only to malaria among parasitic diseases, in terms of...
Atomtronic device could probe boundary between quantum, everyday worlds
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 19:32
A new device that relies on flowing clouds of ultracold atoms promises potential tests of the intersection between the weirdness of the quantum world and the familiarity of the macroscopic world we experience every day.
Scientists count all the tiny snails in the Arctic
Shell-bearing microgastropods are snails whose size is less than five millimeters. They represent one of the least studied groups of metazoan living organisms in the oceans. Ivan Nekhaev is a senior research associate at the Department of Applied Ecology at St Petersburg University, and Ekaterina Krol is a doctoral student. They have summarized and analyzed the currently known information on the...
Image: Hubble spies sparkling galaxy
As beautiful as the surrounding space may be, the sparkling galaxy in the foreground of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope undeniably steals the show.
Released Siamese crocodile found nesting in the wild
A Siamese crocodile that was released into the wild in 2018 has been recorded nesting in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains. The female crocodile was identified by her tail scute markings as one that had previously been cared for at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center and this finding provides evidence that released Siamese crocodiles are not only surviving in the wild, but are also able to nest.
Where is water distributed during a drought?
In low precipitation periods, where and how is the limited available water distributed, and what possibilities are there for improving retention in the soil and the landscape? Dörthe Tetzlaff and her team from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have discovered that vegetation has a major influence on this. The researchers are investigating the storage,...
How well do you know your bumblebees?
A citizen science collaboration, of which the University of Aberdeen is part of, launched a new tool this week to help members of the public learn more about bumblebees.
New explosive materials to bring nontoxic ammunition
Every time a gun fires, lead leaches into the air. A scientific advancement could provide a comparable replacement for lead-based explosive materials found in ammunition, protecting soldiers and the environment from potential toxic effects.
Separating gamma-ray bursts
By applying a machine-learning algorithm, scientists at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have developed a method to classify all gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), rapid highly energetic explosions in distant galaxies, without needing to find an afterglow—by which GRBs are presently categorized. This breakthrough, initiated by first-year B.Sc. students, may prove key in finally...
The Anthropocene signature on Mount Elbrus, Caucasus
Researchers of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Italian National Research Council and of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice analyzed fragrances deriving from personal care products and consumer goods in an ice core from Mt. Elbrus, Caucasus. The concentration profile of such fragrances from the 1930s to 2005 follows the trend of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that originate from...
Stabilisation of charge density wave phase by interfacial interactions
NUS researchers have demonstrated that the charge density wave (CDW) phase in H-phase tantalum disulfide (TaS2) bilayers can be stabilized at room temperature by interfacial interactions with a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) substrate.
Researchers develop new materials for energy and sensing
A team of researchers from MIT and Northwestern University has demonstrated the ability to fine-tune the electronic properties of hybrid perovskite materials, which have drawn enormous interest as potential next-generation optoelectronic materials for devices such as solar cells and light sources.
Baleen whales have changed their distribution in the Western North Atlantic
Researchers have been using passive acoustic recordings of whale calls to track their movements. They have found that four of the six baleen whale species found in the western North Atlantic Ocean—humpback, sei, fin and blue whales—have changed their distribution patterns in the past decade. The recordings were made over 10 years by devices moored to the seafloor at nearly 300 locations from...
Research underscores importance of global surveillance of plant pathogens
First spotted in the United States in 2014, bacterial leaf streak of corn is an emerging disease of corn that has now spread to ten states, including the top three corn-producing states of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
A concept in psychology is helping AI to better navigate our world
The concept: When we look at a chair, regardless of its shape and color, we know that we can sit on it. When a fish is in water, regardless of its location, it knows that it can swim. This is known as the theory of affordance, a term coined by psychologist James J. Gibson. It states that when intelligent beings look at the world they perceive not simply objects and their relationships but also...
New insight into the origin of water on Earth
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Scientists have found the interstellar organic matter could produce an abundant supply of water by heating, suggesting that organic matter could be the source of terrestrial water.
Antarctica more widely impacted by humans than previously thought
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Using a data set of 2.7 million human activity records, the team showed just how extensive human use of Antarctica has been over the last 200 years.
Turmeric could have antiviral properties
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Curcumin, a natural compound found in the spice turmeric, could help eliminate certain viruses, research has found. A study showed that curcumin can prevent Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) - an alpha-group coronavirus that infects pigs - from infecting cells. At higher doses, the compound was also found to kill virus particles.
Predicting your personality from your smartphone data
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Everyone who uses a smartphone unavoidably generates masses of digital data that are accessible to others, and these data provide clues to the user's personality. Psychologists are now studying how revealing these clues are.
Clear strategies needed to reduce bushmeat hunting
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Extensive wildlife trade not only threatens species worldwide but can also lead to the transmission of zoonotic diseases. Research sheds new light on the motivations why people hunt, trade or consume different species. The research shows that more differentiated solutions are needed to prevent uncontrolled disease emergence and species decline.
A chemical tailor-made suit for Alzheimer's drugs
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Over 50 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease and it is one of the greatest medical and social challenges of our time. Due to pathological changes in the brain, patients become increasingly forgetful and disoriented as the disease progresses. Alzheimer's is still considered incurable today. Researchers now describe a promising approach to treating Alzheimer's disease.
New technology speeds up organic data transfer
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
An international research team developed visible light communication (VLC) setup capable of a data rate of 2.2 Mb/s by employing a new type of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
Where is the water during a drought?
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
In low precipitation periods - where and how is the limited available water distributed and what possibilities are there for improving retention in the soil and the landscape? Researchers discovered that vegetation has a major influence on this. Using the example of the drought-sensitive Demnitzer Muehlenfliess in Brandenburg, they quantified visible and invisible water flows during and shortly...
Separating gamma-ray bursts: Students make critical breakthrough
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
By applying a machine-learning algorithm, scientists have developed a method to classify all gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), rapid highly energetic explosions in distant galaxies, without needing to find an afterglow - by which GRBs are presently categorized. This breakthrough, initiated by first-year B.Sc. students, may prove key in finally discovering the origins of these mysterious bursts.
Study shows how traumatic experiences can leave their mark on a person's eyes
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
New research shows that a patient's pupils can reveal if they have suffered a traumatic experience in the past. The study examined how an individual's eyes responded when shown threatening images.
Mundane behavioral decisions, actions can be 'misremembered' as done
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Mundane behaviors such as taking a daily medication can eventually create false memories of completing the task.
Baleen whales have changed their distribution in the Western North Atlantic
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/17 18:01
Researchers using passive acoustic recordings of whale calls to track their movements have found that four of the six baleen whale species found in the western North Atlantic Ocean -- humpback, sei, fin and blue whales -- have changed their distribution patterns in the past decade. The recordings were made over 10 years by devices moored to the seafloor at nearly 300 locations from the Caribbean...
Vaccine research shouldn’t be secret | Letter
Martin Clavane on what reports about Russian hacking reveal about how the world responds to threats such as Covid-19Reports about Russian hacking into Covid-19 research are very revealing (Russian state-sponsored hackers target Covid-19 vaccine researchers, 16 July). They raise fundamental questions about how the world should collectively respond to such existential threats to humankind.Why is it...
Covid-19 data is a public good. The US government must start treating it like one.
Earlier this week as a pandemic raged across the United States, residents were cut off from the only publicly available source of aggregated data on the nation’s intensive care and hospital bed capacity. When the Trump administration stripped the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of control over coronavirus data, it also took that information away from the public.
I run a...
Improved waste separation using super-stable magnetic fluid
Magnetically separating waste particles makes it possible to reclaim a variety of raw materials from waste. Using a magnetic fluid, a waste flow can be separated into multiple segments in a single step. Researchers from Utrecht and Nijmegen have now succeeded in creating a magnetic fluid that remains stable in extremely strong magnetic fields, which makes it possible to separate materials with a...