22 articles from SUNDAY 16.8.2020
Starwatch: Corona Borealis, crown of the north
One of the earliest recognised constellations, quite small and relatively faint, Corona Borealis forms an unmistakeable semi-circle of starsThis week, head out of the city to a dark sky location and track down the constellation of Corona Borealis, the northern crown. It is a small, relatively faint constellation but one that has been recognised for millennia. Ptolemy listed it in his 2nd century...
How Do You Solve a Moon Mystery? Fire a Laser at It
The moon is drifting away. Every year, it gets about an inch and a half farther from us. Hundreds of millions of years from now, our companion in the sky will be distant enough that there will be no more total solar eclipses.For decades, scientists have measured the moon's retreat by firing a laser at light-reflecting panels, known as retroreflectors, that were left on the lunar surface, and...
Ariane rocket puts telecom satellites into orbit
A rocket that blasted off from French Guiana successfully placed two communications satellites into orbit Saturday, launch firm Arianespace said.
How climate change could expose new epidemics
Long-dormant viruses brought back to life; the resurgence of deadly and disfiguring smallpox; a dengue or zika "season" in Europe.
Ship that oozed oil off Mauritius coast splits in two
A ship that has leaked more than 1,000 tonnes of oil in pristine waters off the coast of Mauritius has split in two.
COVID-19 pandemic stalls further exploration of Franklin wrecks
For only the second time in 12 years, Marc-Andre Bernier and his underwater archeology team at Parks Canada will not be heading north this month to explore the wrecks of the doomed Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin and his...
New video game takes aim at COVID-19 misinformation
University of Waterloo science student Ridhi Patel has developed a 'quarantrivia' game to help teach people about COVID-19 and debunk...
Hundreds of baby turtles begin to hatch at Ontario 'turtle nursery'
Nearly 2,000 turtle eggs are in the process of hatching at a turtle nursery in Cambridge, Ont. The eggs were collected from the sides of roads to protect the baby turtles from being hit by...
Covid vaccine tracker: when will we have a coronavirus vaccine?
More than 170 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Here is their progress Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue...
Mauritius oil spill: Wrecked MV Wakashio breaks up
The MV Wakashio, which spilled more than 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil off Mauritius, has split apart.
Rising R number casts cloud over Northern Ireland’s Covid success
The region’s enviable record of controlling the virus is at risk from complacency over social distancing, scientists warnCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNorthern Ireland’s chief scientific adviser has warned of the risks of complacency after Covid-19 cases in the region increased rapidly last week. Professor Ian Young said it was “inevitable” that there would...
New diagnostic criteria shine light on early dementia mimics
Experts estimate up to one third of people attending specialist memory clinics in the UK could have a condition that is commonly mistaken for early dementia. In a paper published in the journal, Brain, UK academics and clinicians have collaborated to develop a diagnostic definition of the widely recognised but poorly understood condition, Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD).
Nitrate supplementation could help breathing and lung clearance in the elderly
New research published today in The Journal of Physiology shows that nitrate improves function in the diaphragm, the muscle involved in coughing and breathing, by improving power. The study done in old mice, if replicated in humans, could provide a strategy for helping elderly people clear the lungs more effectively and avoid infection.
Members of NASA GeneLab’s Analysis Working Group Initiate International COVID-19 Data Analysis Effort
Transmission electron microscope image showing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.Credits: National Institutes of Health
A Facebook live event brought together nearly 1,450 researchers from 18 countries, representing 100 institutions—to present recent findings about COVID-19 coronavirus transmission, host interactions, screening diagnosis and treatment therapies. The event, held...