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...

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).

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...

Request for Information: Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM)

Do you have ideas for potential scientific, exploration, and technology demonstration investigations for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program? If you are from U.S. industry, a university, a non-profit organization, a NASA center or other U.S. government agency, NASA wants your ideas. This Request For Information (RFI) is a joint effort between the Science Mission...

Scientists Convene at ASGSR and Identify Critical Research Required to Support Moon and Mars Missions

ASGSR 2018-2019 President Kevin Sato and Anna-Lisa Paul, 2019 annual meeting chair The “planets are aligning” for the United States to make monumental leaps in research that both enables space exploration and is enabled by space exploration. Congressional and executive branch support for NASA’s Artemis program, as well as for future missions to Mars, has led to significant levels of...

A Once-in-a-Decade Opportunity: NASA to Solicit Science Community Input on NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Research Priorities via Decadal Survey

NASA astronauts (left to right) Christina Koch and Jessica Meir harvested Mizuna mustard greens on Thanksgiving day inside the ESA (European Space Agency) laboratory module's VEGGIE facility. It’s a once-in-a-decade opportunity: the chance to identify the most compelling science and technology questions facing the decade ahead. This year, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and...

A Pathway to Patents: How Procter & Gamble’s Work with NASA Led to Product Innovations

To some, it may seem an unlikely collaboration: Procter & Gamble (P&G), a world leader in consumer-packaged goods, partnering with NASA. Both, however, share a common goal: bettering life on Earth by defying gravity and conducting research in space. People around the world use P&G’s products every day—they own multiple brands providing skincare, haircare, personal health...

From (Space) Farm to Table: Using Autonomy and Robotics to Produce Crops in Space

The Exploration Research and Technology Programs at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida hosted a two-day workshop, Aug. 6 and 7, 2019, focusing on robotics and automation in space crop production.Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett Researchers from around the world convened at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in August for a two-day workshop focused on the use of autonomy and robotics...