333 articles from WEDNESDAY 2.9.2020
For photocatalysts, standing the test of time means finding a perfect partner
The key to efficiently harvesting energy from sunlight could be to find the right combinations of light-capturing materials. Researchers at KAUST have discovered that a form of iron oxide makes an excellent co-catalyst for a promising photocatalytic material called gallium nitride.
Eat more to grow more arms… if you're a sea anemone
Your genetic code determines that you will grow two arms and two legs. The same fate is true for all mammals. Similarly, the number of fins a fish has and the number of legs and wings an insect has are embedded in their genetic code. Sea anemones, however, defy this rule and have a variable number of tentacle arms.
Ugandan gorillas in Bwindi park have 'baby boom'
Five baby gorillas are born in six weeks in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Booster rocket for Nasa Moon missions set for critical test
Engineers are preparing to test a booster rocket that will help send astronauts back to the...
Booster rocket for Nasa Moon missions set for critical test
Engineers are preparing to test a booster rocket that will help send astronauts back to the Moon.
Apple and Google have launched coronavirus exposure notifications without an app
The news: Apple and Google have announced they’re expanding their coronavirus exposure warning system so health agencies can take part without needing to create a customized app. It’s a significant upgrade to the system, which uses Bluetooth to work out if people have spent extended periods of time near each other, then notifies someone’s close contacts if they test positive for coronavirus....
Kraken Robotics nets $3M to build new 'Thunderfish' autonomous underwater vehicle
The Thunderfish XL is designed to be completely autonomous, and will be able to make decisions on its own as to how to proceed when faced with a...
Common species mirror rare animals' response to global change
The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global change as those of rare species, a study suggests.
Cormorant hunt lacks scientific basis, 51 experts say in open letter to Ontario minister
Fifty-one experts are calling on the Ontario minister of natural resources and forestry to provide a scientific explanation for a province-wide hunt on double-crested cormorants that is slated to begin within two...
UN says new polio outbreak in Sudan caused by oral vaccine
The World Health Organization says a new polio outbreak in Sudan is linked to an ongoing vaccine-sparked epidemic in Chad — a week after the U.N. health agency declared the African continent free of the wild polio virus. In a statement this week, WHO said two children in Sudan — one from South Darfur state and the other from Gedarif state, close to the border with Ethiopia and Eritrea —...
Covid vaccine tracker: when will a coronavirus vaccine be ready?
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...
A closer look at the vaccines Canada is betting on to stem the spread of COVID-19
The federal government has announced that it has signed deals with four companies to reserve millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines under development. The candidate vaccines represent a variety of different technologies with different pros and cons. Here’s a closer...
QAnon merchandise still sold by major online retailers despite social media crackdown
E-commerce giants Amazon and eBay continue to sell thousands of items promoting QAnon, even as social media companies crack down on the dangerous conspiracy theory that the FBI has called a 'domestic terror...
Covid lockdown eased in two of England's worst-hit areas despite surge in cases
Lifting of restrictions in Bolton and Trafford described as ‘completely illogical’ Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRestrictions on social gatherings for more than half a million people in two of England’s worst-hit areas have been lifted, despite councils warning the government it was too soon to lift the measures.The government pressed ahead with the lifting of...
Two Koreas on high alert as typhoon approaches peninsula
Flights were grounded in South Korea and storm warnings issued on both sides of the Korean peninsula as a typhoon forecast to be one of the most powerful in years made its approach Wednesday.
Honeybee venom 'kills some breast cancer cells'
Tests show promising results against two cancer types but more research is needed, scientists say.
How to get the upper body of a burrowing frog
You might think the buffest frogs would be high jumpers, but if you want shredded pecs, you should train like a burrowing frog. Though famously round, these diggers are the unsung bodybuilders of the frog world. We bring you tips from frog expert Rachel Keeffe, a doctoral student at the University of Florida, and physical therapist Penny Goldberg to help you get the burrowing body of your dreams.
Bus drivers more likely to let white customers ride for free: study
A new paper in The Economic Journal finds that bus drivers are more likely to let white riders ride for free and less likely to let Black riders ride without paying the fee.
New index helps forecast US supply chain risks
Lehigh University College of Business has launched the Lehigh Business Supply Chain Risk Management Index. The LRMI will report quarterly on how supply chain managers rank 10 broad areas of supply chain risk. A unique aspect of the LRMI is that the quarterly reports include a sampling of candid comments from supply chain managers about each risk category that goes beyond the numbers. The next...
Curlew conservation project sees birds released at Lough Neagh
Five curlew fledglings are released near Lough Neagh after they were saved as eggs in late spring.
Reef manta rays make long-term use of marine-protected areas
Marine animals are notoriously difficult to track, creating big gaps in how scientists understand their behavior and migration patterns—key insights for helping conserve important habitats. Researchers in Australia, using satellite tags and a decades-old satellite photographic database, published a paper in Frontiers in Marine Science that suggests a migratory species like the reef manta ray is...
A disc of gas would explain mysterious light changes observed in Sagittarius constellation
The enigmatic variations of light in a binary system, located in Sagittarius constellation, could be explained by the presence of a variable gas disc around a hot star that revolves around a cooler star. These are the conclusions of researchers from Chile, Serbia and Poland, and published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
'No, you go first'
New research into highly social yet invasive house sparrows reveals that they can learn from each other and adapt their behavior. This research was published this week in Biology Letters.
A 'bang' in LIGO and Virgo detectors signals most massive gravitational-wave source yet
Researchers have detected a signal from what may be the most massive black hole merger yet observed in gravitational waves. The product of the merger is the first clear detection of an 'intermediate-mass' black hole, with a mass between 100 and 1,000 times that of the sun.
A disk of gas would explain mysterious light changes observed in Sagittarius constellation
The enigmatic variations of light in a binary system, located in Sagittarius constellation, could be explained by the presence of a variable gas disk around a hot star that revolves around a cooler star. These are the conclusions published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics and which brought by researchers from Chile, Serbia and Poland.