168 articles from FRIDAY 4.9.2020

Unraveling the secrets of Tennessee whiskey

More than a century has passed since the last scientific analyses of the famed 'Lincoln County [Tennessee] process' was published, but the secrets of the famous Tennessee whiskey flavor are starting to unravel. The latest research promises advancements in the field of flavor science as well as marketing.

Unraveling the secrets of Tennessee whiskey

More than a century has passed since the last scientific analyses of the famed "Lincoln County [Tennessee] process" was published, but the secrets of the famous Tennessee whiskey flavor are starting to unravel at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The latest research promises advancements in the field of flavor science as well as marketing.

Painting with light: Novel nanopillars precisely control intensity of transmitted light

By shining white light on a glass slide stippled with millions of tiny titanium dioxide pillars, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their collaborators have reproduced with astonishing fidelity the luminous hues and subtle shadings of "Girl With a Pearl Earring," Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece. The approach has potential applications in...

Scans reveal how brain adapts to life in space

Analysis of brain scans finds increase in white and grey matter in regions involved in physical movementBrain scans of cosmonauts have revealed the first clear evidence of how the organ adapts to the weird and often sickness-inducing challenge of moving around in space.Analysis of scans taken from 11 cosmonauts, who spent about six months each in orbit, found increases in white and grey matter in...

In defense of California

About a year after graduating from college, I packed my possessions into a rental van I’d split with a near stranger and departed my home state of Ohio. We steered onto I-70 West, bound for San Francisco. At the time, I was less drawn to California in any specific way than determined to escape a state that was too conservative, homogenous, and religious for my tastes. Plus, oof, the winters....

UK police deal with thousands of potential Covid-19 quarantine breakers

Exclusive: Britain approaching ‘pivotal moment’ in attempt to avoid surge in cases, scientists say Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice forces across the country are dealing with thousands of potential violations of quarantine rules involving holidaymakers who may not be self-isolating after trips abroad, the Guardian can reveal.The requests for “further...

UK coronavirus live: close to 2,000 new Covid cases recorded - highest daily total since May – as it happened

Daily case numbers have been rising for two months now, with 1,940 more today. This live blog has now closed - please follow the global live blog for the latest updates 6.24pm BST The latest seven-day infection figures show Leeds as having a rate of 32.4 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate on testing of 3.5%.The latest data suggests that a lot of the cases are in different areas of the...

Splitting water molecules for a renewable energy future

The future economy based on renewable and sustainable energy sources might utilize battery-powered cars, large-scale solar and wind farms, and energy reserves stored in batteries and chemical fuels. Although there are examples of sustainable energy sources in use already, scientific and engineering breakthroughs will determine the timeline for widespread adoption.

Opto-thermoelectric microswimmers

In a recent report, Xiaolei Peng and a team of scientists in materials science and engineering at the University of Texas, U.S., and the Tsinghua University, China, developed opto-thermoelectric microswimmers bioinspired by the motion behaviors of Escherichia coli (E. coli). They engineered the microswimmers using dielectric gold Janus particles driven by a self-sustained electric field arising...

The Guardian view on book therapy: an old idea finds new life | Editorial

A generous act by the creator of the detective Vera reminds us that reading can help people in the hardest times The library of Pharaoh Ramesses II is said to have borne the inscription “the house of healing for the soul”. Dylan Thomas reportedly liked to relax by reading Agatha Christie while he sucked sweets in the bathtub. The novelist Yiyun Li turns to War and Peace in the toughest times;...

'Floppy' atomic dynamics help turn heat into electricity

Materials scientists have uncovered an atomic mechanism that makes certain thermoelectric materials such as iron sulfide incredibly efficient near high-temperature phase transitions. The information will help fill critical knowledge gaps in the computational modeling of such materials, potentially allowing researchers to discover new and better options for technologies that rely on transforming...

Splitting water molecules for a renewable energy future

Chemists are working on energy storage and conversion research. This work is part of a new study that solves a key, fundamental barrier in the electrochemical water splitting process where the Lin Lab demonstrates a new technique to reassemble, revivify, and reuse a catalyst that allows for energy-efficient water splitting.