291 articles from TUESDAY 15.9.2020

European space agency signs deal for asteroid defence mission

The European space agency (ESA) signed a deal worth 129 million euros ($154 million) on Tuesday to make a spacecraft for a joint project with NASA looking at how to deflect an asteroid heading for Earth. NASA is due to launch a spacecraft in June 2021 set on a collision course with the Dimorphos asteroid to test whether it would be possible to nudge objects that might be threatening Earth onto a...

NASA satellite imagery shows Teddy consolidating

When a tropical cyclone consolidates, it means that it is getting more organized and its circulation is improving. An improved circulation helps make for a stronger storm. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed that Teddy was consolidating in the Central North Atlantic Ocean.

When hurricanes temporarily halt fishing, marine food webs recover quickly

Fishing has a strong impact on coastal marine food webs, but it's a hard effect to measure. When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in 2017, it temporarily halted fishing in one area of the Gulf Coast and set up a natural experiment for our team. We found that when the hurricane halted recreational fishing, populations of sport fish rebounded almost immediately, causing a cascade of effects throughout...

America's 180 on athlete activism

For 50 dormant years—roughly, the period between Muhammad Ali's heyday and the Miami Heat donning hoodies after Trayvon Martin's murder—athletes, as a general rule, steered clear of politics.

Scientists develop a technique to dynamically curve a photon jet

Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University jointly with international colleagues have found a simple technique to dynamically curve a photonic jet, turning it into a photonic hook. The method was published in Optics Letters. According to the authors, the discovered effect will expand the potential of photonic jets and hooks. For instance, it can be used to manipulate individual particles in...

Tiny protein motor fuels bacterial movement

There are billions of bacteria around us and in our bodies, most of which are harmless or even helpful. But some bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can cause infections. The ability to swim can help bacteria to seek out nutrients or to colonize parts of the body and cause infection.

Study shows difficulty in finding evidence of life on Mars

While scientists are eager to study the red planet's soils for signs of life, researchers must ponder a considerable new challenge: Acidic fluids - which once flowed on the Martian surface - may have destroyed biological evidence hidden within Mars' iron-rich clays, according to researchers.

People react better to both negative and positive events with more sleep

New research finds that after a night of shorter sleep, people react more emotionally to stressful events the next day -- and they don't find as much joy in the good things. This has important health implications: previous research shows that being unable to maintain positive emotions in the face of stress puts people at risk of inflammation and even an earlier death.

Building a test and trace system isn't easy, but there's no excuse for Johnson's shambles | David McCoy

Responding to coronavirus with an over-centralised and semi-privatised design was never going to turn out wellCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCovid-19 was never going to be easy to tackle. It’s contagious. It can be spread by infected people who have no symptoms. And it is lethal for a considerable proportion of the population. Furthermore, in the absence of an...

Fears Covid may leave thousands in UK with severe kidney disease

Experts warn the long-term effects of virus are causing an ‘epidemic in primary care’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTens of thousands of people may require kidney dialysis or transplants because of coronavirus, according to experts who warn the long-term effects of Covid are causing an “epidemic in primary care”.Up to 90% of coronavirus patients admitted to...

Solar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That Means

Portal origin URL: Solar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That MeansPortal origin nid: 464426Published: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 - 11:32Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Solar Cycle 25 has begun. During a media event on Tuesday, experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discussed their...

Energy harvesting goes organic, gets more flexible

Nanogenerators capable of converting mechanical energy into electricity are typically made from metal oxides and lead-based perovskites. But these inorganic materials aren't biocompatible, so the race is on to create natural biocompatible piezoelectric materials for energy harvesting, electronic sensing, and stimulating nerves and muscles.

Chimpanzees show greater behavioural and cultural diversity in more variable environments

Behavioral flexibility enables species to adapt to uncertainty and changing ecological conditions via mechanisms such as innovation and greater cognitive capacity. Indeed, large brained species of birds or nonhuman primates often live in habitats that are highly seasonal and can sustain periodic resource shortages. Similarly, our own species is thought to have evolved an unprecedented level of...

Risk gene for Alzheimer's has early effects on the brain

A genetic predisposition to late-onset Alzheimer's disease affects how the brains of young adults cope with certain memory tasks. Researchers find are based on studies with magnetic resonance imaging in individuals at the age of about 20 years. The scientists suspect that the observed effects could be related to very early disease processes.

Tiny protein motor fuels bacterial movement

The ability to move is key for bacteria like some strains of salmonella and E. coli to efficiently spread infections. They can propel themselves forward using threads, known as flagella, powered by the flagellar rotary motor. But how this rotary motor is powered has been a mystery among scientists. Now, researchers show that the bacterial flagellar motor is powered by yet another even tinier,...

Single photons from a silicon chip

Quantum technology holds great promise: Quantum computers are expected to revolutionize database searches, AI systems, and computational simulations. Today already, quantum cryptography can guarantee secure data transfer, albeit with limitations. The greatest possible compatibility with current silicon-based electronics will be a key advantage. And that is precisely where physicists have made...