346 articles from THURSDAY 1.10.2020

Potty training: ISS crew to give Nasa’s first new space toilet in decades a go

The new $23m loo better accommodates women with a tilted seat, new shape and redesigned funnels for urinationNasa’s first new space potty in decades – a $23m titanium toilet better suited for women – is getting a not-so-dry run at the International Space Station before eventually flying to the moon.It’s packed inside a cargo ship set to blast off late Thursday from Wallops Island,...

Nasa's Dragonfly mission to Saturn's Titan moon delayed

Covid pandemic sets back exploration that aims to shed light on origin of life on EarthCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNasa has delayed the launch of its Dragonfly rotorcraft by 12 months. Citing budget pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the agency’s planetary science division will now target 2027 to launch the mission to Titan, Saturn’s mysterious...

'Echo mapping' in faraway galaxies could measure vast cosmic distances

When you look up at the night sky, how do you know whether the specks of light that you see are bright and far away, or relatively faint and close by? One way to find out is to compare how much light the object actually emits with how bright it appears. The difference between its true luminosity and its apparent brightness reveals an object's distance from the observer.

AI is helping scientists discover fresh craters on Mars

Sometime between March 2010 and May 2012, a meteor streaked across the Martian sky and broke into pieces, slamming into the planet's surface. The resulting craters were relatively small—just 13 feet (4 meters) in diameter. The smaller the features, the more difficult they are to spot using Mars orbiters. But in this case—and for the first time—scientists spotted them with a little extra...

Venom glands similar to those of snakes are found for first time in amphibians

A group led by researchers at Butantan Institute in Brazil and supported by FAPESP has described for the first time the presence of venom glands in the mouth of an amphibian. The legless animal is a caecilian and lives underground. It has tooth-related glands that, when compressed during biting, release a secretion into its prey—earthworms, insect larvae, small amphibians and snakes, and even...

New research explores how multinational firms can manage corruption

For many developing countries, it is difficult to break the cycle of corruption on their own. Historically, multinational firms have assumed that they have two options available when dealing with corruption in developing countries: "play the game," meaning pay bribes or engage in corrupt activities, or "leave the table" by avoiding investing in countries where corruption is widespread. New...

Firefighters brace for violent winds in Northern California

Firefighters were warily watching for "violent" winds expected in California's wine country Thursday that could fan the flames of a massive blaze that has destroyed more than 140 homes and is threatening thousands more in a small town known for hot springs, mud baths and wineries.

Pearl Jam concerts drive tourism, hotel demand

You could say Seattle came alive with more than an even flow of tourism dollars from a pair of highly-anticipated Pearl Jam concerts, according to rockin' new research by West Virginia University economists.

Potty training: NASA tests new $23M titanium space toilet

NASA’s first new space potty in decades — a $23 million titanium toilet better suited for women — is getting a not-so-dry run at the International Space Station before eventually flying to the moon. It's more camper-size to fit into the NASA Orion capsules that will carry astronauts to the moon in a few years. If the shakedown goes well, the toilet will be open for regular...

Chemical innovation stabilizes best-performing perovskite formulation

Perovskites are a class of materials made up of organic materials bound to a metal. Their fascinating structure and properties have propelled perovskites into the forefront of materials' research, where they are studied for use in a wide range of applications. Metal-halide perovskites are especially popular, and are being considered for use in solar cells, LED lights, lasers, and photodetectors.

How scientific leaders can enact anti-racist action in their labs

A new paper provides 10 steps that principal investigators (PIs) and research group leaders can follow to help cultivate anti-racist professional and learning environments. V. Bala Chaudhary of DePaul University, Chicago, and Asmeret Asefaw Berhe of U.C. Merced present these guidelines in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology.

Larger bottoms are key to male sprinting success, study finds

Researches find that athletes with larger gluteus maximus are more likely to be faster sprintersA large gluteus maximus - the muscle that forms the bottom - is key to athletes achieving top speeds on the track, according to a study.After examining the anatomy of elite athletes, researchers discovered that a large bottom is key for sprint performance. Continue...

Ice Age manatees may have called Texas home

Manatees don't live year-round in Texas, but these gentle, slow-moving sea cows are known to occasionally visit, swimming in for a "summer vacation" from Florida and Mexico and returning to warmer waters for the winter.