293 articles from WEDNESDAY 28.10.2020
Red coating contaminates SpaceX rockets, delays crew launch
SpaceX’s second astronaut flight is off until mid-November because red lacquer dripped into tiny vent holes in two rocket engines that now must be replaced. SpaceX and NASA officials announced the discovery of the potentially damaging contamination Wednesday. The clogged holes were found after the aborted launch of a GPS satellite on Oct....
Rent a baby chick: Calgary business booms during pandemic as families seek new activities at home
A Calgary business that rents out chicken eggs so families can hatch them at home says the pandemic has put their eggs in...
Getting a flu shot could reduce your risk of getting COVID-19, preliminary research suggests
A new study found that healthcare workers who got flu shots during the 2019-2020 season were 39% less likely to test positive for COVID-19 by...
International study uncovers secret surfing life of remoras hitchhiking on blue whales
Sticking to the bodies of sharks and other larger marine life is a well-known specialty of remora fishes (Echeneidae) and their super-powered suction disks on their heads. But a new study has now fully documented the "suckerfish" in hitchhiking action below the ocean's surface, uncovering a much more refined skillset that the fish uses for navigating intense hydrodynamics that come with trying to...
Study helps explain why motivation to learn declines with age
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
Neuroscientists have identified a brain circuit critical for learning to make decisions that require evaluating the cost or reward of an action. They showed this circuit is negatively affected by aging and in Huntington's disease.
Liquid nanofoam: A game changer for future football helmets
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
A liquid nanofoam liner undergoing testing could prolong the safe use of football helmets, says a researcher.
Average body temperature among healthy adults declined over the past two decades
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
In the nearly two centuries since German physician Carl Wunderlich established 98.6°F as the standard 'normal' body temperature, it has been used by parents and doctors alike as the measure by which fevers -- and often the severity of illness -- have been assessed.
Physicists circumvent centuries-old theory to cancel magnetic fields
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
Physicists have found a way to circumvent a 178-year old theory which means they can effectively cancel magnetic fields at a distance. They are the first to be able to do so in a way which has practical benefits.
Forecasting elections with a model of infectious diseases
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
Election forecasting is an innately challenging endeavor, with results that can be difficult to interpret and may leave many questions unanswered after close races unfold. Researchers have now borrowed ideas from epidemiology to develop a new method for forecasting elections. The team hoped the multidisciplinary nature of their infectious disease model could expand the community that engages with...
Reliable quality-control of graphene and other 2D materials is routinely possible
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
Scientists have discovered and confirmed a method which could serve as an easy but reliable way to test the quality of graphene and other 2D materials.
New sulfur dioxide conversion method may transform current industrial techniques
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
A single-step, plasma-enhanced catalytic process to convert sulfur dioxide to pure sulfur from tail gas streams may provide a promising, more environmentally-friendly alternative to current multistage thermal, catalytic and absorptive processes, according to scientists.
Location and extent of coral reefs mapped worldwide using advanced AI
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 22:14
Researchers have generated a global coral reef extent map using a single methodology capable of predicting the location of shallow coral reefs with nearly 90% accuracy.
Location and extent of coral reefs mapped worldwide using advanced AI
Nearly 75% of the world's coral reefs are under threat from global stressors such as climate change and local stressors such as overfishing and coastal development. Those working to understand and protect coral reefs are building the know-how to mitigate the damage but doing so requires first knowing where reefs are located.
Reliable quality-control of graphene and other 2-D materials is routinely possible, researchers say
Graphene and other single-atom-thick substances are a category of wonder materials, with researchers the world over investigating their electronic properties for potential applications in technologies as diverse as solar cells, novel semiconductors, sensors, and energy storage.
Dull-colored birds don't see the world like colorful birds do
Fall is here, and we see the leaves turning yellow, orange or red thanks to a trick of our vision: our brains categorize colors. Scientists have learned that birds with colorful markings do this too. But what about drab birds that don't rely on color?
New sulfur dioxide conversion method may transform current industrial techniques
A single-step, plasma-enhanced catalytic process to convert sulfur dioxide to pure sulfur from tail gas streams may provide a promising, more environmentally-friendly alternative to current multistage thermal, catalytic and absorptive processes, according to scientists at Penn State.
Forecasting elections with a model of infectious diseases
Forecasting elections is a high-stakes problem. Politicians and voters alike are often desperate to know the outcome of a close race, but providing them with incomplete or inaccurate predictions can be misleading. And election forecasting is already an innately challenging endeavor—the modeling process is rife with uncertainty, incomplete information, and subjective choices, all of which must be...
Physicists circumvent centuries-old theory to cancel magnetic fields
A team of scientists including two physicists at the University of Sussex has found a way to circumvent a 178-year old theory which means they can effectively cancel magnetic fields at a distance. They are the first to be able to do so in a way which has practical benefits.
Section 230: Senators grandstand during hearing with Big Tech bosses
What happened: Less than a week before the US presidential elections, the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.The four-hour hearing was meant to focus on Section 230, the regulation that has shielded internet companies from liability for user content. Most questions, however, had little to do with Section 230, instead...
Researchers examine the decline in average body temperature among healthy adults over the past two decades
In the nearly two centuries since German physician Carl Wunderlich established 98.6°F (37 C) as the standard "normal" body temperature, it has been used by parents and doctors alike as the measure by which fevers—and often the severity of illness—have been assessed.
Top medical advisers arguing for tighter coronavirus restrictions in England
Sir Patrick Vallance and Prof Chris Whitty fear deaths this winter could exceed those in springCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSir Patrick Vallance and Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s top scientific and medical advisers, are understood to be arguing hard with ministers for tighter restrictions across England ahead of Christmas.The pair are calling for tougher...
10% of England's population could be tested for Covid-19 every week
Exclusive: NHS test and trace asks public health directors to sign up to rapid saliva testing planCovid testing: does Operation Moonshot have a shot at success? Coronavirus – latest updatesUp to 10% of England’s population could be tested for coronavirus every week after government officials asked local health chiefs to deploy 30-minute saliva kits in an acceleration of Boris Johnson’s...
Liquid nanofoam: A game changer for future football helmets
A liquid nanofoam liner undergoing testing could prolong the safe use of football helmets, says a Michigan State University researcher.
As Climate Disasters Pile Up, a Radical Proposal Gains Traction
WASHINGTON -- As the effects of climate change become more devastating, prominent research institutions and government agencies are focusing new money and attention on an idea once dismissed as science fiction: artificially cooling the planet, in the hopes of buying humanity more time to cut greenhouse gas emissions.That strategy, called solar climate intervention or solar geoengineering, entails...
Leaving more big fish in the sea reduces carbon dioxide emissions
- ScienceDaily
- 20/10/28 19:31
Leaving more big fish -- like tuna, sharks, mackerel and swordfish -- in the sea reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the Earth's atmosphere. This is because when a fish dies in the ocean it sinks to the depths and sequestrates all the carbon it contains with it. This is a form of 'blue carbon'. Big fish are about 10 to 15 percent carbon.