- BBC Science/Nature
- 21/1/20 23:24
Re-joining the Paris climate pact is a symbolic and practical first step for the Biden White House.
164 articles from WEDNESDAY 20.1.2021
Re-joining the Paris climate pact is a symbolic and practical first step for the Biden White House.
A flurry of executive orders is expected to take place over the next few days from the new US president as he takes residence in the White House. Here are the highlights of those he has signed so far. The “100 day mask challenge” Biden’s first order is part recommendation, part requirement: it requires people to wear masks on all federal property, and recommend that governors and...
The carcass of a huge whale has been recovered from the waters off southern Italy, the coastguard said Wednesday, calling it "probably one of the largest" ever found in the Mediterranean.
Catnip is known to hold a special place in the hearts of felines, who often respond by rubbing their face and head in the plant, rolling around on the ground, then zoning out in a state of intoxicated repose.
President Joe Biden planned Wednesday to return the United States to the worldwide fight to slow global warming in one of his first official acts, and to immediately launch a series of climate-friendly efforts that would transform how Americans drive and get their power.
A new study shows that intense immunosuppression followed by a hematopoietic stem cell transplant may prevent disability associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) from getting worse in 71% of people with relapsing-remitting MS for up to 10 years after the treatment. The study also found that in some people their disability improved over 10 years after treatment.
A new study has found a brain pressure disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension is on the rise, and the increase corresponds with rising obesity rates.
By examining fruit flies' brain activity and behavior, the researchers found that deep sleep has an ancient, restorative power to clear waste from the brain. This waste potentially includes toxic proteins that may lead to neurodegenerative disease.
Researchers have discovered a new genetic disorder characterized by developmental delays and malformations of the brain, heart, and facial features.
Scientists have developed a flexible underwater robot that can propel itself through water in the same style as nature's most efficient swimmer - the Aurelia aurita jellyfish.
The onset date of the yearly rainy season reliably predicts if seasonal drought will occur in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa that are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, and could help to mitigate its effects.
In the Early Bronze Age of Europe, ancient people used bronze objects as an early form of money, even going so far as to standardize the shape and weight of their currency, according to a new study.
The Prairie Storm Chasers have turned a passion into a life-saving mission.
Peregrine falcons have found a home in Canada’s biggest city, but navigating the high winds takes some...
The onset date of the yearly rainy season reliably predicts if seasonal drought will occur in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa that are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, and could help to mitigate its effects. Shraddhanand Shukla and colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Climate Hazards Center, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on January 20,...
The new tech elite share distinct views setting them apart from other segments of the world's elite more generally, according to a study published January 20, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Hilke Brockmann from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany, and colleagues.
In the Early Bronze Age of Europe, ancient people used bronze objects as an early form of money, even going so far as to standardize the shape and weight of their currency, according to a study published January 20, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Maikel H. G. Kuijpers and Catalin N. Popa of Leiden University, Netherlands.
There are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide and about 50 eruptions occur each year. But it's still difficult to predict when and how these eruptions will happen or how they'll unfold. Now, new insight into the physical processes inside volcanoes are giving scientists a better understanding of their behaviour, which could help protect the 1 billion people who live close to...
The news: Hours before leaving the presidency, Donald Trump issued an executive order that requires American cloud computing companies to do more to verify the identities of their foreign customers. The stated aim is to help prevent hacking operations against the United States, although the timing and scope of the order mean it is surrounded by uncertainty. What it says: The order instructs the...
A Nepali climbing team which made history at the weekend by becoming the first to summit the world's second-highest mountain in winter told Wednesday how they battled hurricane-force winds and freezing temperatures to achieve the record.
Dark clouds, the smell of rain on a hot sidewalk, the flashes of intense light followed by a loud crackling and then a low, rolling thunder—who doesn't love a good summer thunderstorm? We've all seen one, heard one, or been completely soaked by one. But how much do we really know about this weather phenomenon?
Latest updates: a further 1,820 die in the UK within 28 days of a Covid test; Downing Street says police must wait for phase two of vaccine rolloutUK reports 1,820 Covid deaths in record daily highVaccines may need updating to protect against new variantPriti Patel says she wanted UK borders shut last MarchTalking can spread Covid as much as coughing, says researchCoronavirus – latest updates...
A new study supports launch of Phase I clinical trial to test a designer DNA agent -- an antisense oligonucleotide that targets a gene called IRF4 -- in patients with multiple myeloma.
Scientists have developed a metamaterial whose mechanical properties can be reprogrammed on demand and whose internal structure can be modified by applying a magnetic field.
Stanford scientists have identified a key factor in mental aging and shown that it might be prevented or reversed by fixing a glitch in the immune system's frontline soldiers.
Methamphetamine overdose deaths surged in an eight-year period in the United States, according to a new study. The analysis revealed rapid rises across all racial and ethnic groups, but American Indians and Alaska Natives had the highest death rates overall.
Neutralising ability of antibodies typically falls eight-fold with South African variantCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus vaccines may need to be redesigned this year to boost protection against a new variant that emerged rapidly in South Africa, research suggests, while past Covid sufferers may not be protected against reinfection.Research by South African...
Wildfires are the enemy when they threaten homes in California and elsewhere. But a new study led by SMU suggests that people living in fire-prone places can learn to manage fire as an ally to prevent dangerous blazes, just like people who lived nearly 1,000 years ago.
Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, could help decrease the world's reliance on fossil fuels. But first, power companies need a safe, cost-effective way to store the energy for later use. Massive lithium-ion batteries can do the job, but they suffer from safety issues and limited lithium availability. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Nano Letters have made a prototype of an...
Over the past 20 years, scientists have been developing metamaterials, or materials that don't occur naturally and whose mechanical properties result from their designed structure rather than their chemical composition. They allow researchers to create materials with specific properties and shapes. Metamaterials are still not widely used in everyday objects, but that could soon change. Tian Chen,...
Attine ants are farmers, and they grow fungus as food. Pseudonocardia and Streptomyces bacteria are their farmhands, producing metabolites that protect the crop from pathogens. Surprisingly, these metabolites lack common structural features across bacteria from different geographic locations, even though the ants share a common ancestor. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science they have...
New photo-ferroelectric materials allow storage of information in a non-volatile way using light stimulus. The idea is to create energy efficient memory devices with high performance and versatility to face current challenges. The study has been published in Nature Communications by Josep Fontcuberta and co-workers and opens a path towards further investigations on this phenomenon and to...
Incoming U.S. president Joe Biden will announce America's return to the international Paris Agreement to fight climate change on Wednesday, the centrepiece of a raft of day-one executive orders aimed at restoring U.S. leadership in combating global...