304 articles from WEDNESDAY 3.3.2021

Hammer time! Baby fish brain lights up listening to U Can't Touch This – video

Australian DJ and neuroscientist Rebecca Poulsen – AKA BeXta – is studying what happens to a zebrafish larvae brains when they hear certain sounds. Then she played one MC Hammer's 1990 hit … 'You can see when the vocal goes ‘ohhh-oh’, specific neurons light up and you can see it pulses to the beat,' she says. 'To me it looks like neurons responding to different parts of the music'...

Covid deaths high in countries with more overweight people, says report

Governments urged to prioritise obese people for vaccinations over greater risk of death from coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCountries with high levels of overweight people, such as the UK and the US, have the highest death rates from Covid-19, a landmark report reveals, prompting calls for governments to urgently tackle obesity, as well as prioritising...

Nature: New compound for male contraceptive pill

In a new article spells out an innovative strategy that has led to the discovery of a natural compound as a safe, effective and reversible male contraceptive agent in pre-clinical animal models. Despite tremendous efforts over the past decades, the progress in developing non-hormonal male contraceptives has been very limited.

High end of climate sensitivity in new climate models seen as less plausible

Researchers found that the latest generation of high-sensitivity climate models do not provide a plausible scenario of Earth's future climate. These models project that clouds moderate greenhouse gas-induced warming -- particularly in the northern hemisphere -- much more than climate records show actually happens. The results provide a cautionary tale on interpreting climate simulations, which can...

'Best case' goals for climate warming which could still result in massive wildfire risk

The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement resulted in multiple studies examining the impact of global temperature increases, but these rarely investigate the effect of warming on "fire weather" conditions. Now, in a new study, scientists have found that by projecting two different types of fire weather conditions, an additional half-degree of warming could drastically increase the likelihood and...

NASA to Provide Update on Perseverance ‘Firsts’ Since Mars Landing

Portal origin URL: NASA to Provide Update on Perseverance ‘Firsts’ Since Mars LandingPortal origin nid: 468805Published: Wednesday, March 3, 2021 - 15:43Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Since NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover touched down at Jezero Crater Feb. 18, mission controllers have made substantial progress as they prepare the rover for...

Breakthrough greatly enhances ultrafast resolution achievable with X-ray free-electron lasers

A large international team of scientists from various research organizations, including the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, has developed a method that dramatically improves the already ultrafast time resolution achievable with X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). It could lead to breakthroughs on how to design new materials and more efficient chemical processes.

The Guardian view on Rishi Sunak's budget: Britain will go backwards with tax rises and spending cuts | Editorial

The chancellor would like Britain’s relief response to be seen like Joe Biden’s in the US. But President Biden believes in the power of government, Mr Sunak does notRishi Sunak, the chancellor, has emerged in recent months with the plausible aura of a future Tory leader. This budget was a crucial one for two reasons. First, it was the biggest fiscal event since the UK left the orbit of the...

Ghosts of past pesticide use can haunt organic farms for decades

Although the use of pesticides in agriculture is increasing, some farms have transitioned to organic practices and avoid applying them. But it's uncertain whether chemicals applied to land decades ago can continue to influence the soil's health after switching to organic management. Now, researchers have identified pesticide residues at 100 Swiss farms, including all the organic fields studied,...

Color blindness-correcting contact lenses

Imagine seeing the world in muted shades -- gray sky, gray grass. Some people with color blindness see everything this way, though most can't see specific colors. Tinted glasses can help, but they can't be used to correct blurry vision. And dyed contact lenses currently in development for the condition are potentially harmful and unstable. Now researchers report infusing contact lenses with gold...

Conquering the timing jitters

A large international team has developed a method that dramatically improves the time resolution achievable with X-ray free-electron lasers. Their method could have a broad impact in the field of ultrafast science.

Study reveals details of immune defense guidance system

At the beginning of an immune response, a molecule known to mobilize immune cells into the bloodstream, where they home in on infection sites, rapidly shifts position, a new study shows. Researchers say this indirectly amplifies the attack on foreign microbes or the body's own tissues.