37 articles from SATURDAY 6.3.2021
Four new hacking groups have joined an ongoing offensive against Microsoft’s email servers
A Chinese government-linked hacking campaign revealed by Microsoft this week has ramped up rapidly. At least four other distinct hacking groups are now attacking critical flaws in Microsoft’s email software in a cyber campaign the US government describes as “widespread domestic and international exploitation” with the potential to impact hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide....
Kathleen Folbigg: how genetics could lead to a pardon for 'Australia's worst female serial killer'
She has always maintained her four children died of natural causes. Now 90 scientists argue she may be rightLeading scientific experts are petitioning for the pardon of the woman dubbed Australia’s worst female serial killer, arguing that all four of her children had rare genetic conditions that could explain their deaths.Kathleen Folbigg is in jail for killing her children as infants between...
Neonic soil treatment hurts ground-nesting bees, 1st of its kind study finds
A new study from researchers at the University of Guelph looks at the impact of pesticides applied to seeds and soil before planting on squash bees. While other studies have looked at the role of neonicotinoids on honey bees and bumble bees, this is the first to look at ground-nesting...
The epic battle with cancer's 'Death Star'
Forty years after the mutant genes that cause the deadliest cancers were discovered, drugs that target them could be approvedIn the early 1980s, Channing Der was just beginning his career as a scientist at Harvard Medical School when he happened upon a discovery that would change the course of cancer research. At the time, the holy grail of cancer biology was discovering so-called oncogenes –...
Vision impairment is associated with mortality
- ScienceDaily
- 21/3/6 17:32
A meta-analysis finds that vision impairment and blindness are tied to an increased risk of mortality, prompting the need to address global eye health disparities.
Physics camp has proven benefits for high school girls
- ScienceDaily
- 21/3/6 17:31
Studies show that engaging high school girls in physics before they begin formal studies gives them an edge, and helping K-12 teachers incorporate engineering concepts in the classroom boosts their students -- and themselves.
Building networks not enough to expand rural broadband
- ScienceDaily
- 21/3/6 17:31
Public grants to build rural broadband networks may not be sufficient to close the digital divide, new research finds.
Rapid 3D printing method moves toward 3D-printed organs
- ScienceDaily
- 21/3/6 17:31
A research team is a 3D printing method called stereolithography and jelly-like materials known as hydrogels to develop a 3D printing method that's 10-50 times faster than the industry standard. The team says its progress toward 3D-printed human tissue and organs -- biotechnology that could eventually save countless lives lost due to the shortage of donor organs.
New 'split-drive' system puts scientists in the (gene) driver seat
- ScienceDaily
- 21/3/6 17:31
New research describes novel achievements designed to make the implementation of gene drives safer and more controllable. The new split drive and home-and-rescue systems address concerns about the release of gene drives in wild populations.
Study reveals how egg cells get so big
- ScienceDaily
- 21/3/6 17:31
The process of egg formation in fruit flies relies on physical phenomena analogous to the exchange of gases between balloons of different sizes, according to a new study by biologists and mathematicians.
We read books to my daughter from birth, which enriched all our lives
A difficult pregnancy meant the only item I dared buy for my unborn child was a book. When she arrived we read it to her every dayNine years ago, I gave birth to a little girl. And now that little girl has grown into a bookworm. It began, as all stories about books should really begin, in a bookshop. I was several months pregnant and I picked up an American picture book I had never come across...
Functioning cellphone returned to owner after nearly 6 months at bottom of Harrison Lake
A Vancouver woman who lost her phone in Harrison Lake in September is shocked and surprised that not only has it been recovered from the lake bottom, but that it still...
As the Texas power crisis shows, our infrastructure is vulnerable to extreme weather
On Valentine’s Day, a rare burst of Arctic air spread across the central US and into Texas, dropping temperatures there into the single digits and nearly causing the state’s power grid to collapse. A state known for its abundant energy resources saw widespread failures of natural-gas and electricity systems that left more than four million Texans without power for days.
The proximate cause...
Free rapid Covid tests available for all businesses in England; Tibetan leader Dalai Lama gets vaccine shot
Contradictory death figures in Russia; WHO warns against relaxing guard due to vaccinesFrom Pfizer to Moderna, the companies making billions from vaccinesEU indecision led Cyprus to allow in UK visitors, says ministerUp to a million long Covid patients may need treatment after pandemicNadiya Hussain urges British Bangladeshis to get Covid vaccineSee all our coronavirus coverage 10.47am GMT...
At home for a year, office workers complain of aches, pains and Zoom fatigue
Working from makeshift setups with non-ergonomic chairs and unorthodox workspaces has caused some physical strain. And collaborating with colleagues remotely for so long has only worsened a COVID-era ailment of another kind: Zoom fatigue. Experts offer tips for staying healthy in your home...
Why hospitals are beginning to reuse or recycle masks, IV bags, drills they used to throw out
Equipment such as masks, gowns and surgical drills that has been previously used can be a safer choice than single-use, disposable options, doctors say. Here’s why more hospitals are shifting to reusable PPE and medical supplies, and how they’re finding ways to recycle previously unrecyclable medical supplies, such as IV...
Why the rise of bitcoin could be the first shot in a currency revolution
Bitcoin’s flirtation with mainstream acceptance and gravity-defying climb in price have made headlines around the world. Underneath the mania is a potential sea change in the world of finance that observers say was made possible by a global pandemic. And what’s at stake is nothing less than a war for the future of...
Study marks major milestone for Louisiana coastal plan
A nearly $2 billion plan to divert water and sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild land in southeastern Louisiana—considered the cornerstone of the state's efforts to protect its rapidly eroding coast—has passed a major milestone with the publication of the long-awaited Army Corps of Engineers environmental impact study.
Flamingos poisoned by illegal lead pellets in Greek lagoon
On a country road that the locals have dubbed 'Flamingo Street' Stavros Kalpakis walks alongside the tall reeds of Agios Mamas, a small northern Greek lagoon, peering through binoculars.
With unfair police treatment, the tragedy is not limited to the incident itself
New research using a nationally representative sample of more than 12,000 participants shows the collateral consequences victims are likely to confront following unfair treatment by police.
New 'split-drive' system puts scientists in the (gene) driver seat
Powerful new genetic engineering methods have given scientists the potential to revolutionize several sectors of global urgency.
Deeper understanding of host-dependent long-distance movement of viruses in plants
Some plant viruses systemically infect plants and cause huge losses in yield though our understanding of how systemic infections occur is largely unknown. A new study from the College of Biological Sciences at China Agricultural University provides extends our understanding of how virus-host interaction determines the systemic spread of a virus in different plant hosts.
Physics camp has proven benefits for high school girls
Even a small effort up front can boost the abilities and confidence of girls as they anticipate taking challenging science courses.
NASA's new Mars rover hits dusty red road, 1st trip 21 feet
NASA's newest Mars rover hit the dusty red road this week, putting 21 feet on the odometer in its first test drive.
From Pfizer to Moderna: who's making billions from Covid vaccines?
The companies in line for the biggest gains – and the shareholders who have already made fortunesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe arrival of Covid-19 vaccines promises a return to more normal life – and has created a global market worth tens of billions of dollars in annual sales for some pharmaceutical companies.Among the biggest winners will be Moderna and...
"Magic sand" might help us understand the physics of granular matter
Tokyo, Japan - Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied the properties of mixtures of silicone-coated "magic sand", a popular kid's toy, and normal sand. Silicone-coated sand particles were found to interact with each other only, and not with other sand particles. The team discovered that adding silicone-coated sand beyond a certain threshold leads to an abrupt change in...
Innovative flat optics will usher the next technological revolution
A research group led by KAUST Associate Professor Andrea Fratalocchi has discovered that silicon nanoshapes act as feed-forward neural networks with the ability to be trained in a supervised learning model to perform user-defined tasks at lightspeed. The new flat optics opens the door to a major technological revolution by offering small, cheap, flexible alternatives to current processors and to...
One size doesn't fit all when it comes to products for preventing HIV from anal sex
After 'trying on' three placebo methods for the delivery of a rectal microbicide, study participants said they could see all of them - a douche, rectal suppository and fast-dissolving rectal insert - fitting into their daily lives. These results, which also identified the product attributes most important to participants, underscore the importance of developing a range of HIV prevention products...
Watching the brain learn
Understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying brain "plasticity" is crucial for explaining many illnesses and conditions. Neurocientists from Göttingen University and University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) managed to repeatedly image synapses, tiny contact sites between neurons, in awake adult mice. They are the first to discover that adult neurons in the primary visual...
Perseverance Mars rover: Nasa releases first-drive review
Vehicle had no problem going 6.5 metres, turning and backing up, then photographed its own wheel marks on planet’s surfaceNasa’s Mars rover Perseverance has taken a short drive two weeks after touching down, mission managers have said.The six-wheeled, car-sized probe went 6.5 metres (21.3 feet) during a half-hour test within Jezero crater, an ancient lake bed and river delta. Continue...
Green air travel is still decades away. Here's why
Car manufacturers have sped up plans to go all-electric and get to net zero. But the aviation industry has been slower to...
Italy says decision to block 250,000 doses of Covid vaccine from Australia was 'not a hostile act'
Foreign affairs minister says Europe ‘ravaged’ by coronavirus and Italy is working according to EU regulationGermany voices concern over Italy’s block of vaccine export to AustraliaCoalition to expand quarantine facility amid fears of Covid vaccine disruptionItalian officials say the decision to block a shipment of 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia...