322 articles from THURSDAY 1.4.2021
UK steps in with 11th-hour extra £250m to stay in EU research scheme
Government commitment to Horizon Europe fund averts immediate threat to science, say universitiesThe government has stepped in at the 11th hour with an additional £250m in funding to help pay for the UK’s association with Horizon Europe, the European Union’s funding programme for research and innovation.Universities welcomed the move as “a significant affirmation of the government’s...
Pandemic 2020 review – a masterly mapping of the Covid outbreak
The team behind Once Upon a Time in Iraq has compiled a moving and sometimes hopeful three-parter that offers a global perspective on the crisisLike the virus itself, the programmes about it have moved from localised subjects to a slightly wider field and now have expanded to take in a global view. It hasn’t been a perfectly linear progression, of course, but most of the first documentaries were...
Canadians say just as productive working from home
A vast majority of Canadians reported being at least as productive working from home, and many prefer not to return to the office after pandemic restrictions are lifted, according to a study released Thursday.
Europe's heat and drought crop losses tripled in 50 years: study
The severity of crop losses driven by heat waves and drought have tripled in the last fifty years in Europe, according to a study that highlights the vulnerability of food systems to climate change.
Study shows promise of forecasting meteotsunamis
On the afternoon of April 13, 2018, a large wave of water surged across Lake Michigan and flooded the shores of the picturesque beach town of Ludington, Michigan, damaging homes and boat docks, and flooding intake pipes. Thanks to a local citizen's photos and other data, NOAA scientists reconstructed the event in models and determined this was the first ever documented meteotsunami in the Great...
A robot that senses hidden objects
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:13
RF Grasp is a picking robot that combines vision with radio frequency (RF) sensing to find and grasps objects, even if they're hidden from view. The technology could aid fulfillment in e-commerce warehouses.
Dynamic model of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals potential new vaccine targets
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:13
A new, detailed model of the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals previously unknown vulnerabilities that could inform development of vaccines.
First-of-its-kind mechanical model simulates bending of mammalian whiskers
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:13
Researchers have developed a new mechanical model that simulates how whiskers bend within a follicle in response to an external force, paving the way toward better understanding of how whiskers contribute to mammals' sense of touch.
Polarized photovoltaic properties emerge
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:13
For the first time, researchers have discovered a way to obtain polarity and photovoltaic behavior from certain nonphotovoltaic, atomically flat (2D) materials. The key lies in the special way in which the materials are arranged. The resulting effect is different from, and potentially superior to, the photovoltaic effect commonly found in solar cells.
A new state of light
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:12
A single 'super photon' made up of many thousands of individual light particles: About ten years ago, researchers produced such an extreme aggregate state for the first time. Researchers report of a new, previously unknown phase transition in the optical Bose-Einstein condensate. This is a overdamped phase.
Mice with hallucination-like behaviors reveal insight into psychotic illness
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:12
A computer game that induces mice to experience hallucination-like events could be a key to understanding the neurobiological roots of psychosis, according to a new study.
global assessment of cumulative human impacts to at-risk marine species over time
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:12
Despite the fact that our planet is mostly ocean and human maritime activity is more intense than it has ever been, we know remarkably little about the state of the ocean's biodiversity -- the variety and balance of species that support healthy and productive ecosystems. And it's no surprise -- marine biodiversity is complex, human impacts are uneven, and species respond differently to different...
How brain cells repair their DNA reveals 'hot spots' of aging and disease
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:12
Neurons lack the ability to replicate their DNA, so they're constantly working to repair damage to their genome. A new study finds that these repairs are not random, but instead focus on protecting certain genetic 'hot spots' that appear to play a critical role in neural identity and function.
New promise of forecasting meteotsunamis
- ScienceDaily
- 21/4/1 21:12
On the afternoon of April 13, 2018, a large wave of water surged across Lake Michigan and flooded the shores of the picturesque beach town of Ludington, Michigan, damaging homes and boat docks, and flooding intake pipes. Thanks to a local citizen's photos and other data, scientists reconstructed the event in models and determined this was the first ever documented meteotsunami in the Great Lakes...
I thought I was over my Catholic guilt about being gay. Maybe I was wrong? | Antoun Issa
An adolescence of shame about being LGBTQ+ can have lingering effects on our behaviour that stretch well into adulthoodGuilt and shame can be addictive. In certain religious and traditional contexts, it can even be venerated, honoured – the requisite emotion that subdues human ego and maintains humility at the feet of a far higher power. But it can also leave an indelible stain on our character,...
2D materials combine, becoming polarized and giving rise to photovoltaic effect
For the first time, researchers have discovered a way to obtain polarity and photovoltaic behavior from certain nonphotovoltaic, atomically flat (2D) materials. The key lies in the special way in which the materials are arranged. The resulting effect is different from, and potentially superior to, the photovoltaic effect commonly found in solar cells.
Increasing applied pesticide toxicity threatens bees and marine life
A group of scientists from the University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany, has shown that for plants and insects, pesticide toxicity in agriculture has substantially increased between 2004 and 2016. In a paper published in the current issue of Science, the authors show that this pattern is even relevant in genetically modified (GM) crops that were originally designed to reduce pesticide impacts on the...
Physicists observe new phase in Bose-Einstein condensate of light particles
About 10 years ago, researchers at the University of Bonn produced an extreme aggregate photon state, a single "super-photon" made up of many thousands of individual light particles, and presented a completely new light source. The state is called an optical Bose-Einstein condensate and has captivated many physicists ever since, because this exotic world of light particles is home to its very own...
How the Chicxulub impactor gave rise to modern rainforests
Tropical rainforests today are biodiversity hotspots and play an important role in the world's climate systems. A new study published today in Science sheds light on the origins of modern rainforests and may help scientists understand how rainforests will respond to a rapidly changing climate in the future.
Whisker simulation gives insight into mammals' sense of touch
We know your cat's whiskers are handsome—but you can't even see the cool part.
Dynamic model of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals potential new vaccine targets
A new, detailed model of the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals previously unknown vulnerabilities that could inform development of vaccines. Mateusz Sikora of the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, Germany, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology.
Mutations across the genome add up to blood cancer risk in three popular dog breeds
Six genetic variants add up to determine the risk of several blood cancers in pre-disposed dog breeds, according to a study by Benoît Hédan at the University of Rennes and colleagues, publishing April 8th in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics. The results confirm a known tumour-suppressor gene as a risk factor for histiocytic sarcoma—a rare and aggressive blood cancer that affects both dogs...
Researchers create the first global assessment of cumulative human impacts to at-risk marine species over time
Despite the fact that our planet is mostly ocean and human maritime activity is more intense than it has ever been, we know remarkably little about the state of the ocean's biodiversity—the variety and balance of species that support healthy and productive ecosystems. And it's no surprise—marine biodiversity is complex, human impacts are uneven, and species respond differently to different...