317 articles from WEDNESDAY 26.5.2021

German scientists say they can help improve vaccines to prevent blood clots

AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson jabs have caused rare blood clots but scientists say they can be redesigned to avoid problemCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA team of German scientists believe that they have worked out why some people given the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines against Covid-19 develop blood clots – and claim they can tell the...

Stephen Hawking’s office and archive gifted to UK to settle tax bill

Scientist’s treasure trove and personal objects to go to Science Museum and Cambridge University LibraryA vast treasure trove of papers and personal objects belonging to Stephen Hawking, from dizzying black hole theories to scripts for the Simpsons, have been acquired for the nation.It was announced on Thursday that Hawking’s archive and the contents of his university office have been acquired...

Widespread coral-algae symbioses endured historical climate changes

One of the most important and widespread reef-building corals, known as cauliflower coral, exhibits strong partnerships with certain species of symbiotic algae, and these relationships have persisted through periods of intense climate fluctuations over the last 1.5 million years, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. The findings suggest that these corals and their symbiotic...

Grocery taxes put low-income families at risk for food insecurity

Approximately one-third of all U.S. counties do not exempt grocery foods from the general sales tax, which means the lowest-income families living in those areas are most susceptible to food insecurity. New research from Cornell University finds that even a slight grocery tax-rate increase could be problematic for many.

Few public-sector employees can contribute significantly to reaching sustainability goals

The province of Quebec is one of only a few jurisdictions to enshrine sustainable development into law. In 2006 the then-Liberal government of Jean Charest adopted the Sustainable Development Act, creating a framework for Quebec's public bodies to follow in order to achieve a better integration of sustainable development in its operations. This involved the creation of sustainability plans with...

No good decisions without good data: Climate, policymaking, the critical role of science

"If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." This concept is also true within the context of climate policy, where the achievement of the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is dependent on the ability of the international community to accurately measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends, and consequently, to alter these trends.

A new 'gold standard' compound for generating electricity from heat

Thermoelectric power generators that make electrical power from waste heat would be a useful tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if it weren't for a most vexing problem: The need to make electrical contacts to their hot side, which is often just too hot for materials that can generate a current.

How antibiotic-filled poop helps 'bessbug' beetles stay healthy

The lifestyle of the horned passalus beetle, commonly known as the bessbug or betsy beetle, might seem downright disgusting to the average human: Not only does this shiny black beetle eat its own poop, known as frass, but it uses its feces to line the walls of its living space and to help build protective chambers around its developing young.

Research identifies climate-change refugia in dry-forest region

Several indicators point to the adverse impacts of climate change on the planet's vegetation, but a little-known positive fact is the existence of climate-change refugia in which trees are far less affected by the gradual rise in temperatures and changing rainfall regimes. Climate-change refugia are areas that are relatively buffered from climate change, such as wetlands, land bordering water...