333 articles from MONDAY 7.6.2021

New COVID-19 model reveals effectiveness of travel restrictions

More strategic and coordinated travel restrictions likely could have reduced the spread of COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. That's according to new research published in Communications Physics. This finding stems from new modeling conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

What Meghan and Harry’s New Daughter Needs to Know About Being a Second-Born

Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the new daughter of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, was born on Friday, June 4, weighing in at a healthy 7 lbs., 11 oz and, according to a statement issued by the parents, “both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.” So all good for the second child of two people who are arguably the most...

This forest has stayed wild for 5,000 years—we can tell because of the soil

We sometimes think of the Amazon rainforest as unaltered by humans, a peek into the planet's past. In recent years, scientists have learned that many parts of the Amazon aren't untouched at all—they've been cultivated by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, and mere centuries ago were the sites of cities and farmland. But that's not the case everywhere. In a new study in PNAS, researchers...

Being social generates larger genomes in snapping shrimp

In an article scheduled to publish in PNAS, on June 7, 2021, a team of researchers led by Columbia University's Dustin R. Rubenstein, a Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, found that within the same genus of marine snapping shrimp, Synalpheus, genome size and social behavior not only vary widely, but they are also co-evolving over time.

Turning off lights can save migrating birds from crashing into buildings

Every night during the spring and fall migration seasons, thousands of birds are killed when they crash into illuminated windows, disoriented by the light. But a new study in PNAS shows that darkening just half of a building's windows can make a big difference for birds. Using decades' worth of data and birds collected by Field Museum scientists at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center, the...

The tech billionaire space race: who is Jeff Bezos up against?

As Amazon founder prepares to jet off in his Blue Origin vessel, can he compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX?Jeff Bezos to go into space on first crewed flight of New Shepard rocketEvery billionaire needs something to spend their fortunes on. For Howard Hughes, it was the Spruce Goose; for Roman Abramovich, it’s Chelsea FC. And for the current crop of tech moguls, it’s space.Jeff Bezos has led...

Why Jeff Bezos Should Be Applauded for Going to Space

Give Jeff Bezos this: the guy knows how to make the most out of semi-retirement. On July 5, the richest man in the world will step down as Amazon CEO to focus more of his energy on his two other major properties: The Washington Post and Blue Origin, a rocket company and SpaceX rival. On July 20—just 15 days after he gets his gold watch and, not incidentally, 52 years to the day after...

Stream of stars extends thousands of light-years across the Milky Way

It's hard to see more than a handful of stars from Princeton University, because the lights from New York City, Princeton and Philadelphia prevent our sky from ever getting pitch black, but stargazers who get into more rural areas can see hundreds of naked-eye stars—and a few smudgy objects, too.

‘Blacklist’ claim: Australian Research Council admits scanning applicants for ‘sensitivities’, China links

Research grant applicants ‘entitled to know’ if there is a secret blacklist operating: former research minister Kim CarrAn Australian government agency has been accused of running a secret “blacklist” on researchers by scanning for information about individuals who apply to it for grants.The Australian Research Council has confirmed it collates information about potential...

Insights into construction of metal chalcogenide supertetrahedral clusters

Nanoclusters, which consist of several or even thousands of atoms, represent an important intermediate state between microscopic atoms and macroscopic matter. A profound comprehension of the composition, structure, and properties of nanoclusters is crucial for exploring or extending their functional applications. Among the numerous types of nanoclusters, metal chalcogenide supertetrahedral...

Generalizing the measurement postulate in quantum mechanics

The measurement postulate is crucial to quantum mechanics. If we measure a quantum system, we can only get one of the eigenvalues of the measured observable, such as position, energy and so on, with a probability. Immediately after the measurement, the system will collapse into the corresponding eigenstate instantly, known as state collapse. It is argued that the non-cloning theorem is actually a...

Quantifying the role of chance in professional football

In football, chance is defined as actions or situations occurring during the game that cannot be planned and are therefore difficult to train for. Take for instance deflected shots, balls that rebound off the post only to be kicked straight into the goal or goals that are unintentionally assisted by a defender. The primary focus of most researchers has been on analyzing success factors, to enable...