171 articles from WEDNESDAY 4.8.2021
Study sheds more light on the nature of HESS J1857+026
Argentinian astronomers have conducted radio observations of a very-high-energy gamma-ray source known as HESS J1857+026. Results of this study provide new insights into the nature of this mysterious source. The research was detailed in a paper published July 27 on the arXiv pre-print server.
ArtSea Ink: a colorful, seaweed-based ink for 3D printing
Some artists are embracing 3D printing as a new medium, allowing them to create intricate 3D compositions that are difficult to produce in any other way. But the rigid, plastic-based materials used in many 3D printers require high heat for workability. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Omega have developed a colorful new ink for 2D and 3D art made of mica pigments in alginate, a sugar from seaweed...
Tiny protein 'squeezes' cells, may be key to division
A protein that causes a cell's skeleton to bend, allowing it to twist the cell into different shapes, could be key to how cells divide according to University of Warwick scientists.
Two new transgenic mouse lines will enable innovative studies into gene regulation
A CRISPR-Cas9 variant with deactivated DNA-cutting function—known as "dCas9"—is a powerful tool to help researchers understand what genes do when their expression is dialed up or down, but it has some limitations.
Study: No evidence that climate change is fueling East African migration
No link currently exists proving climate change is driving migration out of East Africa, despite a widespread acceptance that human mobility is a key impact of climate change, according to research today from a multi-disciplinary Oxford University team, which maintains the factors driving migration are complex.
A dissolvable smartwatch makes for easier electronics recycling
Small electronics, including smartwatches and fitness trackers, aren't easily dismantled and recycled. So when a new model comes out, most users send the old devices into hazardous waste streams. To simplify small electronics recycling, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a two-metal nanocomposite for circuits that disintegrates when submerged in water. They...
NASA model describes nearby star that resembles early sun
New research led by NASA provides a closer look at a nearby star thought to resemble our young sun. The work allows scientists to better understand what our sun may have been like when it was young, and how it may have shaped the atmosphere of our planet and the development of life on Earth.
Exotic property of 'ambidextrous' crystals points to new magnetic phenomena
Researchers from Skoltech, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Uppsala University have predicted the existence of antichiral ferromagnetism, a nontrivial property of some magnetic crystals that opens the door to a variety of new magnetic phenomena. The paper was published in the journal Physical Review B.
Semi-natural habitat patches complement flower strips in protecting pollinators
Freiburg ecologists observe the diversity of insects on the edge of apple orchards on Lake Constance.
Disciplines must be integrated to successfully conserve biodiversity
Innovation arises through the transfer of research results into practice.
Loss of eelgrass beds gives rise to large emissions of carbon and nutrients
Losses of important eelgrass meadows in western Sweden since the 1980s have led to considerable bottom erosion and the release of carbon and nitrogen; substances that contribute to increasing climate change and eutrophication. This is shown in a new study by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Stockholm University, Åbo Akademi University and the University of Southern Denmark, published...
NASA identifies likely locations of the early molten moon's deep secrets
Shortly after it formed, the moon was covered in a global ocean of molten rock (magma). As the magma ocean cooled and solidified, dense minerals sank to form the mantle layer, while less-dense minerals floated to form the surface crust. Later intense bombardment by massive asteroids and comets punched through the crust, blasting out pieces of mantle and scattering them across the lunar surface.
Summer stargazing treat as Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak
The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on the night of 11–12 August, giving skywatchers a potentially impressive summer treat. The meteors are best viewed from the northern hemisphere, and in ideal conditions with no clouds observers could see up to 50 an hour.
Unraveling the mechanisms that control parental care in birds
When animals become parents, they often need to change their behaviors in ways that allow them to protect and ensure the survival of their offspring. What happens in the brain when an animal becomes a new parent?
New findings on the evolution of galaxies
Emirati national Aisha Al Yazeedi, a research scientist at the NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Center for Astro, Particle, and Planetary Physics, has published her first research paper, featuring some key findings on the evolution of galaxies.
Image: Mediterranean continues to bake
This map shows the temperature of the land surface on 2 August 2021. It is clear to see that surface temperatures in Turkey and Cyprus have reached over 50°C, again. A map we published on 2 July shows pretty much the same situation. The Mediterranean has been suffering a heatwave for some weeks, leading to numerous wildfires. Turkey, for example, is reported to be amid the country's worst blazes...
Biochar: The waste product that could help mitigate climate change
Biochar can boost crop yields in poor soils and help stop the effects of climate change, study finds. So why aren't we using it more?
Dancing ghosts point to new discoveries in the cosmos
Researchers from Western Sydney University and CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, have discovered strange clouds of electrons surrounding galaxies deep in the cosmos. The clouds, which are about a billion light years away and never been seen before, resemble two ghosts dancing.
Gamers know the power of 'flow': What if learners could harness it too?
One of the constant challenges in education is keeping the learner engaged, motivated and connected in a world increasingly filled with distractions. Social media, streaming TV and video games all compete for students' increasingly fragmented attention.
Subaru Telescope's Maunakea live camera captures rare meteor cluster
The "Subaru-Asahi Sky Camera" installed at the Subaru Telescope dome on Maunakea, Hawai`i, captured a rare "meteor cluster event" in the early morning of July 14 (Hawai`i time).
Rate of nuclear reaction in exploding stars
New research by Surrey's Nuclear Physics Group has shown that it's possible to mimic excited quantum states with exotic nuclei, opening up a host of opportunities for next generation radioactive beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB).
What it takes to become Australia's first woman astronaut
I'm currently training to become Australia's first woman astronaut. I expect to fly my first suborbital mission sometime in 2023 as a payload specialist on a commercial mission. In other words, I'll be one of few certified crew members who can handle specialized scientific equipment aboard a suborbital spacecraft.
Keeping clubroot in rapeseed in check by using fungi
Teams from the Chair of Plant Physiology at Technische Universität Dresden and the Julius Kühn Institute in Braunschweig have been researching biological methods to better control the widespread plant disease 'clubroot' in rapeseed in a joint project. They were able to observe an increase in fresh weight in infected plants through the addition of the fungus Acremonium alternatum. This is a...
Visualizing stress in plastics
A research team led by Prof. Dr. Michael Sommer, Professorship of Polymer Chemistry at Chemnitz University of Technology, and PD Dr. Michael Walter, project leader at the Cluster Of Excellence Living, Adaptive, and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) at the University of Freiburg, has succeeded in constructing a new dye molecule from the area of so-called mechanophores.
Climate change is already disrupting US forests and coasts, evidence at 5 long-term research sites shows
Record-breaking heat waves and drought have left West Coast rivers lethally hot for salmon, literally cooked millions of mussels and clams in their shells and left forests primed to burn. The extraordinary severity of 2021's heat and drought, and its fires and floods, has many people questioning whether climate change, fueled by human actions, is progressing even faster than studies have predicted...