111 articles from FRIDAY 27.5.2022

Gene linked to severe learning disabilities governs cell stress response

A gene that has been associated with severe learning disabilities in humans has been found to also play a vital role in cells' response to environmental stress, according to a new study. The gene, Rad6 has previously been associated with a set of symptoms called 'Nascimento Syndrome,' that include severe learning disabilities.

New light-powered catalysts could aid in manufacturing

Chemists designed a new photoredox catalyst that could make it easier to incorporate light-driven reactions into continuous flow manufacturing processes. The polymer catalysts could be used to coat tubing and perform chemical transformations on reactants as they flow through the tube.

New route to build materials out of tiny particles

Researchers have found a new way to build synthetic materials out of tiny glass particles -- so-called colloids. They showed that they can simply use the shape of these colloids to make interesting building blocks for new materials, regardless of other properties of the colloidal particles.

New route to build materials out of tiny particles

Researcher Laura Rossi and her group at TU Delft have found a new way to build synthetic materials out of tiny glass particles—so-called colloids. Together with their colleagues from Queen's University and the University of Amsterdam, they showed that they can simply use the shape of these colloids to make interesting building blocks for new materials, regardless of other properties of the...

Maths doesn’t need a rebrand. We should celebrate its diversity and complexity | Letter

Prof Ulrike Tillmann on Andy Haldane’s suggestion that maths could be rebranded as numeracy to make it more approachableI read with interest your article in response to Andy Haldane’s comments suggesting maths could be rebranded as numeracy (Pass notes, 18 May). I welcome Mr Haldane’s support for the mathematical sciences and appreciate his intent to make the subject approachable to all....

Monkeypox patients advised to avoid contact with pets for three weeks

UK experts urge confirmed cases to avoid handling household pets as precautionary measurePeople with monkeypox have been told to avoid contact with their pets for three weeks amid concerns the animals could become infected and pass the virus on to other people.Monkeypox is caused by a viral infection and can be found in animals including rodents and monkeys, as well as in humans. It is typically...

Why gun control laws don't pass Congress, despite majority public support and repeated outrage over mass shootings

With the carnage in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York in May 2022, calls have begun again for Congress to enact gun control. Since the 2012 massacre of 20 children and four staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, legislation introduced in response to mass killings has consistently failed to pass the Senate. We asked political scientists Monika McDermott and David...

Hummingbirds may struggle to go any further uphill

Any animal ascending a mountain experiences a double whammy of impediments: The air gets thinner as it also becomes colder, which is particularly problematic for creatures struggling to keep warm when less oxygen is available. For tiny animals with the highest-octane lifestyles, such as hovering hummingbirds, the challenges of relocating to higher levels to evade climate change may be too much,...