127 articles from FRIDAY 7.10.2022
The U.S. and Russia Signal Continued Cooperation—In Space, At Least
A lot of people overlooked the 92-year-old man who attended the Wednesday, Oct. 5 launch of the latest crew to the International Space Station (ISS). He was there among the dignitaries, and, truth be told, he was easy to miss. His name is Tom Stafford, and he looks nothing like he did back in the days of the Gemini and Apollo programs, when he flew to space four times—on one occasion...
A Longstanding Mystery Involving Uranus’ Tilted Orbit Gets a New Explanation
Uranus is one of the least explored planets in the solar system, with just a single barnstorming visit by Voyager 2 in 1986. If ever there was a world that deserves more attention than that, however, Uranus is it, if only because it is such a cosmic odd-ball.
Easily Uranus’ strangest feature is the fact that it orbits on its side, lying at a 98-degree angle, with its North and South poles...
Grisly footage shows pod of orcas killing a great white shark and devouring its liver
Scientists have long suspected that killer whales have been hunting great white sharks off the coast of South Africa and driving them from their natural habitat. Now they have "irrefutable evidence," says shark biologist Alison...
Gray whale numbers continue decline; NOAA fisheries will continue monitoring
Gray whales that migrate along the West Coast of North America continued to decline in number over the last 2 years, according to a new NOAA Fisheries assessment. The population is now down 38 percent from its peak in 2015 and 2016, as researchers probe the underlying reasons.
Experimental treatment approach counters allergic asthma without weakening flu defenses
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/7 21:22
A new study found that blocking the action of calcium signals in immune cells counters the most common form of asthma without compromising the body's defenses against flu viruses.
Computer simulation recreates the giant tsunami that washed over the dying dinosaurs
Bob McDonald's blog: Researchers have created a computer simulation of the tsunami caused by a giant asteroid impact in the Gulf of Mexico and found it would have created a 1.5 km tall wall of water that decreased in size as it swept around the...
What other storms can teach us about looming mental health impacts of Hurricane Ian
As residents of southwest Florida begin the arduous process of rebuilding their lives in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Tulane University experts who have studied long-term impacts of storms in New Orleans have one piece of advice: don't ignore your mental health.
Indonesia bans five foreign scientists, shelves conservation data
Even before Dutch conservation scientist Erik Meijaard submitted an opinion piece to
The Jakarta Post
last month, he was worried about how the Indonesian government would react. In the article, he and four other Western scientists challenged the government’s claims that orangutan populations in the country are thriving. Meijaard was aware that Indonesia is increasingly...
Challenge to government’s lateral flow test contracts rejected by high court
Health and social secretary’s decision to grant contracts to UK firm Abingdon Health was the subject of litigationA legal challenge to the government’s award of multimillion-pound contracts for lateral flow tests that later failed to gain regulatory approval has been rejected by the high court.The health and social secretary’s decision to grant three contracts to UK firm Abingdon Health was...
InSight Mars lander waits out dust storm
NASA's InSight mission, which is expected to end in the near future, saw a recent drop in power generated by its solar panels as a continent-size dust storm swirls over Mars' southern hemisphere. First observed on Sept. 21, 2022, by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the storm is roughly 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) from InSight and initially had little impact on the lander.
Reign of Papua New Guinea's megafauna lasted long after humans arrived
A giant kangaroo that once roamed on four legs through remote forests in the Papua New Guinea Highlands may have survived as recently as 20,000 years ago—long after large-bodied megafauna on mainland Australia went extinct, new research indicates.
EPA could get tough on leaded fuel in airplanes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a major step to curb the largest remaining source of airborne lead pollution.
Mauna Loa summit closed until further notice due to 'heightened unrest'
The Mauna Loa summit at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is closed until further notice due to the volcano "experiencing heightened unrest," according to an advisory posted by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Thursday.
'It makes you question your identity': What it means for Latinos to lose Spanish fluency
Ana Gore grew up learning English and Spanish simultaneously. At home, her Peruvian mother would primarily talk to her in Spanish, while her American father spoke to her in English.
Interior Department moves forward with oil and gas drill site leasing
In order to comply with a provision of the climate, tax and health care law signed in August the Interior Department announced Thursday it would move forward with onshore and offshore oil and gas lease sales on federal lands and waters.
California takes leading edge on climate laws. Others could follow
California has enacted an ambitious package of legislation to aggressively combat the climate crisis—a bold move by the world's fifth-largest economy that could inspire action in other states.
'Warm Blob' marine heatwave helps invasive algae take over Baja Californian waters
An unusually long period of warm waters caused invasive species of algae to completely replace a community of native kelp surrounding a Mexican island, according to results published in Botanica Marina.
When making a detour is faster: Optimizing navigation for microswimmers
Whereas the shortest way between two points is a straight connection, it might not be the most efficient path to follow. Complex currents often affect the motion of microswimmers and make it difficult for them to reach their destination. At the same time, making use of these currents to navigate as fast as possible is a certain evolutionary advantage.
Young activists urge focus on cash for climate damage at COP27
Campaigners meeting ahead of the summit say it must deal with the long-running issue of 'loss and damage'.
Climate change made the 2022 summer droughts more likely
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/7 19:14
High temperatures, fuelled by climate change, dried out soils across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere this summer, finds a team of climate scientists.
Age vs. genetics: Which is more important for determining how we age?
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/7 19:14
Our genetics, the environment and our age all play important roles in our health, but which of these is the most important? A new study suggests that in many cases, age plays a more important role than genetics in determining which genes in our bodies are turned on or off, influencing our susceptibility to disease.
Fast track to fertility program halves time to treatment
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/7 19:14
Telemedicine-driven program cut the time from an initial new patient visit to fertility treatment from more than two months to 41 days.
Global warming at least doubled the probability of extreme ocean warming around Japan
In the past decade, the marginal seas of Japan frequently experienced extremely high sea surface temperatures (SSTs). A new study led by National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) researchers revealed that the increased occurrence frequency of extreme ocean warming events since the 2000s is attributable to global warming due to industrialization.