160 articles from THURSDAY 20.10.2022
Observations shed more light on the star formation history of galaxy NGC 2915
Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT), Chinese astronomers have investigated a nearby blue compact dwarf galaxy known as NGC 2915. Results of the study, presented in a paper published October 12 on arXiv.org, yield important insights regarding the star formation history of this galaxy.
Acidic layer in single-walled carbon nanotubes facilitates confinement of anion impurities
Efficient purification processes that separate impurities from air and water are necessary to sustain life on Earth. To this end, carbon materials have long been used for deodorizing, separating, and removing harmful anion impurities by adsorption. So far, the detailed mechanism by which carbon purifies water has remained a mystery. Additionally, it is not known if the aqueous solution adsorbed on...
Analysis of research on Myanmar amber fossils shows explicit links to political, legal and economic changes
Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia, is plagued by political and economic crises. The fall of a president, a military putsch and the crackdown on religious minorities have had an impact not only on life but also on research in the country. One area of research that has been particularly affected is research into fossils preserved in amber.
Study reveals a broken symmetry in the roughness of elastic interfaces
A large class of problems in non-equilibrium statistical physics deal with driven dynamics of elastic interfaces in random media. Examples include stress-driven propagation of crack fronts in disordered solids, motion of domain walls driven by applied magnetic fields in disordered ferromagnets, and dynamics of fluid fronts invading a porous medium—for example, when coffee spilled on the table is...
Alligators exposed to PFAS show autoimmune effects
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/20 14:34
A recent study of alligators in the Cape Fear River found the animals had elevated levels of 14 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in their blood serum, as well as clinical and genetic indicators of immune system effects. The work adds to the body of evidence connecting PFAS exposure with adverse immune system effects.
Solar technology breakthrough: Scalable perovskite solar cells
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/20 14:34
Engineers have succeeded in manufacturing potentially high efficiency, stable, and scalable perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
Calcium content determines the peak intensity ratio due to iron ions at Mössbauer spectra in pyroxene
- ScienceDaily
- 22/10/20 14:34
Pyroxenes are a major group of rock-forming minerals. Scientists investigated the iron ion status of a calcium-rich pyroxene, using Mössbauer spectroscopy on thin sections of single crystals. The study revealed that in pyroxene crystals consisting of roughly 50% calcium, the tensor that determines the ratios of iron ions at the Mössbauer spectral peaks in the M1 sites -- one of two types of...
The Download: Bill Gates’s new climate plans, and an AI bug bounty
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Bill Gates’s energy venture fund is plowing more money into climate adaptation The news: Bill Gates’s climate-oriented venture capital fund is expanding its mission, adding adaptation to its investment categories and establishing a…
A bias bounty for AI will help to catch unfair algorithms faster
AI systems are deployed all the time, but it can take months or even years until it becomes clear whether, and how, they’re biased.
The stakes are often sky-high: unfair AI systems can cause innocent people to be arrested, and they can deny people housing, jobs, and basic services.
Today a group of AI and machine-learning experts are launching a new bias bounty...
Diphtheria outbreak confirmed at asylum seeker centre in Kent
‘Very small’ number of cases reported at Manston airfield, where about 3,000 people are staying in tentsThere has been an outbreak of diphtheria at an asylum seeker processing centre at a former MoD site in Kent.The Home Office refused to confirm the number of cases of diphtheria at Manston – an airfield in Ramsgate providing tented accommodation for about 3,000 people who have arrived in...
Metro Vancouver's last remaining glacier is disappearing fast
Metro Vancouver's last surviving glacier, a source of local fresh water, will disappear in less than 30 years, according to local...
Secret files suggest chemical giant feared weedkiller’s link to Parkinson’s disease
Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian detail effort to refute scientific research into paraquat and derail nomination of key EPA adviserFor decades, Swiss chemical giant Syngenta has manufactured and marketed a widely used weed-killing chemical called paraquat, and for much of that time the company has been dealing with external concerns that long-term exposure to the chemical may be a cause of...
The bird is fine, the bird is fine, the bird is fine, it’s dead
Twenty years have passed since I first met Aubrey de Grey, the man with the Methuselah beard. Back then he was already a True Believer in the quest for immortality. But he wasn’t famous, or notorious, yet; he wasn’t Aubrey!, as he would soon become to his fans in the anti-aging crowd. And he wasn’t…
When you lose weight, where does it go?
What happens when we lose weight? This is really a question about how our bodies store and use the energy we need to function.
In general, we store backup energy in fat cells that are distributed around the body, some in the abdomen around the organs (visceral fat) and some under the skin (subcutaneous fat); lesser amounts of fat can also be deposited in muscle tissue. We also have...
Crisis-hit Sudan faces biggest threat yet: climate change
Conflict, coups, dire poverty: Sudan is reeling from multiple crises, but environmental activist Nisreen Elsaim warns a bigger problem dwarfs them all—climate change.
New Zealand farmers protest livestock 'burp and fart' tax
Farmers quit their fields and hit the streets of New Zealand's cities Thursday in countrywide protests against plans to tax greenhouse emissions from farm animals.
Mysterious breeding habits of aquarium fish vex experts
It took a broken air conditioner for Tom Bowling to figure out—after nearly eight months of failure—how to breed the coveted pink-yellow tropical fish known as blotched anthias.
Alligators exposed to PFAS show autoimmune effects
A recent study of alligators in the Cape Fear River found the animals had elevated levels of 14 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in their blood serum, as well as clinical and genetic indicators of immune system effects. The work adds to the body of evidence connecting PFAS exposure with adverse immune system effects.
Can rituals help with our grief for the natural world?
Last week, a scientific assessment found wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69% in just under 50 years. Such rapid and significant losses are leaving many of us with a deep sense of grief and anxiety. To make sense of these emotions and channel them into action, people are increasingly performing rituals and commemorative acts for the natural world.Madeleine Finlay speaks to Prof...