2,926 articles mezi dny 1.12.2022 a 31.12.2022
John Howard overrode George Pell’s objections to allow research using surplus IVF embryos
Cabinet papers 2002: PM lifted ban despite opposition of conservatives and religious leaders, including then Archbishop PellGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastJohn Howard’s decision to allow stem cell research using surplus IVF embryos might surprise people “who saw Howard as only a rightwing person”, the former senator and cabinet minister Amanda...
Out of Africa: my lifelong mission to trace the origins of man
Chris Stringer, who has just received a CBE for his work on human evolution, tells how his remarkable quest as a young researcher transformed understanding of our speciesAs with so many other careers, chance played a major role in my pursuit of science. After a childhood in which I displayed a disquieting interest in skulls and stories about Neanderthals, I was – after a challenging stint as a...
Nova Scotia researchers helping to fill in pieces of green-hydrogen puzzle
Like many jurisdictions, Nova Scotia is hoping green hydrogen holds the key to transitioning away from fossil fuels. But challenges remain, and local researchers are hoping to provide some of the...
Skiing in the Alps faces a bleak future thanks to climate change
Skiing was introduced into the Alps comparatively late in the 1880s, with the first ski-lift being developed in the Swiss resort of Davos in the winter of 1934. The industrial revolution was two centuries old by that point, but the world climate was still largely pre-industrial.
Above and beyond: key events in 2022 that shaped space exploration
It was a great year for a slight lifting of the veil on the final frontier – from redirecting an asteroid to a glimpse into creationThe year has been a blast in space exploration, from Nasa’s big step in returning to moon missions, to glimpses at the origins of the universe and hope that humanity could survive the doomsday scenario of an asteroid hurtling towards Earth.These are the events...
How can you be the best possible parent, lover, friend, citizen or tourist? Here’s what the experts think
It’s not easy being a ‘good’ person – what can we learn from the people who have thought about it the most?I used to think I was a good person. I was caring to my friends, my partner, my family; I gave to charity and I volunteered; I wasn’t racist, homophobic or sexist. Boxes: ticked. But when I started training to become a therapist in the NHS, I began to understand that however much we...
WHO urges Covid data ‘transparency’ as China prepares to open borders
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says WHO officials stressed to Beijing the importance of sharing data ahead of easing of travel restrictions on 8 JanuaryThe World Health Organisation again urged China’s health officials to regularly share specific, real-time information on the country’s Covid surge, as the UK joined other countries in bringing in travel restrictions, citing a lack of data as the...
Happisburgh: The Norfolk village crumbling into the sea
A nurse says she is heartbroken that nothing can be done to save her house from coastal erosion.
Citizen scientists join fight to clean up rivers
The past year has seen public outrage over sewage with volunteers taking action into their own hands.
FRIDAY 30. DECEMBER 2022
Study discovers triple immunotherapy combination as possible treatment for pancreatic cancer
- ScienceDaily
- 22/12/30 20:22
Researchers have discovered a novel immunotherapy combination, targeting checkpoints in both T cells and myeloid suppressor cells, that successfully reprogrammed the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and significantly improved anti-tumor responses in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer.
'Solar powered' cells: Light-activated proton pumps generate cellular energy, extend life
- ScienceDaily
- 22/12/30 20:22
New research takes a page from the field of renewable energy and shows that genetically engineered mitochondria can convert light energy into chemical energy that cells can use, ultimately extending the life of the roundworm C. elegans.
Miracle or mirage? Atmospheric rivers end California drought year with heavy snow and rain
After the driest start to any year on record, California will end 2022 with snow-capped mountains, soaked roadways and—in some places—flood warnings.
Six climate breakthroughs that made 2022 a step toward net zero
The damage caused by climate change over this past year was at times so immense it was hard to comprehend. In Pakistan alone, extreme summer flooding killed thousands, displaced millions and caused over $40 billion in losses. Fall floods in Nigeria killed hundreds and displaced over 1 million people. Droughts in Europe, China and the U.S. dried out once-unstoppable rivers and slowed the flows of...
New rockets, more spacecraft to take flight in 2023 from Space Coast
It's slated to be a busy year of rocket launches from the Space Coast with a pace that could introduce some new names and set new records.
Despite 3M's phase-out, problem of cleaning up PFAS remains
3M announced in mid-December that it's phasing out a family of harmful chemicals, but they're not going away.
US ignored own scientists' warning in backing Atlantic wind farm
U.S. government scientists warned federal regulators the South Fork offshore wind farm near the Rhode Island coast threatened the Southern New England Cod, a species so venerated in the region a wooden carving of it hangs in the Massachusetts state house.
Museum scientists describe and name 351 new species in 2022
From research trips to remote locations, to combing through the 80 million objects held in the Museum collections, each year scientists are adding to this extensive library of life. While many of these species will already be known to those who live alongside them, by giving them scientific names we can hopefully better protect them.
Two CubeSats to shed light on space weather disturbances
Two CubeSats, or small satellites, are on a quest to provide insight on space weather disturbances and the subsequent impact on communication signals. The dynamic duo, the Plasma Enhancements in the Ionosphere-Thermosphere Satellite (petitSat) and Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT), arrived at the International Space Station on Nov. 27, 2022, as part of SpaceX's 26th...
Solar-powered cells: Light-activated proton pumps generate cellular energy, extend life
New research in the journal Nature Aging takes a page from the field of renewable energy and shows that genetically engineered mitochondria can convert light energy into chemical energy that cells can use, ultimately extending the life of the roundworm C. elegans. While the prospect of sunlight-charged cells in humans is more science fiction than science, the findings shed light on important...
Revised clinical trial form for Alzheimer’s antibody warned of fatal brain bleeds
- ScienceNOW
- 22/12/30 17:30
Earlier this year, the developer of a promising antibody designed to slow Alzheimer’s disease strengthened a key warning given to participants in an ongoing trial of the experimental drug. Taking the antibody alongside blood clot medications, the Japanese biotech company Eisai cautioned, increases the risk of possibly fatal brain hemorrhages. That revision of its informed consent form,...
NASA and HAARP conclude asteroid experiment
A powerful transmitter in remote Alaska sent long wavelength radio signals into space Tuesday with the purpose of bouncing them off an asteroid to learn about its interior.
In China, here is what we want the west to know about our Covid response | Zheng Zeguang
Our approach to the pandemic has always been science-led, and that’s still the case with our new, more lenient guidelinesZheng Zeguang is the Chinese ambassador to the UKNews: China Covid: experts estimate 9,000 deaths a dayOver the past weeks, Beijing has become the first city to go through the infection peak, and life and work are returning to normal in the capital. The Covid-19 situation in...
Permacrisis, Partygate and mini-budget: the Guardian’s breakthrough words of the year
A trawl of terms used for the first time or with fresh significance reveals the annus horribilis that was 2022It has been an extraordinary year, so extraordinary, in fact, it required a new word to sum it up: “permacrisis”. This entered the Guardian’s lexicon for the first time in March, an apt word for the annus horribilis that was 2022.“Permacrisis” went on to become Collins...
Study explores topological beaming of light
Nanophotonic light emitters are compact and versatile devices with wide-ranging applications in applied physics. In a new report now published on Science Advances, Ki Young Lee and a research team in physics and engineering in China and the UK, proposed to develop a topological beam emitter structure of a submicron-footprint size and high efficiency, with adaptable beam shaping capacity.
Deep learning may help to prevent salmon escapes in rough seas
Artificial intelligence can be of great benefit underwater and SINTEF, in collaboration with the research center SFI Exposed, is developing systems that will help to boost fish farm safety and security under harsh sea conditions.
Five human technologies inspired by nature—from velcro to racing cars
Nature has, over millions of years, evolved solutions to adapt to an array of challenges. As the challenges facing humanity become more complex, we are seeing inspiration being increasingly drawn from nature.
A brief history of statistics in soccer: Why actual goals remain king in predicting who will win
In 2017, BBC's Match of the Day introduced a new statistic in their post-match summaries of Premier League matches. Expected goals, or xG, is designed to tell us how many goals a team should have scored based on the quality of the chances they created in a game. It is loved by amateur and professional statisticians alike who want to use data to analyze performance.
Nigeria has a coastal litter problem: It's time to clean up, says researcher
Bottles. Plastic bags. Surgical facemasks. These are just some of the 29,029 items we found along the 180km Araromi coastline Nigeria in nine months while studying marine litter. The litter weighed in at a hefty 465.54kg.
The sky isn't just blue—airglow makes it green, yellow and red too
Look up on a clear sunny day and you will see a blue sky. But is this the true color of the sky? Or is it the only color of the sky?
Digital nomad visas offer the best of two worlds: What you should know before you go
Imagine starting your work day with a fresh coconut juice perched by your laptop as you gaze over the ocean or a tropical rainforest.
Researchers discover that soap film on bubbles is cooler than the air around it
A team of researchers at Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, has discovered that the film that makes up ordinary soap bubbles is cooler than the surrounding air. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group describes experiments they conducted with soap bubbles.
Basmati rice: The new authenticity rules aiming to remove sub-standard varieties from the market
Basmati is the most popular specialty rice in the UK, adding extra flavor and subtlety to everything from curries to pilafs to kedgerees. Nearly three-quarters of the world's basmati is produced in India, and the UK buys 3% of it—plus substantial amounts from the second-largest producer, Pakistan.
How science fiction predicted recent high-tech developments in chemistry
Real-world technology is often foretold by science fiction. In 1927, characters in the film Metropolis made video calls to each other. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry hung flat-screen color monitors on the walls of the Enterprise decades before we did the same in our living rooms.
Quasicrystal formed during accidental electrical discharge
A team of researchers from Università di Firenze, the University of South Florida, California Institute of Technology and Princeton University has found an incidence of a quasicrystal formed during an accidental electrical discharge.
Chinese astronomers detect over 100 new open clusters
By analyzing the data from ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) in China have detected 101 new open clusters in the Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was presented in a paper published December 21 on the arXiv pre-print repository.
New measurements of galaxy rotation lean toward modified gravity as an explanation for dark matter
Although dark matter is a central part of the standard cosmological model, it's not without its issues. There continue to be nagging mysteries about the stuff, not the least of which is the fact that scientists have found no direct particle evidence of it.
Bile acid improves intrauterine growth retardation metabolism in piglets
Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), defined as the impaired growth and development of a mammalian embryo/fetus or fetal organs during pregnancy, is a major concern in pig farming. IUGR animals exhibit impaired growth and development, lower meat quality, and higher morbidity and mortality after birth. Therefore, IUGR is a major problem for the pig industry due to the lack of comprehensive...
Researchers uncover evidence of 'hidden state' involving common ion
While conducting an otherwise straightforward investigation into the assembly mechanism of calcium-phosphate clusters, researchers at UC Santa Barbara and New York University (NYU) made a surprising discovery: Phosphate ions in water have a curious habit of spontaneously alternating between their commonly encountered hydrated state and a mysterious, previously unreported 'dark' state.
Venus may have Earth-like lithospheric thickness and heat flow
Poor old Venera 9, the Soviet Union's Venus lander, separated from its orbiter and made a hot, violent descent through the dense Venusian atmosphere on October 22, 1975, landing hard on a circular shield designed to crumple and absorb the impact. It only survived the intense surface conditions for 53 minutes, transmitting data regarding clouds, light irradiance, temperature and atmospheric...