95 articles from MONDAY 30.1.2023
U.S. scientists brace for tighter scrutiny of potentially risky research
Federally funded scientists who work with potentially harmful bacteria, viruses, and other agents could soon face a major expansion of U.S. government oversight. An expert group last week recommended broadening rules that require universities and funding agencies to determine whether proposed studies count as dual-use research—work that carries the risk of intentionally or accidentally...
Chinese prefer Europeans to Americans, but feeling isn't mutual, says study
People in China have more favorable opinions of Europeans than Americans, but the feeling is not mutual, according to a new study from researchers at Rice University, the National University of Singapore and the University of British Columbia.
Warmer climate may drive fungi to be more dangerous to our health
The world is filled with tiny creatures that find us delicious. Bacteria and viruses are the obvious bad guys, drivers of deadly global pandemics and annoying infections. But the pathogens we haven't had to reckon with as much—yet—are the fungi.
Predicting human group sizes with physics
Only by knowing the average number of friends each person has, scientists at Complexity Science Hub (CSH) were able to predict the group sizes of people in a computer game. For this purpose, they modeled the formation of social groups on an example from physics, namely the self-organization of particles with spin.
How to reduce the temptation to cheat: Empathy
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 22:13
Adopting a partner's perspective increases commitment and desire for the partner, while simultaneously decreasing sexual and romantic interest in alternative mates, according to a new study by a team of psychologists. The findings suggest that perspective taking discourages people from engaging in behaviors that may hurt their partners and damage their relationship.
AI: World likely to hit key warming threshold in 10-12 years
The world will likely breach the internationally agreed-upon climate change threshold in about a decade, and keep heating to break through a next warming limit around mid-century even with big pollution cuts, artificial intelligence predicts in a new study that's more pessimistic than previous modeling.
Powering wearable technology with MXene textile supercapacitor 'patch'
Researchers at Drexel University are one step closer to making wearable textile technology a reality. Recently published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, materials scientists from Drexel's College of Engineering, in partnership with a team at Accenture Labs, have reported a new design of a flexible wearable supercapacitor patch. It uses MXene, a material discovered at Drexel University in...
Study unveils theoretical principle that carbon-based catalysts promote electrochemical reactions
Carbon-based catalysts have garnered extensive attention over the past decades as an economical alternative to noble metal catalysts for renewable energy systems.
Dolphins and humans team up to catch fish in Brazil
For more than 140 years, fishers in southeastern Brazil have formed an
unusual partnership with local dolphins
. In the small coastal city of Laguna, men wait for the marine mammals to swim up a narrow lagoon, herding silvery mullet from the Atlantic Ocean into shallower waters. As soon as the fishers spot a dolphin slapping its tail, lifting its head, and diving deeply,...
Solid material that 'upconverts' visible light photons to UV light photons could change how we utilize sunlight
The importance of solar power as a renewable energy resource is increasing. Sunlight contains high-energy UV light with a wavelength shorter than 400 nm, which can be broadly used, for example, for photopolymerization to form a resin and activation of photocatalysts to drive reactions that generate green hydrogen or useful hydrocarbons (fuels, sugars, olefins, etc.). The latter of these is often...
Fishing in synchrony brings mutual benefits for dolphins and people in Brazil, research shows
By working together, dolphins and net-casting fishers in Brazil each catch more fish, a rare example of an interaction by two top predators that is beneficial to both parties, researchers have concluded following 15 years of study of the practice.
Researchers uncover dynamics behind protein crucial in breast cancer
Watching a puppet show can teach you something about how estrogen works in the body, according to Rice University scientists whose research could open the door to new strategies for regulating the hormone—which could help prevent breast cancer and other diseases.
This groundbreaking biomaterial heals tissues from the inside out
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 20:48
A new biomaterial that can be injected intravenously, reduces inflammation in tissue and promotes cell and tissue repair. The biomaterial was tested and proven effective in treating tissue damage caused by heart attacks in both rodent and large animal models. Researchers also provided proof of concept in a rodent model that the biomaterial could be beneficial to patients with traumatic brain...
New method to control electron spin paves the way for efficient quantum computers
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 20:48
Researchers have developed a new method for manipulating information in quantum systems by controlling the spin of electrons in silicon quantum dots. The results provide a promising new mechanism for control of qubits, which could pave the way for the development of a practical, silicon-based quantum computer.
Mie voids could bring about control of light in air
Resonant optical phenomena in metals and dielectrics have profound applications in many fields. The nanoscale confinement allows for unpreceded control of light-matter interaction at surfaces and interfaces, manipulating and controlling the light flow. Resonant phenomena are usually associated with radiative and intrinsic loss channels, which are detrimental in many systems. Metals show strong...
Inequality in access to basic services is a major problem in sub-Saharan Africa—but progress is happening
Economic activity and development are unevenly distributed across regions of the world and within any country. In other words, where someone lives can determine their economic and social well-being.
Electrospun nanomaterial offers great protection against electromagnetic interference
Engineers have employed "electrospinning," a new technique of manufacturing nanomaterials, to produce a novel fabric that offers high performance protection against electromagnetic interference, a phenomenon that can result in electronic device malfunction and at high levels of exposure can harm human health.
Schoolkids lost third of a year's learning to pandemic: study
School-aged students lost more than a third of a year's worth of learning early on in the pandemic and have still not caught up, posing "a real problem for this generation," researchers warned on Monday.
Molecular clouds extend their lives by constantly reassembling themselves, say astronomers
Astronomers have recently discovered that giant clouds of molecular hydrogen, the birthplace of stars, can live for tens of millions of years despite the facts that individual molecules are constantly getting destroyed and reassembled. This new research helps place a crucial piece of understanding in our overall picture of how stars are born.
How a novel class of sulfonamides potently blocks malaria transmission
Malaria is a devastating disease, with 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths reported in 2021 alone. Malaria causes fever and a flu-like illness that occurs when people are infected with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is spread by mosquitoes. Drugs to treat malaria symptoms and insecticides to kill malaria-spreading mosquitoes have improved in recent decades, but the parasite and the...
Political orientation could be predicted by differences in brain activation and synchronization
A first-of-its-kind study scanned the brains of dozens of politically involved participants while they watched campaign-ads and speeches by parties from both ends of the political spectrum, just before one of the last rounds of elections. The participants, half right-wing and half left-wing, were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a method that measures brain activation.
New monovalent anion permselective membranes for high-efficient mono-/di-valent anion separation
Monovalent anion perm-selective membranes (MAPMs) combined with electrodialysis can simultaneously realize the efficient separation of mono-/di-valent anions and the concentration of monovalent salt. However, their applications in practical industrial scenarios are limited due to the low anion selectivity of commercial MAPMs, especially the poor alkali stability.
Primates colonised the Arctic during a period of ancient global warming—their fate offers a lesson
Two new species of prehistoric primate were recently identified by scientists studying fossils from Canada's Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic. The primates are closely related and likely originated from a single colonization event, following which they split into two species: Ignacius dawsonae and Ignacius mckennai.
Sheriffs who see themselves as ultimate defenders of the Constitution are especially worried about gun rights
A gun control law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois in January 2023 immediately faced opposition from a group key to the law's enforcement: sheriffs. They are county-level, locally elected public officials who run jails, provide courthouse security, and, in many counties, are the primary providers of law enforcement services.
Exploring how to develop better rechargeable aluminum batteries
A team from China published new work on rechargeable aluminum batteries in Energy Material Advances.
Expanding global cold chains: Effective adaptation, or dangerous contribution to climate change?
Keeping food cold as it moves through the supply chain is crucial to fighting food insecurity, preventing food waste, and supporting agricultural livelihoods and economies throughout the developing world.
Climate tipping: West Antarctica ice sheet collapse may stabilize North Atlantic currents
It has been hypothesized, that the tipping of one element of the Earth's system can catalyze the tipping of others in a cascade. A study gives an example of an alternative option, in which the collapse of one component might in fact make another system tipping less likely. In particular, the study indicates that tipping of the West Antarctica ice sheet may stabilize the important ocean current...
Toxic pollutants can build up inside our homes. Here are eight ways to reduce the risks
We know everything in our homes gathers dust. What you probably don't know is whether there are toxic contaminants in your house dust, and where these might come from.
Young people are drinking less—here's an alternative to try on your next night out
A new leisure trend is providing an alternative to pubs and bars for young people whose alcohol consumption has been declining for years.
Older women are smashing it this awards season, but ageism is far from over
Older and middle-aged women are having their moment in the sun, it seems. The recent Golden Globes coverage was filled with images of "older" women on the red carpet. There were some notable wins too.
Does failing to detect aliens mean we'll never be contacted?
In a recent paper submitted to The Astronomical Journal in November 2022, a scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne quantifies how the Earth has not heard a radio signal from an extraterrestrial technological civilization since the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) began listening for such signals 60 year ago. The article also quantifies the potential...
Migrants don't cause crime rates to increase, but false perceptions endure anyway
Immigration is a critical topic in contemporary political and academic debates. Politicians and the general population alike in countries around the world have often shown hostility towards immigrants.
Three of four people experience abuse on dating apps. How do we balance prevention with policing?
A 2022 survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology found three in four app users surveyed had experienced online abuse or harassment when using dating apps. This included image-based abuse and abusive and threatening messages. A further third experienced in-person or off-app abuse from people they met on apps.
Viking brutality failed to wipe out monastery, dig finds
Anglo-Saxon monasteries were more resilient to Viking attacks than previously thought, archaeologists have concluded.
Virtual reality can be used to prevent infidelity and betrayal in real-world relationships
Many people enter into a monogamous romantic relationship hoping to remain faithful to their partner and enjoy all the benefits such a relationship can offer, including a sense of security, belonging and intimacy. However, in an age where the possibilities are seemingly endless, maintaining sexual exclusivity becomes challenging, as high rates of infidelity will testify.
Are Wildfires Getting Worse? – We Asked a NASA Scientist
Are wildfires getting worse? Unfortunately, yes. Changes in our climate, along with other factors, have led to wildfires increasing in intensity, severity, size and duration. NASA climate and wildfire expert Liz Hoy explains how and why NASA studies these events from the ground, air, and space to better understand the impacts they have on both a local and global scale....
Marburg vaccine shows promising results in first-in-human study
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
A new article shows that an experimental vaccine against Marburg virus (MARV) was safe and induced an immune response in a small, first-in-human clinical trial. The vaccine could someday be an important tool to respond to Marburg virus outbreaks.
Sports-related sudden cardiac arrest is rare in older adults
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
The annual incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest in older adults is rare: 2 to 3 cases per 100,000 people.