95 articles from MONDAY 30.1.2023
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.
Machine learning identifies drugs that could potentially help smokers quit
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
Medications like dextromethorphan, used to treat coughs caused by cold and flu, could potentially be repurposed to help people quit smoking cigarettes, according to a new study. Researchers developed a novel machine learning method, where computer programs analyze data sets for patterns and trends, to identify the drugs and said that some of them are already being tested in clinical trials.
New ancient 'marine crocodile' discovered on UK's Jurassic Coast -- and it's one of the oldest specimens of its type ever found
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
A new study has uncovered a new thalattosuchian -- an ancient 'sister' of modern-day crocodiles' ancestors.
Will machine learning help us find extraterrestrial life?
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
Researchers have applied a deep learning technique to a previously studied dataset of nearby stars and uncovered eight previously unidentified signals of interest.
Researchers make recommendations for diversifying syllabi in higher education
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
Researchers set up a structure that helps them systematically go through different types of resources and figure out if they meet the aims of diversifying syllabi.
Under pressure: Breakthrough new material solves problem of wearable sensors
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
Researchers have synthesized a new material that solves one of the most difficult problems in the quest to create wearable, unobtrusive sensitive sensors: the problem of pressure.
Tweezers untangle chemotherapeutic's impact on DNA
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
New research is providing a fresh view into the ways a common chemotherapy agent, etoposide, stalls and poisons the essential enzymes that allow cancer cells to flourish.
New insights on why improvements to Chesapeake Bay remain a challenge
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:05
A new look at the history of water quality in the Chesapeake Bay sheds light on how the estuary has responded to nutrient reduction efforts and why improvements have remained a major challenge. Environmental science researchers looked at the Bay's historic response to efforts to reduce nutrients to minimize dead zones -- areas with too little oxygen to support marine life -- and found there is a...
Powering wearable technology with MXene textile supercapacitor 'patch'
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/30 19:04
Researchers are one step closer to making wearable textile technology a reality. Materials scientists have reported a new design of a flexible wearable supercapacitor patch. It uses MXene to create a textile-based supercapacitor that can charge in minutes and power an Arduino microcontroller temperature sensor and radio communication of data for almost two hours.
Rare ‘mother of pearl’ clouds spotted over Scotland
Iridescent clouds formed of ice crystals are usually found in extremely cold air above polar regionsExcited weather watchers have captured stunning images of rare “mother of pearl” clouds, which have formed high up in the atmosphere over Scotland.Such clouds tend to develop in the extremely cold air above polar regions, but were spotted on Sunday evening and Monday morning by BBC weather...