Virgin Galactic makes first flight from New Mexico site.
Views expressed in this science and technology summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Content provided by "Phys.org", an official publication of the SpaceX Network.
Accessed on 13 December 2020, 1357 UTC, Post 004.
Source: https://phys.org/
Please click link or scroll down to read your selections.
Thanks for joining us today.
Until next time,
Russ Roberts
https://hawaiisciencedaily.blogspot.com
https://www.hawaiigeopoliticalnews.com
https://hawaiinewsdigest.net
Polarization increases with economic decline, becoming cripplingly contagious
The rise of populist movements is changing political systems around the world. As support for these "anti-elite" movements intensifies, many are scrambling ...
ECONOMICS & BUSINESS
DEC 11, 2020
16
506
Effective planning ahead protects fish and fisheries
Conservation of fish and other marine life migrating from warming ocean waters will be more effective and also protect commercial fisheries if plans are made now to cope with climate change, according to a Rutgers-led study ...
ECOLOGY
DEC 11, 2020
2
88
Faraday fabrics? MXene-coated fabric could contain electronic interference in wearable devices
Researchers at Drexel University's College of Engineering have reported that fabric coated with a conductive, two-dimensional material called MXene, is highly effective at blocking electromagnetic waves and potentially harmful ...
MATERIALS SCIENCE
DEC 11, 2020
2
454
Researchers find a better way to design metal alloys
Advanced metal alloys are essential in key parts of modern life, from cars to satellites, from construction materials to electronics. But creating new alloys for specific uses, with optimized strength, hardness, corrosion ...
MATERIALS SCIENCE
DEC 11, 2020
1
397
New 2-D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) layered perovskite-based solar cells
In recent years, researchers worldwide have been trying to develop solar cells and other technologies that can produce electrical energy from renewable sources, as these could reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and thus ...
ELECTRONICS & SEMICONDUCTORS
What should a successful SARS-CoV-2 vaccine do?
A lot has been written recently about the merits of different potential vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. "Merit" is generally assumed to mean that the vaccine will make us immune. But what, exactly, is immunity, and how would we ...
Carrots are healthy, but active enzyme unlocks full benefits
Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, which is a precursor of vitamin A. But to get the full health benefits of this superfood, you need an active enzyme to produce this vitamin.
MEDICAL RESEARCH
19 HOURS AGO
2
48
New online COVID-19 mortality risk calculator could help determine who should get vaccines first
A new online calculator for estimating individual and community-level risk of dying from COVID-19 has been developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers who developed the ...
DISEASES, CONDITIONS, SYNDROMES
DEC 11, 2020
4
85
Pre-existing flu immunity impacts antibody quality following infection and vaccination
New research by scientists at the University of Chicago suggests a person's antibody response to influenza viruses is dramatically shaped by their pre-existing immunity, and that the quality of this response differs in individuals ...
IMMUNOLOGY
DEC 11, 2020
2
99
US panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine Thursday, putting the country just one step away from launching an epic vaccination campaign against the outbreak that has killed close ...
DISEASES, CONDITIONS, SYNDROMES
DEC 11, 2020
2
16
Near-atomic-scale analysis of frozen water
Advances in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can allow cryo-imaging of biological and biochemical systems in liquid form, however, such approaches do not possess advanced analytical capabilities. In a new report now ...
Rectal cancer patients who 'watch and wait' may only need few years of stringent follow-up
An international team of scientists, including doctors from the Champalimaud Clinical Centre, in Lisbon, has just published results in the prestigious journal The Lancet Oncology that suggest that the majority of rectal cancer ...
ONCOLOGY & CANCER
DEC 11, 2020
0
70
The pressure sensor of the Venus flytrap
All plant cells can be made to react by touch or injury. The carnivorous Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) has highly sensitive organs for this purpose: sensory hairs that register even the weakest mechanical stimuli, amplify ...
PLANTS & ANIMALS
DEC 11, 2020
0
141
New computational method validates images without 'ground truth'
A realtor sends a prospective homebuyer a blurry photograph of a house taken from across the street. The homebuyer can compare it to the real thing—look at the picture, then look at the real house—and see that the bay ...
GENERAL PHYSICS
DEC 11, 2020
0
188
Carolina Sandhills Salamander: New species added to species-rich North Carolina
Already possessing more salamander species than any other state in the country with 63, North Carolina has just added one more to make it 64. The aptly named Carolina Sandhills Salamander (Eurycea arenicola) is found in association ...
PLANTS & ANIMALS
DEC 11, 2020
0
1418
Hydrogel controls cell growth outside the body
Chemists at Radboud University discovered a unique material in 2013. From a synthetic polymer named polyisocyanopeptide (PIC), they made a gel that behaves similar to the matrix that surrounds the cells in your body. The ...
BIOCHEMISTRY
DEC 11, 2020
0
108
The secret behind male ornaments
In many species, males have eye-catching characteristics. Although often impractical, they are beneficial in finding a mate. Scientists have now mapped the genetic bases of such a male ornament in a fish.
ECOLOGY
DEC 11, 2020
1
113
Male weeds may hold key to their own demise
Scientists are getting closer to finding the genes for maleness in waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, two of the most troublesome agricultural weeds in the U.S.
PLANTS & ANIMALS
DEC 11, 2020
0
262
Physicists observe the emergence of collective behaviour
Phase transitions describe dramatic changes in properties of a macroscopic system—like the transition from a liquid to a gas. Starting from individual ultracold atoms, Heidelberg University physicists were able to observe ...
GENERAL PHYSICS
DEC 11, 2020
0
209
Chile awaits total eclipse of the sun as Covid restrictions rise
Chileans will turn their eyes to the sky on Monday to admire a total eclipse of the sun, but unlike last year's phenomenon their numbers will be severely reduced by coronavirus restrictions.
Canada aims to beat 2030 climate target, says Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday an annual hike of his country's carbon tax by Can$15 (US$12) per tonne after 2022, and billions in new investments to try to beat its climate target.
Second young elephant dies from virus at New York zoo
A second young elephant has died at a central New York zoo despite frantic efforts by staff to combat a lethal virus, zoo officials said Friday.
Flamethrower drone incinerates wasp nests in China
A drone has been converted into a flying flamethrower in central China in a fiery campaign to eradicate more than 100 wasp nests.
Icebreaker leaves Australia after 150 Antarctica trips
The giant orange icebreaker Aurora Australis left Australia for the final time on Saturday after more than 150 trips to Antarctica. Next stop: a shipyard in Dubai, where it will be refurbished and either leased or sold.
Mexican experts find 119 more skulls on Aztec 'trophy rack'
Archaeologists in Mexico City said Friday they have found another section of 119 skulls that were part of the Aztec capital's main trophy rack of sacrificed humans.
EXPLAINER: The real math behind "net zero" carbon emissions
More than 100 countries—responsible for about two-thirds of the world's heat-trapping gases—have announced plans to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to "net zero" in coming decades to help curb man-made climate change.
EU leaders agree to reduce emissions after all-night talks
European Union leaders reached a hard-fought deal Friday to cut the bloc's net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by the end of the decade compared with 1990 levels, avoiding a hugely embarrassing deadlock ahead of ...
Researchers discover strong correlation between partisanship and social mobility during COVID-19 pandemic
According to many medical experts, reduced social mobility—defined here as social contact and travel within and among communities—is a necessary factor to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Snow leopard at Kentucky zoo tests positive for coronavirus
A snow leopard at a Kentucky zoo is the first in the U.S. to test positive for the coronavirus, federal officials announced Friday.
Five years on, signs that Paris climate accord is working
The forecast for global warming is looking a little less bleak in the long term, but not so rosy in the short term.
Sea star listed as critically endangered following research
The iconic sunflower sea star has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature following a groundbreaking population study led by Oregon State University and The Nature Conservancy.
High-speed model for the fight against SARS-CoV2
To contain the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus and slow the spread of infections and the rising death toll, researchers and health professionals around the world are rapidly developing vaccines and medical drugs. But before these can ...
Warming amplified in mountain environments in the Last Interglacial
Speleothems turned out to be a great stroke of luck: dripstones from two caves in the Swiss Alps provide for the first time a continuous reconstruction of temperatures during the Last Interglacial period. Paul Wilcox from ...
Gut microbiota plays a role in brain function and mood regulation
Depression is a mental disorder that affects more than 264 million people of all ages worldwide. Understanding its mechanisms is vital for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Scientists from the Institut ...
NEUROSCIENCE
DEC 11, 2020
0
775
Using water fleas, researchers investigate adaptive evolution
Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington resurrected the preserved eggs of a shrimp-like crustacean to examine long-standing questions about adaptive evolution, reporting the results in the journal Proceedings ...
EVOLUTION
DEC 11, 2020
0
93
Solar Orbiter: Turning pictures into physics
Solar Orbiter's latest results show that the mission is making the first direct connections between events at the solar surface and what's happening in interplanetary space around the spacecraft. It is also giving us new ...
SPACE EXPLORATION
DEC 11, 2020
0
294
Festive treat for stargazers as Geminid meteors peak
Stargazers across the northern hemisphere could see as many as 70 meteors an hour this coming Sunday, as the Geminids meteor shower reaches its peak. Prospects for what should be this year's best display of meteors are particularly ...
SPACE EXPLORATION
DEC 11, 2020
1
173
Google, Harvard unveil Android medical research app
Google has partnered with Harvard Medical School to launch an app that allows anyone with an Android phone to participate in medical studies.
Study reveals surprising variability of muscle cells
Usually, each cell has exactly one nucleus. But the cells of our skeletal muscles are different: These long, fibrous cells have a comparatively large cytoplasm that contains hundreds of nuclei. But up to now, we have known ...
MEDICAL RESEARCH
DEC 11, 2020
0
36
Characterizing the time-dependent material properties of protein condensates
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Germany and Austria has developed a way to characterize the time-dependent material properties of certain protein condensates. In their paper published in the ...
A common type of oscillating motion surprisingly mimics the wave behavior of light
An unexpected mathematical connection between a special kind of mechanical motion and the behavior of light has been uncovered by three RIKEN physicists1. This strange link could help physicists to design future particle ...
OPTICS & PHOTONICS
DEC 11, 2020
1
120
New tool for watching and controlling neural activity
A new molecular probe from Stanford University could help reveal how our brains think and remember. This tool, called Fast Light and Calcium-Regulated Expression or FLiCRE (pronounced "flicker"), can be sent inside any cell ...
NEUROSCIENCE
DEC 11, 2020
0
363
Researchers find why 'lab-made' proteins have unusually high temperature stability
Bioengineers have found why proteins that are designed from scratch tend to be more tolerant to high temperatures than proteins found in nature.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
DEC 11, 2020
0
18
Fan mussel larval dispersal is decisive for the future of an endangered species
Fan mussel populations—the biggest bivalve mussel in the Mediterranean—are endangered due to the severe parasitosis caused by the protozoan Haplospridium pinnae since 2016. Now, a study published in the journal Frontiers ...
Bacteria can travel from one continent to another in atmospheric dust particles
Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have discovered that some microorganisms, such as bacteria, can travel from one continent to another 'hidden' in atmospheric dust.
Tanzania farmers distrust fertilizer quality, are less willing to pay for it
Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa use fertilizer well below recommended rates, contributing to consistently low agricultural productivity. Farmers in Tanzania and Kenya, for example, apply just 13 kilograms of fertilizer ...
Negative reviews boost sales
Aleksei Smirnov, Assistant Professor, HSE University Faculty of Economic Sciences, and Egor Starkov, Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen, have constructed a mathematical model that explains why it is advantageous ...
High-tech fixes for the food system could have unintended consequences
Protein derived from organic waste to feed livestock could decrease demand for soybean meal. This could lead to less deforestation caused by soy farming. But decreased production of soybean, which is also used to produce ...
Artificial intelligence helps scientists develop new general models in ecology
In ecology, millions of species interact in billions of different ways between them and with their environment. Ecosystems often seem chaotic, or at least overwhelming for someone trying to understand them and make predictions ...
Scientists discover genes involved in a compound in lichens with antiviral activity
An international study led by researchers from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Complutense University of Madrid has identified a series of biosynthetic genes involved in the production of usnic acid in lichen, a compound showing ...
Paris Agreement: five years on, it's time to fix carbon trading
With the election of Joe Biden, the US is set to rejoin the Paris Agreement. The country's commitment, made in 2015, to restrain temperature rises to 2°C as part of an international effort is again endorsed, at least on ...
Scientists say farewell to Daya Bay site, proceed with final data analysis
The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment collaboration—which made a precise measurement of an important neutrino property eight years ago, setting the stage for a new round of experiments and discoveries about these hard-to-study ...
Record resolution in X-ray microscopy
Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and other institutions in Paris, Hamburg and Basel, have succeeded in setting a new record in X-ray microscopy. ...
Potential extreme condition history detector—recoverable PL achieved in pyrochlore
Photoluminescence (PL) is light emission from a substance after the absorption of photons stimulated by temperature, electricity, pressure, or chemistry doping. An international team of scientists led by Dr. ...
Russia probes mystery seal die-off
Russian authorities said Friday they were investigating the mysterious death of nearly 300 endangered seals that had been discovered washed up on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Combined approach for probing interfacial electrochemistry in greater detail
Using a two-pronged approach that will help to understand and design more-efficient energy storage systems, RIKEN electrochemists have explored the distribution of electrical charges at the interface between the electrode ...
New study could offer helping hand for picky parrots
New research has shown just how picky the iconic superb parrot is about the types of tree hollows they nest in, with the discovery potentially key to protecting the threatened species.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for joining us today. Please leave a comment. Thanks, Russ