technical updates

Germany has recorded the first case of fourth-generation transmission of coronavirus from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2GKWlC8

How people visualize God can have real consequences to life on Earth, Stanford research has found. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uThCHa

Australian scientists have developed a nonflammable electrolyte for potassium and potassium-ion batteries, for applications in next-generation energy-storage systems beyond lithium technology. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, scientists write that the novel electrolyte based on an organic phosphate makes the batteries safer and also allows for operation at reduced concentrations, which is a necessary condition for large-scale applications. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uM78cz

In conflicts that occur simultaneously within and between groups, who would, when and why put aside their own interest to stand up for the interest of the social group he or she belongs to? Recent findings from game theoretical research allow a better understanding of such situations and could help speed up the resolution of conflicts. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36F0H8g

ESA is working with Argentina to test telemedicine device Tempus Pro in the harsh conditions of Antarctica as Europe prepares for its next phase of human exploration in space. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2texgw3

After more than 16 years studying the universe in infrared light, revealing new wonders in our solar system, our galaxy and beyond, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope's mission has come to an end. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RKKoCP

New research shows that an increasing number of countries are publishing ecosystem accounts, helping to embed nature in economic and financial decisions. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37JuZYJ

Researchers in Austria have used lasers to levitate and cool a glass nanoparticle into the quantum regime. Although it is trapped in a room-temperature environment, the particle's motion is solely governed by the laws of quantum physics. The team of scientists from the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) published their new study in the journal Science. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aXdvKw

The best infrared eye in the universe has closed, and scientists will need to wait at least a year before any similar instrument is at work again. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2RHY3dM

The science gear will fly aboard robotic landers built by two private companies: Pittsburgh's Astrobotic and Houston's Intuitive Machines. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2RHsK2H

Andy Weir, the best-selling author of "The Martian" and "Artemis," was just as surprised as the rest of us when NASA gave its new crewed moon landing program a familiar name: "Artemis." from Space.com https://ift.tt/37M116D

Let's talk about slime. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2UdKFQi

Spitzer, which was launched in 2003, studied some of the most distant galaxies ever detected with the light from some of the cosmic bodies travelling for billions of years to reach the telescope, NASA said. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/31aEUUM

The last time WHO declared a global health emergency was in 2019 for the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo that killed more than 2,000 people. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/31f4gkn

Authorities in Canberra on Friday declared the first state of emergency in almost two decades as a bushfire bore down on the Australian capital. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S8OlQJ

Radioactive water from the stricken nuclear plant in Fukushima should be released into the ocean or vaporised into the air, an expert panel advised the Japanese government on Friday. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S0g6L6

Fabric curtains stretch across the huge Warragamba Dam to trap ash and sediment expected to wash off wildfire-scorched slopes and into the reservoir that holds 80% of untreated drinking water for the Greater Sydney area. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2tiCFlW

During an unprecedented scientific campaign on an Antarctic glacier notorious for contributions to sea-level, researchers took first-ever images at the glacier's foundations on the ocean floor. The area is key to Thwaites Glacier's potential to become more dangerous, and in the coming months, the research team hopes to give the world a clearer picture of its condition. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S51rhJ

A new collaborative study published by a research team from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, the CReATe Fertility Centre and the University of Massachusetts Amherst provides the first in-depth look at the microbiome of human sperm utilizing RNA sequencing with sufficient sensitivity to identify contamination and pathogenic bacterial colonization. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RIv2P7

Ask a high school student how he or she typically feels at school, and the answer you'll likely hear is "tired," closely followed by "stressed" and "bored." from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2U81jkh

Zoo improvements should benefit all animals and include a wide range of "enrichment" techniques, researchers say. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aRgunI

Rocket Lab just launched its first payload for the United States' spysat agency — and took another big step toward rocket reusability in the process. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2OepXMp

Hokkaido University scientists are getting closer to understanding how a rare hereditary disease impairs the skin's barrier function, which determines how well the skin is protected. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/38ScQIr

A new study on meta reinforcement learning algorithms helps us understand how the human brain learns to adapt to complexity and uncertainty when learning and making decisions. A research team succeeded in discovering both a computational and neural mechanism for human meta reinforcement learning, opening up the possibility of porting key elements of human intelligence into artificial intelligence algorithms. This study provides a glimpse into how it might ultimately use computational models to reverse engineer human reinforcement learning. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/37Lp45q

The Sun's surface, imagined to be like a sprouting volcano, is indeed entirely “turbulent ‘boiling’ plasma”. This discovery was announced yesterday by from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2S0qkv5

While political polarization in the United States is the worst it has been in years, new research from Michigan State University and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research suggests that having a partisan—and sometimes divisive—Congress might be more productive than if bipartisan groups were the norm. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2UjuTU7

Evidence of agile, carnivorous two-legged dinosaurs known as noasaurids have been found across the now dispersed land masses that once formed the ancient southern supercontinent of Gondwana, but never in Australia—until now. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37HmeOX

Scientists have understood for some time that proper embryonic development depends in large part on transcriptional repressors, proteins that prevent genes from being expressed at inappropriate times. Steven Vokes, associate professor of molecular biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, and his team focus on a set of proteins called GLI (glioma-associated oncogene) and how they control gene expression in response to what is known as the Hedgehog pathway. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36Dt86r

Australia was bracing for a heatwave to sweep across the country's fire-ravaged southeast in the coming days, with the forecast stoking fears the soaring temperatures could inflame bushfires. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2GE108A

Rich nations are funnelling cash through government-backed financial institutions to provide $30 billion to fossil fuel projects each year that "run counter to the Paris Agreement", a new analysis showed Thursday. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2GCuQdY

Tiny, symbiotic fungi play an outsized role in helping plants survive stresses like drought and extreme temperatures, which could help feed a planet experiencing climate change, report scientists at Washington State University. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37HaWdI

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are prevalent in people, wildlife and the water in northeastern Tanzania, but it's not antibiotic use alone driving resistance. Instead, researchers at Washington State University found transmission of bacteria in the environment is the most important factor. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2vzHd8f

In your cells, it's almost always spring. Or at least springy. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aWkvan

Flow rates and time of year must be taken into account to better understand the potential risks posed by emerging organic contaminants in rivers and streams, according to Penn State researchers who studied contaminant concentrations and flow characteristics at six locations near drinking water intakes in the Susquehanna River basin. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uICdh5

Tiny meteorites no larger than grains of sand hold new clues about the atmosphere on ancient Earth, according to scientists. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2U8glWZ

Thirty-seven of the 38 new deaths came in hard-hit Hubei province, the epicentre of a contagion that is causing mounting global fear. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2u5if07

What if solar cells worked at night? That's no joke. In fact, a specially designed photovoltaic cell could generate up to 50 watts of power per square meter under ideal conditions at night, about a quarter of what a conventional solar panel can generate in daytime, according to a recent concept article. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2RZwTOv

Tiny, symbiotic fungi play an outsized role in helping plants survive stresses like drought and extreme temperatures, which could help feed a planet experiencing climate change, report scientists. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2GAake0

Some golf carts and lawnmowers have airless tires, but we still have long way to go before they are on every vehicle that comes off the assembly line. Aerospace engineers have developed an algorithm to find an optimal design for a puncture-free with both strength and elasticity needed for a comfortable, shock-free ride like conventional pneumatic tires. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2RZmClp

Freshly burned longleaf pine forests have more than double the total number of bees and bee species than similar forests that have not burned in over 50 years, according to new research. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2U9OHJk

Around the world, each person eats an average of 70 pounds of corn each year, with even more grown for animal feed and biofuel. And as the global population continues to boom, increasing the amount of food grown on the same amount of land becomes increasingly important. A group of researchers have taken a step closer to this goal by developing a new type of corn that recovers much more quickly after a cold snap. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31btWyn

A team of scientists has observed, for the first time, the presence of warm water at a vital point underneath a glacier in Antarctica -- an alarming discovery that points to the cause behind the gradual melting of this ice shelf while also raising concerns about sea-level rise around the globe. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2RBLGzG

The production of formate from CO2 is considered an attractive strategy for the long-term storage of solar renewable energy in chemical form. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36JbeiY

A new study has revealed how the gut's protective mechanisms ramp up significantly with food intake, and at times of the day when mealtimes are anticipated based on regular eating habits. Researchers found that eating causes a hormone called VIP to kickstart the activity of immune cells in response to potentially incoming pathogens or 'bad' bacteria. The researchers also found that immunity increased at anticipated mealtimes indicating that maintaining regular eating patterns could be more important than previously thought. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36EQaKm

Consumers want what they want, and they want it now. Drone delivery has long been talked about as an option to satisfy consumer delivery demands, but how realistic is it? New research looks at how possible and desirable it is to use drones for delivery for e-retailers considering cost and effectiveness in certain population areas and in certain locations. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/37DlxGz

Russian scientists have proposed a concept of a thorium hybrid reactor in that obtains additional neutrons using high-temperature plasma held in a long magnetic trap. This project was applied in close collaboration between Tomsk Polytechnic University, All-Russian Scientific Research Institute Of Technical Physics (VNIITF), and Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of SB RAS. The proposed thorium hybrid reactor is distinguished from today's nuclear reactors by moderate power, relatively compact size, high operational safety, and a low level of radioactive waste. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S6AWbU

Although a link has been established between chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, there have been many open questions regarding how cellular senescence, a process whereby cells that stop dividing under stress spew out a mix of inflammatory proteins, affects these pathologies. Researchers report that senescence in astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the brain, leads to damaging ''excitotoxicity'' in cortical neurons that are involved in memory. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36IBSIN

Microplastic pollution in the world's oceans is a growing problem, and most studies of the issue have focused on land-based sources, such as discarded plastic bags or water bottles. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have linked microplastics in China's Beibu Gulf with heavy fishing activities. Surprisingly, many of the particles were hidden in deep sediments on the ocean floor, which could have led scientists to underestimate the extent of the contamination. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RAYu9t

For hundreds of years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used an herb called Stemona sessilifolia as a remedy for parasitic infections, such as those caused by pinworms and lice. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have identified 10 compounds that might be responsible for the herb's effectiveness. But there's a twist: The insecticides are produced by symbiotic microbes that live within the plant's cells—not by S. sessilifolia itself. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2t8Ip1B

Ministry’s advisory includes Ayurveda and Homoeopathy as prophylactic measures from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2Gvhz6M

In 1966, two Caltech scientists were ruminating on the implications of the thin carbon dioxide (CO2) Martian atmosphere first revealed by Mariner IV, a NASA fly-by spacecraft built and flown by JPL. They theorized that Mars, with such an atmosphere, could have a long-term stable polar deposit of CO2 ice that, in turn, would control global atmospheric pressure. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36DHALG

ETH researchers confirm the paradox: rather than withering during droughts, plants at higher elevations absolutely thrive, as a study just published in the journal Nature Climate Change shows. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RCjInJ

Engineers for NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft are working to return the mission to normal operating conditions after one of the spacecraft's autonomous fault protection routines was triggered. Multiple fault protection routines were programmed into both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in order to allow the spacecraft to automatically take actions to protect themselves if potentially harmful circumstances arise. At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers are still communicating with the spacecraft and receiving telemetry. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/312a0hv

Scientists from an international group led by the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research in Japan have developed a simple way to monitor the level of ethylene, an important hormone, in plants. Ethylene is involved in many processes in plants, such as the ripening of fruits and the dropping of leaves in the autumn. The detection was done by an artificial metalloenzyme, meaning a protein—in this case albumin—that encloses a metal that acts as a catalyst. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37xYA7s

Of the many divergent approaches to building a practical quantum computer, one of the most promising paths leads toward ion traps. In these traps, single ions are held still and serve as the basic units of data, or qubits, of the computer. With the help of lasers, these qubits interact with each other to perform logic operations. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aUnkJ2

Flowering plants are better pollinated in urban than in rural areas. This has now been demonstrated experimentally by a team of scientists led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). Although the scientists found a greater diversity of flying insects in the countryside, more bees in cities resulted in more pollinated flowers of test plants. By far the most industrious pollinators were bumble bees, most likely benefiting from the abundant habitats available in the city. To promote pollination, the researchers recommend to take the needs of bees into greater account when landscape planning—both in cities and in the countryside. Their results have been published in the journal Nature Communications. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2tZPdPs

Tidewater glaciers, the massive rivers of ice that end in the ocean, may be melting underwater much faster than previously thought, according to a Rutgers co-authored study that used robotic kayaks. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37DESXR

The outer layers of superdense stellar remnants known as white dwarfs may often possess the remains of giant planets, a new study suggests. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2GwZMMr

An Earth-observation satellite scheduled to launch this fall was just named after Michael Freilich, who headed NASA's Earth Science division from 2006 to 2019. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2O8qT4W

NASA's Parker Solar Probe took one step closer to the sun Wednesday (Jan. 29) when it executed its fourth flyby of our star. from Space.com https://ift.tt/37CJE8a

Let's hope that today's space-junk encounter is just a near miss as predicted, because a smashup would be pretty messy. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2vnZRQf

One of them worked alongside Clint Eastwood, others acted in the remake of sci-fi classic "Planet of the Apes", while yet another was the darling favorite of Michael Jackson. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S1eksX

Solitary female bees inspect other nests for signs of danger before making decisions on where to build their own, a new London-based study suggests. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uFNOxp

Dissatisfaction with democratic politics among citizens of developed countries has increased from a third to half of all individuals over the last quarter of a century, according to the largest international dataset on global attitudes to democracy ever made. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/38PZw7g

Scientists will begin a two-year survey of microplastics in the coastal waters off Japan from April, a research group announced on Wednesday, with concern growing about the impact of plastics on the oceans. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37BR9MD

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the changing role and management of brands in a hyperconnected world. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37D88hp

Despite an ever-rising number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on U.S. roads each year, there's no widespread public pressure to improve road safety—a situation influenced by how news articles about auto-pedestrian/bicyclist crashes are written, said Tara Goddard, Texas A&M assistant professor of urban planning. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37CZxLI

A newly published study reports a successful, first-ever open-field release of a self-limiting, genetically engineered diamondback moth, stating that it paves the way for an effective and sustainable approach to pest control. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/310n4nx

A study conducted out of The University of Georgia delved into the comparative yields of sweet pepper varieties produced under organic farming conditions. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uIYb3q

To improve behavior in class, teachers should focus on praising children for good behavior, rather than telling them off for being disruptive, according to a new study published in Educational Psychology. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uKBnAg

Using NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, astronomers have identified two new outbursts from the magnetar 1E 1048.1−5937. The newly detected events could shed more light on the nature of this source. The finding is detailed in a paper published January 17 on arXiv.org. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/312kDAP

Eating walnuts may help slow cognitive decline in at-risk groups of the elderly population, according to a study conducted by researchers in California and Spain. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2O3GJgQ

New research shows, contrary to previous scientific belief, a hormone required for sexual maturity in insects cannot travel across the blood-brain barrier unless aided by a transporter protein. The finding may soon allow scientists to prevent disease-spreading mosquitoes from maturing, or to boost reproduction in beneficial bumblebees. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2GxyVQx

RUDN University chemists together with colleagues from other countries have synthesized new compounds that effectively bind lead ions and can be used to remove it from wastewater and even from living organisms—that is, to play the role of an antidote for lead poisoning. The article is published in the journal Crystals. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30Y5Xmj

When the worst floods since 1966 submerged the city of Venice in November 2019, the blame was laid on its incomplete mobile flood gates. They have been under construction since 2003 but were not ready in time to save the Italian city. But elsewhere in the Venetian lagoon, there was a different story to tell. In 1966, the coastal sides of Lido and Pellestrina islands also flooded, but this time they didn't. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37AFTjs

NASA has picked Houston-based company Axiom Space to build at least one habitable private module that will be attached to the orbiting lab, the space agency announced Monday (Jan. 27). from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Rzf0XR

The hottest exoplanet ever found is so infernally hot that it's ripping apart hydrogen molecules in its atmosphere, astronomers have found. from Space.com https://ift.tt/30XU5ke

Scientists are about to get their first-ever good looks at the poles of the sun, which could be key to solving some long-standing solar mysteries. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3aSR3Cu

NASA should aim to put boots on the moon in 2028, not 2024, and achieve this goal explicitly to aid human Mars exploration in the 2030s, according to an authorization bill that was introduced Friday (Jan. 24) by the leadership of the House committee on science. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2O2YoWg

A new study from Columbia Engineering and Harvard identified the critical physiological importance of suitable temperatures for butterfly wings to function properly, and discovered that the insects exquisitely regulate their wing temperatures through both structural and behavioral adaptations. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30Z3Sq8

New research from UC Riverside shows scientists may soon be able to prevent disease-spreading mosquitoes from maturing. Using the same gene-altering techniques, they may also be able help boost reproduction in beneficial bumblebees. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uCRTm8

The Sun plays a central role in shaping space around us. Its massive magnetic field stretches far beyond Pluto. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2O7nAL7

Around 40 young Tunisian volunteers gather on a bare hill in the central region of Siliana. Their weekend mission—revive a burned forest by planting Aleppo pine shoots. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2UdDWG7

A rare species of frog native to the eastern slopes of the Bolivian Andes has been spotted in the South American country for the first time in 18 years, the investigation team that made the discovery told AFP. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aII5aN

To further shrink electronic devices and to lower energy consumption, the semiconductor industry is interested in using 2-D materials, but manufacturers need a quick and accurate method for detecting defects in these materials to determine if the material is suitable for device manufacture. Now a team of researchers has developed a technique to quickly and sensitively characterize defects in 2-D materials. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37KbSh6

Approximately twice as much methane is seeping into the atmosphere than the Environmental Protection Agency estimates from oil and gas facilities in the south central U.S., according to a series of measurements taken by meteorologists using NASA aircraft. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2uHnjYh

Michigan State University and Stanford University scientists have invented a nanoparticle that eats away—from the inside out—portions of plaques that cause heart attacks. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aN9Bnx

A new study in The Economic Journal finds that likeability is an influencing factor in interactions between women, as well as interactions between men and women, but not in all-male interactions. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Ry9QeE

A five-year follow-up study of more than 2,000 US men who received prostate cancer treatment is creating a road map for future patients regarding long-term bowel, bladder and sexual function in order to clarify expectations and enable men to make informed choices about care. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2Rzl56t

An archaeologist has dug up ancient human feces, among other demographic clues, to challenge the narrative around the legendary demise of Cahokia, North America's most iconic pre-Columbian metropolis. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2t3kGzP

New research describes a dynamic climate and vegetation model that explains when regions across Africa, areas of the Middle East, and the Mediterranean were wetter and drier and how the plant composition changed in tandem, possibly providing migration corridors throughout time. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36sgZBi

Researchers explore new materials with physical properties that can be custom-tailored to suit particular needs. The work is inspired by mechanisms in nature, where the complex three-dimensional structure of surrounding proteins influences the electrochemical properties of metals at their core. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2O4sKrs

Conservationists should be wary of assuming that genetic diversity loss in wildlife is always caused by humans, as new research published today by international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) reveals that, in the case of a population of southern African lions (Panthera leo), it's likely caused by ecological rather than human factors. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36CqRst

As temperatures were dipping this week, the National Weather Service issued freeze warnings for much of Florida and Georgia, adding a warning in South Florida for "falling iguanas." University of Florida wildlife ecologist Frank Mazzotti explains the physiology of cold iguanas and why many people in Florida aren't shedding tears for the iguana-cicles lying around the region. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/38F21th

How did human intelligence evolve? Anthropologists have studied this question for decades by looking at tools found in archaeological digs, evidence of the use of fire and so on, and changes in brain size measured from fossil skulls. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2U2w21R

SpaceX called off the next launch for its Starlink megaconstellation of internet satellites due to bad weather Monday (Jan. 27), postponing the flight for 24 hours. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Gsld1g

In 1999, Sony launched Aibo, a line of robotic dogs designed to provide companionship to Japanese families. It could follow its owner around the house, wag its tail and respond to commands—all without the vet bills, bathroom breaks and sneeze-inducing fur of a regular house pet. Sensors and cameras on its body allowed it to learn the layout of a home so that, over time, it could navigate rooms just like a regular pooch. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2tKzrrK

As the world warms and precipitation that would have generated snowpack instead creates rain, the western U.S. could see larger floods, according to new Stanford research. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/38G1VS7

In 1960, 94 percent of doctors and lawyers were white men. Today that number has fallen to 60 percent, and the economy has benefited dramatically because of it. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Gtl39W

Solar Orbiter will orbit our nearest star, the sun, observing it up close. It will take the first-ever direct images of its poles, while also studying the inner heliosphere—the bubble-like region around the sun created by the stream of energized, charged particles released in the solar wind. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3aP3LSr

Patients with diabetes have to test their blood sugar levels several times a day to make sure they are not getting too high or too low. Studies have shown that more than half of patients don't test often enough, in part because of the pain and inconvenience of the needle prick. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RSwTzx

New physical behavior, such as Mott insulating behavior, unconventional superconductivity and quantum spin liquid behavior, occurs when electrons inside a material interact with each other. When electrons are confined to lower dimensions such as 2-D planes, these effects can become even stronger. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Gp6LHi

Using computer simulations of a model by U.S. Nobel Laureate William Nordhaus, researchers have weighted climate damage from increasing weather extremes, decreasing labor productivity and other factors against the costs of cutting greenhouse gas emission by phasing out coal and oil. Interestingly, the most economically cost-efficient level of global warming turns out to be 2 degrees Celsius, the level to which more than 190 nations agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement. So far, however, CO2 reductions promised by nations worldwide are insufficient to reach this goal. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2t5bF9s

Imagine a device that could swiftly analyze microbes in oceans and other aquatic environments, revealing the health of these organisms - too tiny to be seen by the naked eye - and their response to threats to their ecosystems. Researchers have created just such a tool, a portable device that could be used to assess microbes, screen for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and analyze algae that live in coral reefs. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2uxp8Hx

New research finds e-scooters have risks beyond the perils of potential collisions. Computer science experts have published the first review of the security and privacy risks posed by e-scooters and their related software services and applications. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2O1ZGRe

NASA's New Horizons mission turned Pluto from a fuzzy blob into a detailed, geophysically complex world. But it's still a little fuzzy, as it turns out. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2RvLwdc

If you've been paying attention to the space engineers readying NASA's Mars 2020 rover, you may have noticed a recent surprise visitor in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. from Space.com https://ift.tt/37wyQsc

Astronauts aren't the only ones who will have to work together on future crewed missions. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2RusROP

The private spaceflight company SpaceX will launch 60 new Starlink satellites to join its growing broadband internet megaconstellation in orbit today (Jan. 27), and you can watch it live online. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2RTKvKR

Physicists dropped objects on a satellite for two years to test Galileo's theory of falling objects. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2O1IPOs

In the aftermath of the devastating Tohoku-Oki earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan in March 2011, seismologists were stunned by the unprecedented 50 meters of shallow displacement along the fault, which ruptured all the way to the surface of the seafloor. This extreme slip at shallow depths exacerbated the massive tsunami that, together with the magnitude 9.1 earthquake, caused extensive damage and loss of life in Japan. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RWiiTK

Imagine a device that could swiftly analyze microbes in oceans and other aquatic environments, revealing the health of these organisms—too tiny to be seen by the naked eye—and their response to threats to their ecosystems. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37w6LRM

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of marine heat waves—warm water anomalies that disrupt marine ecosystems—and this is creating new challenges for fisheries management and ocean conservation. A new study shows how the record-breaking marine heat wave of 2014 to 2016 caused changes along the U.S. West Coast that led to an unprecedented spike in the numbers of whales that became entangled in fishing gear. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RxfBcy

Britain on Sunday announced a new fast-track visa scheme for top scientists, researchers and mathematicians as it prepares a new immigration system for life outside the European Union. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/38JN6Oe

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the Solomon Islands on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2vpKmHH

A combination of climate change, extreme weather and pressure from local human activity is causing a collapse in global biodiversity and ecosystems across the tropics, new research shows. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30TZOrh

Through experiments, researchers found that the force each cell applies to the surface beneath it -- in other words, traction -- is the dominant physical factor that controls cell shape and motion as cells travel as a group. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2TTFfK2

Human pressure on the world's ocean accelerated sharply at the start of the 21st century and shows no sign of slowing, according to a comprehensive new analysis on the state of the ocean. Scientists have dubbed the dramatic rise the ''Blue Acceleration''. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/310edlQ