technical updates

A video on how Hainan gibbons are saved from accidental injuries or deaths from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3oMJmEM

Here is some of the most interesting research to have appeared in top science journals last week from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2TUKmbP

Season 2 of "The Mandalorian" starts off with a great episode entitled "Chapter 9: The Marshal." from Space.com https://ift.tt/3mxQ5Au

Specially-adapted drones have been gathering data from never-before-explored volcanoes that will enable local communities to better forecast future eruptions. The cutting-edge research at Manam volcano in Papua New Guinea is improving scientists' understanding of how volcanoes contribute to the global carbon cycle, key to sustaining life on Earth. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3ebPBx3

On Oct. 31, 2000 to be exact, three men boarded a Soyuz spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for Expedition 1. Here's their look back. from Space.com https://ift.tt/37ZDr9u

Mutation was seen in 78% of genomes sequenced from April 1 to May 18 from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/34HyEY8

There is a cavity formed in the central region with no gas and stars from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3eprzih

What explains the anomalous localised magnetism seen on the Moon?Though the Moon lacks a core dynamo magnetic field unlike the Earth, the lunar crust from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/32271Hp

Gates Foundation has committed over $650 million towards tackling COVID-19. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2TGM28I

Paramacrobiotus has a fluorescent shield which helps it survive UV radiation from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3jI8cld

Hundreds of activists gathered outside SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, CA to protest a launch for the Turkish government on Thursday (Oct. 29). from Space.com https://ift.tt/31YpJjl

Here's why black holes are the scariest objects in the universe. from Space.com https://ift.tt/34K6Xhu

NASA has three new Halloween posters depicting strange space phenomena in classic horror movie styles and they're available for free. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3oD2F38

The Skull Nebula, formally known as NGC 246, is captured in a new image from the European Southern Observatory using the Very Large Telescope. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2JgQ5GA

Only the two Voyager spacecraft have ever been there, and it took than more than 30 years of supersonic travel. It lies well past the orbit of Pluto, through the rocky Kuiper belt, and on for four times that distance. This realm, marked only by an invisible magnetic boundary, is where Sun-dominated space ends: the closest reaches of interstellar space. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2TIbpa5

More than 200,000 people in the Philippines were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday as the most powerful typhoon of the year so far barrels towards the country, with authorities warning of "destructive" winds and storm surges. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34GGf9l

Sri Lanka has started shipping 242 containers of hazardous waste, including body parts from mortuaries, back to Britain after a two year court battle by an environment watchdog, officials said Saturday. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2THJTJU

On the eve of the November 3 election, Bright Line Watch—the political science research project of faculty at the University of Rochester, the University of Chicago, and Dartmouth College—finds that experts are concerned about substantial risks to the legitimacy of the election, including potential problems in the casting and counting of votes, the Electoral College, and in the resolution of electoral disputes. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/31UKegL

By extracting and analysing ancient DNA from skeletal material, the researchers were able to see evolutionary changes as they occurred thousands of years ago. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2TCo66a

It will be September 2023 — seven years after Osiris-Rex rocketed from Cape Canaveral —before the samples arrive. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2HPOMOB

Researchers from the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have proposed a new approach to describe the interaction of metals with electromagnetic fluctuations (i.e., with random bursts of electric and magnetic fields). The obtained results have applications in both fundamental physics, and for creating nanodevices for various purposes. The article was published in the European Physical Journal C. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3mHAUF3

The digital revolution in the age of big data is creating new research opportunities. Approaches such as culturomics and iEcology promise to provide huge benefits and novel sources of information for ecological research, and conservation management and policy. In a recent publication, an international research team led by the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences is looking at the opportunities and challenges of applying these tools in aquatic research. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/31Xg6Bd

Researchers based in Brazil and the United States have completed the first-ever mapping exercise to profile the toxins produced by tube-dwelling anemones, or cerianthids, a family of marine animals belonging to the same phylum (Cnidaria) as sea anemones, jellyfish and corals. The analysis revealed that the toxins that can act on the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and cell walls, among other functions, paving the way to the discovery of novel medications. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3jGAMDQ

Skywatchers, ghouls and (especially) werewolves take note: The moon will be full this Halloween night across the United States from Space.com https://ift.tt/3kMkU3S

Australians should be ready for "compounding" overlapping crises as they face more frequent, costly and severe climate change-worsened disasters, an inquiry into the nation's recent historic bushfires warned Friday. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3e9AF2a

The saucer-sized footprints in the mud around the bloody, disemboweled bison carcass were unmistakable: wolves. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HEEXmJ

Researchers from Boston University, Rutgers University, University of Washington, Cornell University, and University of Pennsylvania published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that proposes that preserving psychological ownership in the technology-driven evolution of consumption underway should be a priority for marketers and firm strategy. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kGNuDV

An examination of two documented periods of climate change in the greater Middle East, between approximately 4,500 and 3,000 years ago, reveals local evidence of resilience and even of a flourishing ancient society despite the changes in climate seen in the larger region. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37S01Az

Decaying jellyfish blooms fuel the rapid growth of just a few strains of seawater bacteria, effectively keeping this organic material within the water column food web, reveals a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. This research furthers our understanding of how marine ecosystems are impacted by jellyfish blooms, which have been observed to be happening on a more frequent basis. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2TzPMIL

An environmental health scientist has used an unprecedented objective approach to identify which molecular mechanisms in mammals are the most sensitive to chemical exposures. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/37RpmdV

Our biological processes rely on a system of communications -- cellular signals -- that set off chain reactions in and between target cells to produce a response. The first step in these often complex communications is the moment a molecule binds to a receptor on or in a cell, prompting changes that can trigger further signals that propagate across systems. From food tasting and blood oxygenation during breathing to drug therapy, receptor binding is the fundamental mechanism that unlocks a multitude of biological functions and responses. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31Rw9jV

An academic has helped draw up a landmark agreement amongst international experts, setting out the world's first standard guidance on how people with diabetes can use modern glucose monitoring devices to help them exercise safely. The guidance will be a crucial resource for healthcare professionals around the world, so they can help people with type 1 diabetes. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HNt25o

Pyrite, or fool's gold, is a common mineral that reacts quickly with oxygen when exposed to water or air, such as during mining operations, and can lead to acid mine drainage. Little is known, however, about the oxidation of pyrite in unmined rock deep underground. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3e6XRyl

Researchers have created fundamental electronic building blocks out of tiny structures known as quantum dots and used them to assemble functional logic circuits. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2TFwEck

Contrary to expectation, treatment with statins has a different effect on blood cells than on muscle cells, a new study reveals. Today, statins are mainly used in the treatment of elevated cholesterol, but the new results may help design drugs for a number of conditions. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3muRVSs

When satellites take pictures of Earth at night, how much of the light that they see comes from streetlights? A team of scientists have answered this question for the first time using the example of the U.S. city of Tucson, thanks to 'smart city' lighting technology that allows dimming. The result: only around 20 percent of the light in the Tucson satellite images comes from streetlights. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3mzEy3v

It's still easy to think we're in control when browsing the internet, but a new study argues much of that is 'an illusion.' Corporations are 'nudging' us online more than we realize, and often in hidden ways. Researchers analyzed click-stream data on a million people over one month of internet use to find common browsing sequences, then connected that with site and platform ownership and partnerships, as well as site design and other factors. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HJiN2i

Your bag of mulch may not be what you think it is. In a new study, researchers found that some bags labeled as 'cypress' contain only 50% cypress, while other bags contained no cypress at all. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34EcMg1

Using sophisticated 3D genomic mapping and integrating with public data resulting from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), researchers have found significant genetic correlations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and stress and depression. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2JkWRLB

Vestal Grove in Cook County, Illinois, looks nothing like the scrubby, buckthorn-choked tangle that first confronted restoration ecologists 37 years ago. Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated team that focused on rooting up invasive plants and periodically burning, seeding native plants and culling deer, the forest again resembles its ancient self, researchers report. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HHQdhE

Researchers define for the first time the precise exact ranges in which positively and negatively charged fragments can be produced when living cells are bombarded with fast, heavy ions. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3kH82Mq

A small energy harvesting device that can transform subtle mechanical vibrations into electrical energy could be used to power wireless sensors and actuators for use in anything from temperature and occupancy monitoring in smart environments, to biosensing within the human body. Engineers have developed a predictive model for such a device, which will allow researchers to better understand and optimize its functionalities. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34K6ewN

Researchers have demonstrated that they can attract, capture and destroy PFAS - a group of federally regulated substances found in everything from nonstick coatings to shampoo and nicknamed 'the forever chemicals' due to their persistence in the natural environment. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3e7jSwV

It's that time of the year when skeletons, skulls and bones have found their way onto cookies, porches and storefront windows. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3e8fpdt

Over the past five years, astronomy has been revolutionised as scientists have used ripples in the fabric of spacetime, called gravitational waves, to reveal the secrets of the previously hidden world of black holes. Gravitational waves are created when two black holes merge in a cataclysmic release of energy, but until now, there were few clues as to how and why black holes merge. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/31VH0cN

Importantly, Flinders University's Professor of Aquaculture Jian Qin—who led the study with Flinders colleague Professor Youhong Tang—says this simple device could become commercially viable and enable a "real-time" monitoring of spoilage in seafood to ensure food safety for consumers. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34B8arg

Mesmerised by the cats of YouTube? Tumbled down the rabbit holes that are Insta Stories? Horrified by the US presidential debate, but kept watching regardless? from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3oyTscl

The death of Brittney Conway, the three-year-old Gold Coast girl killed by swallowing a button battery, has again drawn attention to deaths and injuries caused by consumer goods—and to a longstanding deficiency in Australia's consumer safety laws. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34Agtn8

Florida's sea turtle nesting surveying comes to a close on Halloween and like everything else in 2020, the season was a bit weird. The number of green sea turtle nests on central and southern Brevard County, Florida beaches monitored by University of Central biologists were way up during a year they should have been down based on nearly 40 years of historical data. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34CuyAh

Scientists can now catch gravitational waves better than ever before. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2TC5kM9

A retired NASA astronaut will discuss how the International Space Station helps us model good teamwork on Earth, in an online panel discussion Friday (Oct. 30). from Space.com https://ift.tt/3oFy0lJ

Retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott will share the similarities between space station engineering and Earth's natural systems in an online panel discussion Friday (Oct. 30). from Space.com https://ift.tt/3jL1Odi

This supermassive black hole's spin has been measured for the first time, and it's surprisingly low. from Space.com https://ift.tt/31VqYQ2

As progress in traditional computing slows, new forms of computing are coming to the forefront. At Penn State, a team of engineers is attempting to pioneer a type of computing that mimics the efficiency of the brain's neural networks while exploiting the brain's analog nature. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37RZKgY

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), in place in over half of all US states, are estimated to help lift 5.6 million out of poverty, yet gaps remain, according to new data published today to LawAtlas.org. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3mBnfPN

An international research collaboration including Northwestern University astronomers has produced the most detailed family portrait of black holes to date, offering new clues as to how black holes form. An intense analysis of the most recent gravitational-wave data available led to the rich portrait as well as multiple tests of Einstein's theory of general relativity. (The theory passed each test.) from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2JdA6Jn

Authorities say Flint's water meets federal safety guidelines, outperforming comparable cities. Residents remain unconvinced. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2JdAszH

Instead of a slow slog on snowshoes, a giant bus sweeps passengers at up to 60 kilometres an hour across Iceland's second largest glacier, which scientists predict will likely be nearly gone by the end of the century. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/35I01k1

Hurricane Zeta barreled through the southern United States as a Category 2 storm Wednesday, bringing dangerous winds and surging ocean waves as New Orleans residents were left without power. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3mpzGhs

SpaceX's second astronaut flight is off until mid-November because red lacquer dripped into tiny vent holes in two rocket engines that now must be replaced. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kDTk95

Until now, scientists believed the male fin whale sings just one song pattern, which is unique to the males in his particular group—but new research has blown this theory out of the water. The study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, suggests that these endangered deep-sea giants actually sing multiple different songs, which may spread to different parts of the ocean through migrating individuals. Understanding the complexity of fin whale song provides new insights into how their populations move and change over time, helping efforts to better protect and manage the world's second largest mammal. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3myPLkV

According to the researchers, a moderate level of antibody is retained by most people five months after symptom-onset. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3e4QyqK

The team developed organoids containing types of lung and colon cells that are known to become infected in people with COVID-19. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3oC15P1

A new study of blue whales off the coast of California has given researchers the first ocean recordings of their famous hitchhiking partner -- the remora -- revealing the suckerfish's secret whale-surfing skills as well as their knack for grabbing the most flow-optimal spots while riding aboard the world's largest vertebrate. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31SJ2u7

In the nearly two centuries since German physician Carl Wunderlich established 98.6°F as the standard 'normal' body temperature, it has been used by parents and doctors alike as the measure by which fevers -- and often the severity of illness -- have been assessed. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HJGEyR

In a recent study, scientists employed machine-learning algorithms to classify fMRI data. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/31RQeaa

Anew study provides the first evidence of exotic particles, known as fourfold topological quasiparticles, in the metallic alloy cobalt monosilicide. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this comprehensive analysis, one that combines experimental data with theoretical models, provides a detailed understanding of this material. These insights could be used to engineer this and other similar materials with unique and controllable properties. The discovery was the result of a collaboration between researchers at Penn, University of Fribourg, French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, and University of Maryland. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kGi1BC

Parasites are well known for sucking energy from their hosts, but can they drain energy from hosts even before infection? A new study by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences examined this question and found that a species of brain-infecting parasite can disrupt the metabolism of its host—the California killifish—both before and after infection. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2JfMPvd

Fertilization is a major threat to the stability of grasslands at the local and larger spatial scale. That is the conclusion of a large international research group, led by researchers from Utrecht University. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/35zKy5m

Researchers at KU Leuven (Belgium) developed a high-resolution lithography process to pattern metal-organic framework (MOF) films. This work, published in Nature Materials, will speed up the integration of these materials into microchips. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3oBfwCU

Chemists studying how life started often focus on how modern biopolymers like peptides and nucleic acids contributed, but modern biopolymers don't form easily without help from living organisms. A possible solution to this paradox is that life started using different components, and many non-biological chemicals were likely abundant in the environment. A new survey conducted by an international team of chemists from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Tokyo Institute of Technology and other institutes from Malaysia, the Czech Republic, the U.S. and India, has found that a diverse set of such compounds easily form polymers under primitive environmental conditions, and some even spontaneously form cell-like structures. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34AykdB

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have received intense scrutiny in recent years because of their persistence in the environment and potential endocrine-disrupting effects. However, their estrogenic activities are controversial, with different studies showing apparently contradictory results. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have used a combination of laboratory experiments and computer modeling to reveal that PFASs can interact with the estrogen receptor in different ways to influence estrogen-controlled gene expression. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3e5bAWc

New possibilities for future developments in electronic and optical devices have been unlocked by recent advancements in two-dimensional (2D) materials. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2TuJqub

The Perseverance rover, which launched on July 30, has now traveled 146 million miles (235 million kilometers) in deep space — half of the total required to reach the Red Planet. from Space.com https://ift.tt/35BvX9K

China has apparently chosen a primary landing site for its Tianwen-1 Mars rover ahead of the spacecraft's arrival at the Red Planet in February 2021. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2Twu8oR

A famous equation used in the search for alien life has inspired a new model that estimates the risk of COVID-19 transmission. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3kEGlUk

The spread of the fire was visible from space. from Space.com https://ift.tt/37S3ejF

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday pledged his country will try to become carbon neutral by 2050, although he stopped short of promising to achieve the ambitious goal, seen as crucial to the fight against climate change. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2J3xUnF

Louisiana braced Wednesday for what is expected to be its third hurricane strike this year as Zeta, the 27th named storm of a historically busy Atlantic hurricane season, headed toward an expected landfall south of New Orleans. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34A8UwD

The European Space Agency says it has agreed to provide several modules for NASA's planned outpost around the moon, in return for a chance to send European astronauts to the lunar orbiter. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2GbeGM0

Researchers from Erasmus University, The Ohio State University, York University, and London Business School published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the tension between AI's benefits and costs and then offers recommendations to guide managers and scholars investigating these challenges. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/37O81CA

The state of mature ecosystems must be taken into account before launching massive reforestation plans in sub-Saharan Africa, according to geo-ecologist Julie Aleman, a visiting researcher in the geography department of Université de Montréal. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kFzPgc

Corals that appear healthy are more prone to getting sick when they're home to too many parasitic bacteria, new research at Oregon State University shows. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3oy2qpX

“We found that combining different measures showed the greatest effect on reducing the transmission of COVID-19. As we experience a resurgence of the virus, policymakers will need to consider combinations of measures to reduce the R number,” said Professor Harish Nair from the University of Edinburgh, U.K. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/35F03Jw

Breakthrough in ‘green electronics’ may be used as a breath analyser from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2TvrTCs

Mountain gorilla groups are friendly to familiar neighbours—provided they stay out of "core" parts of their territory—new research shows. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/35Iyn6j

A full system of 12 satellites is expected in 2024, said NorthStar co-founder Stewart Bain in interview from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3jH4GYE

Judges' decisions are an integral part of combat sports, from boxing and wrestling to mixed martial arts (MMA). However, a new study suggests the rate at which competitors fight is more likely to result in judges awarding victory than the skill with which they attack their opponents. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34ACPEQ

Living organisms aren't the only things that evolve over time. Cultural practices change, too, and in recent years social scientists have taken a keen interest in understanding this cultural evolution. Much research has focused on psychological factors among individuals, like how our visual system constrains the shape of written characters. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Tz7H2c

Gravitational redshift, an effect predicted by Albert Einstein that is crucial for maintaining the Global Positioning System (GPS) on Earth, has been observed in a star system in our galaxy. from Space.com https://ift.tt/37M9FVh

General Motors may not have designed its first all-electric pickup truck to drive on the moon, but the first edition of its new GMC Hummer EV has a definite lunar look. from Space.com https://ift.tt/34uZiDi

At the center of a black hole, matter is compressed down to an infinitely tiny point, and all conceptions of time and space completely break down. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3jGg0Ep

The weak interfacial interaction between nanofillers and matrix nanocomposites during materials engineering have caused nanofiller reinforcing effects to be far below the theoretically predicted values. In a new report now published on Science Advances, Ningning Song, and a team of scientists at the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia, U.S., demonstrated graphene-wrapped boron carbide (B4C) nanowires (B4C-NWs@graphene). The constructs empowered exceptional dispersion of nanowires in the matrix and contributed to superlative nanowire-matrix bonding. The B4C-NWs@graphene constructs reinforced epoxy composites and showed simultaneous enhancement in strength, elastic modulus and ductility. By using graphene to tailor the composite interfaces, Song et al. effectively used the nanofillers to increase the load transfer efficiency by two-fold. They used molecular dynamics simulations to unlock the shear mixing self-assembly mechanism of the graphene

There may be far more water on the Moon than previously thought, according to two studies published Monday raising the tantalising prospect that astronauts on future space missions could find refreshment—and maybe even fuel—on the lunar surface. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kzNpS7

Hurricane Zeta slammed into Mexico's Caribbean coast late Monday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to the Yucatan Peninsula, where authorities warned residents and tourists to shelter indoors. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/31LDSA1

Nearly 230,000 tonnes of plastic is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every year, a figure which could more than double by 2040 unless "ambitious" steps are taken, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature said Tuesday. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34xoDfT

The researchers assessed the heart scans of 305 adult patients from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2Hv4Zc1

Patented by a professor and a student, membrane technology uses a wide range of farm resources, including citrus fruits, berries, pulses, tea and onions from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/37NIcme

NASA's robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx is set to begin on Tuesday a delicate operation to store the precious particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, but which were leaking into space when a flap got wedged open. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2TzAZxH

Scientists have created synthetic soft surfaces with tongue-like textures for the first time using 3-D printing, opening new possibilities for testing oral processing properties of food, nutritional technologies, pharmaceutics and dry mouth therapies. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kASI3K

Phytoplasma are a type of bacteria that live within the cells and cause devastating diseases with damaging effects. For example, in many cases plants infected with phytoplasma are no longer able to develop flowers. These plants have actually been described as "zombies," since they allow the reproduction of phytoplasma but are unable to reproduce themselves anymore. A group of biologists based at Friedrich Schiller University and the Fritz Lipmann Institute in Germany are working to help better understand exactly how phytoplasma cells bring about the so-called zombification of plants. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2TtCH40

A new paper in Behavioral Ecology, published by Oxford University Press, finds that wild vampire bats that are sick spend less time near others from their community, which slows how quickly a disease will spread. The research team had previously seen this behavior in the lab, and used a field experiment to confirm it in the wild. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34xd0G4

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said a closer look did not verify a safety problem but found a low chance that the drug would prove helpful for hospitalised patients. from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/31LJHxy

Analyzing 12 ancient Egyptian papyri fragments with X-ray microscopy, researchers were surprised to find previously unknown lead compounds in both red and black inks and suggest they were used for their drying properties rather than as a pigment. A similar lead-based 'drying technique' has also been documented in 15th century European painting, and the discovery of it in Egyptian papyri calls for a reassessment of ancient lead-based pigments. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3dZX0PF

Sugary drinks and artificially sweetened beverages are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, which suggests artificially sweetened beverages may not be the healthy alternative they are often claimed to be, according to a research letter. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HDpQtj

Although the link may not be obvious, healthcare and climate change -- two issues that pose major challenges around the world -- are in fact more connected than society may realize. So say researchers, who are increasingly proving this to be true. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3jwbA2O

Floating gardens sound so idyllic. Now, a study proves that they are more than just a pretty place. The study demonstrates that such constructed gardens can have a measurable, positive impact on water quality. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HC6oxj

A new study confirms bats adopt multiple strategies to reduce pro-inflammatory responses, thus mitigating potential immune-mediated tissue damage and disease. Findings provide important insights for medical research on human diseases. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2Ts6ee9

While decades of monitoring and regulatory efforts have paid little attention to Lake Michigan's tiny tributaries, new research shows that they play an outsized role in feeding algae blooms and impacting coastal waters. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HtnOMI

Access to more localized data on childhood vaccination coverage, such as at the school or neighborhood levels, could help better predict and prevent measles outbreaks in the United States, according to a new study. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/35EC1Oz

Upsetting the brain's timekeeping can cause cognitive impairments, like when jetlag makes you feel foggy and forgetful. These impairments may stem from disrupting a protein that aligns the brain's time-keeping mechanism to the correct time of day, according to new research in fruit flies. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HGUHoU

SpaceX will launch four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Nov. 14, the agency announced Monday (Oct. 26). from Space.com https://ift.tt/2TtnYpC

It is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants and unique because of the size of its composite inflorescence from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2Tug3Io

SpaceX has drawn plenty of praise and criticism with the creation of Starlink, a constellation that will one day provide broadband internet access to the entire world. To date, the company has launched over 800 satellites and (as of this summer) is producing them at a rate of about 120 a month. There are even plans to have a constellation of 42,000 satellites in orbit before the decade is out. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/35yQlbF

For much of Earth's four and a half billion years, the planet was barren and inhospitable; it wasn't until the world acquired its blanket of oxygen that multicellular life could really get going. But scientists are still trying to understand exactly how—and why—our planet got this beautifully oxygenated atmosphere. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3jsAUGD

Professor Adrian Linacre at Flinders University is part of a team that focuses on developing forensic DNA technology to thwart a thriving global black market in exotic animals—and the significance of this new test working so effectively on such a difficult substance as ivory is especially significant, showing the power and accuracy of this investigation technique. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HB1IYg

A fish school is a striking demonstration of synchronicity. Yet centuries of study have left a basic question unanswered: Do fish save energy by swimming in schools? Now, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB), the University of Konstanz, and Peking University have provided an answer that has long been suspected but never conclusively supported by experiments: yes. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kuNaaZ

According to the latest report from the United Nations, the global population will reach 9.7 billion, and 68% of the population will live in urban areas in 2050. Undoubtedly, sustainable urban development is critical to the future of humanity. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2G3diLi