technical updates

Brazil's rapid expansion of soy production has meant an associated rise in pesticide use. Researchers found a statistically significant correlation between soy expansion and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) deaths in children between 2008 and 2019, representing the first population-wide analysis of the association between indirect exposure to agricultural pesticides and cancer. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/V10fHpj

The departing Shenzhou 16 astronauts handed over control of the Tiangong space station to the newly arrived Shenzhou 17 crew during a short ceremony on Sunday (Oct. 29). from Space https://ift.tt/jift9cv

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has completed its safety review of SpaceX's Starship — but that doesn't mean the giant vehicle has been officially cleared for its second-ever liftoff. from Space https://ift.tt/vWi6nhU

Space.com has a preview of Dark Horse Books' new horror anthology, "Star Wars: Tales From The Death Star," just in time for Halloween. from Space https://ift.tt/G1Jfhol

The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19 can cause severe acute respiratory syndrome, contrasting with other coronaviruses that were known to cause mild seasonal colds prior to its emergence in 2019. This raises the question of why one coronavirus affects humans more severely than another. Scientists have now provided part of the answer by identifying a gateway used by the seasonal coronavirus HKU1 to enter human cells. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/C6jqgXB

The NASA-funded SWIM project aims to detect where there's most likely water ice beneath Martian ground. Here's why. from Space https://ift.tt/PfIdXCi

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is poised to launched 22 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California on Sunday (Oct. 29), the first of two planned missions for the day. from Space https://ift.tt/s5Lz0AK