Gravitational lenses could hold key to better estimates of expansion of the universe.
Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.
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Accessed on 17 November 2020, 1401 UTC.
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Gravitational lenses could hold the key to better estimates of the expansion of the universe
The universe is expanding but astrophysicists aren’t sure exactly how fast that expansion is happening—not because there aren’t answers, but rather because the answers they could give don’t agree.
16 MINUTES AGO
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Extremely rare parasitic crustacean discovered in museum shark collection
Cymothoids are a family of isopods (a type of crustacean) that are ectoparasites of fish. Some species in this family are also known as tongue-biter or tongue-eating louse (e.g., Cymothoa exigua).
16 MINUTES AGO
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Mastering the art of nanoscale construction to breathe easy and bust fraud
Special anti-counterfeiting and chemical sensing tools that we can use with our eyes could be created thanks to a new nanoscale building method.
NANOMATERIALS
15 MINUTES AGO
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Researcher sets record for quantum chemistry calculation
A researcher from The Australian National University (ANU) has used one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world to predict the quantum mechanical …
QUANTUM PHYSICS
17 MINUTES AGO
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Ancient zircon minerals from Mars reveal the elusive internal structure of the red planet
Analysis of an ancient meteorite from Mars suggests that the mineral zircon may be abundant on the surface of the red planet.
ASTRONOMY
1 HOUR AGO
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Removing random doping allows for reproducible manufacture of quantum devices
A UNSW-led collaboration has found that removing random doping in quantum electronic devices dramatically improves their reproducibility—a key requirement for future applications such as quantum-information processing and …
QUANTUM PHYSICS
1 HOUR AGO
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Researchers find that a type of RNA monitors the genome to help ensure its integrity
Deep inside your cells, DNA provides the instructions to produce proteins, the essential molecules that grow and maintain your body.
CELL & MICROBIOLOGY
1 HOUR AGO
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Gravitational lenses measure universe expansion
It’s one of the big cosmology debates: The universe is expanding, but how fast exactly? Two available measurements yield different results. Leiden physicist David Harvey adapted an independent third measurement method using …
ASTRONOMY
1 HOUR AGO
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89
A new way to tackle the neutron lifetime enigma: A superfluid helium-4 scintillation detector
A free neutron outside a nucleus is not stable. It undergoes beta decay at a probability. Over time, the number of free neutrons decreases exponentially at a time constant, which is called the neutron lifetime.
GENERAL PHYSICS
Researchers find dementia starts much earlier than previously assumed
Alzheimer’s disease develops over decades. It begins with a fatal chain reaction in which masses of misfolded beta-amyloid proteins are produced that in the end literally flood the brain. Researchers including Mathias Jucker …
NEUROSCIENCE
1 HOUR AGO
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Discovery of protein’s ‘Achilles heel’ paves way for novel class of anti-HIV drugs
The discovery of a potential “Achilles heel” in Nef, the protein that is crucial to HIV virulence and its capacity to trigger AIDS, paves the way for the development of a new class of drugs against the virus. Researchers …
HIV & AIDS
1 HOUR AGO
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Identification of new factor that offers potential new therapeutic strategy for obesity
Obesity is a serious global health problem and a risk factor for diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver disease. A central element in the development of obesity is adipose tissue, which comprises …
OVERWEIGHT & OBESITY
1 HOUR AGO
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Healthy food labels that work and don’t work
Want that packet of biscuits? That’ll be 17 minutes of jogging to burn off one serving (and there’s probably more than one serving in there).
HEALTH
1 HOUR AGO
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Medical Xpress
Promising results from in vitro combination therapy against COVID-19
Study explores neural mechanisms behind support for political violence
Queensland suicide rate unaffected during first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic
Potential cholera vaccine target discovered
Improvements in lung cancer care
Award winning image demonstrates effectiveness of DIY masks in fight against COVID-19
Russia sees record daily virus deaths as regions struggle
France aiming to start COVID vaccinations in January
Racket sports may worsen knee arthritis
Who will be the first to get COVID-19 vaccines?
What does COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness mean?
Teeth grinding and facial pain increase due to coronavirus stress and anxiety
Cannabinoids may help limit secondary damage of TBIs
People who purchased firearms during pandemic more likely to be suicidal
24 hours in the ICU: Fighting for an open bed in coronavirus
California governor imposes new restrictions in pandemic
Tech Xplore
Computer scientists launch counteroffensive against video game cheaters
Researchers develop machine-learning optimizer to slash product design costs
So you want a new iPhone? Apple’s got 7. How to choose the right one for you
HAMLET: A platform to simplify AI research and development
Potential cholera vaccine target discovered
Findings from a team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), reported in the online journal mBio, may help scientists develop a more effective vaccine for cholera, a bacterial disease that causes severe …
DISEASES, CONDITIONS, SYNDROMES
2 HOURS AGO
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Quantum tunneling pushes the limits of self-powered sensors
Shantanu Chakrabartty’s laboratory has been working to create sensors that can run on the least amount of energy. His lab has been so successful at building smaller and more efficient sensors, that they’ve run into a roadblock …
QUANTUM PHYSICS
5 HOURS AGO
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81
New study could help predict which individuals are more susceptible to cancer-causing agents
New insights into the mechanisms behind how cancer-causing agents in the environment activate genetic recombination in DNA could help to explain some of the effects of exposure as well as predicting which individuals may …
MEDICAL RESEARCH
3 HOURS AGO
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New protein imaging method paves way for next generation biomaterials and tissue analysis
Scientists have established a new method to image proteins that could lead to new discoveries in disease through biological tissue and cell analysis and the development of new biomaterials that can be used for the next generation …
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
3 HOURS AGO
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81
Astronauts board ISS from SpaceX’s ‘Resilience’
Four astronauts carried into orbit by a SpaceX Crew Dragon boarded the International Space Station on Tuesday, the first of what NASA hopes will be many routine missions ending US reliance on Russian rockets.
SPACE EXPLORATION
5 HOURS AGO
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Henderson island fossils reveal new Polynesian sandpiper species
Fossil bones collected in the early 1990s on Henderson Island, part of the Pitcairn Group, have revealed a new species of Polynesian sandpiper.
ARCHAEOLOGY & FOSSILS
5 HOURS AGO
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Study shows geographic shift in U.S. social mobility
Dylan Connor’s father worked as a house painter while his mother tended to their home and family, one that included six boys. Neither of his parents finished high school, but they built a future for their children that included …
SOCIAL SCIENCES
5 HOURS AGO
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Fish carcasses deliver toxic mercury pollution to the deepest ocean trenches
The sinking carcasses of fish from near-surface waters deliver toxic mercury pollution to the most remote and inaccessible parts of the world’s oceans, including the deepest spot of them all: the 36,000-foot-deep Mariana …
EARTH SCIENCES
17 HOURS AGO
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An origami-inspired robotic fingertip with shape-morphing capabilities
To perform tasks that involve moving or handling objects, robots should swiftly adapt their grasp and manipulation strategies based on the properties of these objects and the environment surrounding them. Most robotic hands …
Texas astronomers revive idea for ‘Ultimately Large Telescope’ on the moon
A group of astronomers from The University of Texas at Austin has found that a telescope idea shelved by NASA a decade ago can solve a problem that no other telescope can: It would be able to study the first stars in the …
ASTRONOMY
17 HOURS AGO
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‘Extremely aggressive’ internet censorship spreads in the world’s democracies
The largest collection of public internet censorship data ever compiled shows that even citizens of the world’s freest countries are not safe from internet censorship.
Microscopic insect that liquefies slugs may be answer to controlling this invasive pest
Two Oregon State University researchers have discovered a microscopic soil-dwelling nematode on the Corvallis campus that could be an important tool against invasive slugs that cause billions of dollars a year in agricultural …
The small satellite that’s paying big dividends
Think of the International Space Station, and most likely you imagine an orbiting laboratory, where scientists observe how plants, materials, and humans react to microgravity conditions. But during the past decade, the station …
Linkage in catfish head could inspire new underwater robots
New research into how catfish capture prey provides an unparalleled view of the internal mechanics of fish skulls and could inspire the design of new underwater robots. Although lead researcher Aaron M. Olsen of Brown University …
Tropical peatland conservation could protect humans from new diseases
Conservation of tropical peatlands could reduce the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the likelihood of new diseases jumping from animals to humans, researchers say.
World’s last known white giraffe gets GPS tracking device
The only known white giraffe in the world has been fitted with a GPS tracking device to help protect it from poachers as it grazes in Kenya. But despite its singular status, the lonely male doesn’t have a name.
Climate change bigger threat than COVID: Red Cross
The world should react with the same urgency to climate change as to the coronavirus crisis, the Red Cross said Tuesday, warning that global warming poses a greater threat than COVID-19.
European space rocket launch fails minutes after takeoff
A European space rocket failed minutes after taking off with the loss of both satellites it was carrying, its operator said Tuesday.
Hurricane Iota tears through Central America after Nicaragua landfall
Hurricane Iota was barreling through Central America on Tuesday, hours after making landfall as the strongest Atlantic storm this year along a stretch of Nicaraguan coast devastated by a powerful storm just two weeks ago.
China positions rocket ahead of ambitious lunar mission
China on Tuesday moved a massive rocket into place in preparation for launching a mission to bring back materials from the moon for the first time in four decades.
Pesticides commonly used as flea treatments for pets are contaminating English rivers
Researchers at the University of Sussex have found widespread contamination of English rivers with two neurotoxic pesticides commonly used in veterinary flea products: fipronil and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. The concentrations …
US agricultural water use declining for most crops and livestock production
Climate change and a growing world population require efficient use of natural resources. Water is a crucial component in food production, and water management strategies are needed to support worldwide changes in food consumption …
Ice core collection at risk of being damaged or lost
The history of the world is carefully documented and kept in a freezer at Ohio State University.
Songbird parents evict young for their own benefit
Parents, you might know the feeling. When kids get pushy and demanding, it’s a tempting fantasy to shove them out of the house and let them survive on their own. Of course, we’d never put our babies in harm’s way, but according …
PLANTS & ANIMALS
17 HOURS AGO
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Weather on Jupiter and Saturn may be driven by different forces than on Earth
A trio of researchers, two with Harvard University, the other the University of Alberta, has found evidence that weather on Saturn and Jupiter may be driven by dramatically different forces than weather on Earth. In their …
New technology allows more precise view of the smallest nanoparticles
Current state-of-the-art techniques have clear limitations when it comes to imaging the smallest nanoparticles, making it difficult for researchers to study viruses and other structures at the molecular level.
NANOPHYSICS
20 HOURS AGO
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257
New placement for one of Earth’s largest mass extinction events
Curtin University research has shed new light on when one of the largest mass extinction events on Earth occurred, which gives new meaning to what killed Triassic life and allowed the ecological expansion of dinosaurs in …
EARTH SCIENCES
17 HOURS AGO
4
324
Orbits of ancient stars prompt rethink on Milky Way evolution
Theories on how the Milky Way formed are set to be rewritten following discoveries about the behavior of some of its oldest stars.
ASTRONOMY
NOV 16, 2020
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2271
Astronomers detect complex multi-component outflow of the galaxy NGC 7130
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have investigated ionized gas in the central regions of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 7130. In their study, they identified a complex multi-component outflow in this galaxy. The …
Building blocks of life can form long before stars
An international team of scientists have shown that glycine, the simplest amino acid and an important building block of life, can form under the harsh conditions that govern chemistry in space.
ASTRONOMY
21 HOURS AGO
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639
Study reconstructs ancient storms to help predict changes in tropical cyclone hotspot
Intense tropical cyclones are expected to become more frequent as climate change increases temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. But not every area will experience storms of the same magnitude. New research from the Woods Hole …
EARTH SCIENCES
21 HOURS AGO
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75
Making the best decision: Math shows diverse thinkers equal better results
Whether it is ants forming a trail or individuals crossing the street, the exchange of information is key in making everyday decisions. But new Florida State University research shows that the group decision-making process …
GENERAL PHYSICS
16 HOURS AGO
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282
Cannabis strength soars over past half century
New research shows that over the past 50 years street cannabis across the world has become substantially stronger carrying an increased risk of harm.
ADDICTION
20 HOURS AGO
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Researchers quantify carbon changes in Sierra Nevada meadow soils
Meadows in the Sierra Nevada mountains are critical components of watersheds. In addition to supplying water to over 25 million people in California and Nevada, meadows contain large quantities of carbon belowground. While …
Chemical injected in town’s drinking water called ‘an environmental injustice’
Residents of a small town that injected an unapproved chemical into their drinking water for 10 years want the chemical manufacturer and South Carolina health regulators to pay for exposing them to the unauthorized water …
Media, nonprofits framing of climate change affects how people think about issue, studies show
Climate change is an emotionally charged topic that can stir political arguments and inspire people to take action. How people talk about it, especially news media and organizations dedicated to combating the issue, can influence …
Does the human brain resemble the Universe?
An astrophysicist at the University of Bologna and a neurosurgeon at the University of Verona compared the network of neuronal cells in the human brain with the cosmic network of galaxies… and surprising similarities emerged
Teaching children who are deaf or hearing impaired about emotions and social conventions
Children with hearing loss often fail to pick up on nuances in other people’s emotional responses. As a result, they do not always understand what is going on. Yung-Ting Tsou, a Ph.D. student at Leiden University, found that …
Sensors get a laser shape up
A simple method developed at KAUST uses laser beams to create graphene electrodes that have better performance than those produced through older methods.
200 years ago, people discovered Antarctica—and began slaughtering its animals to near extinction for profit
Two hundred years ago, on November 17, Connecticut ship captain Nathaniel Palmer spotted the Antarctic continent, one of three parties to do so in 1820. Unlike explorers Edward Bransfield and Fabian von Bellingshausen, Palmer …
A sweeping climate model of the Red Sea
Projections of atmospheric and oceanic processes in the Red Sea are informing the design of sustainable megacities being planned and built along its shores.
Digital skills positively affect children’s learning outcomes
Findings from 110 studies published in 64 countries point out that digital skills play a key role in children’s and young people’s learning, participation and other opportunities. International research also reveals that …
Implementing carbon pricing during the pandemic could help countries recover greener, smarter
Countries across the globe have been struggling to deal with the impact of COVID-19 and its accompanying economic slowdown. As economies “build back better,” it may be an opportune time to introduce carbon pricing to tackle …
Better than money? In-kind payments incentivize farmers to conserve agrobiodiversity
What if you received a new mattress in exchange for planting diverse crops? It may sound unusual, but tangible non-monetary incentives—anything from fertilizer to furniture—may hold significant potential in encouraging …
Center for Justice Research Police Reform Action Brief: Ban chokeholds
The Center for Justice Research (CJR) at Texas Southern University supports innovative, data-driven solutions for the creation of an equitable criminal justice system. CJR is the premier criminal justice research center located …
Looking inside the glass
A team of researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo used advanced electron spectroscopy and computer simulations to better understand the internal atomic structure of aluminosilicate …