Accurate and efficient 3-D motion tracking using deep learning

A new sensing method has made tracking movement easier and more efficient. A research group from Tohoku University has captured dexterous 3-D motion data from a flexible magnetic flux sensor array, using deep learning and a structure-aware temporal bilateral filter.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-accurate-efficient-d-motion-tracking.html

Evaluating cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies represent a revolutionary monetary system. They are decentralized, essentially unhackable, and represent a novel and disruptive alternative to monetary systems controlled by banks and governments. The value of various cryptocurrencies has waxed and waned, but at the moment one of the more well-known is riding high at a record-breaking valuation. A review in the World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development considers the growth, opportunities, and future prospects of cryptocurrencies.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cryptocurrencies.html

Energy-generating synthetic skin for affordable prosthetic limbs and touch-sensitive robots

A new type of energy-generating synthetic skin could create more affordable prosthetic limbs and robots capable of mimicking the sense of touch, scientists say.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-energy-generating-synthetic-skin-prosthetic-limbs.html

Scientists run a 'speed test' to boost production of carbon nanotubes

Skoltech researchers have investigated the procedure for catalyst delivery used in the most common method of carbon nanotube production, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), offering what they call a "simple and elegant" way to boost productivity and pave the way for cheaper and more accessible nanotube-based technology. The paper was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-boost-production-carbon-nanotubes.html

LAMOST-Kepler/K2 survey announces the first light result

An international team led by Prof. Fu Jianning and Dr. Zong Weikai from Beijing Normal University released the first light result of medium-resolution spectroscopic observations undertaken by the LAMOST-Kepler/K2 Survey. The study was published in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series on Nov. 12.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-lamost-keplerk2-survey-result.html

First record of long-lost Ruellia bella reported in Myanmar

Ruellia is a very large genus of chiefly tropical American herbs and shrubs (family Acanthaceae) that have showy solitary or paniculate flowers with the simple or two-lobed style recurved at the apex and the two-cell ovary.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-long-lost-ruellia-bella-myanmar.html

Stable ocean circulation in changing north Atlantic Ocean, study finds

Ocean vertical structures are changing as a result of global warming. Whether these changes are in pace with the ocean circulation is unknown.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-stable-ocean-circulation-north-atlantic.html

Molecule that promotes muscle health when magnetised

As people age, they progressively lose muscle mass and strength, and this can lead to frailty and other age-related diseases. As the causes for the decline remain largely unknown, promoting muscle health is an area of great research interest. A recent study led by the researchers from NUS has shown how a molecule found in muscles responds to weak magnetic fields to promote muscle health.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-molecule-muscle-health-magnetised.html

Decoupling electronic and thermal transport

A new University of Wollongong study overcomes a major challenge of thermoelectric materials, which can convert heat into electricity and vice versa, improving conversion efficiency by more than 60%.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-decoupling-electronic-thermal.html

Replicating surfaces, right down to a fraction of an atom

The ability to replicate materials at the atomic level has attracted significant attention from materials scientists. However, the current technology is limited by a number of factors. Udo Schwarz, professor of mechanical engineering & materials science and department chair, has recently published two papers on research that could significantly open up what's possible within this emerging field. His methods include a process that can replicate a surface's features to details of less than one 10 billionth of a meter, or less 1/20th the diameter of an atom.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-replicating-surfaces-fraction-atom.html

Biologists summarize 520 studies and report the best way to fertilize soil

A team of biologists from RUDN University working together with foreign colleagues have summarized the results of 520 studies on the impact of manure on the soil and created a snapshot of all biochemical processes that go on in fertilized soils. The team also compared the effect of manure with and without mineral additives, showed how manure from different animals affects the fertility of the soil, and calculated the optimal amount of manure for soil fertilization. The results of the study were published in Science of The Total Environment .

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-biologists-fertilize-soil.html

Algorithm could identify disease-associated genes

ITMO University's bioinformatics researchers have developed an algorithm that helps to assess the influence of genes on processes in the human body, including the development of disease. The research was published in BMC Bioinformatics.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-algorithm-disease-associated-genes.html

Scientists explain how to store cipher data in magnetic skyrmions

Scientists of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) with international collaborators have proposed direct magnetic writing of skyrmions, i.e., magnetic quasiparticles, and skyrmion lattices, within which it is possible to encode, transmit, process information and produce topological patterns with a resolution less than 100 nanometers. This has applications for miniaturized post-silicon electronics, new topological cryptography techniques and green data centers, potentially reducing the load on the Earth's ecosystem significantly. A related article appears in ACS Nano.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-cipher-magnetic-skyrmions.html

Researchers discover solid phosphorus from a comet

An international study led from the University of Turku, Finland, discovered phosphorus and fluorine in solid dust particles collected from a comet. The finding indicates that all the most important elements necessary for life may have been delivered to the Earth by comets.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-solid-phosphorus-comet.html

Life on an airless Earth

In hidden pockets around the world, tiny creatures consume toxins and wait for their day to again rule the Earth.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-life-airless-earth.html

Italy fines Apple 10 mn euros for water damage claims

Italy's competition authority said Monday it had fined Apple 10 million euros ($12 million) for misleading claims about the water resistant properties of various iPhone models.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-italy-fines-apple-mn-euros.html

First foreign students arrive in Australia since virus closure

International students have arrived in Australia for the first time since the country shut its borders to curb coronavirus in March, with a charter flight touching down in Darwin on Monday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-foreign-students-australia-virus-closure.html

Australia bush fire rips through heritage-listed island

Australian firefighters are struggling to control a massive bush fire that already destroyed 40 percent of the UNESCO world heritage-listed Fraser Island before a heatwave hit Monday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-australia-bush-rips-heritage-listed-island.html

Thousands flee as Indonesian volcano bursts to life

Thousands have fled the scene of a rumbling Indonesian volcano that burst to life for the first time in several years, belching a massive column of smoke and ash, the disaster agency said Monday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-thousands-indonesian-volcano-life.html

Merriam-Webster's top word of 2020 not a shocker: pandemic

If you were to choose a word that rose above most in 2020, which word would it be?

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-merriam-webster-word-shocker-pandemic.html

Brightly burning meteor seen across wide areas of Japan

A brightly burning meteor was seen plunging from the sky in wide areas of Japan, capturing attention on television and social media.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-brightly-meteor-wide-areas-japan.html

Fast-moving gas flowing away from young star caused by icy comet vaporisation

A unique stage of planetary system evolution has been imaged by astronomers, showing fast-moving carbon monoxide gas flowing away from a star system over 400 light years away, a discovery that provides an opportunity to study how our own solar system developed.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fast-moving-gas-young-star-icy.html

Fast-moving gas flowing away from young star caused by icy comet vaporisation

A unique stage of planetary system evolution has been imaged by astronomers, showing fast-moving carbon monoxide gas flowing away from a star system over 400 light years away, a discovery that provides an opportunity to study how our own solar system developed.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fast-moving-gas-young-star-icy.html

Bahamas is set to start offshore oil drilling just 150 miles off South Florida

Florida's waters may be protected from offshore drilling but the Bahamas plans to start looking for oil in less than a month at an exploratory well just 150 miles off the coast of the Sunshine State.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-bahamas-offshore-oil-drilling-miles.html

Average winter temperatures in Northeast have warmed by up to 4.8 degrees since 1970, new research shows

In the winter of 1969-70, Philadelphia had an average temperature of 30.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Last year, the average was 39.4.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-average-winter-temperatures-northeast-degrees.html

Sydney records hottest November night as heatwave sweeps city

Sydney recorded its hottest November night as Australia's largest city suffered through a weekend heatwave that saw daytime temperatures peak above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-sydney-hottest-november-night-heatwave.html

Mammoth move: loneliest elephant heads to Cambodia after Cher campaign

Following years of public outcry and campaigning by American pop star Cher, the "world's loneliest elephant" embarked Sunday on a mammoth move from Pakistan to retirement in a Cambodian sanctuary.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mammoth-loneliest-elephant-cambodia-cher.html

UK's sole hydrogen car maker bets on green revolution

Hydrogen-powered car manufacturer Riversimple is hoping to steal a march on competitors ahead of Britain's promised "green revolution" that would see petrol-powered cars banned within 10 years.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-uk-sole-hydrogen-car-maker.html

Black Friday sees record online as US shoppers stay home

Black Friday online sales hit a new record this year as pandemic-wary Americans filled virtual carts instead of real ones.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-black-friday-online-shoppers-home.html

Satellite images confirm uneven impact of climate change

University of Copenhagen researchers have been following vegetation trends across the planet's driest areas using satellite imagery from recent decades. They have identified a troubling trend: Too little vegetation is sprouting up from rainwater in developing nations, whereas things are headed in the opposite direction in wealthier ones. As a result, the future could see food shortages and growing numbers of climate refugees.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-satellite-images-uneven-impact-climate.html

Exploring the use of artificial intelligence in architecture

Over the past few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) tools have been used to analyze data or complete basic tasks in an increasing number of fields, ranging from computer science to manufacturing, medicine, physics, biology and even artistic disciplines. Researchers at University of Michigan have recently been investigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in architecture. Their most recent paper, published in the International Journal of Architectural Computing, specifically explores the potential of AI as a tool to create new architectural designs.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-exploring-artificial-intelligence-architecture.html

For Big Tech, Biden brings a new era but no ease in scrutiny

The Obama-Biden administration was a charmed era for America's tech companies—a moment when they were lionized as innovators, hailed as job creators and largely left alone.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-big-tech-biden-era-ease.html

US agency investigating Tesla front suspension failures

The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints that suspensions can fail on nearly 115,000 Tesla electric vehicles.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-agency-tesla-front-suspension-failures.html

Climate change is making autumn leaves change colour earlier—here's why

As the days shorten and temperatures drop in the northern hemisphere, leaves begin to turn. We can enjoy glorious autumnal colours while the leaves are still on the trees and, later, kicking through a red, brown and gold carpet when out walking.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-climate-autumn-colour-earlierhere.html

Delivery rider deaths highlight need to make streets safer for everyone

Five food-delivery cyclists have died on Australian roads in the past three months, four in Sydney. Most commentary has focused on the harsh employment conditions that force people to take risks they shouldn't have to. These problems should of course be fixed, but cycling in general is too dangerous in our cities.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-delivery-rider-deaths-highlight-streets.html

How will sharks respond to climate change? It might depend on where they grew up

They may have been around for hundreds of millions of years—long before trees—but today sharks and rays are are among the most threatened animals in the world, largely because of overfishing and habitat loss.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-sharks-climate-grew.html

Being good at your job won't stop age discrimination

How old you are could be more important to some employers than your experience, or your capacity to do the job—particularly for older candidates. That was the conclusion of research my colleagues and I recently published on age discrimination. We tested 500 managers across nine European countries, using job applications of people aged between 43 and 63, and showed more suitable job candidates did not experience less discrimination.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-good-job-wont-age-discrimination.html

The UK government's COVID spending may lead to inflation

The UK government is spending an enormous amount on COVID-19 - supporting the health service, helping to relieve the suffering of those who have lost their incomes, and helping businesses keep afloat.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-uk-covid-inflation.html

Why Mauritius is culling an endangered fruit bat that exists nowhere else

The endangered Mauritius fruit bat is once again the centre of a controversial cull at the hands of its government, much to the alarm of wildlife conservation organisations. Under pressure from both farmers and the public, the government of the Indian Ocean island recently announced a plan to cull 10% of its 80,000 or so fruit bats to protect the nation's fruit industry.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mauritius-culling-endangered-fruit.html

New research shows even small ships pose deadly threat to North American right whales

It has long been known that ship strikes involving large vessels pose one of the greatest threats to North Atlantic right whales, whose coastal habitats and tendency to stay close to the water's surface make them vulnerable to such deadly collisions.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-small-ships-pose-deadly-threat.html

Urgent action needed as 1 in 3 native mammals at risk of extinction in Wales

A third of native mammals are currently at risk of extinction in Wales, according to a new report.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-urgent-action-native-mammals-extinction.html

Time for total rethink on the management of alien species

Non-indigenous or alien species need to be appreciated for their potential benefits and not just the negative impacts they can have on the environment, according to new research.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-total-rethink-alien-species.html

It's not too late to save 102 species at risk of extinction

The Fraser River estuary in British Columbia is home to 102 species at risk of extinction. A new study says it's not too late to save these species if action is taken now.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-late-species-extinction.html

Mining companies are required to return quarried sites to their 'natural character'. But is that enough?

New Zealand has more than 1,100 registered quarries. Some of these mined sites are small, rural operations, but a significant number are large and complex, and within a city's urban boundaries.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-companies-required-quarried-sites-natural.html

The case of the missing dark matter: new suspect found in galactic mystery

A faraway galaxy with almost no dark matter has threatened to break our theory of galaxy formation. New evidence suggests the galaxy isn't an anomaly—but a victim of theft.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-case-dark-galactic-mystery.html

Iceberg A-68A: hit or miss?

An enormous iceberg, called A-68A, has made headlines over the past weeks as it drifts towards South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. New images, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, show the berg is rotating and potentially drifting westwards.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-iceberg-a-68a.html

ESA and Auroch Digital launch Mars Horizon game

You're controlling your very own space agency at the dawn of the space age, with the ultimate goal of setting foot on the surface of Mars. Which technologies should you research? Which rockets should you build? Should you aim for the Moon first or head straight to the Red Planet?

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-esa-auroch-digital-mars-horizon.html

UK to launch new watchdog next year to police tech giants

Britain plans to create a new watchdog to police big tech companies including Google and Facebook to counter their market dominance and prevent them from exploiting consumers and small businesses.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-uk-watchdog-year-police-tech.html

Japan spacecraft carrying asteroid soil samples nears home

A Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a yearlong journey home from a distant asteroid with soil samples and data that could provide clues to the origins of the solar system, a space agency official said Friday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-japan-spacecraft-asteroid-soil-samples.html

Tesla recalls 870 cars in China over defective roofs

US electric car maker Tesla is recalling 870 vehicles in China over defective roofs, part of which could fall off, China's market regulator said on Friday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tesla-recalls-cars-china-defective.html

Battered by virus and oil slump, biofuels fall out of favour

Hit by the coronavirus pandemic and a sharp drop in oil prices, biofuel demand has declined for the first time in two decades and may struggle to recover, according to experts.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-battered-virus-oil-slump-biofuels.html

Man United unable to fully restore systems after cyberattack

Manchester United has been unable to fully restore its computer systems a week after being targeted in a cyberattack.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-unable-fully-cyberattack.html

Strewth! Are Aussies the world's most virulent swearers?

Australians are a nation of creative expletive users who take pride in bad language as part of their cultural identity.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-strewth-aussies-world-virulent-swearers.html

Ultraviolet light exposure enhances the protective ability of synthetic melanin

Melanin's high refractive index (RI) and broadband absorption capability contribute to the pigment's ability to protect against ultraviolet radiation (UV). These optical properties also contribute to the vibrant structural colors seen in birds and many other animals and plants.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ultraviolet-exposure-ability-synthetic-melanin.html

Plasma-developed new material fundamental to Internet of Things

QUT Professor Ken Ostrikov from the School of Chemistry and Physics and QUT Centre for Materials Science said the new material could be used to develop new transistor devices for electronics and photodetectors for such applications as fibre-optic communication systems and environmental sensing.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-plasma-developed-material-fundamental-internet.html

Jaguars robust to climate extremes but lack of food threatens species

A new QUT-led study has found wild jaguars in the Amazon can cope with climate extremes in the short-term, but numbers will rapidly decline if weather events increase in frequency, diminishing sources of food.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-jaguars-robust-climate-extremes-lack.html

Think taxing electric vehicle use is a backward step? Here's why it's an important policy advance

The South Australian and Victorian governments have announced, and New South Wales is considering, road user charges on electric vehicles. This policy has drawn scorn from environmental advocates and motor vehicle lobbyists who fear it will slow the uptake of less-polluting vehicles. But, from a longer-term transport policy perspective, a distance-based road user charge on electric vehicles is an important step forward.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-taxing-electric-vehicle-important-policy.html

Drones, detection dogs, poo spotting: what's the best way to conduct Australia's Great Koala Count?

Federal environment minister Sussan Ley this week announced A$2 million for a national audit of Australia's koalas, as part of an A$18 million package to protect the vulnerable species.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-drones-dogs-poo-australia-great.html

UN experts sound alarm over AI-enhanced racial profiling

Countries must do more to combat racial profiling, UN rights experts said Thursday, warning that artificial intelligence programmes like facial recognition and predictive policing risked reinforcing the harmful practice.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-experts-alarm-ai-enhanced-racial-profiling.html

Baby chimp gives hope for Guinea's famous ape tribe

A dwindling tribe of chimpanzees in Guinea that gained global fame for uncanny abilities to use tools has a glimmer of hope after its last fertile female gave birth.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-baby-chimp-guinea-famous-ape.html

Fire and ice: New database maps and classifies the dangers of glacierized volcanoes

Destructive volcanic mudflows, huge clouds of volcanic ash that ground flights, and catastrophic floods when natural glacial lake dams fail—these are all examples of the dramatic interactions between volcanoes and glaciers. To help others study, and hopefully predict, dangerous glaciovolcanic activity, researchers have created a new database that combines existing global data.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ice-database-dangers-glacierized-volcanoes.html

Europe signs $102M deal to bring space trash home

The European Space Agency says it is signing a 86 million-euro ($102 million) contract with a Swiss start-up company to bring a large piece of orbital trash back to Earth.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-europe-102m-space-trash-home.html

Video games are 'under-regulated': EU anti-terror czar

Online video games can be used to propagate extremist ideologies and even prepare attacks, the EU's anti-terrorist coordinator told AFP in an interview in which he urged more regulation.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-video-games-under-regulated-eu-anti-terror.html

World is not on track to achieve global deforestation goals

Last week, a progress report from the New York Declaration on Forests announced that the world is not on track to meet the declaration's goals to reduce forest loss and promote sustainable and equitable development. The report identifies lack of transparency as one of the main barriers to progress, and calls for greater involvement of civil society and grassroots movements while planning and implementing large-scale development projects.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-world-track-global-deforestation-goals.html

T-ray technology reveals what's getting under your skin

A new method for analyzing the structure of skin using a type of radiation known as T-rays could help improve the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and skin cancer.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-t-ray-technology-reveals-skin.html

'Rules as Code' will let computers apply laws and regulations

Can computers read and apply legal rules? It's an idea that's gaining momentum, as it promises to make laws more accessible to the public and easier to follow. But it raises a host of legal, technical and ethical questions.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-code-laws.html

Forensic linguists can make or break a court case. So who are they and what do they do?

If you're an avid viewer of crime shows, you've probably come across cases in which an expert, often a psychologist, is called in to help solve a crime using their language analysis skills.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-forensic-linguists-court-case.html

Foreign vs. own DNA: How an innate immune sensor tells friend from foe

How do molecules involved in activating our immune system discriminate between our own DNA and foreign pathogens? Researchers from the Thomä group, in collaboration with the EPFL, deciphered the structural and functional basis of a DNA-sensing molecule when it comes in contact with the cell's own DNA, providing crucial insights into the recognition of self vs. non-self DNA.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-foreign-dna-innate-immune-sensor.html

Using fabric to 'listen' to space dust

Earlier this month a team of MIT researchers sent samples of various high-tech fabrics, some with embedded sensors or electronics, to the International Space Station. The samples (unpowered for now) will be exposed to the space environment for a year in order to determine a baseline for how well these materials survive the harsh environment of low Earth orbit.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-fabric-space.html

For female flies, mating requires the right musical backdrop

A new study traces the neural circuit that makes a female fly receptive to a mating advance.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-female-flies-requires-musical-backdrop.html

Keyhole wasps may threaten aviation safety

Over a period of 39 months, invasive keyhole wasps (Pachodynerus nasidens) at the Brisbane Airport were responsible for 93 instances of fully blocked replica pitot probes—vital instruments that measure airspeed—according to a study published November 25 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Alan House of Eco Logical Australia and colleagues. As noted by the authors, the results underscore the importance of risk-mitigating strategies, such as covering pitot probes when aircraft arrive and setting up additional traps to intercept the wasps.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-keyhole-wasps-threaten-aviation-safety.html

A different 'super spreader': Facebook struggles with election disinfo

The US presidential election is finished: votes cast, the transition—though delayed—begun.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-super-spreader-facebook-struggles-election.html

Pandemic postpones national math, reading tests until 2022

National reading and math tests long used to track what U.S. students know in those subjects are being postponed from next year to 2022 over concerns about whether testing would be feasible or produce valid results during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Center for Education Statistics announced Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-pandemic-postpones-national-math.html

Understanding traditional Chinese medicine can help protect species

Demystifying traditional Chinese medicine for conservationists could be the key to better protecting endangered species like pangolins, tigers and rhino, according to University of Queensland-led researchers.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-traditional-chinese-medicine-species.html

Mass evacuations hailed for casualty-free India cyclone

Accurate forecasting and the evacuation of several hundred thousand people helped avert any loss of life after a cyclone clobbered southeast India, authorities said Thursday, as rescuers worked to restore power and clear fallen trees.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mass-evacuations-hailed-casualty-free-india.html

Patterning method could pave the way for new fiber-based devices, smart textiles

Multimaterial fibers that integrate metal, glass and semiconductors could be useful for applications such as biomedicine, smart textiles and robotics. But because the fibers are composed of the same materials along their lengths, it is difficult to position functional elements, such as electrodes or sensors, at specific locations. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a method to pattern hundreds-of-meters-long multimaterial fibers with embedded functional elements.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-patterning-method-pave-fiber-based-devices.html

A new species of rare phylum Loricifera discovered in the deep-sea surrounding Japan

The Loricifera is a microscopic, sediment-dwelling marine invertebrate with a head covered in over 200 spines and an abdomen with a protective shell known as a lorica. Since it was first discovered in 1983, just under 40 species have been written about. Now, that number is one more thanks to a group of scientists who reported on a new genus and species of Loricifera.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-species-rare-phylum-loricifera-deep-sea.html

Using a soft crystal to visualize how absorbed carbon dioxide behaves in liquid

A team of scientists has succeeded in visualizing how carbon dioxide (CO2) behaves in an ionic liquid that selectively absorbs CO2. The finding is expected to help develop more efficient methods to capture CO2 in the atmosphere, one of the major factors causing global warming.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-soft-crystal-visualize-absorbed-carbon.html

Grabbing viruses out of thin air: The ongoing quest to fabricate functional biosensors

The future could hold portable and wearable sensors for detecting viruses and bacteria in the surrounding environment. But we're not there yet. Scientists at Tohoku University have been studying materials that can change mechanical into electrical or magnetic energy, and vice versa, for decades. Together with colleagues, they published a review in the journal Advanced Materials about the most recent endeavors into using these materials to fabricate functional biosensors.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-viruses-thin-air-ongoing-quest.html

Statistician assesses agricultural data to increase productivity

Assistant professor Hossein Moradi of SDSU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics is helping precision agriculture faculty efficiently and accurately assess variables affecting yield. This collaboration is helping researchers pinpoint ways to help farmers increase productivity.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-statistician-agricultural-productivity.html

NOAA strategy addresses stony coral tissue loss disease

NOAA today unveiled a new strategy for the response to stony coral tissue loss disease, a disease that is spreading throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean region and may pose a threat to the Indo-Pacific region.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-noaa-strategy-stony-coral-tissue.html

Record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season draws to an end

The extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is drawing to a close with a record-breaking 30 named storms and 12 landfalling storms in the continental United States. While the official hurricane season concludes on November 30, tropical storms may continue to develop past that day.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-record-breaking-atlantic-hurricane-season.html

Pulsating aurora: Killer electrons in strumming sky lights

Computer simulations explain how electrons with wide-ranging energies rain into Earth's upper and middle atmosphere during a phenomenon known as the pulsating aurora. The findings, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, suggest that the higher-energy electrons resulting from this process could cause destruction of the part of the ozone in the mesosphere, about 60 kilometers above Earth's surface. The study was a collaboration between scientists in Japan, including at Nagoya University, and colleagues in the US, including from NASA.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-pulsating-aurora-killer-electrons-strumming.html

New discovery allows early detection of shade avoidance syndrome in plants

Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) have discovered a way to use Raman spectroscopy for early detection of shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) in plants. The discovery can help farmers with timely intervention against SAS, leading to better plant health and crop yield.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-discovery-early-syndrome.html

Fossils show 66 million years of insects eating kauri trees

Exquisitely preserved feeding marks on fossil conifer leaves show that the same insect feeding and fungi persisted for millions of years on the same type of plant, from ancient Patagonian rainforests to the modern rainforests of the tropical West Pacific.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fossils-million-years-insects-kauri.html

Kilonovae: Ambushing the standard candle in its own nest

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous and explosive transient phenomena in the universe after the Big Bang. A powerful tool for characterizing and classifying GRBs to allow them to be used as tracers of the expansion history of the universe and to understand their mysterious and debated physical mechanisms has been recently presented by an international team of researchers led by Dr. Maria Dainotti, assistant professor at Jagiellonian University, Poland. The new article, which has been accepted by the Astrophysical Journal, is a statistical analysis of the properties of the mysterious GRBs, aimed at determining the observational properties of GRB subclasses. The article pays particular attention to the GRBs associated with kilonovae.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-kilonovae-ambushing-standard-candle.html

Research team finds effect of odor on helpfulness in rats

Despite their reputation, rats are surprisingly sociable and actually regularly help each other out with tasks. Researchers at the Universities of Göttingen, Bern and St Andrews have now shown that a rat only has to smell the scent of another rat that is engaged in helpful behavior to increase his or her own helpfulness. This is the first study to show that just the smell of a cooperating individual rat is enough to trigger an altruistic and helpful response in another. The research was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-team-effect-odor-rats.html

Conscientiousness key to team success during space missions

NASA is working toward sending humans to Mars by 2030. If all goes according to plan, the flight crew's return trip to the red planet will take about two-and-half years. That's a long time to spend uninterrupted with co-workers. But imagine if the astronauts don't get along with each other.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-conscientiousness-key-team-success-space.html

Homes evacuated as cyclone threatens India

Several thousand people in south-eastern India fled their homes on Wednesday, out of the path of a cyclone due to slam coastal areas after midnight, bringing with it heavy rain.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-homes-evacuated-cyclone-threatens-india.html

Research creates hydrogen-producing living droplets, paving way for alternative future energy source

Scientists have built tiny droplet-based microbial factories that produce hydrogen, instead of oxygen, when exposed to daylight in air.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-hydrogen-producing-droplets-paving-alternative-future.html

Prehistoric mega-shark raised its young in nurseries: study

The largest sharks ever to have roamed the oceans parked their young in shallow, warm-water nurseries where food was abundant and predators scarce until they could assume their title as kings and queens of the sea.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-prehistoric-mega-shark-young-nurseries.html

Tesla's stock market value accelerates past $500 billion

Tesla's market value soared to more than $500 billion Tuesday ahead of its listing on the S&P 500, with its stock finishing up 6.4 percent or by nearly $32 billion in 24 hours.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tesla-stock-billion.html

Scores of pilot whales dead in New Zealand stranding

Almost 100 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding on New Zealand's remote Chatham Islands, conservation officials said Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scores-whales-dead-zealand-stranding.html

Microbes help unlock phosphorus for plant growth

Phosphorus is a necessary nutrient for plants to grow. But when it's applied to plants as part of a chemical fertilizer, phosphorus can react strongly with minerals in the soil, forming complexes with iron, aluminum and calcium. This locks up the phosphorus, preventing plants from being able to access this crucial nutrient.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-microbes-phosphorus-growth.html

In fire-prone West, plants need their pollinators—and vice versa

2020 is the worst fire year on record in the United States, with nearly 13 million acres burned, 14,000 structures destroyed and an estimated $3 billion spent on fire suppression—and counting. At the same time, certain land managers have invested huge amounts of time and resources toward restoring fire through "controlled burn" approaches.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fire-prone-west-pollinatorsand-vice-versa.html

Waste fishing gear threatens Ganges wildlife

Waste fishing gear in the River Ganges poses a threat to wildlife including otters, turtles and dolphins, new research shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fishing-gear-threatens-ganges-wildlife.html

When consumers trust AI recommendations—or resist them

Researchers from Boston University and University of Virginia published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines how consumers respond to AI recommenders when focused on the functional and practical aspects of a product (its utilitarian value) versus the experiential and sensory aspects of a product (its hedonic value).

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-consumers-ai-recommendationsor-resist.html

T. rex had huge growth spurts, but other dinos grew 'slow and steady'

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs of all time—it measured up to 42 feet long from snout to tail and would have weighed in at around 16,000 pounds. And it wasn't alone—some of its less-well-known cousins could reach nearly the same size. Scientists have previously shown that T. rex got so big by going through a huge teenage growth spurt, but they didn't know if that was true for just tyrannosaurs, just them and their close relatives, or perhaps all big bipedal dinosaurs. By cutting into dinosaur bones and analyzing the growth lines, a team of researchers got their answer: T. rex and its closest relatives had an awkward adolescence during which they got huge, while its more distant cousins in the allosauroid group kept on growing a little bit every year.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-rex-huge-growth-spurts-dinos.html

Atomic resolution protein models reveal new details about protein binding

Knowing precisely where proteins are frustrated could go a long way toward making better drugs.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-frustration-drugs.html

Mother's touch lingers in her child's genes

Mothers leave their mark on their children in many ways—and WEHI researchers have discovered a protein called SMCHD1 is involved in this 'imprinting' process.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mother-lingers-child-genes.html

Six years in 120 pages: Researchers shed light on Ricci flows

Differential geometry is the study of space geometry. Multiple natural phenomena, from universal expansion to thermal expansion and contraction, can come down to spatial evolution. The two core conjectures in this field, the Hamilton-Tian conjecture and the Partial C0 conjecture, were unsolved puzzles for more than 20 years.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-years-pages-ricci.html

Researchers find conformational disorder tuning charge carrier mobility in 2-D perovskites

The organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have a multiple application on solar cells, lighting-emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs) and photodetectors. Among the parameters valuing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices based on perovskite materials, the mobility of carriers undoubtedly captures a high weight.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-conformational-disorder-tuning-carrier-mobility.html

Scientists reveal role of RNA helicase in zygote activation and stem cell homeostasis in plants

After double fertilization, zygotic activation occurs that initiates a new life cycle, followed by cell divisions, cell differentiation and organogenesis. During post-embryonic development, stem cells located in shoot apical meristem (SAM) and root apical meristem (RAM) allow plants to continuously generate new tissues and organs. Therefore, understanding the role of zygote activation and stem cell homeostasis is a long-standing interest to scientists.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-reveal-role-rna-helicase.html

New digital media keeps families connected through forced migration

Can information and communication technologies help maintain close ties in families who are scattered around the world as a result of (forced) migration? Vienna-based social anthropologist Monika Palmberger explores the role played by new media in this context and the way they might transform these relationships.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-digital-media-families-migration.html

Researchers observe instance of cannibalism in wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys

A team of researchers with the University of Tokyo, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, the University of Calgary and Tulane University has reported observation of an instance of cannibalism in wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys. In their paper published on the open access site Ecology and Evolution the group describes an incident in which adult wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys consumed some of the remains of a 10-day old infant.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-instance-cannibalism-wild-whitefaced-capuchin.html

The Amur River Basin lost 22% of its wetlands from 1980 to 2016

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the conservation and restoration of wetlands. Understanding the extent of wetlands, their change trends and the proximate causes is important for the conservation of wetlands and endangered waterfowls.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-amur-river-basin-lost-wetlands.html

Helicates meet rotaxanes to create promise for future disease treatment

A new approach to treating cancers and other diseases that uses a mechanically interlocked molecule as a 'magic bullet' has been designed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-helicates-rotaxanes-future-disease-treatment.html

Minimal-interface structures constrained in polycrystalline copper with extremely fine grains

Metals with nanoscale crystal grains are super-strong although they do not retain their structure at higher temperatures. As a result, it is challenging to explore their high strength during materials applications. In a new report now published on Science, X. Y. Li and a team of scientists in materials science and engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiaotong University in China, found a minimum-interface structure in copper (Cu) with 10-nanometer-sized grains, which they combined with a nanograin crystallographic twinning network to retain high strength at temperatures just below the melting point. The discovery provided a different path to obtain stabilized nanograined metals for metallurgy and materials engineering applications.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-minimal-interface-constrained-polycrystalline-copper-extremely.html

Snapchat challenges TikTok with curated video feed

Snapchat on Monday unveiled a new curated short-form video feed in a stepped up challenge to social media rivals like TikTok.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-snapchat-tiktok-curated-video.html

Paleontologists discover identical evolution of isolated organisms

Paleontologists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University of Calgary in Canada have provided new proof of parallel evolution: conodonts, early vertebrates from the Permian period, adapted to new habitats in almost identical ways despite living in different geographical regions. The researchers were able to prove that this was the case using fossil teeth found in different geographical locations.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-paleontologists-identical-evolution-isolated.html

The rainforest's most loyal couples: No evidence for extra-pair paternity in coppery titi monkeys

Since methods for genetic paternity analyses were introduced, it has been clear that many pair-living animal species, including humans, do not take partnership fidelity that seriously. In most species, there is some proportion of offspring not sired by their social father. Coppery titi monkeys living in the Amazon lowland rainforest seem to be an exception. Scientists from the German Primate Center (DPZ)—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen could not find evidence for extra-pair paternity in their study population in Peru. Mate choice seems to be so successful that a potential genetic advantage does not outweigh the social costs of infidelity. The study is published in Scientific Reports.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-rainforest-loyal-couples-evidence-extra-pair.html

Human ribosome assembly has no counterparts in simpler model organisms

Ribosomes synthesize all the proteins in cells. Studies mainly done on yeast have revealed much about how ribosomes are put together, but an Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich team now reports that ribosome assembly in human cells requires factors that have no counterparts in simpler model organisms.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-human-ribosome-counterparts-simpler.html

Convolutional neural networks can be tricked by the same visual illusions as people

A convolutional neural network is a type of artificial neural network in which the neurons are organized into receptive fields in a very similar way to neurons in the visual cortex of a biological brain. Today, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are found in a variety of autonomous systems (for example, face detection and recognition, autonomous vehicles, etc.). This type of network is highly effective in many artificial vision tasks, such as in image segmentation and classification, along with many other applications.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-convolutional-neural-networks-visual-illusions.html

Light-controlled nanomachine controls catalysis

The vision of the future of miniaturization has produced a series of synthetic molecular motors that are driven by a range of energy sources and can carry out various movements. A research group at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has now managed to control a catalysis reaction using a light-controlled motor. This takes us one step closer to realizing the vision of a nano factory in which combinations of various machines work together, as is the case in biological cells. The results have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-light-controlled-nanomachine-catalysis.html

Scientists observe directed energy transport between neighboring molecules in a nanomaterial

When light falls on a material, such as a green leaf or the retina, certain molecules transport energy and charge. This ultimately leads to the separation of charges and the generation of electricity. Molecular funnels, so-called conical intersections, ensure that this transport is highly efficient and directed.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-energy-neighboring-molecules-nanomaterial.html

New insights into memristive devices by combining incipient ferroelectrics and graphene

Scientists are working on new materials to create neuromorphic computers with a design based on the human brain. A crucial component is a memristive device, the resistance of which depends on the history of the device—just as the response of neurons depends on previous input. Materials scientists from the University of Groningen analyzed the behavior of strontium titanium oxide, a platform material for memristor research and used the 2-D material graphene to probe it. On 11 November 2020, the results were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-insights-memristive-devices-combining-incipient.html

Jumbo task: Elephant hoisted from deep well in India

A wild elephant that fell into a well in southern India was lifted out with a crane following a 16-hour rescue mission involving dozens of rangers and firefighters.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-jumbo-task-elephant-hoisted-deep.html

Greenhouse gas levels at new high, despite COVID-19 measures

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the main driver of climate change, hit record highs last year and have continued climbing this year, despite measures to halt the pandemic, the UN said Monday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-greenhouse-gas-high-covid-.html

Understanding ion channel inhibition to open doors in drug discovery

Scientists have discovered how drug-like small molecules can regulate the activity of therapeutically relevant ion channels—and their findings could transform ongoing drug development efforts.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ion-channel-inhibition-doors-drug.html

Concrete jungle threatens mangroves on Pakistan island

A short boat ride from the shores of Karachi, mangrove trees sprout along the quiet inlets of an uninhabited island that environmentalists say provides vital coastal protection to Pakistan's largest city.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-concrete-jungle-threatens-mangroves-pakistan.html

China in final preparations for latest lunar mission

Chinese technicians were making final preparations Monday for a mission to bring back material from the moon's surface in what would be a major advance for the country's space program.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-china-latest-lunar-mission.html

Scientists study cause of endangered whale calf's death

The National Park Service says scientists are trying to discover the cause of death of a whale calf belonging to "one of the rarest marine mammals" on earth after it was found stranded on a beach on North Carolina's Outer Banks.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-endangered-whale-calf-death.html

Charleston weighs wall as seas rise and storms strengthen

Vickie Hicks, who weaves intricate sweetgrass baskets in Charleston, South Carolina's historic city market, remembers climbing onto the table at her grandmother's booth downtown when the floodwaters rushed by.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-charleston-wall-seas-storms.html

Airflow studies reveal strategies to reduce indoor transmission of COVID-19

Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. Avoid large gatherings. As the world awaits a safe and effective vaccine, controlling the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on widespread compliance with these public health guidelines. But as colder weather forces people to spend more time indoors, blocking disease transmission will become more challenging than ever.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-airflow-reveal-strategies-indoor-transmission.html

Breaking the ice on melting and freezing

At the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics, researchers shared new insights into melting icebergs and lake ice formation.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ice.html

US-European ocean monitoring satellite launches into orbit

A U.S.-European satellite designed to extend a decades-long measurement of global sea surface heights was launched into Earth orbit from California on Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-us-european-ocean-satellite-orbit.html

Tesla factory workers exempt from California's new virus curfew

Tesla factory workers in California will be exempt from new coronavirus restrictions taking effect Saturday in the state because they are considered essential, after CEO Elon Musk feuded with authorities over an earlier shutdown.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tesla-factory-workers-exempt-california.html

Do China tech giants pose a risk for European banks?

China's Ant group may have been dealt a setback with the shelving of its IPO but European banks remain wary that Chinese tech giants may soon be their main competitors.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-china-tech-giants-pose-european.html

Dutch cull 190,000 chickens after bird flu outbreaks

Dutch authorities have culled some 190,000 chickens after a highly-contagious strain of bird flu broke out at at least two poultry farms, the agriculture ministry said Sunday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-dutch-cull-chickens-bird-flu-1.html

Dartmouth center to look at computation, government, people

Dartmouth College has created an academic center to focus on the role of computation and its relationship to individuals and government.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-dartmouth-center-people.html

Bodies of man and his slave unearthed from ashes at Pompeii

Skeletal remains of what are believed to have been a rich man and his male slave attempting to escape death from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago have been discovered in Pompeii, officials at the archaeological park in Italy said Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-bodies-slave-unearthed-ashes-pompeii.html

Manchester United announces cyber attack, systems shut down

Cyber criminals have attacked Manchester United's systems, the English Premier League club said on Friday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-manchester-cyber.html

Accelerator makes cross-country trek to enable laser upgrade

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has shipped the final new section of accelerator that it has built for an upgrade of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The section of accelerator, called a cryomodule, has begun a cross-country road trip to DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where it will be installed in LCLS-II, the world's brightest X-ray laser.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cross-country-trek-enable-laser.html

Mobile e-commerce startup Wish files IPO, claims 108 mn users

The operator of the mobile e-commerce startup Wish filed documents for a share offering Friday, revealing a user base of more than 100 million.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-mobile-e-commerce-startup-ipo-mn.html

After more than a decade, ChIP-seq may be quantitative after all

For more than a decade, scientists studying epigenetics have used a powerful method called ChIP-seq to map changes in proteins and other critical regulatory factors across the genome. While ChIP-seq provides invaluable insights into the underpinnings of health and disease, it also faces a frustrating challenge: its results are often viewed as qualitative rather than quantitative, making interpretation difficult.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-decade-chip-seq-quantitative.html

Study: Countering hate on social media

The rise of online hate speech is a disturbing, growing trend in countries around the world, with serious psychological consequences and the potential to impact, and even contribute to, real-world violence. Citizen-generated counter speech may help discourage hateful online rhetoric, but it has been difficult to quantify and study. Until recently, studies have been limited to small-scale, hand-labeled endeavors.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-countering-social-media.html

States unfairly burdening incarcerated people with 'pay-to-stay' fees

Pay-to-stay, the practice of charging people to pay for their own jail or prison confinement, is being enforced unfairly by using criminal, civil and administrative law, according to a new Rutgers University-New Brunswick led study.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-states-unfairly-burdening-incarcerated-people.html

Zebra finches amazing at unmasking the bird behind the song

If songbirds could appear on "The Masked Singer" reality TV competition, zebra finches would likely steal the show. That's because they can rapidly memorize the signature sounds of at least 50 different members of their flock, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-zebra-finches-amazing-unmasking-bird.html

Science reveals secrets of a mummy's portrait

How much information can you get from a speck of purple pigment, no bigger than the diameter of a hair, plucked from an Egyptian portrait that's nearly 2,000 years old? Plenty, according to a new study. Analysis of that speck can teach us about how the pigment was made, what it's made of—and maybe even a little about the people who made it. The study is published in the International Journal of Ceramic Engineering and Science.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-science-reveals-secrets-mummy-portrait.html

China's new coal plants risk 2060 climate target: researchers

China must stop building new coal power plants and ramp up its wind and solar capacity if it wants to become carbon neutral by 2060, researchers said Friday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-china-coal-climate.html

Apple to press ahead on mobile privacy, despite Facebook protests

Apple confirmed Thursday it would press ahead with mobile software changes that limit tracking for targeted advertising—a move that has prompted complaints from Facebook and others.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-apple-mobile-privacy-facebook-protests.html

Switch to electric vehicles could 'end oil era': analysis

Emerging markets switching from petrol and diesel engines to electric vehicles (EVs) could save $250 billion annually and slash expected growth in global oil demand by as much as 70 percent, an industry analysis showed Friday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-electric-vehicles-oil-era-analysis.html

Australia signals shift away from climate credit 'cheating'

Australia's prime minister said the country may no longer rely on a much-criticised accounting tactic to meet its emissions targets, stepping away from an approach international partners had labelled "cheating".

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-australia-shift-climate-credit.html

Idaho is top pick for Energy Department nuclear test reactor

The U.S. government said Thursday that Idaho is its preferred choice ahead of Tennessee for a test reactor to be built as part of an effort to revamp the nation's fading nuclear power industry by developing safer fuel and power plants.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-idaho-energy-department-nuclear-reactor.html

Coaching sales agents? Use AI and human coaches

Researchers from Temple University, Sichuan University, and Fudan University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that explores the growing use of AI to coach sales agents to determine if there are any caveats that inhibit the effective use of this technology.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-sales-agents-ai-human.html

Simple, no-cost ways to help the public care for the commons

Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, New York Institute of Technology, University of Iowa, and Cornell University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines whether it is possible to make people feel as if the property is theirs—a feeling known as psychological ownership—and how this affects their stewardship behaviors.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-simple-no-cost-ways-commons.html

The microbiome of Da Vinci's drawings

The work of Leonardo Da Vinci is an invaluable heritage of the 15th century. From engineering to anatomy, the master paved the way for many scientific disciplines. But what else could the drawings of Da Vinci teach us? Could molecular studies reveal interesting data from the past? These questions led an interdisciplinary team of researchers, curators and bioinformaticians, from both the University of Natural Resources and Life Science and the University of Applied Science of Wien in Austria, as well as the Central Institute for the Pathology of Archives and Books (ICPAL) in Italy, to collaborate and study the microbiome of seven different drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-microbiome-da-vinci.html

Climate change and 'atmospheric thirst' to increase fire danger and drought in NV and CA

Climate change and a "thirsty atmosphere" will bring more extreme wildfire danger and multi-year droughts to Nevada and California by the end of this century, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Merced.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-climate-atmospheric-thirst-danger-drought.html

College students are less food insecure than non-students

College students are significantly less likely to be food insecure than non-students in the same age group, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-college-students-food-insecure-non-students.html

Spill-over effects show prioritising education of very poorest improves attainment of all

International development projects that target the education of the world's very poorest children and marginalised girls also significantly improve other young people's attainment, according to new research that suggests such initiatives should become a priority for international aid.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-spill-over-effects-prioritising-poorest.html

Artificial intelligence and satellite technologies reveal detailed map of air pollution across UK

A novel method that combines artificial intelligence with remote sensing satellite technologies has produced the most detailed coverage of air pollution in Britain to date.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-artificial-intelligence-satellite-technologies-reveal.html

Near-infrared probe decodes telomere dynamics

A new synthetic probe offers a safe and straightforward approach for visualizing chromosome tips in living cells. The probe was designed by scientists at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Science (iCeMS) and colleagues at Kyoto University, and could advance research into aging and a wide range of diseases, including cancers. The details were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-near-infrared-probe-decodes-telomere-dynamics.html

Flame on! How AI may tame a complex materials technique and transform manufacturing

Creating nanomaterials with flame spray pyrolysis is complex, but scientists at Argonne have discovered how applying artificial intelligence can lead to an easier process and better performance.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-flame-ai-complex-materials-technique.html

Entropy production gets a system update

Nature is not homogenous. Most of the universe is complex and composed of various subsystems—self-contained systems within a larger whole. Microscopic cells and their surroundings, for example, can be divided into many different subsystems: the ribosome, the cell wall, and the intracellular medium surrounding the cell.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-entropy-production.html

Scientists propose machine learning method for 2-D material spectroscopy

Machine learning is an important branch in the field of artificial intelligence. Its basic idea is to build a statistical model based on data and use the model to analyze and predict the data. With the rapid development of big data technology, data-driven machine learning algorithms have begun to flourish in various fields of materials research.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-machine-method-d-material.html

New trilobite fossil reveals cephalic specialization of trilobites in Middle Cambrian

Trilobites achieved their maximum genetic diversity in the Cambrian. However, unlike this diversity measure, the morphological disparity of trilobites based on cranidial outline reached the peak in the Middle to Late Ordovician.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-trilobite-fossil-reveals-cephalic-specialization.html

Solar radiation accelerates carbon cycle process of temperate forest ecosystems

Litter decomposition is critical for carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Sunlight, as the essential energy for the biogeochemical cycling, can directly break down natural organic matter and accelerate decomposition through photodegradation. However, the role of photodegradation in litter decomposition has been neglected especially in productive mesic ecosystems, where litter is exposed to a heterogeneous radiation environment. Obtaining a more-complete picture of the drivers of litter decay is key to predicting how terrestrial C and nutrient cycles respond to climate changes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-solar-carbon-temperate-forest-ecosystems.html

Vision-based fire detection facilities work better under new deep learning model

Fast and accurate fire detection is significant to the sustainable development of human society and Earth ecology. The existence of objects with similar characteristics to fire increases the difficulty of vision-based fire detection. Improving the accuracy of fire detection by digging deeper visual features of fire always remains challenging.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-vision-based-facilities-deep.html

Researchers describe previously unknown mechanism for inducing electron emission in highly oriented pyrolitic graphite

It is something quite common in physics: Electrons leave a certain material, fly away and are then measured. Some materials emit electrons when they are irradiated with light. These electrons are called photoelectrons. In materials research, so-called Auger electrons also play an important role—they can be emitted by atoms if an electron is first removed from one of the inner electron shells. But now scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) have succeeded in explaining a completely different type of electron emission that can occur in carbon materials such as graphite. This electron emission type has been known for about 50 years, but its cause was previously unclear.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-previously-unknown-mechanism-electron-emission.html

Uncovering the hidden side of storms: France's Taranis satellite to launch in November

Sprites, elves, jets… few people know that scientists habitually use such other-worldly words to describe transient luminous events or TLEs, light flashes that occur during active storms just a few tens of kilometers over our heads. Few people also know that storms can act as particle accelerators generating very brief bursts of X-rays and gamma rays. But what are the physical processes and mechanisms behind these phenomena discovered barely 30 years ago? Do they impact the physics and chemistry of the upper atmosphere, the environment or even humans? Such are the questions facing the French Taranis satellite that will be riding aloft during the night of 16 to 17 November atop a Vega launcher from the Guiana Space Center, an all-French mission involving research scientists from CNES, the national scientific research center CNRS, the atomic energy and alternative energies commission CEA and several French universities.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-uncovering-hidden-side-storms-france.html

Machine learning yields a breakthrough in the study of stellar nurseries

Artificial intelligence can make it possible to see astrophysical phenomena that were previously beyond reach. This has now been demonstrated by scientists from the CNRS, IRAM, Observatoire de Paris-PSL, Ecole Centrale Marseille and Ecole Centrale Lille, working together in the ORION-B program. In a series of three papers published in Astronomy & Astrophysics on 19 November 2020, they present the most comprehensive observations yet carried out of one of the star-forming regions closest to the Earth.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-machine-yields-breakthrough-stellar-nurseries.html

A research tool developed to study organelles that give color to skin, hair, and eyes

Melanosomes are the organelles, or structures, inside our cells, that produce melanin, the molecule that gives our skin, hair and eyes their color. Melanosomes produce several different forms of melanin, including black/brown coloration and yellow/red coloration, and the many variations in levels at which each coloration can be produced in an individual generate the wide variety of skin, hair, and eye colors in the world.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-tool-organelles-skin-hair-eyes.html

The fundamental chemistry behind electrocatalytic water splitting

Transitioning to a sustainable energy economy requires electrocatalytic methods to convert electrical energy to chemical energy and feedstocks. A team of researchers from TU Berlin, ETH Zurich, the National Research Council—Institute of Materials of Trieste, and led by the FHI has now uncovered the reaction mechanism of a major bottleneck in these processes, the oxygen evolution reaction. Results are published in Nature.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fundamental-chemistry-electrocatalytic.html

Going beyond the anti-laser may enable long-range wireless power transfer

Ever since Nikola Tesla spewed electricity in all directions with his coil back in 1891, scientists have been thinking up ways to send electrical power through the air. The dream is to charge your phone or laptop, or maybe even a healthcare device such as a pacemaker, without the need for wires and plugs. The tricky bit is getting the electricity to find its intended target, and getting that target to absorb the electricity instead of just reflect it back into the air—all preferably without endangering anyone along the way.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-anti-laser-enable-long-range-wireless-power.html

New understanding of mobility paves way for tomorrow's transport systems

In recent years, big data sets from mobile phones have been used to provide increasingly accurate analyses of how we all move between home, work and leisure, holidays and everything else. The strength of basing analyses on mobile phone data is that they provide accurate data on when, how, and how far each individual moves without any particular focus on whether they are passing geographical boundaries along the way—we simply move from one coordinate to another in a system of longitude and latitude.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mobility-paves-tomorrow.html

Research team pushes back the boundaries of high-energy laser pulses

Using the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) facility, the research team of Professor François Légaré of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has pushed back the boundaries of high-energy pulse propagation in a nonlinear medium through the observation of high-energy multidimensional solitary states. This breakthrough allows the direct generation of extremely short and intense, laser pulses that are highly-stable in time and space. The results of this work were published in Nature Photonics.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-team-boundaries-high-energy-laser-pulses.html

UN climate chief: pledges by big polluters boost Paris hopes

The U.N.'s climate chief says deadlines set by some of the world's top polluters to end greenhouse gas emissions, along with president-elect Joe Biden's pledge to take the United States back into the Paris accord, have boosted hopes of meeting the pact's ambitious goals.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-climate-chief-pledges-big-polluters.html

Los Angeles and Google partner on 'Tree Canopy' project

Los Angeles and Google have struck a partnership to track canopy density in the huge metropolis to determine which neighborhoods need more trees as a means of fighting extreme temperatures.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-los-angeles-google-partner-tree.html

Facebook moderators press for pandemic safety protections

More than 200 Facebook content moderators demanded better health and safety protections Wednesday as the social media giant called the workers back to the office during the pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-facebook-moderators-pandemic-safety.html

Storm Iota leaves over 30 dead in Central America

Iota's death toll rose to over 30 on Wednesday after the storm unleashed mudslides, smashed infrastructure and left thousands homeless in its wake across Central America, revisiting areas devastated by Hurricane Eta just two weeks ago.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-storm-iota-dead-central-america.html

Robot reminds Japan shoppers to wear masks

Asking someone to put on a mask is a touchy subject, so one shop in Japan has enlisted a robot to make sure its customers wear them during the pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-robot-japan-shoppers-masks.html

Air pollution costs Utahns billions annually and shortens life expectancy by two years

Air pollution has been a problem in Utah since before the territory was officially recognized as a state. The mountain valleys of this high elevation region are particularly vulnerable to the buildup of air pollution from vehicles, household heating and power production. Together with high per-capita energy use, this has resulted in periods of poor air quality. However, with so many types of pollution and regional conditions, determining the overall effects of air pollution on Utah's health and economy has been a major challenge. A new study from 23 Utah-based researchers, including five from the University of Utah, sought to do just that.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-air-pollution-utahns-billions-annually.html

Synthesis study demonstrates phytoplankton can bloom below Arctic sea ice

Small photosynthetic marine algae are a key component of the Arctic marine ecosystem but their role for the ecology of the Arctic Ocean have been underestimated for decades. That's the conclusion of a team of scientists who synthesized more than half a century of research about the occurrence, magnitude and composition of phytoplankton blooms under Arctic sea ice. The results were published in a special issue of Frontiers in Marine Science devoted to Arctic Ocean research.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-synthesis-phytoplankton-bloom-arctic-sea.html

Mining and megaprojects emerge as alarming threat to tropical forests and biodiversity

A new study assessing progress on global efforts to end forest loss worldwide offers the most comprehensive overview to date of the large role that infrastructure and mining play in tropical deforestation, now and in the future. The study finds that an increasing number of megaprojects—massive and complex development projects that may combine transportation, energy and other infrastructure—planned for tropical forests are on track to destroy forests and open remote forested areas to even more development. In particular, this new infrastructure is on track to increase mining activity deeper in the remote forests of South America, Southeast Asia and Central Africa.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-megaprojects-emerge-alarming-threat-tropical.html

Canada proposes major fines on firms that violate privacy laws

The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday presented a draft law that would impose major fines on companies that violate privacy law by misusing the personal data of their customers.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-canada-major-fines-firms-violate.html

Iota, weakened but deadly, rips through Central America

Storm Iota has killed at least nine people as it smashed homes, uprooted trees and swamped roads during its destructive advance across Central America, authorities said Tuesday, just two weeks after Hurricane Eta devastated parts of the region.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-iota-weakened-deadly-rips-central.html

European car sales swerve lower

European car sales swerved lower again in October, industry data showed Wednesday, as countries began to tighten restrictions on businesses to battle the spread of coronavirus infections.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-european-car-sales-swerve.html

Sorry, Grinch. Virus won't stop NORAD from tracking Santa

Children of the world can rest easy. The global pandemic won't stop them from tracking Santa Claus' progress as he delivers gifts around the globe on Christmas Eve.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-grinch-virus-wont-norad-tracking.html

FAA poised to clear Boeing 737 Max to fly again

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected on Wednesday to clear Boeing's 737 Max to fly again after grounding the jet for nearly two years due to a pair of crashes that killed 346 people.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-faa-poised-boeing-max.html

Historic deal revives plan for largest US dam demolition

An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-historic-revives-largest-demolition.html

Piecing together the Alaska coastline's fractured volcanic activity

Among seismologists, the geology of Alaska's earthquake- and volcano-rich coast from the Aleutian Islands to the southeast is fascinating, but not well understood. Now, with more sophisticated tools than before, a University of Massachusetts Amherst team reports unexpected new details about the area's tectonic plates and their relationships to volcanoes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-piecing-alaska-coastline-fractured-volcanic.html

New electronic chip delivers smarter, light-powered AI

Researchers have developed artificial intelligence technology that brings together imaging, processing, machine learning and memory in one electronic chip, powered by light.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-electronic-chip-smarter-light-powered-ai.html

Machine learning innovation to develop chemical library for drug discovery

Machine learning has been used widely in the chemical sciences for drug design and other processes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-machine-chemical-library-drug-discovery.html

NREL advanced manufacturing research moves wind turbine blades toward recyclability

A new material for wind blades that can be recycled could transform the wind industry, rendering renewable energy more sustainable than ever before while lowering costs in the process.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-nrel-advanced-turbine-blades-recyclability.html

Large predatory fish thrive on WWII shipwrecks off North Carolina coast

During a 2016 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expedition to explore a pair of World War II shipwrecks that lie off the North Carolina coast, marine scientists ensconced within glass-domed submersibles navigated to the Atlantic Ocean seafloor in the hope of profiling the fish communities residing on the wrecks. Some of the findings of this joint ecological-archaeological undertaking were published this week in the Ecological Society of America's journal Ecosphere. The two ships, a German U-boat and a Nicaraguan freighter, had not been seen by humans since they sank nearly 80 years ago during the Battle of the Atlantic. "These World War II shipwrecks are important historical monuments, but are also valuable habitat for fish," said Katrina Johnson, the paper's first author and a senior at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-large-predatory-fish-wwii-shipwrecks.html

Birds of a feather do flock together

Nearly 200 years ago, Charles Darwin noted striking diversity among the finches of the Galapagos Islands, and his observations helped him propose the role of natural selection in shaping species. Today, some biologists focus their attention on a related group of birds, the finch-like capuchino seedeaters of South America, and their studies are deepening our understanding of the forces that drive evolution.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-birds-feather-flock.html

Farms, tables and vast impacts between and beyond

Bountiful harvests in one location can mean empty water reservoirs and environmental woes far from farmlands. A unique study in this week's Nature Communications examines how food, energy, water and greenhouse gases create a vast front in the battle to feed the planet.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-farms-tables-vast-impacts.html

Oil droplet predators chase oil droplet prey

Oil droplets can be made to act like predators, chasing down other droplets that flee like prey. The behavior, which is controlled by chemical signaling produced by the droplets, mimics behavior seen among living organisms but, until now, had not been recreated in synthetic systems. This tunable chemical system could potentially serve a model to help understand interactions in many-body systems such as schools of fish, bacterial colonies, or swarms of insects.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-oil-droplet-predators-prey.html

Upgraded radar can enable self-driving cars to see clearly no matter the weather

A new kind of radar could make it possible for self-driving cars to navigate safely in bad weather. Electrical engineers at the University of California San Diego developed a clever way to improve the imaging capability of existing radar sensors so that they accurately predict the shape and size of objects in the scene. The system worked well when tested at night and in foggy conditions.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-radar-enable-self-driving-cars-weather.html

Tackling food allergies at the source

Food allergies are a big problem. About 7% of children and 2% of adults in the U.S. suffer from some kind of food allergy. These allergies cost a whopping $25 billion in health care each year. Then there's the time lost at school or work. And there's the risk of serious complications, even death.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-tackling-food-allergies-source.html

Small differences, big impact: A Hox paradigm for studying protein evolution

In a new study, researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified a handful of variations in an amino acid sequence critical for retaining the ancestral function of a gene over the course of 600 million years of evolution.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-small-differences-big-impact-hox.html

How fishermen have adapted to change over the past 35+ years

An analysis published in Fish and Fisheries notes that marine fisheries are increasingly exposed to external drivers of social and ecological change, and recent changes have had different impacts upon the livelihood strategies favored by fishermen based on the size of their boats.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fishermen-years.html

Researchers hacked a robotic vacuum cleaner to record speech and music remotely

A team of researchers demonstrated that popular robotic household vacuum cleaners can be remotely hacked to act as microphones.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-hacked-robotic-vacuum-cleaner-speech.html

Review examines sexual aggression in mammals

A recent review of published studies in non-human mammals examines "sexual disturbance," or male behavior towards a female around mating that can be costly for the female—for example, that might inflict physical harm or cause mother-offspring separation. The findings are published in Mammal Review.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-sexual-aggression-mammals.html

In the Amazon's 'sand forests,' birds play by different evolutionary rules

Picture the Amazon. You're thinking lush rainforests teeming with animals, right? It turns out, the Amazon Basin contains other less-famous ecosystems that have been under-studied by biologists for years, including patches of habitat growing on white sands. Scientists are starting to turn their attention to these "sand forests" and the animals that live there. In a new study, researchers examined birds from the region and found that unlike birds in the dense rainforest, the white sand birds travel from one habitat patch to another and interbreed. It's a characteristic that could change the way conservationists protect the sand forest birds.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-amazon-sand-forests-birds-evolutionary.html

Teaching and complex tools 'evolved together'

The human ability to teach and our use of complex tools may have evolved together, according to new research.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-complex-tools-evolved.html

New analysis refutes claim that dinosaurs were in decline before asteroid hit

A new study from researchers at the University of Bath and Natural History Museum looking at the diversity of dinosaurs shows that they were not in decline at the time of their extinction by an asteroid hit 66 million years ago.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-analysis-refutes-dinosaurs-decline-asteroid.html

Airbnb details years of losses ahead of planned IPO

Airbnb was losing money even before the pandemic struck and cut its revenue by almost a third, the home-sharing company revealed in documents filed Monday ahead of a planned initial public offering of its stock.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-airbnb-years-losses-ipo.html

Huawei selling Honor phone brand in face of US sanctions

Chinese tech giant Huawei is selling its budget-price Honor smartphone brand in an effort to rescue the struggling business from damaging U.S. sanctions imposed on its parent company.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-huawei-honor-brand-sanctions.html

Tesla will be added to the benchmark S&P 500 index Dec. 21

Tesla will be added to the S&P 500 index on Dec. 21. Based on its market value Monday, the electric car maker would be one of the top 10 companies in the benchmark index upon entry.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tesla-added-benchmark-sp-index.html

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.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-china-positions-rocket-ambitious-lunar.html

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.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-astronauts-board-iss-spacex-resilience.html

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.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-henderson-island-fossils-reveal-polynesian.html

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 in the form of a fundamental law of physics.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-quantum-tunneling-limits-self-powered-sensors.html

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 their success. This may sound like a story made in America.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-geographic-shift-social-mobility.html

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 found often far exceeded accepted safe limits.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-pesticides-commonly-flea-treatments-pets.html

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 and dietary patterns.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-agricultural-declining-crops-livestock-production.html

Egypt's Siwa fortress renovation boosts hopes for ecotourism

Tucked away in Egypt's Western Desert, the Shali fortress once protected inhabitants against the incursions of wandering tribes, but now there are hopes its renovation will attract ecotourists.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-egypt-siwa-fortress-renovation-boosts.html

Lyft's Zimmer talks future of workplace, electric vehicles

Lyft scored a major victory when California voters passed Proposition 22, allowing app-based companies to treat drivers as contractors instead of employees and saving the company from what many anticipated would be crippling expenses.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-lyft-zimmer-future-workplace-electric.html

SpaceX aims for night crew launch, Musk sidelined by virus

SpaceX aimed for a Sunday night launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station, although the prospects of good weather were just 50-50 and its leader was sidelined by COVID-19.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-spacex-aims-night-crew-musk.html

Cable failures endanger renowned Puerto Rico radio telescope

Giant, aging cables that support one of the world's largest single-dish radio telescopes are slowly unraveling in this U.S. territory, pushing an observatory renowned for its key role in astronomical discoveries to the brink of collapse.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cable-failures-endanger-renowned-puerto.html

Hard-hit Central America in crosshairs of another hurricane

Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua announced evacuations Friday as a second major hurricane in days closed in on Central America with the region still reeling from deadly storm Eta last week.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-hard-hit-central-america-crosshairs-hurricane.html

Belgium announces measures for bird flu outbreak

Belgium has detected an outbreak of bird flu, leading authorities to order all poultry farmers and individual bird owners to keep the animals confined, the country's food safety agency AFSCA said Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-belgium-bird-flu-outbreak.html