In-plane antiferromagnets host a rich class of particle-like spin textures

Compared with the chiral spin textures in ferromagnets, their antiferromagnetic counterparts can be manipulated by spin currents with a more direct approach due to the absence of the skyrmion Hall effect, and much lower power consumption, as well. So far, most research has focused on isolated excitation in perpendicular antiferromagnetic spin systems, for example, skyrmion solitons. Meanwhile, the characteristics and the related physics of its in-plane analog, the bimeron, remain elusive.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-in-plane-antiferromagnets-host-rich-class.html

Dogs at war with fungus

The fungus that some dogs carry in their nose evolves within the dog's nose. The genetic changes indicate adaptation of the fungus to the dog. That's also of importance for humans, since infection with this fungus can be deadly. Researchers of Utrecht University gained these new insights in research on natural infections of dogs that came with an inflammation at the veterinarian. The study thus also shows that studying natural infections is an alternative to experiments with laboratory animals. They publish their findings 12 November in Nature Biofilms and Microbiomes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-dogs-war-fungus.html

Researchers create MRI-like technique for imaging magnetic waves

A team of researchers from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Leiden University, Tohoku University and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter has developed a new type of MRI scanner that can image waves in ultrathin magnets. Unlike electrical currents, these so-called spin waves produce little heat, making them promising signal carriers for future green ICT applications.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mri-like-technique-imaging-magnetic.html

In new step toward quantum tech, scientists synthesize 'bright' quantum bits

With their ability to harness the strange powers of quantum mechanics, qubits are the basis for potentially world-changing technologies—like powerful new types of computers or ultra-precise sensors.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-quantum-tech-scientists-bright-bits.html

Surprisingly little water has escaped to space from Venus, study finds

On 13 November Moa Persson, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) and Umeå University, will defend her doctoral thesis. Her thesis shows that only a small part of the historical water content on Venus has been lost to space over the past 4 billion years. This is much less than researchers previously thought.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-surprisingly-space-venus.html

Identifying the best chickpea crops for cattle feed

While hummus used to be an exotic spread enjoyed only in the Middle East, it has become a staple in grocery stores throughout the world. Recently, the savory dish has gained popularity amongst a new fan base: herds of cows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-chickpea-crops-cattle.html

Ariel moves from blueprint to reality

ESA's exoplanet mission Ariel, scheduled for launch in 2029, has moved from study to implementation phase, following which an industrial contractor will be selected to build the spacecraft.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ariel-blueprint-reality.html

Earth may have captured a stray 1960s-era rocket booster

Earth has captured a tiny object from its orbit around the sun and will keep it as a temporary satellite for a few months before it escapes back to a solar orbit. But the object is likely not an asteroid; it's probably the Centaur upper stage rocket booster that helped lift NASA's ill-fated Surveyor 2 spacecraft toward the moon in 1966.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-earth-captured-stray-1960s-era-rocket.html

Model comparison adds more value in simulating extreme temperatures in China

Against the background of global warming, more intense and frequent heat waves have brought huge impacts on society and the natural world. As such, the characteristics of extreme temperature changes in the future have become a key concern of the climate change community. Climate models have provided an avenue for studying the possible changes in extreme temperatures in the future. The World Climate Research Program (WCRP) established the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), which is devoted to providing standardized climate simulation outputs for intercomparison purposes. However, there are still large uncertainties in the simulation results of existing models. Particularly, when simulating temperature extremes in China, the differences between the models of the previous CMIP phase (CMIP5) and their more advanced versions in the current phase (CMIP6) is an important question.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-comparison-simulating-extreme-temperatures-china.html

How religion can hamper economic progress

Religion hampered the diffusion of knowledge and economic development in France during the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914), according to research by Mara Squicciarini of Bocconi University recently published in the American Economic Review.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-religion-hamper-economic.html

Scientists discover new family of quasiparticles in graphene-based materials

A group of researchers led by Sir Andre Geim and Dr. Alexey Berdyugin at The University of Manchester have discovered and characterized a new family of quasiparticles named 'Brown-Zak fermions' in graphene-based superlattices.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-family-quasiparticles-graphene-based-materials.html

Climate change worsening Australia's extreme weather: scientists

Climate change is already buffeting Australia with extreme bushfires, droughts and cyclones, and the fossil-fuel reliant country should brace for worse to come, according to the country's top science and weather agencies.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-climate-worsening-australia-extreme-weather.html

Pandemic hits Disney revenue, but streaming TV sees gains

Walt Disney Co. on Thursday reported a hefty loss in the just-ended quarter as the global pandemic hit its theme parks and cinema operations, but shares rose on gains in its new streaming television service.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-pandemic-disney-revenue-streaming-tv.html

Painstaking race against time to uncover Viking ship's secrets

Inch by inch, they gently pick through the soil in search of thousand-year-old relics. Racing against onsetting mould yet painstakingly meticulous, archaeologists in Norway are exhuming a rare Viking ship grave in hopes of uncovering the secrets within.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-painstaking-uncover-viking-ship-secrets.html

US airlines to end year with 90,000 fewer workers

Hit with a collapse of demand, US airlines will end the year with the lowest number of workers since at least 1987, 90,000 fewer than when Covid-19 hit, an industry federation said Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-airlines-year-workers.html

Twitter says flagged 300,000 'misleading' election tweets

Twitter labeled 300,000 tweets related to the US presidential election as "potentially misleading" in the two weeks surrounding the vote, making up 0.2 percent of election-related posts, the company said Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-twitter-flagged-election-tweets.html

Nissan's $95 million suit against Ghosn begins in Japan

Proceedings in a $95 million lawsuit brought by Japanese car giant Nissan against its former chairman Carlos Ghosn began Friday in a court near Tokyo.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-nissan-million-ghosn-japan.html

TikTok gets reprieve as US holds off on enforcing ban

The US government announced Thursday it would delay enforcement of a ban on TikTok, saying it would comply with a court order in favor of the Chinese-owned social media sensation.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tiktok-reprieve.html

Rain and dam discharge cause flooding in southern Mexico

Torrential rain from Hurricane Eta and water discharged from a dam that had reached capacity meant continued flooding in parts of the southern Mexican state of Tabasco Thursday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-discharge-southern-mexico.html

Pearls may provide new information processing options for biomedical, military innovations

Pearls have long been favored as objects of beauty. Now, Purdue University innovators are using the gem to provide potential new opportunities for spectral information processing that can be applied to spectroscopy in biomedical and military applications.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-pearls-options-biomedical-military.html

Novel insights on cellular suicide could provide new avenues for cancer therapies

When it comes to complex life—that of the multicellular variety—cell death can be just as important as survival. It allows organisms to clean house and prevent the proliferation of damaged cells that could compromise tissue function.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-insights-cellular-suicide-avenues-cancer.html

Boosting returns on e-commerce retargeting campaigns

Researchers from Nanjing University, Temple University, Fudan University, and Waseda University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the double-edged effects of ECR ads on customer purchases.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-boosting-e-commerce-retargeting-campaigns.html

Once-discounted binding mechanism may be key to targeting viruses

"Position 4" didn't seem important until researchers took a long look at a particular peptide.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-once-discounted-mechanism-key-viruses.html