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