Flexible thermoelectric devices enable energy harvesting from human skin

A thermoelectric device is an energy conversion device that uses the voltage generated by the temperature difference between both ends of a material; it is capable of converting heat energy, such as waste heat from industrial sites, into electricity that can be used in daily life. Existing thermoelectric devices are rigid because they are composed of hard metal-based electrodes and semiconductors, hindering the full absorption of heat sources from uneven surfaces. Therefore, researchers have conducted recent studies on the development of flexible thermoelectric devices capable of generating energy in close contact with heat sources such as human skins and hot water pipes.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-flexible-thermoelectric-devices-enable-energy.html

TikTok tightens privacy features for younger users

A month after federal regulators ordered it to disclose how its practices affect children and teenagers, TikTok is tightening its privacy practices for the under-18 crowd.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-tiktok-tightens-privacy-features-younger.html

'Corals are being cooked': A third of Taiwan's reefs are dying

Nearly a third of Taiwan's corals are dying from bleaching caused by warming oceans in an alarming phenomenon that poses a severe threat to the island's delicate underwater ecosystem, conservationists warned Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-corals-cooked-taiwan-reefs-dying.html

Forest loss 'hotspots' bigger than Germany: WWF

More than 43 million hectares of forest—an area bigger than Germany—have been lost in a little over a decade in just a handful of deforestation hotspots, conservation organisation WWF said Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-forest-loss-hotspots-bigger-germany.html

Tech giants hope for US data privacy law

Google, Twitter and Amazon are hopeful that Joe Biden's incoming administration in the United States will enact a federal digital data law, senior company officials said at CES, the annual electronics and technology show.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-tech-giants-privacy-law.html

Tech giants hope for US data privacy law

Google, Twitter and Amazon are hopeful that Joe Biden's incoming administration in the United States will enact a federal digital data law, senior company officials said at CES, the annual electronics and technology show.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-tech-giants-privacy-law.html

Research reveals how teeth functioned and evolved in giant mega-sharks

A pioneering study by University of Bristol researchers finds that the evolution of teeth in the giant prehistoric shark Megalodon and its relatives was a by-product of becoming huge, rather than an adaptation to new feeding habits.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-reveals-teeth-functioned-evolved-giant.html

Amid Nile dam tensions, Egypt recalls Aswan 50 years on

Half a century since Egypt's ground-breaking Aswan dam was inaugurated with much fanfare, harnessing the Nile for hydropower and irrigation, the giant barrier is still criticised for its human and environmental toll.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-nile-tensions-egypt-recalls-aswan.html

Uber and Lyft drivers challenge California 'gig worker' ballot

Drivers for ride-share and meal delivery apps filed a lawsuit Tuesday to nullify a referendum passed by California voters that lets such "gig workers" be treated as contractors.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-uber-lyft-drivers-california-gig.html

Belgian high schoolers demand to get back in-person learning

A late-stage side effect of the coronavirus pandemic has turned up in Belgium, where a group of teenagers is begging to go back to school.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-belgian-high-schoolers-demand-in-person.html

WhatsApp stresses privacy as users flock to rivals

WhatsApp on Tuesday reassured users about privacy at the Facebook-owned messaging service as people flocked to rivals Telegram and Signal following a tweak to its terms.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-whatsapp-stresses-privacy-users-flock.html

Pandemic's toll shows up on students' college applications

In a college application season like no other, students who have seen every aspect of their lives disrupted by the coronavirus are grappling with how to show their potential.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-pandemic-toll-students-college-applications.html

High cost to wildlife from shark nets protecting S.Africa beaches

"They're basically curtains of death," said shark diver Walter Bernardis as he reached over the side of his zodiac inflatable boat to pull up a net bobbing in eastern South Africa's subtropical waters.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-high-wildlife-shark-nets-safrica.html

Environmentalists fight move to reduce beetle's protections

An environmental group said Tuesday that it plans to sue the U.S. government over a decision to reclassify a large scavenging beetle as threatened instead of endangered.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-environmentalists-beetle.html

YouTube suspends Trump's channel for at least a week

YouTube has suspended U.S. President Donald Trump's channel for at least a week amid concerns over "ongoing potential for violence," making it the latest platform to limit the president's online activities.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-youtube-trump-channel-week.html

5 CES Trends to Watch

CES, the annual gadget show that showcases the buzziest and brightest tech, looks different this year—less Vegas glitz, more internet efficiency. With no physical conference in Las Vegas due to the pandemic, 1,800 companies are instead taking to streaming video to show off new products and technology to 150,000 attendees across the globe.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-ces-trends.html

Expert prognosis for the planet—we're on track for a ghastly future

A loss of biodiversity and accelerating climate change in the coming decades coupled with ignorance and inaction is threatening the survival of all species, including our very own, according to the experts from institutions including Stanford University, UCLA, and Flinders University.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-expert-prognosis-planetwere-track-ghastly.html

What does marketing have to do with ill-advised consumer behavior?

Researchers from University of Hawaii and University of Florida published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that argues that a biological account of human behavior, especially undesirable behavior, will benefit human welfare. This biological perspective can complement traditional psychological, anthropological, and economic perspectives on consumption, particularly with respect to the vital topic of self-control.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-ill-advised-consumer-behavior.html

No-till practices in vulnerable areas significantly reduce soil erosion

Soil erosion is a major challenge in agricultural production. It affects soil quality and carries nutrient sediments that pollute waterways. While soil erosion is a naturally occurring process, agricultural activities such as conventional tilling exacerbate it. Farmers implementing no-till practices can significantly reduce soil erosion rates, a new University of Illinois study shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-no-till-vulnerable-areas-significantly-soil.html

Researchers speed up analysis of Arctic ice and snow data through AI

Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have developed a technique to more quickly analyze extensive data from Arctic ice sheets in order to gain insight and useful knowledge on patterns and trends. Over the years, vast amounts of data have been collected about the Arctic and Antarctic ice. These data are essential for scientists and policymakers seeking to understand climate change and the current trend of melting. Masoud Yari, research assistant professor, and Maryam Rahnemoonfar, associate professor of information systems, have utilized new AI technology to develop a fully automatic technique to analyze ice data, published in the Journal of Glaciology. This is part of the National Science Foundation's ongoing BigData project.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-analysis-arctic-ice-ai.html

Framework sheds light on nitrogen loss of producing common food items

The element nitrogen is a double-edged sword. It is essential for growing plants and feeding people, but it is also a leading cause of pollution across the world. Only by using nitrogen more sustainably can the positive and harmful effects of nitrogen be balanced.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-framework-nitrogen-loss-common-food.html

Families' remote learning experience during lockdown more positive than widely believed

The remote learning experience of parents who had their children at home in Spring 2020, as schools across the US closed during the United States' COVID-19 lockdown, was more positive than widely believed.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-families-remote-lockdown-positive-widely.html