Free online tool calculates risk of COVID-19 transmission in poorly-ventilated spaces

The vital role of ventilation in the spread of COVID-19 has been quantified by researchers, who have found that in poorly-ventilated spaces, the virus spreads further than two meters in seconds, and is far more likely to spread through prolonged talking than through coughing.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-free-online-tool-covid-transmission.html

Amber-encased fossil shines light on evolution of bioluminescent insects

Trapped in amber for ~100 million years, an exceptionally well-preserved, light-producing beetle sheds light on the diversification of bioluminescent beetles in the Cretaceous period and provides the missing fossil link between fireflies' living relatives.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-amber-encased-fossil-evolution-bioluminescent-insects.html

Diagnosing learning disabilities in multilingual contexts

The University of Luxembourg, the Centre pour le développement des apprentissages Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa (CDA) and the Minister of Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch presented a new publication on learning disabilities in multilingual contexts on Monday 18 January 2021. The handbook "Lernstörungen im multilingualen Kontext: Diagnose und Hilfestellungen" is the first result of a joint collaboration between the University of Luxembourg and the Centre pour le développement des apprentissages Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa (CDA) and focuses on the results of a study of the (standardized) assessment tools currently used in Luxembourg to diagnose specific learning disorders. The results of the study are based on interviews and questionnaire data collected from practitioners at the local, regional and national levels.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-disabilities-multilingual-contexts.html

Home-delivered food has a huge climate cost. So which cuisine is the worst culprit?

Over the past few years, Australians have embraced online food delivery services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and Menulog. But home-delivered food comes with a climate cost, and single-use packaging is one of the biggest contributors.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-home-delivered-food-huge-climate-cuisine.html

New research suggests 1.5C climate target will be out of reach without greener COVID-19 recovery plans

The amount of carbon dioxide that we can still emit while limiting global warming to a given target is called the "remaining carbon budget," and it has become a powerful tool to inform climate policy goals and track progress towards net-zero emissions targets.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-15c-climate-greener-covid-recovery.html

Caravan communities: Older, underinsured and overexposed to cyclones, storms and disasters

News of storms battering parts of Queensland and the threat posed by Cyclone Kimi reminded me of a recent experience I'd had.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-caravan-older-underinsured-overexposed-cyclones.html

The first CubeSat with a Hall-effect thruster has gone to space

Student-led teams aren't the only ones testing out novel electric propulsion techniques recently. Back in November, a company called Exotrail successfully tested a completely new kind of electric propulsion system in space—a small Hall-effect thruster.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-cubesat-hall-effect-thruster-space.html

Astronomers detect an outbursting young stellar object

By analyzing datasets from the Palomar Gattini InfraRed survey (PGIR) and NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft, astronomers have identified an outbursting young stellar object (YSO) in the star-forming region NGC 281-W. The study, which reports the finding and sheds more light on the nature of the newfound YSO, was published Jan. 11 on arXiv.org.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-astronomers-outbursting-young-stellar.html

The magnetic fields swirling within the Whirlpool galaxy

Messier objects are some of the most imaged objects in the universe. In part that's because many of them are so visibly appealing. A good example of that is the Whirlpool galaxy, M51, which recently received an even more dramatic visual representation with a new photo released by NASA. In it, the magnetic fields that are holding the galaxy together and tearing it apart at the same time are clearly visible. And it is even more stunning to look at.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-magnetic-fields-swirling-whirlpool-galaxy.html

Why you should desex your cat before puberty

New research finds Australia is doing well in the desexing arena. But the age of desexing needs to be brought forward from six months to four months to close a "pregnancy gap" and prevent unwanted litters of kittens.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-desex-cat-puberty.html

Rethinking spin chemistry from a quantum perspective

Researchers at Osaka City University use quantum superposition states and Bayesian inference to create a quantum algorithm, easily executable on quantum computers, that accurately and directly calculates energy differences between the electronic ground and excited spin states of molecular systems in polynomial time.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-rethinking-chemistry-quantum-perspective.html

The Milky Way does the wave

In results announced this week at the 237th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, scientists from the Sloan Digital Sky survey present the most detailed look yet at the warp of our own galaxy.

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

Light-induced twisting of Weyl nodes switches on giant electron current

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and collaborators at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered a new light-induced switch that twists the crystal lattice of the material, switching on a giant electron current that appears to be nearly dissipationless. The discovery was made in a category of topological materials that holds great promise for spintronics, topological effect transistors, and quantum computing.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-light-induced-weyl-nodes-giant-electron.html

Most effective pollinator of Hoya pottsii revealed

Hoya, with around 300 species, is the largest genus in Asclepiadoideae tribe Marsdenieae in the family Apocynaceae. Hoya species produce white flowers, strong nocturnal fragrance and abundant nectar. The pollination of two Hoya species has been studied previously, but little is known about the specific nature and interactions between flower morphology, pollinators, and their environment.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-effective-pollinator-hoya-pottsii-revealed.html

Scientists streamline process for controlling spin dynamics

Marking a major achievement in the field of spintronics, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Yale University have demonstrated the ability to control spin dynamics in magnetic materials by altering their thickness. The study, published today in Nature Materials, could lead to smaller, more energy-efficient electronic devices.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-scientists-dynamics.html

Going with the grains to explain a fundamental tectonic force

A new study suggests that tiny, mineral grains—squeezed and mixed over millions of years—set in motion the chain of events that plunge massive tectonic plates deep into the Earth's interior.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-grains-fundamental-tectonic.html

What the lungfishes' genome teaches us about the vertebrates' conquest of land

Using cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies, a group of laboratories in Konstanz, Würzburg, Hamburg and Vienna, led by evolutionary biologist Professor Axel Meyer from the University of Konstanz, have fully sequenced the genome of the Australian lungfish. The genome, with a total size of more than 43 billion DNA building blocks, is nearly 14 times larger than that of humans and the largest animal genome sequenced to date. Its analysis provides valuable insights into the genetic and developmental evolutionary innovations that made it possible for fish to colonize land. The findings, published online in the journal Nature, expand our understanding of this major evolutionary transition in the Devonian ~420 million years ago.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-lungfishes-genome-vertebrates-conquest.html

How short circuits in lithium metal batteries can be prevented

There are high hopes for the next generation of high energy-density lithium metal batteries, but before they can be used in our vehicles, there are crucial problems to solve. An international research team led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has now developed concrete guidelines for how the batteries should be charged and operated, maximizing efficiency while minimizing the risk of short circuits.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-short-circuits-lithium-metal-batteries.html

Using 100-million-year-old fossils and gravitational-wave science to predict Earth's future climate

A group of international scientists, including an Australian astrophysicist, has used findings from gravitational wave astronomy (used to find black holes in space) to study ancient marine fossils as a predictor of climate change.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-million-year-old-fossils-gravitational-wave-science-earth.html

Turkey slaps advertising ban on Twitter, Pinterest

Turkey on Tuesday slapped advertising bans on Twitter, Periscope and Pinterest over their non-compliance with a controversial new law that requires social media platforms to appoint legal representatives in the country.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-turkey-advertising-twitter-pinterest.html

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) plans to authorise the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again next week, 22 months after the plane was grounded following two fatal crashes.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-eu-boeing-max-flights-week.html

US urges Australia to abandon news payment plan for tech giants

The United States has urged Australia to abandon its plan to force Google and Facebook to pay media outlets for their news content, saying there could be "long-lasting negative consequences" for consumers and companies.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-urges-australia-abandon-news-payment.html

Oldest city in the Americas under threat from squatters

Having survived for 5,000 years, the oldest archeological site in the Americas is under threat from squatters claiming the coronavirus pandemic has left them with no other option but to occupy the sacred city.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-oldest-city-americas-threat-squatters.html

Europe 2020 auto sales post record fall as virus hits

New car sales in Europe last year suffered a record fall of nearly 24 percent due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said Tuesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-europe-auto-sales-fall-virus.html