Potentially toxic plankton algae may play a crucial role in the future Arctic

As the sea ice shrinks in the Arctic, the plankton community that produces food for the entire marine food chain is changing. New research shows that a potentially toxic species of plankton algae that lives both via photosynthesis and absorbing food may become an important player in the Arctic Ocean as the future sea ice becomes thinner.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-potentially-toxic-plankton-algae-crucial.html

Researchers induce pluripotency in differentiated canine cells for the first time

Dogs have been faithful human companions ever since their domestication thousands of years ago. With improvements in veterinary medicine in recent decades, their life expectancy has increased. However, an unfortunate side effect of this longevity, much like in humans, has been an increase in the occurrence of chronic and degenerative conditions.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-pluripotency-differentiated-canine-cells.html

Why dogs can teach humans about healthier ageing

Our pet dogs could help extend human lives beyond their documented effects on people's wellbeing. Increasingly, studies are looking at how the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is key to understanding cognition and processes involved in ageing—something that could improve both animal and human wellbeing.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-dogs-humans-healthier-ageing.html

Experts 'scan horizon' to help prepare governments for next major biosecurity threat

During the summer of 2019, a global team of experts put their heads together to define the key questions facing the UK government when it comes to biological security.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-experts-scan-horizon-major-biosecurity.html

Study finds childhood diet has lifelong impact

Eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter your microbiome for life, even if you later learn to eat healthier, a new study in mice suggests.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-childhood-diet-lifelong-impact.html

Game over for GameStop's wild Wall Street ride?

What a difference a week has made for video game retailer GameStop, which soared on Wall Street in January only to plummet some 70 percent since Monday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-game-gamestop-wild-wall-street.html

Google co-founder Brin opens family office in Singapore

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has opened a family office in Singapore to help manage his fortune, making him the latest tycoon to establish a private investment company in the financial hub.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-google-co-founder-brin-family-office.html

Sony booming on hit 'Demon Slayer,' headed to record profit

Sony Corp.'s its fiscal third quarter profit jumped 62%, positioning the Japanese entertainment and electronics giant for a record annual profit as its bottom line got a healthy boost from its mega-hit animation film "Demon Slayer."

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-sony-booming-demon-slayer-profit.html

Scientists develop new, minimally invasive way to uncover more about what sharks eat

As it turns out, poop can tell you a lot about a shark's diet.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-scientists-minimally-invasive-uncover-sharks.html

Pandemic lifestyle delivers earnings boon for Amazon, Google

Pandemic-driven lifestyle changes that have put the internet at the center of seemingly everything proved a financial boon for Amazon and Google in the final three months of last year.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-pandemic-lifestyle-boon-amazon-google.html

Google's rebounding ad revenue spells big 4Q for Alphabet

Google's digital advertising empire is regaining the momentum it lost during the pandemic's early stages as its YouTube video service matures into a major marketing magnet and other companies pour more into promotions aimed at cooped-up consumers with money to spend.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-google-rebounding-ad-revenue-big.html

For billionaire Jared Isaacman, the space tourism era begins

Jared Isaacman is not a professional astronaut, but by the end of the year the young billionaire will have shot around the Earth multiple times at the helm of a space mission made up entirely of tourists.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-billionaire-jared-isaacman-space-tourism.html

Wildfire in west Australia burns more homes in dry wind

More than 70 homes have been lost in a wildfire outside Australia's western city of Perth that is expected to continue burning for days.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-wildfire-west-australia-homes.html

Microsoft backs Australian plan to make Google pay for news

Microsoft said on Wednesday it supports Australia's plans to make the biggest digital platforms pay for news and would help small businesses transfer their advertising to Bing if Google quits the country.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-microsoft-australian-google-news.html

Florida lawmakers challenge Silicon Valley over 'censorship'

Florida lawmakers, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, intensified their battle with Facebook, Twitter and Silicon Valley when they announced new proposals Tuesday aimed at reigning in platforms they accuse of squelching the free speech of conservatives.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-florida-lawmakers-silicon-valley-censorship.html

People blame a vehicle's automated system more than its driver when accidents happen

Experts predict that autonomous vehicles (AVs) will eventually make our roads safer since the majority of accidents are caused by human error. However, it may be some time before people are ready to put their trust in a self-driving car.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-people-blame-vehicle-automated-driver.html

Teaching pupils empathy measurably improves their creative abilities

Teaching children in a way that encourages them to empathise with others measurably improves their creativity, and could potentially lead to several other beneficial learning outcomes, new research suggests.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-pupils-empathy-creative-abilities.html

Some food contamination starts in the soil

When most people hear "food contamination," they think of bacteria present on unwashed fruits or vegetables, or undercooked meat. However, there are other ways for harmful contaminants to be present in food products.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-food-contamination-soil.html

Study suggests environmental factors had a role in the evolution of human tolerance

Environmental pressures may have led humans to become more tolerant and friendly towards each other as the need to share food and raw materials became mutually beneficial, a new study suggests.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-environmental-factors-role-evolution-human.html

'Zoombombing' research shows legitimate meeting attendees cause most attacks

Most zoombombing incidents are "inside jobs" according to a new study featuring researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-zoombombing-legitimate-attendees.html

Evidence for substance at liquid-gas boundary on exoplanet WASP-31b

One of the properties that make a planet suitable for life is the presence of a weather system. Exoplanets are too far away to directly observe this, but astronomers can search for substances in the atmosphere that make a weather system possible. Researchers from SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and the University of Groningen have now found evidence on exoplanet WASP-31b for chromium hydride, which at the corresponding temperature and pressure is on the boundary between liquid and gas. The study is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-evidence-substance-liquid-gas-boundary-exoplanet.html

More mammals are being struck by aircraft each year

Investigators have published a global review of mammal strikes with aircraft, noting that events have been increasing by up to 68% annually. More mammals were struck during the landing phase of an aircraft's rotation than any other phase, according to the article published in Mammal Review.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-mammals-struck-aircraft-year.html