Cabbage whites triggered egg-killing leaf necrosis in crucifers

Until now, little was known about how plants protect themselves from plant-eating insects and how the arms race between insects and plants unfolded. Researchers from Wageningen University & Research have gained more insight into this: strong leaf necrosis—the mechanism by which plants detect and kill the eggs of butterflies and other insects on their leaves—emerged almost exclusively in cruciferous plants and their wild relatives that were attacked by cabbage whites who had developed immunity to the plants' toxic mustard oil. A publication on this subject appeared in the journal New Phytologist.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-cabbage-whites-triggered-egg-killing-leaf.html

Researchers study climate change impacts on soils at military installations

We walk over it, drive over it and build on it.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-climate-impacts-soils-military.html

Propelling satellites into the future

Candidate 'green' satellite propellants within a temperature-controlled incubator, undergoing heating as a way to simulate the speeding up of time.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-propelling-satellites-future.html

How molecules sit on surfaces drives energy and electron transfer

Florida State University researchers seeking to make newer, more energy efficient materials have made a breakthrough in understanding how structure dictates electron transfer across surfaces.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-molecules-surfaces-energy-electron.html

New window system cuts sound levels by 26 decibels, achieves four times better ventilation

Home owners, especially those in noisy districts, can look forward to greater living comfort with a new invention by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Design and Environment (SDE) that reduces outdoor noise and improves indoor ventilation.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-window-decibels-ventilation.html

Researchers explain the expression of self-pollinating flowers

Why do some plants produce small and unattractive flowers? Two Montreal researchers think they've figured out why, supporting a hypothesis dating back 150 years to Charles Darwin.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-self-pollinating.html

Newly discovered graphene property could impact next-generation computing

MIT researchers and colleagues have discovered an important—and unexpected—electronic property of graphene, a material discovered only about 17 years ago that continues to surprise scientists with its interesting physics. The work, which involves structures composed of atomically thin layers of materials that are also biocompatible, could usher in new, faster information-processing paradigms. One potential application is in neuromorphic computing, which aims to replicate the neuronal cells in the body responsible for everything from behavior to memories.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-newly-graphene-property-impact-next-generation.html

Antarctic lava yields clues to Earth's past magnetic field

The movement of molten metals in Earth's outer core generates a vast magnetic field that protects the planet from potentially harmful space weather. Throughout Earth's history, the structure of the magnetic field has fluctuated. However, data suggest that averaged over sufficient time, the field may be accurately approximated by a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) field—the magnetic field that would result from a bar magnet centered within Earth and aligned along its axis of rotation.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-antarctic-lava-yields-clues-earth.html

New study finds cage-free egg-laying hen mortality declines over time

New research published today in the journal Scientific Reports based on the largest analysis to date of commercial data on egg-laying hen mortality finds that mortality in higher-welfare, cage-free housing systems decreases over time as management experience increases and knowledge accrues.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-cage-free-egg-laying-hen-mortality-declines.html

Dishing up 3-D printed food, one tasty printout at a time

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) have developed a new way to create "food inks" from fresh and frozen vegetables that preserves their nutrition and flavor better than existing methods.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-dishing-d-food-tasty-printout.html

Nokia profit dips as it sees challenges in US market for 5G

The Finnish telecommunications networks provider Nokia on Thursday reported a smaller than expected drop in profit in the fourth-quarter while it acknowledged it was facing some challenges in the race for 5G networks, particularly in the North American market.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-nokia-profit-dips-5g.html

Deadly white-nose syndrome changed genes in surviving bats

Scientists have found genetic differences between bats killed by white-nose syndrome and bats that survived, suggesting that survivors rapidly evolve to resist the fungal disease, according to a Rutgers-led study with big implications for deciding how to safeguard bat populations.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-deadly-white-nose-syndrome-genes-surviving.html

Deforestation is stressing mammals out

Lots of us are feeling pretty anxious about the destruction of the natural world. It turns out, humans aren't the only ones stressing out—by analyzing hormones that accumulate in fur, researchers found that rodents and marsupials living in smaller patches of South America's Atlantic Forest are under more stress than ones living in more intact forests.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-deforestation-stressing-mammals.html

Ocean surface slicks are pelagic nurseries for diverse fishes

To survive the open ocean, tiny fish larvae, freshly hatched from eggs, must find food, avoid predators, and navigate ocean currents to their adult habitats. But what the larvae of most marine species experience during these great ocean odysseys has long been a mystery, until now.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-ocean-surface-slicks-pelagic-nurseries.html

American Airlines warns of as many as 13,000 layoffs

American Airlines will notify 13,000 workers that they could be laid off due to the prolonged industry downturn if the Covid-19 situation doesn't improve and US government aid is not extended, the carrier said Wednesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-american-airlines-layoffs.html

Canada probe concludes Clearview AI breached privacy laws

US facial recognition technology firm Clearview AI illegally conducted mass surveillance in breach of Canadians' privacy rights, Canada's privacy commissioner said Wednesday following an investigation.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-canada-probe-clearview-ai-breached.html

Parler social network fires chief exec John Matze: report

Parler has fired the chief executive from the ultraconservative-leaning social network embroiled in controversy stemming from the deadly attack on the US Capitol, Fox News reported Wednesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-parler-social-network-chief-exec.html

Firefighters hold off bushfire near Australia's Perth

A mammoth effort by Australian firefighters saved homes from an out-of-control bushfire near Perth overnight, authorities said Thursday, but warned strong winds and rough terrain posed an ongoing challenge.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-firefighters-bushfire-australia-perth.html

Australian leader has 'constructive' talk with Google boss

The Australian prime minister said he had a "constructive" meeting on Thursday with the head of Google after the tech giant threatened to remove its search engine from Australia over plans to make digital platforms pay for news.

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

5 challenges awaiting Amazon's new CEO

In 1995, few could imagine that the modest online bookstore built by Jeff Bezos would turn into a $1.7 trillion behemoth that sells everything from diapers to sofas, produces movies, owns a grocery chain and provides cloud computing services to businesses all over the globe.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-awaiting-amazon-ceo.html

California's rainy season starting nearly a month later than it did 60 years ago

The start of California's annual rainy season has been pushed back from November to December, prolonging the state's increasingly destructive wildfire season by nearly a month, according to new research. The study cannot confirm the shift is connected to climate change, but the results are consistent with climate models that predict drier autumns for California in a warming climate, according to the authors.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-california-rainy-season-month-years.html

Politicians must be held to account for mishandling the pandemic

Politicians around the world must be held to account for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, argues a senior editor at The BMJ today.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-politicians-held-account-mishandling-pandemic.html

Dynamic 3-D printing process features a light-driven twist

The speed of light has come to 3-D printing. Northwestern University engineers have developed a new method that uses light to improve 3-D printing speed and precision while also, in combination with a high-precision robot arm, providing the freedom to move, rotate or dilate each layer as the structure is being built.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-dynamic-d-features-light-driven.html