Hive thinking: Beekeeping makes a buzz in Ivory Coast

Night has just fallen in central Ivory Coast and the hour has come for two men, venturing forth in protective suits, veils and gloves, to steal honey from their bees.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-hive-beekeeping-ivory-coast.html

Samsung eyes Texas for chip-making plant

Electronics giant Samsung is considering the US state of Texas as a possible location for a new $17 billion chip-making plant, according to filings with state officials.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-samsung-eyes-texas-chip-making.html

China's space probe sends back its first image of Mars

China's Tianwen-1 probe has sent back its first image of Mars, the national space agency said, as the mission prepares to touch down on the Red Planet later this year.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-china-space-probe-image-mars.html

Firefighters contain Australian blaze with rain forecast

Australian firefighters have managed to contain a bushfire burning near Perth, authorities said Saturday, allowing them to downgrade the blaze which has destroyed 86 homes.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-firefighters-australian-blaze.html

Harvard astronomer argues that alien vessel paid us a visit

Discovering there's intelligent life beyond our planet could be the most transformative event in human history— but what if scientists decided to collectively ignore evidence suggesting it already happened?

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-harvard-astronomer-alien-vessel-paid.html

Amazon warehouse workers unionization vote to move ahead

Amazon workers at a large US distribution center will begin voting Monday on whether to unionize after labor regulators rejected a request by the e-commerce giant to delay the process.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-amazon-warehouse-workers-unionization-vote.html

Fungi in the gut prime immunity against infection

Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-fungi-gut-prime-immunity-infection.html

Researchers create virtual reality cognitive assessment

Virtual reality isn't just for gaming. Researchers can use virtual reality, or VR, to assess participants' attention, memory and problem-solving abilities in real world settings. By using VR technology to examine how folks complete daily tasks, like making a grocery list, researchers can better help clinical populations that struggle with executive functioning to manage their everyday lives.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-virtual-reality-cognitive.html

Arctic stew: Understanding how high-latitude lakes respond to and affect climate change

To arrive at Nunavut, turn left at the Dakotas and head north. You can't miss it—the vast tundra territory covers almost a million square miles of northern Canada. Relatively few people call this lake-scattered landscape home, but the region plays a crucial role in understanding global climate change. New research from Soren Brothers, assistant professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences and Ecology Center, details how lakes in Nunavut could have a big impact on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and it's not all bad news—at least for now. Brothers examined 23 years of data from lakes near Rankin Inlet. He noted a peculiarity—as the lakes warmed, their carbon dioxide concentrations fell. Most lakes are natural sources of carbon dioxide, but these lakes were now mostly near equilibrium with the atmosphere.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-arctic-stew-high-latitude-lakes-affect.html