Pigs show potential for 'remarkable' level of behavioral, mental flexibility in new study

Pigs will probably never be able to fly, but new research is revealing that some species within the genus Sus may possess a remarkable level of behavioral and mental flexibility. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology tested the ability of four pigs to play a simple joystick-enabled video game. Each animal demonstrated some conceptual understanding despite limited dexterity on tasks normally given to non-human primates to analyze intelligence.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-pigs-potential-remarkable-behavioral-mental.html

Novel analytical tools developed by SMART key to next-generation agriculture

Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL), highlight the potential of rapid and non-destructive analytical tools that provide tissue-cell or organelle-specific information on living plants in real time and can be used on any plant species.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-analytical-tools-smart-key-next-generation.html

Stable armchairlike hexazine ring in tungsten hexanitride

Tungsten hexanitride with armchairlike hexazine N6 ring has been synthesized by a group of scientists led by Dr. Jin Liu and his former postdoc Nilesh Salke at HPSTAR (Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research). WN6 is a promising high-energy-density and super-hard material. Their findings are published in the recent issue of Physical Review Letters.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-stable-armchairlike-hexazine-tungsten-hexanitride.html

Brazil: Air conditioning equipment days of use will double without climate action

Space cooling already accounts for 14% of residential electricity demand in Brazil, and it is expected to increase further because of climate change.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-brazil-air-conditioning-equipment-days.html

A new way to look for life-sustaining planets

It is now possible to capture images of planets that could potentially sustain life around nearby stars, thanks to advances reported by an international team of astronomers in the journal Nature Communications.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-life-sustaining-planets.html

Chinese spacecraft nearing Mars, world's 2nd in 2 days

A Chinese spacecraft appears poised to enter orbit around Mars, one day after an orbiter from the United Arab Emirates did so and about a week ahead of an American attempt to put down another spacecraft on the surface of the red planet.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-chinese-spacecraft-nearing-mars-world.html

Toyota says Q3 net profit soared, hikes full-year outlook

Toyota said Wednesday that net profit soared 50 percent in the third quarter and upgraded its full-year forecasts as the global auto industry gradually recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-toyota-q3-net-profit-soared.html

Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time

Emerging robotics technology may soon help construction companies and contractors create buildings in less time at higher quality and at lower costs.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-emerging-robotics-technology.html

Scientists propose three-step method to reverse significant reforestation side effect

While deforestation levels have decreased significantly since the turn of the 21st century, the United Nations (UN) estimates that 10 million hectares of trees have been felled in each of the last five years.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-scientists-three-step-method-reverse-significant.html

Covid-19 prompts more to grasp for 'digital nomad' dream

"When I talked about this before the pandemic, people thought I was crazy . Now they tell me I was right after all," said Arnaud Wilbrod, a French freelance editor who moved to the Estonian capital Tallinn after his home country went into lockdown.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-covid-prompts-grasp-digital-nomad.html