New Australian fossil lizard

Some of Australia's most famous animals—wombat, platypus, kangaroos and the extinct marsupial tiger thylacine—have been traced back to their fossil ancestors in remarkable finds in central South Australia.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-australian-fossil-lizard.html

Research finds NHS use of management consultants is a harmful habit

The use of paid management consultants in the NHS has become habitual despite its negative impact on efficiency, according to new research.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-nhs-habit.html

ASASSN-18aan is an unusual cataclysmic variable, study finds

An international team of astronomers has performed photometric and spectroscopic observations of a binary star system known as ASASSN-18aan and have found that the object is an unusual cataclysmic variable with a relatively long orbital period. The findings were presented February 9 on the arXiv pre-print server.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-asassn-18aan-unusual-cataclysmic-variable.html

Planetary scientists discover evidence for a reduced atmosphere on ancient Mars

Both Earth and Mars currently have oxidising atmospheres, which is why iron-rich materials in daily life develop rust (a common name for iron oxide) during the oxidation reaction of iron and oxygen. The Earth has had an oxidising atmosphere for approximately 2.5 billion years, but before that, the atmosphere of this planet was reducing—there was no rust.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-planetary-scientists-evidence-atmosphere-ancient.html

How to spot Mars: See the red planet in the sky the day NASA's Perseverance rover lands

Last year was the year of Mars launches, and this one will be the year of Mars landings. The Hope Mars mission, launched by the United Arab Emirates, entered its orbit around Mars on February 9, while China's Tianwen-1 rover, now orbiting the planet, will land in May. Meanwhile, Nasa's Perseverance rover will land on the red planet come February 18.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-mars-red-planet-sky-day.html

NREL heats up thermal energy storage with new solution meant to ease grid stress, ultimately improving energy efficiency

Scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a simple way to better evaluate the potential of novel materials to store or release heat on demand in your home, office, or other building in a way that more efficiently manages the building's energy use.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-nrel-thermal-energy-storage-solution.html

Experimental demonstration of measurement-dependent realities possible, researcher says

Shoe shops sell a variety of shoe sizes to accommodate a variety of foot sizes—but what if both the shoe and foot size depended on how it was measured? Recent developments in quantum theory suggest that the available values of a physical quantity, such as a foot size, can depend on the type of measurement used to determine them. If feet were governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, foot size would depend on the markings on a foot measure to find the best fit—at the time of measurement—and even if the markings were changed, the measurement could still be precise.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-experimental-measurement-dependent-realities.html

How can researchers quickly access complex molecules for drug discovery?

The function of molecules used in drugs in part depends on their structure, including the many chemical bonds between their atoms. These molecules can be built through several different chemical reactions, most of which are slow and inefficient because they rely on the formation of one chemical bond at a time. Ramesh Giri, Weinreb Early Career Professor of Chemistry at Penn State, has developed a reaction that creates two carbon bonds at a time across atoms in a configuration called an alkene with the help of small amounts of nickel, a sustainable and abundant catalyst.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-quickly-access-complex-molecules-drug.html

Integrating maths and plant science to explain how plant roots generate a hormone gradient

The research team that developed a biosensor that first recorded that a distinct gradient of the plant growth hormone gibberellin correlated with plant cell size has now revealed how this distribution pattern is created in roots.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-maths-science-roots-hormone-gradient.html

A tiny crystal device could boost gravitational wave detectors to reveal the birth cries of black holes

In 2017, astronomers witnessed the birth of a black hole for the first time. Gravitational wave detectors picked up the ripples in spacetime caused by two neutron stars colliding to form the black hole, and other telescopes then observed the resulting explosion.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-tiny-crystal-device-boost-gravitational.html

Astronauts test virus-fighting surface coating

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are conducting experiments with an antimicrobial surface coating designed to fight the spread of bacteria and viruses.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-astronauts-virus-fighting-surface-coating.html

Astrophysicists re-imagine world map, designing a less distorted, 'radically different' way to see the world

How do you flatten a sphere?

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-astrophysicists-re-imagine-world-distorted-radically.html

Graphene 'nano-origami' creates tiniest microchips yet

The tiniest microchips yet can be made from graphene and other 2-D-materials, using a form of "nano-origami," physicists at the University of Sussex have found.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-graphene-nano-origami-tiniest-microchips.html

Engineers develop polymer cores that redirect light from any source to solar cells

Rice University engineers have suggested a colorful solution to next-generation energy collection: Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) in your windows.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-polymer-cores-redirect-source-solar.html

Collagen structures get the royal reveal

Collagen is the king of biological proteins, and now it has a SCEPTTr.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-collagen-royal-reveal.html

Demonstration of unconventional transverse thermoelectric generation

A NIMS research team devised a new thermoelectric generation mechanism with a hybrid structure composed of thermoelectric and magnetic materials. The team then actually fabricated this structure and observed the record-high thermopower appearing in the direction perpendicular to a temperature gradient (i.e., transverse thermoelectric generation). These results may offer insights into new mechanisms and structural designs applicable to the development of versatile energy harvesting technologies and highly sensitive heat flux sensors.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-unconventional-transverse-thermoelectric.html

Aging: What underlies the mitochondrial stress response

Scientists at EPFL have discovered certain enzymes that play a central role in the stress responses that defend mitochondria from stress, and promote health and longevity.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-aging-underlies-mitochondrial-stress-response.html

Groundwater recharge rates mapped for Africa

Effective governance and investment decisions need to be informed by reliable data, not only about where groundwater exists, but also the rate at which groundwater is replenished. For the first time using ground measurements, a recent study has quantified groundwater recharge rates across the whole of Africa—averaged over a fifty-year period—which will help to identify the sustainability of water resources for African nations.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-groundwater-recharge-africa.html

NASA wants to fly a helicopter on Mars for the first time

More than a century after the first powered flight on Earth, NASA intends to prove it's possible to replicate the feat on another world.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-nasa-helicopter-mars.html

Perseverance rover lands on Mars this week

After a seven-month journey, NASA's Perseverance rover prepares to touch down on Mars on Thursday after first negotiating a risky landing procedure that will mark the start of its multi-year search for signs of ancient microbial life.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-perseverance-rover-mars-week.html

Kenya's locust hunters on tireless quest to halt ancient pest

As dawn breaks in central Kenya, a helicopter lifts off in a race to find roosting locusts before the sun warms their bodies and sends them on a ravenous flight through farmland.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-kenya-locust-hunters-tireless-quest.html

Heavy snowfall blankets Athens; vaccinations postponed

Unusually heavy snowfall has blanketed central Athens, with authorities warning residents particularly in the Greek capital's northern and eastern suburbs to avoid leaving their homes Tuesday morning.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-heavy-snowfall-blankets-athens-vaccinations.html

Australia to amend laws to make Google and Facebook pay

Australia's government said on Tuesday it will amend draft laws that would make Google and Facebook pay for news to clarify that publishers would be paid in lump sums rather than per click on news article links.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-australia-amend-laws-google-facebook.html