Engineered microbe excels at 'breathing rubber,' could curb reliance on petroleum

Burning rubber? Tired. Breathing rubber? Inspired.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-microbe-excels-rubber-curb-reliance.html

Mathematics professor creates critical discussions around COVID in new book

Ohio University mathematics professor Winfried Just's new book COVID-19 Unmasked: The News, the science and common sense tackles the persistent and sometimes controversial questions people have been asking about COVID in a new, conversational way.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-mathematics-professor-critical-discussions-covid.html

Peering into a galaxy's dusty core to study an active supermassive black hole

Researchers using NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will map and model the core of nearby galaxy Centaurus A.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-peering-galaxy-dusty-core-supermassive.html

Astronomers spot a 'space jellyfish' in Abell 2877

A radio telescope located in outback Western Australia has observed a cosmic phenomenon with a striking resemblance to a jellyfish.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-astronomers-space-jellyfish-abell.html

Alpine-wide study shows that snow cover has been declining

For the first time, a study coordinated by Eurac Research has collected and systematically evaluated snow data from more than 2000 measuring stations in Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland and France. Up until now, studies had been limited to individual areas in the Alpine region and been based on data from, at most, a few hundred measuring stations.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-alpine-wide-declining.html

New electrolyte additives for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries

A joint research team, affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a novel electrolyte additive that could enable a long lifespan and fast chargeability of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-electrolyte-additives-high-energy-density-lithium-ion-batteries.html

Harbor porpoises attracted to oil platforms when searching for food

Large gatherings of fish tempt harbor porpoises to search for food around oil and gas platforms, even though the noise from these industrial plants normally scares the whales away. Decommissioned platforms may therefore serve as artificial reefs in the North Sea.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-harbor-porpoises-oil-platforms-food.html

Size matters when it comes to atomic properties

A study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has yielded new answers to fundamental questions about the relationship between the size of an atom and its other properties, such as electronegativity and energy. The results pave the way for advances in future material development. For the first time, it is possible under certain conditions to devise exact equations for such relationships.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-size-atomic-properties.html

Researchers identify chemical processes as key to understanding landslides

Mass movements such as landslides and hill-slope debris flows cause billions of euros in economic damage around the world every year. Between 20 and 80 million euros are spent annually from the disaster fund to repair disaster damage in Austria, 15 to 50 percent of which is attributable to mud flows and landslides.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-chemical-key-landslides.html

Engineers improve the technology of high-performance concrete casting in winter

At low temperatures, concrete tends to set unevenly, which can lead to a collapse. A team of engineers from RUDN University suggested using infrared light and adding silicon and ash to concrete to solve this issue. The technology can be used for cast-in-situ construction. The results of the study were published in the Fibers journal.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-technology-high-performance-concrete-winter.html

Genomic sequencing instruments err—now this tool identifies the mistakes

Instruments, even expensive, high-tech ones like DNA sequencing machines, aren't perfect. Researchers use sequencers to decode the chemical bases that make up DNA, the blueprint of life. The devices play a key role in cancer research, including diagnosis and treatment. But sequencers can also introduce errors.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-genomic-sequencing-instruments-errnow-tool.html

The SMART Tire Company announces Mars Rover tires to become available for use on Earth

The SMART Tire Company has revealed its first space-age tire, soon to be available to the general public. Already tested by NASA for use on Mars Rover missions, these tires come equipped with the company's Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology (SMART), made from the super-elastic material NiTinol+.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-smart-company-mars-rover-earth.html

Perseverance rover captures the sounds of driving on Mars

NASA's newest rover recorded audio of itself crunching over the surface of the Red Planet, adding a whole new dimension to Mars exploration.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-perseverance-rover-captures-mars.html

For Madrid's trees, record snowfall leaves deep wounds

High among the treetops the sound of a chainsaw rings out and a huge branch comes crashing down as Madrid's forestry engineers move from tree to tree, repairing the damage from the record snowfall seen in January.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-madrid-trees-snowfall-deep-wounds.html

From poaching to avocados, Kenya's elephants face new threat

Just after dawn, Tolstoy lumbers into view. A wandering giant, with tusks almost scraping the earth, this great elephant has roamed beneath Mount Kilimanjaro for nearly 50 years.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-poaching-avocados-kenya-elephants-threat.html

US moves toward banning more Chinese telecoms carriers: FCC

Regulators have begun legal proceedings that could strip three Chinese state-owned telecommunications companies of their right to operate in the United States, officials said Wednesday, citing national security concerns.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-chinese-telecoms-carriers-fcc.html

US sends investigators to probe another Michigan Tesla crash

For the second time this week, the U.S. government's road safety agency is sending a team to investigate a Tesla crash in Michigan.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-probe-michigan-tesla.html

China summons tech giants over 'deep fakes', internet security

Chinese authorities on Thursday said they had summoned 11 tech companies including Tencent, Alibaba and TikTok owner ByteDance for talks on "deep fakes" and internet security, as regulators try to reel in the country's runaway digital sector.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-china-summons-tech-giants-deep.html

Management researcher studies key predictors for college retention

The current outbreak of COVID-19 has raised many questions about the value of consideration of standardized testing through the admissions process. One of the many Coronavirus cancellations included a growing number of universities to waive SAT and ACT scores as an admissions requirement for 2022 applicants.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-key-predictors-college-retention.html

How to get customers to talk about you

Researchers from Arizona State University, New York University, and Northwestern University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines how marketers can fuel positive WOM without using explicit incentives.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-customers.html

Women in cities less likely to have children

A new study in Behavioral Ecology finds that women are less likely to procreate in urban areas that have a higher percentage of females than males in the population.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-women-cities-children.html