Early combined tests mimic Ariane 6 liftoff

Ariane 6 early combined tests at Latesys in Fos-sur-Mer, in France, have simulated the moment of liftoff when the umbilicals separate from the launch vehicle.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-early-combined-mimic-ariane-liftoff.html

Heavy water tastes sweet to people, but not to mice

Ordinary pure water has no distinct taste, but how about heavy water? Does it taste sweet, as anecdotal evidence going back to 1930s may have indicated? Why would this be the case when D2O is nearly identical chemically to H2O, of which it is a stable, naturally occurring isotope? These questions arose shortly after heavy water was isolated almost 100 years ago, but they had not been satisfactorily answered.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-heavy-sweet-people-mice.html

Developing a large carbon dioxide conversion system, a core carbon neutrality technology

Studies on electrochemical CO2 conversion systems that can be used to obtain useful chemicals through conventional petrochemical processes while eliminating CO2, without polluting the environment, are essential for creating a carbon-neutral society. While significant progress has been made through a number of relevant studies, they have only been laboratory-scale in size so far. In fact, there are still many roadblocks to industrial application, such as the scaling up and development of suitable catalysts and electrodes.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-large-carbon-dioxide-conversion-core.html

Scientists create a new electronegativity scale

Skoltech chemists have proposed a new electronegativity scale and published their findings in Nature Communications.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-scientists-electronegativity-scale.html

An artificial intelligence tool that can help detect melanoma

Melanoma is a type of malignant tumor responsible for more than 70 percent of all skin cancer-related deaths worldwide. For years, physicians have relied on visual inspection to identify suspicious pigmented lesions (SPLs), which can be an indication of skin cancer. Such early-stage identification of SPLs in primary care settings can improve melanoma prognosis and significantly reduce treatment cost.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-artificial-intelligence-tool-melanoma.html

Parts of U.S.'s southernmost states will 'tropicalize' as climate changes

As climate change reduces the frequency and intensity of killing freezes, tropical plants and animals that once could survive in only a few subtropical parts of the U.S. are expanding their ranges northward, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey. This change is likely to result in some temperate zone plant and animal communities found today across the southern U.S. being replaced by tropical plant and animal communities.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-southernmost-states-tropicalize-climate.html

The incredible bacterial 'homing missiles' that scientists want to harness

Imagine there are arrows that are lethal when fired on your enemies yet harmless if they fall on your friends. It's easy to see how these would be an amazing advantage in warfare, if they were real. However, something just like these arrows does indeed exist, and they are used in warfare ... just on a different scale.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-incredible-bacterial-homing-missiles-scientists.html

The future of biodiversity collections

Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the crucial role played by biodiversity collections in enabling rapid responses to crises and in facilitating ongoing research across numerous fields. Despite the recognized value of this infrastructure, the community nevertheless has further opportunities to maximize its value to the scientific enterprise.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-future-biodiversity.html

We don't know how most mammals will respond to climate change, warn scientists

A new scientific review has found there are significant gaps in our knowledge of how mammal populations are responding to climate change, particularly in regions most sensitive to climate change. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Animal Ecology.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-dont-mammals-climate-scientists.html

Do school-based interventions help improve reading and math in at-risk children?

School-based interventions that target students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in kindergarten to grade 6 have positive effects on reading and mathematics, according to an article published in Campbell Systematic Reviews.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-school-based-interventions-math-at-risk-children.html

Poor children are 'failed by system' on road to higher education in lower-income countries

A generation of talented but disadvantaged children are being denied access to higher education because academic success in lower and middle-income countries is continually 'protected by wealth', a study has found.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-children-poor-backgrounds-barriers-low-.html

Wellness, burnout, and discrimination among BIPOC counseling students

In a survey-based study of 105 graduate-level counseling students who identified as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), investigators found that experiences of discrimination can negatively affect student overall wellbeing and lead to burnout.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-wellness-burnout-discrimination-bipoc-students.html

Organic composts may help farmers prevent foodborne disease outbreaks

Foodborne disease outbreaks linked to the consumption of fresh produce have caused farmers to re-evaluate their practices. A recent analysis of a 27-year experiment comparing organic and conventional soil management indicates that animal-based composts do not promote pathogen survival and may even promote bacterial communities that suppress pathogens.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-composts-farmers-foodborne-disease-outbreaks.html

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted peoples' interactions with nature?

The COVID-19 pandemic and the global response to it have changed many of the interactions that humans have with nature, in both positive and negative ways. A perspective article published in People and Nature considers these changes, discusses the potential long-term consequences, and provides recommendations for further research.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-covid-pandemic-impacted-peoples-interactions.html

60 years after Gagarin, Russia lags in the space race

A station on the moon! A mission to Venus! A next generation spacecraft!

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-years-gagarin-russia-lags-space.html

In Russia, the legend of cosmonaut Gagarin lives on

Sixty years after he became the first person in space, there are few figures more universally admired in Russia today than Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-russia-legend-cosmonaut-gagarin.html

Global minimum tax for corporations inches towards reality

Proposed by the United States, supported by the IMF and welcomed by major economies including France and Germany, a global minimum tax rate on corporations is gathering momentum toward becoming a reality.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-global-minimum-tax-corporations-inches.html

Facebook says hackers 'scraped' data of 533 mn users in 2019 leak

Facebook said Tuesday that hackers "scraped" personal data of some half-billion users back in 2019 by taking advantage of a feature designed to help people easily find friends using contact lists.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-facebook-hackers-mn-users-leak.html

Tokyo, as you've never seen it before

It's Tokyo, but unlike you've ever seen it before—a miniaturised 1:1,000 scale version of one of the world's biggest capitals, displaying everything from sea levels to population densities.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-tokyo-youve.html

Survey: Even as schools reopen, many students learn remotely

Large numbers of students are not returning to the classroom even as more schools reopen for full-time, in-person learning, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Biden administration.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-survey-schools-reopen-students-remotely.html

Senators press for more on SolarWinds hack after AP report

Key lawmakers said Tuesday they're concerned they've been kept in the dark about what suspected Russian hackers stole from the federal government and they pressed Biden administration officials for more details about the scope of what's known as the SolarWinds hack.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-senators-solarwinds-hack-ap.html

Toshiba to weigh buyout offer from UK fund

Toshiba is considering a buyout offer from a British private equity fund, it said Wednesday, with reports suggesting the deal could be worth about $20 billion.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-toshiba-buyout-uk-fund.html

Samsung Electronics, LG forecast 40% leaps in Q1 operating profits

South Korea's two biggest electronics firms both forecast jumps of around 40 percent in their first-quarter operating profits Wednesday, with coronavirus-driven working from home fuelling global demand for semiconductors and home appliances.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-samsung-electronics-lg-q1-profits.html