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Science News Archive June 2020


Page 15 of 48

Mysterious climate change

A recent study found that seasonal sea ice growth and destruction increased biological productivity in the Southern Ocean, extracting carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the deep ocean. This process helps explain a long-standing question about a 1,900-year pause in CO2 growth during the Antarctic Cold Reversal.

Predicting mortality with nonbiological factors

Researchers identified six domains of nonbiological factors that contribute to mortality risk, including health behaviors, psychological characteristics, and socioeconomic conditions. The study highlights the importance of behavioral, psychological, and social factors in mortality risk assessments.

Solar-powered degradation of micropollutants

Researchers discovered that gold nanorods can catalyze the degradation of organic micropollutants like bisphenol A and perfluorooctanoic acid. When exposed to sunlight, these nanorods produce free radicals that break down pollutants, making them a promising low-cost water purification method.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Volcanic eruption's effects on Roman Republic

A massive volcanic eruption in 43 BCE, linked to the Okmok volcano in Alaska, may have contributed to the unusual climate events that coincided with the fall of the Roman Republic. The eruption produced two years of prolonged cooling and increased precipitation, likely exacerbating crop failures, famine, and disease.

COVID-19 lockdown reveals human impact on wildlife

A global initiative is investigating how animals are responding to reduced levels of human activity during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing insights into human-wildlife interactions. The study aims to improve understanding of space sharing on a crowded planet with benefits for both wildlife and humans.

Preventing lithium loss for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries

A novel pretreatment strategy has been developed to resolve the issue of silicon anode materials in lithium-ion batteries. The technology enables simple and safe processing for large-scale production, resulting in high initial battery efficiency and increased energy density.

Get your hands dirty for health

The #HealthyRecovery initiative calls on G20 Presidents and Prime Ministers to support projects enabling ecological restoration for improved air quality and soil health. Experts warn that global environmental and climate crises compromise human health and long-term survival.

How long-tailed tits avoid incest

A study reveals that long-tailed tits employ learned vocal cues to distinguish between close kin and non-kin, thereby avoiding incest. This unique strategy helps the birds maintain genetic diversity and is crucial for their reproductive success.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Simple interventions can help people spot false headlines

A study by researchers from Princeton University found that simple digital-media literacy outreach can help people distinguish between mainstream and false news headlines. The intervention improved accuracy by 26.5% in the US and 17.5% in India, with effects lasting several weeks.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Smokers good at math are more likely to want to quit

Researchers found that smokers with higher math skills remembered more of the scary stats about smoking risks, leading to greater risk perception and intentions to quit. This study highlights the importance of numeracy in helping smokers make informed decisions.

Synthetic materials mimic living creatures

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a family of soft materials that imitates living creatures, bending, rotating and even crawling on surfaces when hit with light. The materials move without complex hardware or electricity, and have potential applications in energy, environmental remediation and advanced medicine.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Strainoptronics: A new way to control photons

A new way to engineer optoelectronic devices has been discovered by researchers at George Washington University. Using a method called strainoptronics, the team created a novel photodetector that can operate with high efficiency at telecom wavelengths, advancing future communications and computer systems.

Japan's Fugaku gains title as world's fastest supercomputer

Fugaku achieved a LINPACK score of 415.53 petaflops, surpassing its nearest competitor Summit in the US, and ranked first on HPCG and Graph 500. The supercomputer will address high-priority social and scientific issues through various applications.

Tsetse flytraps: Biotechnology for Africa's rural population

Researchers at Goethe University have successfully produced tsetse fly attractants in genetically modified brewer's yeast, which could be used to contain sleeping sickness. The new production method is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, making it suitable for rural communities in Africa.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Biomarker test highly accurate in detecting early kidney cancer

A novel liquid biopsy method has been developed to detect early kidney cancer with high accuracy, including small and localized tumors that are often curable but difficult to detect. The test is nearly 100% accurate in blood samples but shows less accuracy in urine samples, which can be improved through technical optimization.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

'Game changer' for reporters: 2016 US presidential election coverage

Researchers at the University of Missouri found three common ethical issues in US presidential election press coverage between 2000-2016: failing to exercise independent judgment, underestimating new technologies, and failing to provide a representative picture of the electorate.

Biologists unravel tangled mystery of plant cell growth

Researchers uncover how TANGLED1 controls microtubule movement, enabling accurate cell division in plants. This discovery could lead to improved crop yields and insights into human cellular processes, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Economic and social consequences of human mobility restrictions under COVID-19

A recent study analyzed anonymized Facebook data from over 3m Italians to examine the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on human mobility. The research found that while national mobility declined by an average of 70%, regional variations were significant, with some areas experiencing reduced mobility despite low COVID-19 cases.

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Geometry of intricately fabricated glass makes light trap itself

Scientists at Penn State have fabricated a 'photonic topological insulator' that can mediate interaction between photons and form self-sustaining wave patterns called solitons. This innovation could lead to more efficient lasers, medical imaging, and other photonic technologies.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Parallel evolution in three-spined sticklebacks

Researchers from the University of Helsinki found that genetic parallelism, a phenomenon where similar changes occur in different populations, is approximately 10-fold higher in the Eastern Pacific compared to the rest of the world. This suggests that the conditions for parallel evolution may be exceptional rather than common.

Diagnosing brain tumors with a blood test

A highly sensitive blood test can accurately diagnose and classify different types of brain tumours without the need for tissue samples. This breakthrough has the potential to transform patient care by providing more accurate diagnosis, less invasive methods and better treatment planning.

A fresh twist in chiral topology

Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids successfully realized chiral topological compound PtGa, exhibiting a high topological charge of 4. This property enables the generation of a large quantized photogalvanic current that can be manipulated by incident light polarization.

Helping to protect the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world

A team of scientists from the University of Portsmouth has developed a new forensic fingerprinting technique to lift finger-marks from pangolin scales, enabling wildlife crime officers to identify poachers and bring them to justice. The method uses gelatine lifters and has been successful in producing clear finger-mark detail on 74% of...

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

LJI scientists investigate a powerful protein behind antibody development

Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology have identified a key protein controlling T follicular helper cell (Tfh) differentiation. The protein Bcl6 acts as a master regulator in the immune system, blocking or promoting gene expression to control immune responses. This study opens the door to designing vaccines and therapies tha...

Angular momentum and Moon formation

A study examines angular momentum constraints on the Moon's formation, revealing that high obliquity scenarios are incompatible with the present-day system. In contrast, low obliquity scenarios could explain how a fast-rotating postimpact Earth slowed to its present rotation rate.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

Adult-born neurons grow more than their infancy-born counterparts

Researchers found that adult-born neurons in rats continue to grow and develop for a longer period than those born during infancy. The study suggests that these mature neurons may have distinct functions, contributing to brain flexibility and plasticity. Adult neurogenesis can occur even after the decline of this process in adulthood.

Experimentally identifying effective theories in many-body systems

Physicists at Heidelberg University have developed a new method to identify effective theories in many-body systems using quantum simulators. The approach allows for the efficient description of complex systems and has been demonstrated experimentally with ultracold rubidium atoms.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Brazilian scientists develop COVID-19 accelerometer

Researchers at São Paulo State University developed a computational tool tracking COVID-19 growth rates across over 200 countries. The 'COVID-19 accelerometer' plots real-time growth curves to assess the effectiveness of public policies aimed at containing the pandemic.

Mining electronic waste for gold

Researchers have synthesized a porphyrin polymer that can capture precious metals from chemically digested electronic waste. The polymer, COP-180, shows high efficiency in capturing gold, with an estimated worth of $64 per $5 of the material.