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Science News for June 21, 2020


Dirac electrons come back to life in magic-angle graphene

Researchers discovered a high-energy parent state with unusual symmetry breaking in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, leading to the revival of Dirac electrons. The system exhibits asymmetric electronic compressibility and phase transitions near integer fillings.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalNature·DateJun 21, 2020

Which came first?

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Hebrew University of Jerusalem reconstructed ancient protein sequences that may resemble those of early life forms. They discovered a way these primitive proteins could have progressed to form living cells, with positively-charged amino acids playing a crucial role.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 21, 2020

Not so robust: robusta coffee more sensitive to warming than previously thought

A new study suggests robusta coffee production decreases by 14% with each 1C increase above a lower-than-once-thought optimal temperature range. The findings contrast with previous estimates and highlight the need for climate adaptation strategies in the coffee industry.

SourceThe Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture·JournalGlobal Change Biology·DateJun 21, 2020
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.

What does the "love hormone" do? It's complicated

A study of mice in semi-natural settings reveals that oxytocin can increase aggressive behavior as well as friendliness, depending on the environment. The findings suggest a more nuanced view of oxytocin's effects and highlight the need for complex environments to translate research findings to human behavior.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalNeuron·DateJun 21, 2020