Science News
Risk of airborne coronavirus spread being underplayed, say researchers
New Scientist - 7 Jul 2020 19:00
Over 200 scientists have signed a letter calling for the world to recognise the potential for the coronavirus to be transmitted through small airborne droplets, and to take steps to protect against them
On-chip spin-Hall nanograting for simultaneously detecting phase and polarization singularities
Phys.org - 7 Jul 2020 18:47
A plasmonic spin-Hall nanograting structure that simultaneously detects both the polarization and phase singularities of the incident beam is reported. The nanograting is symmetry-breaking with different periods for the ...
Metabolomics meets genomics to improve patient diagnosis
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 18:06
Researchers have improved their ability to identify the genetic cause of undiagnosed conditions.
'Light squeezer' reduces quantum noise in lasers, could enhance quantum computing and gravitational-wave detection
Phys.org - 7 Jul 2020 17:00
Physicists at MIT have designed a quantum "light squeezer" that reduces quantum noise in an incoming laser beam by 15 percent. It is the first system of its kind to work at room temperature, making it amenable to a compa...
Europe wants to use hydrogen to slow climate change - will it work?
New Scientist - 7 Jul 2020 16:42
The European Commission is set to announce a new strategy to turn the universe's most abundant element into a way for the EU to decarbonise polluting industries and transport
Repurposing public health systems to decode COVID-19
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 14:40
New research describes how national surveillance systems can be linked with the UK Biobank. This pooled data could then be used to understand how genetics and other epidemiological factors impact risk of developing sever...
Neurons show distinct styles as they interact with the same muscle partner
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 22:01
A study shows a newfound diversity in how cells talk to the muscle they innervate, revealing that the subclasses of neurons have distinct propensities for change, or 'plasticity'.
350 elephants drop dead in Botswana, some walking in circles before doing face-plants
Live Science - 7 Jul 2020 18:45
More than 350 elephants in Botswana have mysteriously died since May, in a phenomenon that some scientists have dubbed a "conservation disaster," and one that has evaded explanation.
Why hasn't the UK seen a second wave of the coronavirus?
New Scientist - 7 Jul 2020 18:08
Scientists have repeatedly warned of a second surge of covid-19 infections as restrictions ease in the UK, but it hasn't happened - were they wrong or is it still to come?
Engineered killer immune cells target tumors and their immunosuppressive allies
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 17:33
Scientists have engineered natural killer immune cells that not only kill head and neck tumor cells in mice but also reduce the immune-suppressing myeloid cells that allow tumors to evade the immune response.
A key gene modifies regulatory T cells to fine-tune the immune response
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 17:32
The human immune system is a finely-tuned machine, balancing when to release a cellular army to deal with pathogens, with when to rein in that army, stopping an onslaught from attacking the body itself. Now, researchers ...
Excitation of robust materials
Phys.org - 7 Jul 2020 16:32
In physics, they are currently the subject of intensive research; in electronics, they could enable completely new functions. So-called topological materials are characterised by special electronic properties, which are ...
Custom nanoparticle regresses tumors when exposed to light
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 22:01
A unique nanoparticle to deliver a localized cancer treatment inhibits tumor growth in mice, according to researchers.
Ice age mining camp found 'frozen in time' in underwater Mexican cave
Live Science - 7 Jul 2020 20:29
Cave divers found a mysterious passageway that led to an ice age ochre mine.
Our Animal Inheritance: Humans Perk Up Ears When They Hear Interesting Sounds
Neuroscience News - 7 Jul 2020 19:46
It is well documented that animals perk up their ears when they hear a noise that captures their attention. A new study reveals humans also do the same. Researchers demonstrated humans make small, unconscious movements o...
Study reveals science behind traditional mezcal-making technique
EurekAlert! - 7 Jul 2020 06:00
(Brown University) Researchers reveal for the first time why bubbles are a good gauge of alcohol content in mezcal, a traditional Mexican spirit.
Sensory Neurons Outside the Brain Drive Autistic Social Behaviors
Neuroscience News - 7 Jul 2020 20:11
The loss of the protein neurofibromin 1 (NF1) in adult male flies resulted in social impairments. The deficits were traced back to a primary disruption in a small group of peripheral neurons which control external stimul...
Shock-dissipating fractal cubes could forge high-tech armor
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 20:09
3D printed cubes,with intricate fractal voids efficiently dissipate shockwaves, potentially leading to new types of lightweight armor and materials to better withstand explosions and impacts.
Researchers create air filter that can kill the coronavirus
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 19:42
Researchers have designed a 'catch and kill' air filter that can trap the virus responsible for COVID-19, killing it instantly.
Making science more equitable, starting with 101
Symmetry Magazine - 7 Jul 2020 18:23
A new collaborative project aims to make introductory STEM courses successful for everyone. Physicist Tim McKay has taught enough introductory physics courses to know what many university students think about them: They ...
Women's egg quality dependent on metabolic factors
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 17:33
Increasing the levels of a chemical found in all human cells could boost a woman's fertility and help select the best eggs for IVF.
Brain structural elements in psychiatric disorders
Science Daily - 7 Jul 2020 17:32
While researchers have previously identified brain structural signatures associated with individual neurological diseases using techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a team of scientists has now compared d...