Egypt's Siwa fortress renovation boosts hopes for ecotourism

Tucked away in Egypt's Western Desert, the Shali fortress once protected inhabitants against the incursions of wandering tribes, but now there are hopes its renovation will attract ecotourists.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-egypt-siwa-fortress-renovation-boosts.html

Lyft's Zimmer talks future of workplace, electric vehicles

Lyft scored a major victory when California voters passed Proposition 22, allowing app-based companies to treat drivers as contractors instead of employees and saving the company from what many anticipated would be crippling expenses.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-lyft-zimmer-future-workplace-electric.html

SpaceX aims for night crew launch, Musk sidelined by virus

SpaceX aimed for a Sunday night launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station, although the prospects of good weather were just 50-50 and its leader was sidelined by COVID-19.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-spacex-aims-night-crew-musk.html

Cable failures endanger renowned Puerto Rico radio telescope

Giant, aging cables that support one of the world's largest single-dish radio telescopes are slowly unraveling in this U.S. territory, pushing an observatory renowned for its key role in astronomical discoveries to the brink of collapse.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cable-failures-endanger-renowned-puerto.html

Facebook is using AI to stem dangerous and false posts

Facebook has come under withering criticism this past year from folks who say the company is not doing enough to stem hate speech, online harassment and the spread of false news stories.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-facebook-ai-stem-dangerous-false.html

Hard-hit Central America in crosshairs of another hurricane

Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua announced evacuations Friday as a second major hurricane in days closed in on Central America with the region still reeling from deadly storm Eta last week.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-hard-hit-central-america-crosshairs-hurricane.html

Belgium announces measures for bird flu outbreak

Belgium has detected an outbreak of bird flu, leading authorities to order all poultry farmers and individual bird owners to keep the animals confined, the country's food safety agency AFSCA said Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-belgium-bird-flu-outbreak.html

Egypt unveils ancient coffins, statues found in Saqqara

Egyptian antiquities officials on Saturday announced the discovery of at least 100 ancient coffins, some with mummies inside, and around 40 gilded statues in a vast Pharaonic necropolis south of Cairo.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-egypt-unveils-ancient-coffins-statues.html

SpaceX crew flight delayed; Musk gets mixed COVID-19 results

SpaceX delayed its second astronaut flight by a day because of high wind and weather conditions that could jeopardize the recovery and recycling of the rocket booster, pushing the launch to Sunday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-spacex-crew-flight-musk-covid-.html

In-plane antiferromagnets host a rich class of particle-like spin textures

Compared with the chiral spin textures in ferromagnets, their antiferromagnetic counterparts can be manipulated by spin currents with a more direct approach due to the absence of the skyrmion Hall effect, and much lower power consumption, as well. So far, most research has focused on isolated excitation in perpendicular antiferromagnetic spin systems, for example, skyrmion solitons. Meanwhile, the characteristics and the related physics of its in-plane analog, the bimeron, remain elusive.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-in-plane-antiferromagnets-host-rich-class.html

Dogs at war with fungus

The fungus that some dogs carry in their nose evolves within the dog's nose. The genetic changes indicate adaptation of the fungus to the dog. That's also of importance for humans, since infection with this fungus can be deadly. Researchers of Utrecht University gained these new insights in research on natural infections of dogs that came with an inflammation at the veterinarian. The study thus also shows that studying natural infections is an alternative to experiments with laboratory animals. They publish their findings 12 November in Nature Biofilms and Microbiomes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-dogs-war-fungus.html

Researchers create MRI-like technique for imaging magnetic waves

A team of researchers from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Leiden University, Tohoku University and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter has developed a new type of MRI scanner that can image waves in ultrathin magnets. Unlike electrical currents, these so-called spin waves produce little heat, making them promising signal carriers for future green ICT applications.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mri-like-technique-imaging-magnetic.html

In new step toward quantum tech, scientists synthesize 'bright' quantum bits

With their ability to harness the strange powers of quantum mechanics, qubits are the basis for potentially world-changing technologies—like powerful new types of computers or ultra-precise sensors.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-quantum-tech-scientists-bright-bits.html

Surprisingly little water has escaped to space from Venus, study finds

On 13 November Moa Persson, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) and Umeå University, will defend her doctoral thesis. Her thesis shows that only a small part of the historical water content on Venus has been lost to space over the past 4 billion years. This is much less than researchers previously thought.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-surprisingly-space-venus.html

Identifying the best chickpea crops for cattle feed

While hummus used to be an exotic spread enjoyed only in the Middle East, it has become a staple in grocery stores throughout the world. Recently, the savory dish has gained popularity amongst a new fan base: herds of cows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-chickpea-crops-cattle.html

Ariel moves from blueprint to reality

ESA's exoplanet mission Ariel, scheduled for launch in 2029, has moved from study to implementation phase, following which an industrial contractor will be selected to build the spacecraft.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ariel-blueprint-reality.html

Earth may have captured a stray 1960s-era rocket booster

Earth has captured a tiny object from its orbit around the sun and will keep it as a temporary satellite for a few months before it escapes back to a solar orbit. But the object is likely not an asteroid; it's probably the Centaur upper stage rocket booster that helped lift NASA's ill-fated Surveyor 2 spacecraft toward the moon in 1966.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-earth-captured-stray-1960s-era-rocket.html

Model comparison adds more value in simulating extreme temperatures in China

Against the background of global warming, more intense and frequent heat waves have brought huge impacts on society and the natural world. As such, the characteristics of extreme temperature changes in the future have become a key concern of the climate change community. Climate models have provided an avenue for studying the possible changes in extreme temperatures in the future. The World Climate Research Program (WCRP) established the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), which is devoted to providing standardized climate simulation outputs for intercomparison purposes. However, there are still large uncertainties in the simulation results of existing models. Particularly, when simulating temperature extremes in China, the differences between the models of the previous CMIP phase (CMIP5) and their more advanced versions in the current phase (CMIP6) is an important question.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-comparison-simulating-extreme-temperatures-china.html

How religion can hamper economic progress

Religion hampered the diffusion of knowledge and economic development in France during the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914), according to research by Mara Squicciarini of Bocconi University recently published in the American Economic Review.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-religion-hamper-economic.html

Scientists discover new family of quasiparticles in graphene-based materials

A group of researchers led by Sir Andre Geim and Dr. Alexey Berdyugin at The University of Manchester have discovered and characterized a new family of quasiparticles named 'Brown-Zak fermions' in graphene-based superlattices.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-family-quasiparticles-graphene-based-materials.html

Climate change worsening Australia's extreme weather: scientists

Climate change is already buffeting Australia with extreme bushfires, droughts and cyclones, and the fossil-fuel reliant country should brace for worse to come, according to the country's top science and weather agencies.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-climate-worsening-australia-extreme-weather.html

Pandemic hits Disney revenue, but streaming TV sees gains

Walt Disney Co. on Thursday reported a hefty loss in the just-ended quarter as the global pandemic hit its theme parks and cinema operations, but shares rose on gains in its new streaming television service.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-pandemic-disney-revenue-streaming-tv.html

Painstaking race against time to uncover Viking ship's secrets

Inch by inch, they gently pick through the soil in search of thousand-year-old relics. Racing against onsetting mould yet painstakingly meticulous, archaeologists in Norway are exhuming a rare Viking ship grave in hopes of uncovering the secrets within.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-painstaking-uncover-viking-ship-secrets.html

US airlines to end year with 90,000 fewer workers

Hit with a collapse of demand, US airlines will end the year with the lowest number of workers since at least 1987, 90,000 fewer than when Covid-19 hit, an industry federation said Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-airlines-year-workers.html

Twitter says flagged 300,000 'misleading' election tweets

Twitter labeled 300,000 tweets related to the US presidential election as "potentially misleading" in the two weeks surrounding the vote, making up 0.2 percent of election-related posts, the company said Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-twitter-flagged-election-tweets.html

Nissan's $95 million suit against Ghosn begins in Japan

Proceedings in a $95 million lawsuit brought by Japanese car giant Nissan against its former chairman Carlos Ghosn began Friday in a court near Tokyo.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-nissan-million-ghosn-japan.html

TikTok gets reprieve as US holds off on enforcing ban

The US government announced Thursday it would delay enforcement of a ban on TikTok, saying it would comply with a court order in favor of the Chinese-owned social media sensation.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tiktok-reprieve.html

Rain and dam discharge cause flooding in southern Mexico

Torrential rain from Hurricane Eta and water discharged from a dam that had reached capacity meant continued flooding in parts of the southern Mexican state of Tabasco Thursday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-discharge-southern-mexico.html

Pearls may provide new information processing options for biomedical, military innovations

Pearls have long been favored as objects of beauty. Now, Purdue University innovators are using the gem to provide potential new opportunities for spectral information processing that can be applied to spectroscopy in biomedical and military applications.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-pearls-options-biomedical-military.html

Novel insights on cellular suicide could provide new avenues for cancer therapies

When it comes to complex life—that of the multicellular variety—cell death can be just as important as survival. It allows organisms to clean house and prevent the proliferation of damaged cells that could compromise tissue function.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-insights-cellular-suicide-avenues-cancer.html

Boosting returns on e-commerce retargeting campaigns

Researchers from Nanjing University, Temple University, Fudan University, and Waseda University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the double-edged effects of ECR ads on customer purchases.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-boosting-e-commerce-retargeting-campaigns.html

Once-discounted binding mechanism may be key to targeting viruses

"Position 4" didn't seem important until researchers took a long look at a particular peptide.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-once-discounted-mechanism-key-viruses.html

Trump administration says still searching for TikTok resolution

President Donald Trump's administration said Wednesday it was still working to resolve its security concerns over Chinese-owned app TikTok after the firm sought to delay a deadline to sell its US operations.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-trump-administration-tiktok-resolution.html

New PlayStation hits market ready for battle with latest Xbox

Sony's PlayStation 5 went on sale Thursday, just two days after rival Microsoft released its newest Xbox, with the next-generation consoles vying for holiday season dominance as the pandemic boosts gaming demand.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-playstation-ready-latest-xbox.html

Rare Russian pink diamond sells for $27 million

A rare pink diamond derived from the biggest raw stone of the colour ever found in Russia was sold for $26.6 million on Wednesday at Sotheby's in Geneva.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-rare-russian-pink-diamond-million.html

Emirates airline posts first loss in more than 30 years

Dubai-based Emirates airline on Thursday posted a $3.4 billion half-year loss, its first in more than three decades, saying it had been badly hit by the coronavirus lockdown that brought air transport to "a literal standstill".

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-emirates-airline-loss-years.html

Online shopping surge could lead to holiday delivery delays

Retailers and carriers are preparing for an online holiday shopping surge that could tax shipping networks and lead to delivery delays.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-online-surge-holiday-delivery.html

Central Florida lands hub for Jetsons-like 'flying cars'

The nation's first regional hub for "flying cars" is being built in central Florida and once completed in five years, the vehicles will be able to take passengers from Orlando to Tampa in a half hour, officials said Wednesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-central-florida-hub-jetsons-like-cars.html

US nuclear lab partnering with utility to produce hydrogen

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded just under $14 million for an attempt to build a hydrogen-energy production facility at a nuclear power plant in Minnesota with the help of a nuclear research lab in Idaho.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-nuclear-lab-partnering-hydrogen.html

How to maximize the potential of marketing agility

Researchers from University of South Carolina, Singapore Management University, George Mason University, National University of Singapore, and University of Illinois—Chicago published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that combines the academic research and field interviews with managers to explicate the concept of marketing agility.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-maximize-potential-agility.html

Losing the American Dream

As many Americans struggle to pay their bills, keeping up with mortgage payments can be daunting with the risk of losing one's home. The challenges to retain a home are stratified along racial differences. Black homeowners are twice as likely to lose their homes and transition back to renting than white homeowners, according to a recent Dartmouth-led study published in Demography . African American owners exit their homes at a rate of 10 percent compared with whites' exit rate of five percent. These racial disparities in the loss of homeownership are due in part to Black homeowners having less access to wealth from extended family and higher rates of poverty across family networks.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-american.html

Virtual reality forests could help understanding of climate change

The effects of climate change are sometimes difficult to grasp, but now a virtual reality forest, created by geographers, can let people walk through a simulated forest of today and see what various futures may hold for the trees.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-virtual-reality-forests-climate.html

Learning pathways could guide children who miss best start to improved literacy by age 11

The early talk and communication that children experience when very young, though essential in preparing them for school, has no direct impact on their reading and writing skills by age 11, new research shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-pathways-children-literacy-age.html

Evolution favors new diseases of 'intermediate' severity

New epidemic diseases have an evolutionary advantage if they are of "intermediate" severity, research shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-evolution-favors-diseases-intermediate-severity.html

Future of business travel unclear as virus upends work life

For the lucrative business travel industry, Brian Contreras represents its worst fears.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-future-business-unclear-virus-upends.html

Destruction of murder hornets nest doesn't end threat

When scientists in Washington state destroyed the first nest of so-called murder hornets found in the U.S., they discovered about 500 live specimens in various stages of development, officials said Tuesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-destruction-hornets-doesnt-threat.html

Japan's Toshiba retreats from coal-fired power stations

Japanese engineering giant Toshiba will not build any more coal-fired power plants and will shift to renewable energy in a bid to reduce greenhouse emissions, the company's president said Wednesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-japan-toshiba-retreats-coal-fired-power.html

Lyft's results show pain but also hope as some riders return

Lyft is still feeling the pandemic's severe impact on the ride-hailing industry but its third-quarter results show signs of a recovery from the previous three months when passengers stayed locked down.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-lyft-results-pain-riders.html

Report sounds an alarm on ongoing decline of US coral reefs

A first of its kind assessment of coral reefs in U.S. waters is again sounding the alarm over the continued decline of these sensitive underwater ecosystems, which scientists deem essential to the health of the world's oceans amid the environmental effects posed by human activity and climate change.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-alarm-ongoing-decline-coral-reefs.html

Building your professional brand in a prestigious job

Researchers from HEC Montreal and York University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines how people who attain "prestigious" posts in high-profile organizations can manage their professional brands to promote career mobility.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-professional-brand-prestigious-job.html

New fossil seal species rewrites history

The discovery, published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, radically changes scientists' understanding of how seal species evolved around the world.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fossil-species-rewrites-history.html

Puzzled otters learn from each other

Asian short-clawed otters learn from each other when solving puzzles to get food, a new study shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-puzzled-otters.html

How hybrid electric and fuel aircraft could green air travel

With air traffic set to increase 5% every year until 2030, scientists are looking at how to make aeroplanes more sustainable. But with current batteries making electric aircraft far too heavy, hybrid fuel and electric models could point the way forward for greener air travel—and could become airborne within 15 years.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-hybrid-electric-fuel-aircraft-green.html

Cloud shapes and formations impact global warming – but we still don't understand them

Above the Atlantic Ocean, puffy white clouds scud across the sky buffeted by invisible trade winds. They are not 'particularly big, impressive or extended," says Dr. Sandrine Bony, a climatologist and research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. "But they are the most ubiquitous clouds on Earth."

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cloud-formations-impact-global-dont.html

Why COVID-era campaigns against wildmeat consumption aren't working

COVID-19 probably originated as a virus that jumped from wild animals to humans. So some conservation organisations have used the pandemic to campaign against the hunting and consumption of wildlife—and so to prevent future zoonotic disease transmission.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-covid-era-campaigns-wildmeat-consumption.html

Catching the number 1: Aberdeen trials hydrogen buses

The Scottish city of Aberdeen enjoyed a boom after the discovery of oil in the North Sea in the 1960s, propelling it to a central role in the industry.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-aberdeen-trials-hydrogen-buses.html

Big Tech welcomes Biden presidency, but battles loom

Silicon Valley is welcoming the election of Joe Biden as US president even as it girds for a series of battles over tech policy in Washington.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-big-tech-biden-loom.html

Tropical Storm Eta floods already drenched Florida cities

A deluge of rain from Tropical Storm Eta caused flooding Monday across South Florida's most densely populated urban areas, stranding cars, flooding businesses, and swamping entire neighborhoods with fast-rising water that had no place to drain.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-tropical-storm-eta-drenched-florida.html

New Xbox hits stores, launching holiday season console war

Microsoft's new Xbox console hit stores worldwide Tuesday, kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model, as the coronavirus pandemic creates unprecedented gaming demand around the world.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-xbox-holiday-season-console-war.html

China gears up for world's largest online shopping festival

Chinese consumers are expected to spend tens of billions on everything from fresh food to luxury goods during this year's Singles' Day online shopping festival, as the country recovers from the pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-china-gears-world-largest-online.html

Electrifying growth of renewables despite pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic may have dealt a blow to energy demand but growth of renewables in the electric power sector has continued at a record pace, an IEA report said Tuesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-electrifying-growth-renewables-pandemic.html

EU agrees on tighter rules for surveillance tech exports

The European Union on Monday agreed to tighten up rules for the sale and export of cybersurveillance technology.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-eu-tighter-surveillance-tech-exports.html

Do consumers enjoy events more when commenting on them?

Researchers from Rutgers University and New York University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that explores the phenomenon of user-generated content during experiences.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-consumers-events-commenting.html

Researchers identify new Rickettsia species in dogs

Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified a new species of Rickettsia bacteria that may cause significant disease in dogs and humans. This new yet unnamed species, initially identified in three dogs, is part of the spotted-fever group Rickettsia which includes Rickettsia rickettsii, the bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF).

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-rickettsia-species-dogs.html

Researchers develop DNA approach to forecast ecosystem changes

When wolves returned to Yellowstone in 1995, no one imagined the predators would literally change the course of rivers in the national park through cascading effects on other animals and plants. Now, a Stanford University-developed approach holds the promise of forecasting such ecosystem changes as certain species become more prevalent or vanish altogether.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-dna-approach-ecosystem.html

Microbe 'rewiring' technique promises a boom in biomanufacturing

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have achieved unprecedented success in modifying a microbe to efficiently produce a compound of interest using a computational model and CRISPR-based gene editing.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-microbe-rewiring-technique-boom-biomanufacturing.html

iPhone contractor in China admits student labor law contraventions

A Taiwan company crucial for the production of iPhones for tech giant Apple admitted Monday that working conditions for some students employed at a factory in China contravened agreed labor terms.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-iphone-contractor-china-student-labor.html

Scientists unravel how and why Amazon trees die

The capacity of the Amazon forest to store carbon in a changing climate will ultimately be determined by how fast trees die—and what kills them. Now, a huge new study has unravelled what factors control tree mortality rates in Amazon forests and helps to explain why tree mortality is increasing across the Amazon basin.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-unravel-amazon-trees-die.html

Virgin's Hyperloop carries passengers for the first time

The Virgin Hyperloop made its first journey carrying passengers Sunday, in a test the company claimed represented a major step forward for the "groundbreaking" technology capable of transporting people at 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) an hour.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-virgin-hyperloop-passengers.html

Already flooded, South Florida feeling wrath of Eta

Beaches and coronavirus testing sites were closed, public transportation shut down and some evacuations in place early Monday after Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys, bringing heavy rains to already flooded city streets after leaving scores of dead and over 100 missing in Mexico and Central America.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-south-florida-wrath-eta.html

Do spoilers harm movie box-office revenue?

Researchers from Western University and University of Houston published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines whether spoiler movie reviews harm box office revenue.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-spoilers-movie-box-office-revenue.html

Scientists create hybrid tissue construct for cartilage regeneration

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine scientists (WFIRM) have developed a method to bioprint a type of cartilage that could someday help restore knee function damaged by arthritis or injury.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-hybrid-tissue-cartilage-regeneration.html

Eta hits Cuba with strong winds, rain

Tropical storm Eta brought strong winds and torrential rain to Cuba on Sunday after having earlier cut a destructive and deadly path through parts of Central America and southern Mexico.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-eta-cuba-strong.html

Earthquake felt in Massachusetts, Rhode Island

An earthquake struck southern New England on Sunday morning but there were no immediate reports of damage.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-earthquake-felt-massachusetts-rhode-island.html

Astronauts head to launch site for SpaceX's 2nd crew flight

Four astronauts headed to Kennedy Space Center on Sunday for SpaceX's second crew launch, coming up next weekend.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-astronauts-site-spacex-2nd-crew.html

Virtual gold? Bitcoin's rise sparks new debate amid pandemic

Bitcoin's rally above $15,000 has reignited debate over whether the cryptocurrency is so-called digital gold or a perilously risky bet as investors grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-virtual-gold-bitcoin-debate-pandemic.html

Storm Eta death tolls rise in Mexico, Honduras

Torrential rain and a bitter cold front linked to storm system Eta have claimed at least 20 lives in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, officials said Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-storm-eta-death-tolls-mexico.html

Apps win, labor frets after Uber-led 'gig worker' measure passes

A victory for the "gig economy" in California is likely to echo across the US, in a boon for app-based services while igniting fear that big business is rewriting labor laws.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-apps-labor-frets-uber-led-gig.html

3 quakes shake Alaska's largest city, but no damage reports

Three earthquakes early Saturday morning shook Alaska's largest city, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-quakes-alaska-largest-city.html

Storm Eta leaves 150 dead or missing in Guatemala

About 150 people have died or remain unaccounted for in Guatemala due to mudslides caused by powerful storm Eta, which devastated an indigenous village in the country's north, President Alejandro Giammattei said Friday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-storm-eta-dead-guatemala.html

How cell processes round up and dump damaged proteins

In a new paper with results that senior author Eric Strieter at the University of Massachusetts Amherst calls "incredibly surprising," he and his chemistry lab group report that they have discovered how an enzyme known as UCH37 regulates a cell's waste management system.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cell-dump-proteins.html

Mystery of glacial lake floods solved

A long-standing mystery in the study of glaciers was recently —- and serendipitously—solved by a team led by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa astrobiologist and earth scientist Eric Gaidos. Their findings were published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mystery-glacial-lake.html

Migration and molt affect how birds change their colors

In late summer and autumn, millions of birds fly above our heads, often at night, winging their way toward their wintering grounds.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-migration-molt-affect-birds.html

Study projects more rainfall in Florida during flooding season

A new study by researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science projects an increase in Florida's late summertime rainfall with rising Atlantic Ocean temperatures.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-rainfall-florida-season.html

Why consumers think pretty food is healthier

A researcher from University of Southern California published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that explores whether attractive food might seem healthier to consumers. The study forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing is titled "Pretty Healthy Food: How and When Aesthetics Enhance Perceived Healthiness" and is authored by Linda Hagen.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-consumers-pretty-food-healthier.html

Sol 2931: Mars Hand Lens Imager instrument acquires image

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm, on November 3, 2020, Sol 2931 of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission, at 15:21:13 UTC.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-sol-mars-lens-imager-instrument.html

Has the hidden matter of the universe been discovered?

Astrophysicists consider that around 40% of the ordinary matter that makes up stars, planets and galaxies remains undetected, concealed in the form of a hot gas in the complex cosmic web. Today, scientists at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (CNRS/Université Paris-Saclay) may have detected, for the first time, this hidden matter through an innovative statistical analysis of 20-year-old data. Their findings are published on November 6, 2020 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-hidden-universe.html

Researchers find material ultra-sensitive to light for use in optical computers

ITMO researchers have discovered a material that is ultra-sensitive to light. Moreover, they were able to identify a parameter that will help find other structures with high refractive coefficients. This discovery will bring us a step closer to developing compact and efficient elements for optical computers—lasers, chips, and sensors. The research is published in Nanophotonics.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-material-ultra-sensitive-optical.html

Anti-hacking based on the circular polarization direction of light

The Internet of Things (IoT) allowing smart phones, home appliances, drones and self-driving vehicles to exchange digital information in real time requires a powerful security solution, as it can have a direct impact on user safety and assets. A solution for IoT security that has been is a physical unclonable function (PUF) that can supplement software-based key security vulnerable to various attack or physical attack.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-anti-hacking-based-circular-polarization.html

Decrease in fossil-fuel carbon dioxide emissions due to COVID-19 detected by atmospheric observations

Atmospheric observations at Hateruma Island, Japan, successfully detected the decrease in fossil-fuel CO2 emissions in China associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. The weather in Hateruma island is frequently influenced by the northwest monsoon traveling over China, which carries the emission signals of air pollutants. The observed ratios of CO2 and CH4 variabilities showed a significant decrease during February-March 2020, corresponding to about a 30% decrease in China's fossil-fuel CO2 emissions, according to a chemistry-transport model simulation.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-decrease-fossil-fuel-carbon-dioxide-emissions.html

Singapore Airlines suffers record loss as virus hits aviation

Singapore Airlines on Friday reported a record net loss for its fiscal second quarter as the carrier continued to reel from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global air travel.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-singapore-airlines-loss-virus-aviation.html

Rich nations fall short on climate finance pledge

Wealthy countries are falling short on a decade-old promise come due to ramp up climate finance for the developing world, according to a semi-official report released Friday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-rich-nations-fall-short-climate.html

Scientists and students publish blueprints for a cheaper single-molecule microscope

A team of scientists and students from the University of Sheffield has designed and built a specialist microscope, and shared the build instructions to help make this equipment available to many labs across the world.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-students-publish-blueprints-cheaper.html

Climate change and food demand could shrink species' habitats by almost a quarter by 2100

Mammals, birds and amphibians worldwide have lost on average 18% of their natural habitat range as a result of changes in land use and climate change, a new study has found. In a worst-case scenario this loss could increase to 23% over the next 80 years.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-climate-food-demand-species-habitats.html

TikTok owner ByteDance eyes asset listings in Hong Kong: report

ByteDance, the Chinese parent of viral video platform TikTok, is in talks to raise $2 billion from investors before a possible listing of some of its businesses in Hong Kong, according to a report.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tiktok-owner-bytedance-eyes-asset.html

Ancient skeleton find in Germany offers clues on prehistoric era

German researchers are piecing together the life of a prehistoric woman who died more than 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic period, after her skeleton was found during excavation works for wind turbines.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ancient-skeleton-germany-clues-prehistoric.html

Could PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X be swansong for consoles?

The upcoming release of a ninth generation of video game consoles by Sony and Microsoft is set to be a sales slam dunk with consumers seeking entertainment during pandemic confinement, but could it also be their swansong as the habits of gamers change?

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-playstation-xbox-series-swansong-consoles.html

Indonesians collect old phones to help students get online

When a garbage collector came to Ghina Ghaliya's house in the Indonesian capital and asked if she had an old mobile phone his children could use to access the internet, it sparked an idea for a broader campaign to help students stuck at home by the coronavirus.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-indonesians-students-online.html

Eta back to sea as Central America tallies damages and dead

As the remnants of Hurricane Eta moved back over Caribbean waters, governments in Central America worked to tally the displaced and dead, and recover bodies from landslides and flooding that claimed dozens of lives from Guatemala to Panama.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-eta-sea-central-america-tallies.html

Uber's food delivery business outshines core rides service

Uber's food delivery business brought in more money during the third quarter than its signature rides business, showing just how much consumer behavior has changed—and how far the company has adapted—since the pandemic struck.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-uber-food-delivery-business-outshines.html

WhatsApp takes on Google, Alibaba in India's phone payment battle

WhatsApp on Friday entered an increasingly tense battle between multinational giants such as Google and Alibaba for a chunk of India's fast growing digital payments market.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-whatsapp-google-alibaba-india-payment.html

Diversity, streaming reshape video games for a new generation

In the quarter of a century since Sony launched the groundbreaking PlayStation, video games have exploded into the biggest form of entertainment in the world, and analysts say the growing diversity of billions of players is reshaping the industry.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-diversity-streaming-reshape-video-games.html

Toyota ramps up full-year forecasts as sales recover

Toyota on Friday almost doubled its full-year forecasts, saying sales and production were recovering quickly from the coronavirus pandemic, which has shredded the global auto market this year.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-toyota-ramps-full-year-sales-recover.html

Court orders FDA to assess environmental impact of GM salmon

A federal court judge ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to conduct an environmental assessment of genetically modified salmon that he said was required for the agency's approval of the fish.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-court-fda-environmental-impact-gm.html

Virgin Galactic plans 1st New Mexico space launch this month

Virgin Galactic said Thursday that it expects to launch its first manned test flight into space from New Mexico this month.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-virgin-galactic-1st-mexico-space.html

Plastics and rising carbon dioxide levels could pose combined threat to marine environment

The combined environmental threat of plastic pollution and ocean acidification are having significant impacts on species living in our oceans, according to new research.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-plastics-carbon-dioxide-pose-combined.html

Game 'pre-bunks' political misinformation by letting players undermine democracy

A short online game in which players are recruited as a "Chief Disinformation Officer", using tactics such as trolling to sabotage elections in a peaceful town, has been shown to reduce susceptibility to political misinformation in its users.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-game-pre-bunks-political-misinformation-players.html

The burning question of Bonfire Night pollution

Bonfire Night celebrations contaminate our air with hugely elevated amounts of soot, scientists have found.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-bonfire-night-pollution.html

Price, date, games... PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X

Sony and Microsoft are in a game consoles rematch with both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launching next week with well-studied playbooks of dates, technical specs and games aimed at luring buyers.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-price-date-games-playstation-xbox.html

A video games timeline: from Pong to the console wars

Video games have come a long way since the first rudimentary arcade machines emerged in the 1970s with offerings such as "Pong", "Pacman" and "Space Invaders".

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-video-games-timeline-pong-console.html

With PlayStation 5 launch, Sony needs a high score

Sony launches its PlayStation 5 console next week angling for a mega-hit, and with the Japanese firm increasingly dependent on the lucrative gaming sector there is little room for error.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-playstation-sony-high-score.html

Ant Group fiasco reflects battle for China's financial soul

China's last-minute abandonment of Ant Group's record-breaking IPO stems from an intensifying battle for the soul of the nation's financial system that the fintech giant and its charismatic leader Jack Ma helped to ignite.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-ant-group-fiasco-china-financial.html

Eta brings heavy rains, deadly mudslides to Honduras

Eta moved into Honduras on Wednesday as a weakened tropical depression but still bringing the heavy rains that have drenched and caused deadly landslides in the country's east and in northern Nicaragua.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-eta-heavy-deadly-mudslides-honduras.html

Eradicating black rats on Palmyra Atoll uncovers eye-opening indirect effects

The black rats weren't supposed to be there, on Palmyra Atoll. Likely arriving at the remote Pacific islet network as stowaways with the U.S. Navy during World War II, the rodents, with no natural predators, simply took over. Omnivorous eating machines, they dined on seabird eggs, native crabs and whatever seed and seedling they could find.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-eradicating-black-rats-palmyra-atoll.html

Why big-box chains' embrace of in-store click-and collect leaves money on the table

Researchers from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Tilburg University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that explores the rise of click-and-collect services and examines their most appropriate settings.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-big-box-chains-embrace-in-store-click-and.html

Hydrogen bonds may be key to airborne dicamba

Dicamba has been the subject of lawsuits across the country, with landowners contending the herbicide, when used by neighboring growers, has blown onto their property, killing valuable non-resistant crops.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-hydrogen-bonds-key-airborne-dicamba.html

Turning up the heat on molten salt valves

Sandia National Laboratories is partnering with Flowserve Corp. and Kairos Power LLC on a $2.5 million, three-year Department of Energy Advanced Valve Project grant to lower the cost and boost the efficiency of concentrating solar power in the U.S.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-molten-salt-valves.html

The first duckbill dinosaur fossil from Africa hints at how dinosaurs once crossed oceans

The first fossils of a duckbilled dinosaur have been discovered in Africa, suggesting dinosaurs crossed hundreds of kilometres of open water to get there.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-duckbill-dinosaur-fossil-africa-hints.html

New research traces the origins of trench fever

First observed among British Expeditionary Forces in 1915, trench fever sickened an estimated 500,000 soldiers during World War I. Since then, the disease has become synonymous with the battlefield. But now, new research from an international team of scientists has uncovered evidence challenging this long-held belief.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-trench-fever.html

The biggest trees capture the most carbon: Large trees dominate carbon storage in forests

Older, large-diameter trees have been shown to store disproportionally massive amounts of carbon compared to smaller trees, highlighting their importance in mitigating climate change, according to a new study in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. Researchers examined the aboveground carbon storage of large-diameter trees (>21 inches or >53.3 cm) on National Forest lands within Oregon and Washington. They found that despite only accounting for 3% of the total number of trees on the studied plots, large trees stored 42% of the total above-ground carbon within these forest ecosystems. This study is among the first of its kind to report how a proposed policy could affect carbon storage in forest ecosystems, potentially weakening protections for large-diameter trees and contributing to huge releases of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in the face of a changing climate.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-biggest-trees-capture-carbon-large.html

Lufthansa braces for 'challenging' winter on 2 bn euro loss

German flag carrier Lufthansa on Thursday posted a third quarter net loss of 2.0 billion euros as it prepares for a "hard and challenging" winter amid lockdowns to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-lufthansa-braces-winter-bn-euro.html

Nintendo net profit rockets 243.6% in first half, forecasts revised up

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo said Thursday its first-half net profit soared 243.6 percent on-year as it upgraded its full-year sales and profit forecasts, with coronavirus lockdowns driving extraordinary demand.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-nintendo-net-profit-rockets.html

Hurricane Eta lashes Nicaragua with rains, deadly mudslides

Hurricane Eta continues to spin across northern Nicaragua after lashing the country's Caribbean coast for much of Tuesday, isolating already remote communities and setting off deadly landslides in two countries that killed at least three people.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-hurricane-eta-lashes-nicaragua-deadly.html

Ant Group's shock IPO suspension hammers Alibaba shares

China's shock, last–minute decision to suspend the record-breaking IPO of fintech giant Ant Group hammered shares of founder Jack Ma's e-commerce titan Alibaba on Wednesday and left investors reeling.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-ant-group-ipo-suspension-alibaba.html

Jack Ma: ebullient billionaire and totem of China's rise

Jack Ma, the ebullient and unconventional billionaire founder of tech giant Alibaba, now finds himself battling the ignominy of having the world's biggest-ever IPO halted days before its launch by Chinese regulators.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-jack-ma-ebullient-billionaire-totem.html

Uber-backed gig worker initiative wins in California: US media

California voters put the brakes Tuesday on a state law forcing ride share firms like Uber and Lyft to treat their drivers as employees, instead of independent contractors.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-uber-backed-gig-worker-california-media.html

How asymmetrical alliances impact firm performance and risk

Researchers from University of Georgia, University of South Carolina, and University of Arkansas published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that analyzes how asymmetries in pre-alliance network ties between a firm and its alliance partner affect the focal firm's financial performance and financial performance uncertainty.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-asymmetrical-alliances-impact-firm.html

Do small gifts to donors increase charity appeal ROI?

Researchers from John Carroll University and University of Kansas published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that investigates how recipients respond to charities' pre-giving incentives to determine if they are worth the investment.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-small-gifts-donors-charity-appeal.html

Lion genetics study uncovers major consequences of habitat fragmentation

Over the course of only a century, humanity has made an observable impact on the genetic diversity of the lion population. That's the conclusion of a recently published study by Drs. Caitlin Curry and James Derr from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-lion-genetics-uncovers-major-consequences.html

Tel Aviv University builds and plans to launch a small satellite into orbit

The TAU-SAT1 nanosatellite, approximately the size of a shoebox, is currently undergoing pre-flight testing at the Japanese space agency JAXA prior to a planned launch by NASA in the first quarter of 2021. TAU-SAT1 was entirely devised, developed, assembled, and tested at Tel Aviv University's Nanosatellite Center, an interdisciplinary endeavor of the University's Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, and Porter School of Environmental Studies.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-tel-aviv-university-small-satellite.html

Leaf-cutter bees as plastic recyclers? Not a good idea, say scientists

Plastic has become ubiquitous in modern life and its accumulation as waste in the environment is sounding warning bells for the health of humans and wildlife. In a recent study, Utah State University scientist Janice Brahney cited alarming amounts of microplastics in the nation's national parks and wilderness areas.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-leaf-cutter-bees-plastic-recyclers-good.html

3-D print experts discover how to make tomorrow's technology using ink-jet printed graphene

The University of Nottingham has cracked the conundrum of how to use inks to 3-D-print novel electronic devices with useful properties, such as an ability to convert light into electricity.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-d-experts-tomorrow-technology-ink-jet.html

'Helper' ambrosia beetles share reproduction with their mother

Fungus farming is a fascinating symbiosis that has evolved multiple times in social insects: once in ants, once in termites, and several times in weevils (beetles) from the subfamilies Scolytinae and Platypodinae. The behavior of these "ambrosia beetles"—over 3,000 species—is poorly known, because they live inside galleries in wood, making observation hard. Here, a study focuses for the first time on the division of labor within colonies of ambrosia beetles. The author shows that in Xyleborus affinis, unlike in ants and termites, social behavior such as brood and fungus care is mostly by fertile "helper" females who reproduce alongside their mother, the colony foundress. He also shows that a specialized fungus in the genus Raffaelea is probably the only food source for the larvae.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-helper-ambrosia-beetles-reproduction-mother.html

Death from below: the first video of a parasitic wasp attacking caterpillar underwater

A very few species of parasitoid wasps can be considered aquatic. Less than 0.1% of the species we know today have been found to enter the water, while searching for potential hosts or living as endoparasitoids inside of aquatic hosts during their larval stage.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-death-video-parasitic-wasp-caterpillar.html

Intensive lab experiences and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

For students studying ecology and evolution, it's important to experience the processes and concepts they are learning about nature in nature. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, field-based courses rapidly transitioned to online only delivery. An article published in Ecology and Evolution discusses the potential advantages of pairing an intensive lab experience with an otherwise online delivery.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-intensive-lab-online-covid-pandemic.html

Goby fins have fingertip touch sensitivity

Groping around in your bag for your keys can be a daily ordeal. I'm not going to list the catalogue of junk in my bag, but I can distinguish every article by touch. Our fingertips are exquisitely engineered, deftly detecting the differences between surfaces and shapes, but we are not the only animals that touch objects. 'A whole host of fishes contact the bottom of bodies of water, plants or other animals using their fins', says Adam Hardy from The University of Chicago, U.S., leading Hardy and his graduate advisor, Melina Hale, to wonder whether fish may also be able to feel surface differences with their fins. The duo publish their discovery that goby fins are as touch sensitive as primate finger tips in Journal of Experimental Biology.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-goby-fins-fingertip-sensitivity.html

Dutch government backs KLM bailout after pilots agree to pay cut

The Dutch government on Tuesday approved a multi-billion-euro coronavirus bailout for struggling airline KLM after pilots agreed a five-year pay cut deal.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-dutch-klm-bailout.html

The surprising strength of liquid crystals

Dendrites are the destructive by-products of the cycle of charging and discharging lithium ion batteries. These tiny deposits form between the battery's anode and cathode, building up over time. Inevitably, they diminish battery life. More problematic is their risk of causing the battery to burst into flames. In the quest for safer and longer lasting batteries—especially for electric cars, trucks, and planes—researchers continue to explore methods to suppress the formation of dendrites.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-strength-liquid-crystals.html

Twitter board backs chief Jack Dorsey after ouster bid

Twitter's board on Monday said Jack Dorsey will remain chief after a management review prompted by an activist investor's effort to push him out of the job.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-twitter-board-chief-jack-dorsey.html

Sri Lanka rescues 120 whales after mass stranding

Sri Lanka's navy and volunteers rescued 120 pilot whales stranded in the country's biggest mass beaching, but at least two injured animals were found dead, officials said.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-sri-lanka-whales-mass-stranding.html

China's Ant Group facing regulatory pressure ahead of record IPO

Fintech giant Ant Group is facing growing Chinese pressure over potential risks in its online lending business, with co-founder Jack Ma and other executives summoned to an unusual meeting with regulators just ahead of its record-breaking IPO this week.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-china-ant-group-regulatory-pressure.html

Tunisian startup 3-D prints solar-powered bionic hands

A Tunisian startup is developing a 3-D-printed bionic hand, hoping the affordable and solar-powered prosthetic will help amputees and other disabled people across Africa.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-tunisian-startup-d-solar-powered-bionic.html

Not forever: world's biggest pink diamond mine closes

The world's largest pink diamond mine has shut its doors after exhausting its reserves of the expensive gems, global mining giant Rio Tinto said Tuesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-world-biggest-pink-diamond.html

Cat 4 Hurricane Eta threatens flooding in Central America

Hurricane Eta erupted quickly into a potentially catastrophic major hurricane Monday as it headed for Central America, where forecasters warned of massive flooding and landslides across a vulnerable region.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-cat-hurricane-eta-threatens-central.html

Walmart abandons shelf-scanning robots, lets humans do work

Walmart is laying off the robots it had deployed in about 500 stores to keep tabs on what's on and not on the shelves.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-walmart-abandons-shelf-scanning-robots-humans.html

Lizard skull fossil is new and 'perplexing' extinct species

In 2017, while browsing the fossil collections of Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History, University of Texas at Austin graduate student Simon Scarpetta came across a small lizard skull, just under an inch long.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-lizard-skull-fossil-perplexing-extinct.html

Two centuries of Monarch butterflies show evolution of wing length

North America's beloved Monarch butterflies are known for their annual, multi-generation migrations in which individual insects can fly for thousands of miles. But Monarchs have also settled in some locations where their favorite food plants grow year round, so they no longer need to migrate.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-centuries-monarch-butterflies-evolution-wing.html

Self-watering soil could transform farming

A new type of soil created by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of growing droughts.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-self-watering-soil-farming.html

Biologists shed light on mystery of how microbes evolve and affect hosts

The era of COVID-19 and the need to constantly wash one's hands and sanitize things have brought microbes to new levels of scrutiny, particularly for their impact on an individual's health.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-biologists-mystery-microbes-evolve-affect.html

New protein nanobioreactor designed to improve sustainable bioenergy production

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have unlocked new possibilities for the future development of sustainable, clean bioenergy. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows how bacterial protein 'cages' can be reprogrammed as nanoscale bioreactors for hydrogen production.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-protein-nanobioreactor-sustainable-bioenergy-production.html

Short-term moisture removal can eliminate downy mildew of spinach

Downy mildew is the biggest threat to spinach production around the world. While the pathogen has a short life cycle (approximately a week), it can produce millions of spores during the spinach growing season. Overhead sprinkler irrigation systems and dew formation on cool nights leads to more moisture, which enables these spores to infect the spinach.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-short-term-moisture-downy-mildew-spinach.html

Scientists pinpoint possible reasons for successful cross-species viral spread

Infectious disease emergence is often the result of a pathogen entering a new host species, as highlighted by COVID-19. However, most cross-species transmissions fail to establish in the newly- infected species.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-successful-cross-species-viral.html

Building European cities with wood would sequester and store half of cement industry's current carbon emissions

Buildings create a whopping one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions—that's about 10 times more than air traffic worldwide. In Europe alone, about 190 million square meters of housing space are built each year, mainly in the cities, and the amount is growing quickly at the rate of nearly 1% a year.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-european-cities-wood-sequester-cement.html

Next-gen astronomical survey makes its first observations toward a new understanding of the cosmos

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey's fifth generation collected its very first observations of the cosmos at 1:47 a.m. on October 24, 2020. This groundbreaking all-sky survey will bolster our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies—including our own Milky Way—and the supermassive black holes that lurk at their centers.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-next-gen-astronomical-survey-cosmos.html

Researchers achieve fused silica with high damage threshold by combing chemical etching and laser polishing

Laser damage in fused silica, particularly ultraviolet laser damage, is still a key problem limiting the development of high-power laser systems. The traditional processing method of fused silica goes through the processes of grinding and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). This method is time-consuming to achieve an ultra-smooth surface, and is easy to cause surface and sub-surface defects, resulting in a significant reduction in the surface damage threshold of the fused silica.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fused-silica-high-threshold-chemical.html

The efficiency of migratory birds' flight formations

Migratory birds flying south provide an impressive example of cooperative behavior that saves power and energy. In the past, it was impossible for scientists to study this phenomenon in a natural environment. Researchers who guided young northern bald ibises to their wintering grounds have now succeeded for the first time in obtaining a comprehensive data set. A better understanding of this behavior is also of fundamental importance in respect of climate change.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-efficiency-migratory-birds-flight-formations.html

Team develops cost-efficient and high-resolution multi-spectral camera

A team of researchers at the Chair of Multimedia Communications and Signal Processing at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has developed an intelligent camera that achieves not only high spatial and temporal but also spectral resolution. The camera has a wide range of applications that can improve environmental protection and resource conservation measures as well as autonomous driving or modern agriculture. The findings of the research have been publishedas an open access publication.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-team-cost-efficient-high-resolution-multi-spectral-camera.html

Researchers discover mechanism that allows non-coding RNA to amplify protein production

Scientists from an international group led by the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences and Yokohama City University have discovered that a pair of proteins play a key role in allowing an important type of functional non-coding RNA, known as SINEUPs, to act to promote their target messenger RNA. SINEUPs are a recently discovered type of RNA that work specifically to amplify the production of proteins by messenger RNAs, and hence could be important for developing therapeutics for diseases where a certain protein is insufficiently synthesized.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-mechanism-non-coding-rna-amplify-protein.html

Analysis of a Martian meteorite reveals evidence of water 4.4 billion years ago

A meteorite that originated on Mars billions of years ago reveals details of ancient impact events on the red planet. Certain minerals from the Martian crust in the meteorite are oxidized, suggesting the presence of water during the impact that created the meteorite. The finding helps to fill some gaps in knowledge about the role of water in planet formation.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-analysis-martian-meteorite-reveals-evidence.html

Ransomware surge imperils hospitals as pandemic intensifies

Hackers are stepping up attacks on health care systems with ransomware in the United States and other countries, creating new risks for medical care as the global coronavirus pandemic accelerates.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-ransomware-surge-imperils-hospitals-pandemic.html

Super typhoon batters Philippines; 1 million in shelters

A super typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines with ferocious winds early Sunday, knocking down power in several towns and prompting the evacuation of about a million people in its likely path, including in the capital, Manila, where the main airport was shut down.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-super-typhoon-batters-philippines-million.html

Millions online, 6,000 live see Koreans win top eSports title

More than 6,000 mostly young spectators watched at a Shanghai stadium and millions tuned in online to see Damwon Gaming win the League of Legends world championship on Saturday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-millions-online-koreans-esports-title.html

Real-world politics invade video games ahead of US election

Fans of US President Donald Trump can insert his character in some video games, even protect him from assassination in notoriously lawless Grand Theft Auto.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-real-world-politics-invade-video-games.html

Space station marking 20 years of people living in orbit

The International Space Station was a cramped, humid, puny three rooms when the first crew moved in. Twenty years and 241 visitors later, the complex has a lookout tower, three toilets, six sleeping compartments and 12 rooms, depending on how you count.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-11-space-station-years-people-orbit.html

KLM 3.4bn bailout in crisis as unions refuse paycut plan

The Dutch government on Saturday suspended plans to help beleaguered national carrier KLM with a multi-billion-euro bailout package after unions declined to sign a deal involving a five-year pay-cut plan.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-klm-34bn-bailout-crisis-unions.html