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