Smoggier skies, lower scores? A Brazilian study examines the effects of air pollution on students' cognitive performance

A new study published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists looks at the causal relationship between outdoor air pollution levels on nationwide university entry examination day and students' cognitive performance in Brazil.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-smoggier-scores-brazilian-effects-air.html

Highly porous rocks are responsible for asteroid Bennu's surprisingly craggy surface

Scientists thought asteroid Bennu's surface would be like a sandy beach, abundant in fine sand and pebbles, which would have been perfect for collecting samples. Past telescope observations from Earth's orbit had suggested the presence of large swaths of fine-grain material called fine regolith that's smaller than a few centimeters.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-highly-porous-responsible-asteroid-bennu.html

Newly available GPS data helps scientists better understand ionosphere

A new data source to help scientists better understand the ionosphere and its potential impact on communications and positioning, navigation, and timing—an essential utility for many critical operations—is now available to the public. The data, which was collected by sensors on GPS satellites in 2018, was released today through a collaborative effort by Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-newly-gps-scientists-ionosphere.html

Researchers reach quantum networking milestone in real-world environment

A team from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Stanford University and Purdue University developed and demonstrated a novel, fully functional quantum local area network, or QLAN, to enable real-time adjustments to information shared with geographically isolated systems at ORNL using entangled photons passing through optical fiber.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-quantum-networking-milestone-real-world-environment.html

From the sky, Coast Guard monitors movement of California oil spill

It was nearly 2 p.m. Tuesday when the Alenia C-27J Spartan, a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, began its flight along the Orange County coast.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-sky-coast-movement-california-oil.html

Dismayed by oil spill, some in Huntington Beach say it's time to end offshore drilling

A large yellow bulldozer pushed a mound of sand toward the mouth of the Huntington Beach Channel, creating a barrier that would hopefully slow the amount of oil that was floating up to the nearby wetlands.

Smoggier skies, lower scores? A Brazilian study examines the effects of air pollution on students' cognitive performance

A new study published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists looks at the causal relationship between outdoor air pollution levels on nationwide university entry examination day and students' cognitive performance in Brazil.

Highly porous rocks are responsible for asteroid Bennu's surprisingly craggy surface

Scientists thought asteroid Bennu's surface would be like a sandy beach, abundant in fine sand and pebbles, which would have been perfect for collecting samples. Past telescope observations from Earth's orbit had suggested the presence of large swaths of fine-grain material called fine regolith that's smaller than a few centimeters.

Newly available GPS data helps scientists better understand ionosphere

A new data source to help scientists better understand the ionosphere and its potential impact on communications and positioning, navigation, and timing—an essential utility for many critical operations—is now available to the public. The data, which was collected by sensors on GPS satellites in 2018, was released today through a collaborative effort by Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Researchers reach quantum networking milestone in real-world environment

A team from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Stanford University and Purdue University developed and demonstrated a novel, fully functional quantum local area network, or QLAN, to enable real-time adjustments to information shared with geographically isolated systems at ORNL using entangled photons passing through optical fiber.

Getting up to speed on the proton

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking theory for calculating what's happening inside a proton traveling at the speed of light.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-proton.html

Novel quantum effect discovered in naturally occurring graphene

Usually, the electrical resistance of a material depends very much on its physical dimensions and fundamental properties. Under special circumstances, however, this resistance can adopt a fixed value that is independent of the basic material properties and "quantised" (meaning that it changes in discrete steps rather than continuously). This quantisation of electrical resistance normally occurs within strong magnetic fields and at very low temperatures when electrons move in a two-dimensional fashion. Now, a research team led by the University of Göttingen has succeeded in demonstrating this effect at low temperatures in the almost complete absence of a magnetic field in naturally occurring double-layer graphene, which is just two atoms thick. The results of the study have been published in Nature.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-quantum-effect-naturally-graphene.html

Genetic analysis reveals differences in mate choice between wild and hatchery coho salmon

A new study of the genetic profiles of wild and hatchery coho salmon demonstrates important distinctions in how the two types of fish form mating pairs.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-genetic-analysis-reveals-differences-choice.html

Bacteria enters through natural openings at edges of corn leaves to cause Goss's wilt

Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight is one of the most damaging diseases affecting corn. The most effective way to control this disease is to plant corn varieties that are resistant to the disease. In other words, growers avoid the disease by growing certain varieties of corn. In part, this is the easiest method because scientists don't yet know much about Goss's wilt.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-bacteria-natural-edges-corn-goss.html

LEONARDO, the bipedal robot, can ride a skateboard and walk a slackline

Researchers at Caltech have built a bipedal robot that combines walking with flying to create a new type of locomotion, making it exceptionally nimble and capable of complex movements.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-leonardo-bipedal-robot-skateboard-slackline.html

From the sky, Coast Guard monitors movement of California oil spill

It was nearly 2 p.m. Tuesday when the Alenia C-27J Spartan, a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, began its flight along the Orange County coast.

Getting up to speed on the proton

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking theory for calculating what's happening inside a proton traveling at the speed of light.

Novel quantum effect discovered in naturally occurring graphene

Usually, the electrical resistance of a material depends very much on its physical dimensions and fundamental properties. Under special circumstances, however, this resistance can adopt a fixed value that is independent of the basic material properties and "quantised" (meaning that it changes in discrete steps rather than continuously). This quantisation of electrical resistance normally occurs within strong magnetic fields and at very low temperatures when electrons move in a two-dimensional fashion. Now, a research team led by the University of Göttingen has succeeded in demonstrating this effect at low temperatures in the almost complete absence of a magnetic field in naturally occurring double-layer graphene, which is just two atoms thick. The results of the study have been published in Nature.

Genetic analysis reveals differences in mate choice between wild and hatchery coho salmon

A new study of the genetic profiles of wild and hatchery coho salmon demonstrates important distinctions in how the two types of fish form mating pairs.

Bacteria enters through natural openings at edges of corn leaves to cause Goss's wilt

Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight is one of the most damaging diseases affecting corn. The most effective way to control this disease is to plant corn varieties that are resistant to the disease. In other words, growers avoid the disease by growing certain varieties of corn. In part, this is the easiest method because scientists don't yet know much about Goss's wilt.

Two stranded humpback whales rescued in Argentina

Rescue teams saved two stranded whales along the Atlantic coast of Argentina Tuesday, the World Marine Foundation said.

US mother of young cancer victim loses suit over Roundup weedkiller

A mother who said her young son developed a rare form of cancer because of his exposure to Roundup lost her court battle in California, lawyers said Tuesday.

Sequencing, mRNA, or maybe nanocrystals? Wide-open field for Nobel Chemistry Prize

Breakthroughs in DNA sequencing, innovative gas storage, nanocrystals or a second chance for mRNA Covid-19 vaccines? Speculators on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry are spoiled for choice ahead of the announcement on Wednesday.

Australian defamation review to examine Facebook liability

An Australian review of defamation laws will likely examine whether platforms such as Facebook should be liable for users' defamatory posts, the communications minister said on Wednesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-australian-defamation-facebook-liability.html

Honeybees' waggle dance reveals bees in rural areas travel further for food

By decoding honeybees' waggle dances, which tell other bees where to find food, researchers have found that bees in agricultural areas travel further for food than those in urban areas. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-honeybees-waggle-reveals-bees-rural.html

Smart parrots need more stimulation, new research finds

The smarter the bird, the more unique welfare needs it has in captivity, according to a U of G first-ever study.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-smart-parrots.html

Concentrate farming to leave room for species and carbon, better than 'eco-friendly' agriculture

Farming should be as high-yield as possible so it can be limited to relatively small areas, allowing much more land to be left as natural habitats while still meeting future food targets, according to a major new analysis of over a decade of research.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-farming-room-species-carbon-eco-friendly.html

Do opinions regarding climate change adjust to economic conditions?

Some studies claim that declining economic conditions cause people to become less concerned with climate change, while others find little relationship. New research published in Economic Inquiry demonstrates that both results are valid, but they hold for different groups.  

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-opinions-climate-adjust-economic-conditions.html

In California, some buy machines that make water out of air

The machine Ted Bowman helped design can make water out of the air, and in parched California, some homeowners are already buying the pricey devices.

Honeybees' waggle dance reveals bees in rural areas travel further for food

By decoding honeybees' waggle dances, which tell other bees where to find food, researchers have found that bees in agricultural areas travel further for food than those in urban areas. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.

Smart parrots need more stimulation, new research finds

The smarter the bird, the more unique welfare needs it has in captivity, according to a U of G first-ever study.

Concentrate farming to leave room for species and carbon, better than 'eco-friendly' agriculture

Farming should be as high-yield as possible so it can be limited to relatively small areas, allowing much more land to be left as natural habitats while still meeting future food targets, according to a major new analysis of over a decade of research.

Do opinions regarding climate change adjust to economic conditions?

Some studies claim that declining economic conditions cause people to become less concerned with climate change, while others find little relationship. New research published in Economic Inquiry demonstrates that both results are valid, but they hold for different groups.