Новости за 28.11.2022

UCLA researchers and their colleagues have discovered a new physics principle governing how heat transfers through materials, and the finding contradicts the conventional wisdom that heat always moves faster as pressure increases.

Methane (CH4), the chief constituent of natural gas, is one of the most widely used "clean" fuels. Although methane is usually considered to originate from organic matter, recently, more and more evidence shows that methane can be produced by abiotic processes.

Was there effectively a "Chinese problem" in Southeast Asia in the decades following World War II, with millions of Chinese in the region potentially sympathetic to communist China? American policy-makers seem to have thought so at the start of the Cold War, given China's influence around the region. At a time of immense turmoil and upheaval in Asia, including the Vietnam War, US politicians warned against the possibility of a "domino effect," with one country after the other potentially turning communist.

Stress and conflict are unavoidable aspects of life and can be highly destructive forces when left unchecked. A survey conducted by the UK government found that work-related stress led to a loss of 17.9 million working days in 2019, which directly affected the country's economic productivity.

Red knots of all ages and sexes show behavioral traits. These remain mostly unchanged over time but differ across individuals. Some individuals are more adventurous and show more exploratory behaviors a in new environment than others. Other individuals take less risks and hardly dare to move around in a new environment. These "personalities" have ecological and evolutionary consequences, but to what extent is largely unknown, because few studies have investigated this in the field.

The idea that climate change and geological events can shape evolution isn't a new one: anyone who's heard of dinosaurs knows that a big change in the environment (like, say, a meteor hitting the Earth 66 million years ago and causing a chain reaction of storms, earthquakes, cold, and darkness) can dictate how animals live, die, and evolve.

In mammals, the distinction between male and female at the chromosomal level is due to the X and Y chromosomes. Typically, females have two X chromosomes (XX) while males have an X and a Y chromosome (XY). The Sry gene on the Y chromosome triggers the formation of the testes. However, there exist a handful of rodent species in which the Y chromosome has disappeared, taking with it the Sry gene. The mechanism by which testes development occurs in these species is not fully understood, and is the subject of much research.

Both Democrats and Republicans would rather take away funding from their political party than give money to the other party, reveals a new University of California San Diego Rady School of Management study. The research also assesses people's preferences regarding two other contentious issues—gun rights and reproductive rights—and finds the same result: people would rather hurt the cause they believe in than support one they oppose.

For paleontologists, Hammerschmiede in the Allgäu region—the site where the great ape Danuvius was discovered—is a treasure trove unlike any other: More than 140 fossil vertebrate species have been found here. Finds have now also enabled them to outline the way of life and development of an extinct species of beaver: Steneofiber depereti was a little smaller than the modern beaver and settled in the watercourses of southern Germany more than 11 million years ago.

The University of Luxembourg's Department of Social Sciences contributed to a large-scale replication study that aimed to understand the role of decisions that scientists make during the research process. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study highlights the importance of open science and collaboration among scientists.

The expansion of offshore wind farms in the North Sea is making progress. But the consequences for the marine environment they are built in have not yet been fully researched. Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon have already provided valuable insights into the effects of wind farms in past studies.

November 24 is Evolution day—a day commemorating the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species on November 24, 1859. Darwin's seminal work is now considered the most influential book of science in history and has inspired countless new disciplines. As recently found by the Darwin Online project at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the book has been translated into fifty languages, far more than any other scientific book.

It's the stuff of cartoons and movies: a team of scientists shrinks down and flies a ship the size of a blood vessel through tissue and sinew to the site of injury or disease. They directly repair or attack the site—whatever is needed—without disturbing surrounding tissue. When the job is done, the patient gives a mighty sneeze and out pops the team, problem solved.

A study of hydroacoustic, acoustic and seismic waves from underwater explosions off the French coast could help guide the disposal of unexploded World War II ordnance (UXO) in those waters, according to a new study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA).

The rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) around the globe represents a crisis on many fronts. Infections that are difficult, or impossible, to treat cause considerable public health and economic burdens, but also pose a serious threat to food security.

A gelatinous sea creature could teach engineers a lesson or two.

A new Curtin-led report has found that Australian mining companies have a stronger focus on the physical health and safety of employees compared to employee mental health and well-being, followed by a respectful workplace culture.

Inhibition, mental set shifting, and memory updating are related to math skills in preschool children.

Positive interventions that distract us from difficult tasks actually help to reduce our stress levels, according to new research from WHU—Otto Beisheim School of Management and Trinity Business School.

Over half of wandering albatrosses breeding on Bird Island, in the sub-Antarctic, encounter fishing vessels when feeding, putting them at risk of being accidentally caught or killed in fishing gear, according to new research led by British Antarctic Survey and Birdlife International. The results will help conservation efforts for a species that is in decline.

Hay treated with hot steam is safer for horses but provides them with less protein. The horse forage is treated with steam to rid it of potentially harmful microorganisms and to bind particles that could otherwise be inhaled. However, a team of scientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has discovered that this also causes a chemical reaction which damages the proteins in the hay and makes them harder for horses to digest. This can lead to signs of nutrient deficiency in the animals and... Читать дальше...

Research into the complex task of ridding Auckland Island of mammalian pests, as part of the Predator Free 2050 program, is the focus of a New Zealand Journal of Ecology special issue published today, November 28.

First light is an exciting time for astronomers and engineers who help bring new telescopes up to speed. One of the most recent and significant first light milestones recently occurred at the Subaru Telescope in Hawai'i. Though it has been in operation since 2005, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's (NAOJ) main telescope recently received an upgrade that will allow it to simultaneously observe 2,400 astronomical objects at once over a patch of sky the size of several moons.

To a young mind, science can be magical. Perhaps you remember a visually striking or seemingly inexplicable scientific demonstration from your own youth?

Staying in orbit can be challenging, at least for lower orbits that are more affected by Earth's atmosphere. But, such orbits also come with advantages, such as better vantage points for new commercial operations such as Earth Observation and telecommunications connections. So there is an incentive for anyone who can figure out how to functionally keep a satellite in orbit at those lower altitudes for long periods. One of the best paths toward that goal seems to be an ion engine that takes in atmospheric particles and uses them for thrust. Читать дальше...