Science, October 16, 2020None of the four treatments in the Solidarity trial, which enrolled more than 11,000 patients in 400 hospitals around the globe, increased survival-not even the much-touted antiviral drug Remdesivir.
New York Times, October 21, 2020
The state is seeing record case numbers, adding to evidence that the virus is poised to thrive as the weather grows colder.
GENERAL INTEREST
Smithsonian, November 2020 issue
Today's social media obsession has its roots in the development centuries ago of the reflective material.
What Is an Algorithm? How Computers Know What to Do With DataThe Conversation, October 16, 2020
In the most general sense, an algorithm is a series of instructions telling a computer how to transform a set of facts about the world into useful information.
Nautilus, October 14, 2020
How your brain identifies an aroma from its minute molecular traces is a marvel.
Quanta, October 19, 2020
The p-adics form an infinite collection of number systems based on prime numbers. They're at the heart of modern number theory.
The Guardian, October 18, 2020 (see photo!)
The cat was 37 meters long, with well-defined lines that varied in width between 30cm and 40cm.
COSMOS
National Geographic, October 2020 (w/photos)
The historic attempt to sample the asteroid Bennu could provide clues to the origins of our solar system-and of life itself.
Symmetry, October 20, 2020
Here's how physicists calculate g-2, the value that will determine whether the muon is giving us a sign of new physics.
Cosmos, October 20, 2020
Physicists measure the shortest unit of time.
How to See What's On the Other Side of a Wormhole Without Actually Traveling Through ItPhys.Org, October 13, 2020
We simply don't know if wormholes exist in our universe. But new theoretical insights are showing how we may be able to detect a wormhole-from a spray of high-energy particles emitted at the moment of its formation.
Smile, Wave: Some Exoplanets May Be Able to See Us, TooScience Daily, October 21, 2020
Some exoplanets -- planets from beyond our own solar system -- have a direct line of sight to observe Earth's biological qualities from far, far away.
INNOVATION
The Guardian, October 20, 2020
From onions as big as babies to pumpkins that weigh more than a car, it has been a record-breaking year for oversize veg. But what motivates someone to grow an 8-metre beetroot - and is skulduggery involved?
Deutsche Welle, October 16, 2020
The idea of using vertical wind turbines to produce large amounts of energy is not new, but they are hard to build. Now, a Swiss inventor has developed a version that's quieter and better
for the environment than conventional wind turbines.
TechXplore, October 12, 2020
Virtual reality software which allows researchers to 'walk' inside and analyze individual cells could be used to understand fundamental problems in biology and develop new treatments for disease.
Energy Scavenging Nano-generator Finds Power All Around UsPhys.Org, October 20, 1010
Imagine a mobile phone charger that doesn't need a wireless or mains power source. Or a pacemaker with inbuilt organic energy sources within the human body.
Cosmos, October 16, 2020
If you're sitting in front of an internet-connected computer reading this, using an operating system and application that are stable and reliable, some of the credit should go to Barbara Liskov, who "pioneered many of the ideas that have shaped modern computer science
HEALTH
Healthline, October 13, 2020
Symptoms of tech neck include upper back pain and stiffness, trap pain, muscle spasms or localized shoulder pain, and headaches.
The Science Times, October 20, 2020
Conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases have been linked to air pollution. In a recent study, researchers have also associated pollution with an increased risk of neurological disorders.
America Has Lost Its Taste for Iceberg LettuceBloomberg, October 13, 2020
The decline of escarole, the rise of kale and other statistical evidence of how the country is changing.
The Conversation, October 1`5, 2020
In 2020 the number of registered chemicals reached 167 million. Every day people are exposed to them through food, water, contaminated air, drugs, cosmetics and other man-made substances.
Well + Good, October 19, 2020
It's three rounds of five moves for thirty seconds each (that's right, you'll be done in just seven and a half minutes).
NATURE
Cosmos, October 17, 2020
Plate tectonics tends to dominate the common view of mountain formation: where two plates meet, rock is pushed up. However, massive shifts in the Earth's crust can't take full credit for this awe-inspiring process.
Treehugger, September 11, 2020
Nature's autumn bounty of fallen leaves isn't usually a problem for lawns and gardens, and mulching the ground with them actually helps to feed the soil for a healthier yard.
Knowable, October 12, 2020
Bit by bit, biologists are deciphering the complex 3-D - and 4-D - architecture of the genome and learning how all the squeezed-together stuff of DNA keeps itself in order. What they find could lead to medical advances.
This Beetle Can Survive Getting Run Over by a Car. Engineers Are Figuring Out How.TechXplore, October 21, 2020 (scroll down for video)
How the beetle survives could inspire the development of new materials with the same herculean toughness.
Science, October 21, 2020
A study of unusually detailed environmental data from an ancient lake-bed in Kenya suggests a turbulent mix of climate change, tectonic activity, and rapid shifts in animal populations about 400,000 years ago forged new social and technological adaptations, including smaller obsidian blades and long-distance trade networks.
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Health News, October 14, 2020
EU Commission releases ambitious strategy for getting hormone-disrupting chemicals out of food, products, and packaging.
Sci-News, October 20, 2020
The Antarctica's ozone hole has now reached its maximum size, according to an analysis of data collected by ESA Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite.
Trump vs. Biden on the Environment -- Here's Where They StandNational Geographic, October 19, 2020
The two presidential candidates couldn't be further apart on their actions and plans for the environment. We break it down in the runup to the elections.
Washington Post, October 20, 2020
What once happened only with a storm is now routine on fair-weather days
Truthout, October 17, 2020
Americans could be forgiven if the first time they heard about the Green New Deal was during the October 7 vice-presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence.
CLIMATE
Nature, October 19, 2020
Our special report examines the role of renewables, nuclear power and carbon capture in reaching this ambitious goal.
Vigorous Action Needed, and Soon, on Climate ChangeYale Climate Connections, October 16, 2020
Society faces three options in addressing climate threats ... one of them unacceptable: do nothing and suffer consequences of that inaction.
Anthropocene, October 20, 2020
A new study puts some numbers on what would constitute a climate-friendly recovery package.
Sahel Region Is 'Canary in the Coalmine' on Climate, Says UN OfficialThe Guardian, October 19, 2020
Mark Lowcock criticizes 'totally inadequate' effort to help Sahel countries adapt to global heating
New York Times, October 15, 2020
The most widespread drought in the continental United States since 2013 covers more than 45 percent of the Lower 48 states, federal scientists said.
