Nov 27th, 2021 - As the world scrambled to prevent the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant that was first detected in southern Africa, Britain’s Health Security Agency confirmed on Saturday that two cases of the variant had been recorded in the country. In a news conference on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that to curb the spread of the variant, face masks would be required in stores and on public transportation, a rule the country had ended in July. COVID UPDATE: Face coverings will become compulsory on public transport and in shops. Not including hospitality. ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - A new study found that warmer sea temperatures may be driving albatross breeding pairs to split up at higher rates. One of the most famously monogamous species of birds may be driven to “divorce” their partners at higher rates as a result of a warming planet, a new study found. Black-browed albatrosses have the reputation of mating for life and usually stick with one partner after pairing off. Usually, only 1% to 3% of albatross pairs split up and find new mates, according to The Guardian . But that rose to as much as 8% during years of unusually warm water temperatures, according to ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - Seismic data collected in Elysium Planitia, the second largest volcanic region on ">Mars , suggest the presence of a shallow sedimentary layer sandwiched between lava flows beneath the planet’s surface. These findings were gained in the framework of ">NASA ’s InSight mission (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport), in which several international research partners, including the University of Cologne, collaborate. The paper ‘The shallow structure of Mars at the InSight landing site from inversion of ambient vibrations’ was published in Nature ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - Astronomers have spotted two “invisible” galaxies hiding near the dawn of the universe. The team used radio waves to peer behind a curtain of dust that was obscuring them from view, and the find suggests that there were far more galaxies in the early universe than previously thought. The Hubble Space Telescope is one of our most powerful cosmic eyes , able to see objects more than 13 billion light-years away. And because space and time are so intertwined, the objects it sees at that distance are seen as they were 13 billion years ago, allowing astronomers to effectively look back in time ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian authorities were unveiling Thursday a renovated ancient promenade in the city of Luxor dating back 3,000 years, the latest government project undertaken to highlight the country’s archaeological treasures. Egypt has struggled to revive its tourism industry, battered by years of political turmoil following the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and more lately, the coronavirus pandemic. The ancient walkway — known as the Avenue of the Sphinxes, but also dubbed the Way of the Rams and the Path of the Gods — connects the ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - NASA Is Practicing Asteroid Deflection. You Know, Just in Case. A spacecraft is on its way to nudge a distant asteroid. The last thing anyone needs to think about right now is a catastrophic asteroid impact. And, thankfully, most of us don’t have to! Earth is not in immediate threat of a space rock. The chance that a known asteroid big enough to really do damage—or, you know, imperil our entire existence—will strike the planet in the next 100 years is . (If you want to worry about extinction, consider the extinctions already happening because of climate change and other negative ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - Novel color photography using a high-efficiency probe can super-focus white light into a 6-nanometer spot for nanoscale color imaging. Scientists have developed new materials for next-generation electronics so tiny that they are not only indistinguishable when closely packed, but they also don’t reflect enough light to show fine details, such as colors, with even the most powerful optical microscopes. Under an optical microscope, carbon nanotubes, for example, look grayish. The inability to distinguish fine details and differences between individual pieces of nanomaterials makes it hard ... [Read More]

Nov 26th, 2021 - South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections. LONDON — South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It’s unclear from where the new variant actually arose, but it was first detected by scientists in South Africa and has also been seen in travelers to Hong Kong and Botswana. Health minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an ... [Read More]