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☆ 35 elephants suddenly dropped dead in 2020. Their case has finally been solved.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 2020, 35 elephants dropped dead in Zimbabwe over a month timespan. Between August and September 2020, 35 elephant carcasses were retrieved from various safaris and protected lands in Zimbabwe — with eleven of these animals dying within a 24-hour period. AdvertisementAdvertisementThey concluded that most, if not all, the elephants died as a result of septicemia, or blood poisoning, caused by the bacteria. The 35 deaths in Zimbabwe also coincided with a mass die-off of elephants in Botswana in 2020. At least 350 elephants died within a three-month timespan, and researchers at the time concluded that blue-green algae contaminated local water sources and poisoned the elephants.

Persons: —, Dr, Chris Foggin, Foggin Organizations: Service, Nature Communications, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, CNN Locations: Zimbabwe, Africa, Asia, Victoria Falls, Botswana

☆ Scientists finally solved the centuries-long mystery of where a starfish's head is
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers mapped starfish genes to solve the mystery, and it wasn't what they expected. Turns out, starfish genes suggest it contains multiple heads, one at the center and in each limb. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a game of pin the tail on the donkey, scientists have finally pinpointed the head on a starfish. Turns out starfish, aka sea stars, don't just have one head sitting at the center of their bodies. On the other hand, sea stars with five limbs, lack bilateral symmetry and instead have what's called five-fold radial symmetry.

Persons: —, Laurent Formery, Peter Guttman, Formery, Jeff Thompson, he's Organizations: Service, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, Getty, Stanford, University of Southampton Locations: Nature

☆ Scientists solved the mystery of African elephant die-offs. The threat may not be over
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Thirty-five African elephants in northwestern Zimbabwe dropped dead under baffling circumstances between late August and November 2020. And the extreme conditions that scientists project will occur with more frequency as Earth warms could mean more elephant deaths in the future. Foggin said there was no proven connection between the Zimbabwe and Botswana elephant deaths. An embattled species under threatThe African elephant is a flagship species that faces significant pressure from poaching and habitat loss. Additionally, exporting wildlife samples for analysis involves obtaining multiple permits from different entities — a process which can take months,” the study said.

Persons: —, “, ”, Chris Foggin, ” Foggin, cyanobacterial, Foggin, Pasteurella Organizations: CNN, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, Nature Communications, International Union for Conservation of Locations: Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Botswana, Kazakhstan

RAMLA, Israel (AP) — Hours after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, the country's new fortified, subterranean blood bank kicked into action. Shiner said the center provided tens of thousands of units of blood in the days that followed the Hamas attacks. The new steel and concrete 51,000-square-meter (550,000-square-foot) building processes all of Israel’s donated blood. In early October, the center received 5,000 units of blood in one day — five times more than usual, said its staff. “During war, blood is part of the resuscitation process and the idea is to have a stock, to be able to give blood as soon as it’s needed,” said Guillemette Thomas, the medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders.

Persons: Marcus, ”, Eilat Shinar, Magen David Adom —, it’s, Shiner, Moshe Noyovich, Magen David Adom, Israel’s, Israel, Guillemette Thomas, ___ Mednick Organizations: Blood Services, American Locations: RAMLA, Israel, Ramla, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Israel’s, Gaza, Hamas, Jerusalem, israel

☆ Starfish bodies are really just heads, new research says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The heads of most animals are easily identifiable, but scientists haven’t been able to say the same for sea stars until now. But new genetic research suggests the opposite — that sea stars are largely heads that lack torsos or tails and likely lost those features evolutionarily over time. There, they go through a process that transforms a bilateral body into a star shape, or pentaradial body. But echinoderms also share a common ancestor with bilateral animals, which adds to the puzzle researchers are trying to solve. Specific molecular markers act like body plan blueprints, directing each cell to the body region where it belongs.

Persons: haven’t, It’s, ”, Laurent Formery, “ It’s, Christopher Lowe, Jeff Thompson, “, ” Lowe, Formery, Chan Zuckerberg, Dr, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Laurent Formery “, ” Thompson, Daniel Rokhsar Organizations: CNN, Stanford University, University of California, University of Southampton, NASA, National Science Foundation, Leverhulme Trust Locations: Berkeley, San Francisco

☆ Sweet spot for HRT may reduce dementia risk by nearly a third, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Just how harmful or helpful hormone replacement therapy may be also depends on the type of hormones that are prescribed, especially at older ages. Estrogen-only hormone therapy can be prescribed if the uterus has been removed via hysterectomy. Scientists are developing a new generation of hormone replacement called selective estrogen receptor modulator, or SERM. Scientists are working on new forms of hormone replacement therapy that go directly to the brain, thus making them safer for menopausal women. In addition, some women are not candidates for hormone replacement therapy, perhaps due to family history, heart conditions or clotting disorders.

Persons: hasn’t, “, ”, Lisa Mosconi, Mosconi, Richard Isaacson, ” Isaacson, gynecologists, midlife, ” Mosconi Organizations: CNN, Weill Cornell Medicine, “ Locations: New York City, midlife, Florida

☆ Bariatric Surgery at 16
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Helen Ouyang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

It’s the exact opposite.” The number of teenagers who underwent bariatric surgery more than doubled nationwide between 2010 and 2017 and continues to rise. Seeley emphasizes that weight loss doesn’t simply result from a newly tiny stomach that limits how much people can eat. The crucial roles instead seem to be played by bile acids and antimicrobial peptides in the gut, each of which increase markedly after surgery; Seeley is still sorting out the exact mechanisms of their influence. “Why bariatric surgery works so well is because you’re changing lots of things at the same time,” Seeley says. Most important, bariatric surgery seems to reset, to a lower bound, the body weight that the brain tries to maintain.

Persons: Rodriguez, “, ”, Alexandra, ” Gabriela, ” Rodriguez, Thomas Inge, Randy Seeley, Seeley, ” Seeley, “ I’m, ” Inge, I’d, “ We’ve Organizations: Teen, National Institutes of Health, Lurie Children’s Hospital, University of Michigan Locations: United States, Chicago

☆ Panel Says That Innovative Sickle Cell Cure Is Safe Enough for Patients
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Gina Kolata | More About Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Family members are affected too — they may need to take time off work during the most intensive phase of the treatment. Additionally, most Americans with sickle cell are Black and may not trust a health care system that has often failed to provide the most basic preventive and therapeutic care for those with the disease. Some with sickle cell are anxious about undergoing a medical treatment that is on the cutting edge of biotechnology. “We are finally at a spot where we can envision broadly available cures for sickle cell disease,” said Dr. John Tisdale, director of the cellular and molecular therapeutics branch at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and a member of the advisory committee. Kyra is now in intensive care as doctors try to control her pain.

Persons: It’s, ”, John Tisdale, Dana Jones, San Antonio, Kyra Organizations: Blood Institute

☆ FDA panel says Vertex/CRISPR to assess safety risks of gene therapy in follow-up study
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A sign hangs in front of the world headquarters of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 31 (Reuters) - A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator said on Tuesday Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX.O) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP.BN) could assess potential safety risks of their sickle cell disease gene therapy after approval. If the therapy is approved, Vertex has proposed a 15-year follow up of patients to evaluate the safety outcomes of the therapy. Patients who were treated with the therapy were free from severe vaso-occlusive crisis for 12 months from the infusion of exa-cel. "It was made pretty clear that any theoretical off-target editing concerns do not outweigh the benefits of drug approval," said Salim Syed, analyst at Mizuho.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Scot Wolfe, Salim Syed, Sriparna Roy, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, REUTERS, CRISPR Therapeutics, Staff, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, UMass Chan Medical, Analysts, FDA, Mizuho, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Your favorite sad songs could help you feel less pain, new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jocelyn Solis-Moreira | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Listening to favorite songs could reduce people’s perception of pain, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research. And the most effective pain relievers were found to be sad songs detailing bittersweet and emotional experiences. He was not involved in the latest study but has conducted his own research on the relationship between pain and music. With millions of songs available, one person’s favorite song is likely not the same as another. While he didn’t research chills in this study, Valevicius hypothesized that these sensations might be signs of sensory gating.

Persons: CNN —, Adele, ”, Patrick Stroman, “ Cotton, “, Darius Valevicius, shivers, Valevicius, Stroman, ” Jocelyn Solis, Moreira Organizations: CNN, Pain, Queen’s University, Sega, neurosciences, University of Montreal Locations: Kingston , Ontario, New York

The museum this fall acquired tens of thousands of reptile and amphibian specimens from Oregon State University, many of which are snakes. The development places the university in a unique position, according to Schneider, the research museum collections manager for the museum's division of reptiles and amphibians. “I’m fairly confident we’ll have the largest snake collection in the world,” he said. The extensive new additions also will allow scientists to conduct new snake and amphibian research, perhaps looking at trait evolution in mothers and their offspring. The "largest snake collection" title would be nice, but Schneider said the true promise of a big collection is new research opportunities.

Persons: — Greg Schneider, Schneider, ”, Lynne Houck, Stevan Arnold, ” Schneider, “, Hernán, Dan Rabosky Organizations: University of Michigan Museum, Oregon State University, Oregon State, Michigan, Smithsonian, American Museum of, University of Kansas, Michigan's, Michigan's Department of Ecology, Museums Center Locations: Mich, U.S, Michigan, Washington, New York, Oregon, Michigan's Department

☆ ‘Mona Lisa’ has a rare compound that suggests Leonardo da Vinci was ahead of his time
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It turns out the master artist was more experimental with his renowned “Mona Lisa” than previously thought — and was likely the creator of a technique seen in works created a century later, a new study suggests. By using X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, a team of scientists in France and Britain has detected a rare mineral compound within the iconic piece. The rare compound plumbonacrite was also found in "The Late Supper," as well as in several 17th-century works by Rembrandt. The “Mona Lisa,” like many other paintings from the 16th century, was created on a wood panel that required a thick base layer, Wallez said. The “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper” are two out of fewer than 20 known paintings Leonardo made in his lifetime.

Persons: CNN — Leonardo da Vinci, —, Mona Lisa ”, Rembrandt, Pier Marco Tacca, Leonardo, Gilles Wallez, ” Wallez, ”, Mona Lisa, Wallez, Mona Lisa ’, aren’t, William Wallace, St . Louis, “, Wallace Organizations: CNN, American Chemical Society, Sorbonne University, Washington University Locations: France, Britain, Italian, Paris, St .

☆ Why the hydrogen tax credit has become a lightning rod for controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

The proposed tax credit, 45V, is meant to turbocharge the production of low-emissions hydrogen. "The IRA's section 45V production tax credit is the most generous clean hydrogen subsidy in the world," Jesse Jenkins, professor of macro-scale energy systems at Princeton University, told CNBC. John Macdougall | Afp | Getty ImagesThe adjudication of the hydrogen tax credit has become about more than just the hydrogen tax credit, too. The amount of the hydrogen tax credit, which is available for 10 years, depends on the emissions generated in making hydrogen. If hydrogen is produced without releasing any carbon emissions, the tax credit is maxed out at $3 per kilogram of hydrogen.

Persons: that's, It's, Jesse Jenkins, John Macdougall, Wilson Ricks, Jenkins, Ricks, Rachel Fakhry, electrolyzers, Andriy Onufriyenko, Eric Guter, Josef Kallo, H2FLY, Guter, Phil Musser, Shannon Angielski, Angielski, Shi, Fakhry Organizations: Istock, Treasury, Princeton University, CNBC, Daimler Truck Holding, Afp, Getty, Energy, Research, Princeton, Natural Resources Defense Council, Power, Singularity, Air Products, Bloomberg, Air, Products, Hydrogen Company, European, EU, NextEra Energy, Hydrogen Future Coalition, BP, Duke Energy, Exxon Mobile, General Electric, Siemens Energy, American, Shell, Hydrogen, Coalition Locations: Biden's, United States, U.S, Berlin, additionality, Maribor, Slovenia, Oxagon, Saudi Arabia, Wilbarger County , Texas

☆ Ambitious research yields new atlas of human brain cells
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The human brain is complex in terms of its utility - sensing, moving, reading, writing, speaking, thinking and more - and its cellular diversity. The research identified 3,313 cell types, roughly 10 times more than previously known, and the complete set of genes used by each cell type while also mapping their regional distribution in the brain. "The brain cell atlas as a whole provides the cellular substrate for everything that we can do as human beings," said neuroscientist Ed Lein of the Seattle-based Allen Institute for Brain Science, one of the researchers. The various cell types have distinct properties and are likely affected differently in disease, Lein said. "We are only at the very beginning of delineating the complexity of the human brain," said another of the researchers, Bing Ren, director of the University of California, San Diego Center for Epigenomics.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Ed Lein, Lein, Trygve Bakken, Bing Ren, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Belle Idee University, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, government's National Institutes of Health, Census Network, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen, University of California, San Diego Center for Epigenomics, Thomson Locations: Neuropsychiatry, Chene, Bourg, Geneva, Seattle

☆ Gene editing offers chickens some protection against bird flu -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Test tubes labelled "Bird Flu" and eggs are seen in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. Flu viruses hijack proteins like ANP32 inside cells to help themselves replicate, and the edits in chickens were designed to stop the growth of bird flu. However, they have not bred chickens with three edits yet, said Helen Sang, who previously studied genetically modifying chickens against bird flu at the University of Edinburgh. Unlike genetic modification, which introduces foreign genes, gene editing alters existing genes. The technology is considered to be less controversial than genetic modification and is more lightly regulated in some countries.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Wendy Barclay, Barclay, Helen Sang, Sang, Tom Polansek, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Imperial College of London, Nature Communications, University of Edinburgh, European Union, Thomson Locations: Britain, France, U.S

☆ Fact Check: Australian COVID vaccine with HIV protein misrepresented online
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The programme, titled “Horizon Special: The Vaccine”, documented the development, by the University of Queensland and biotechnology company CSL, of a COVID vaccine candidate that never made it to market. The 63-second video begins with a social media narrator saying: “This is utter madness. Explaining the reason behind choosing the HIV protein, Chappell says on-camera that the protein was picked because it’s well understood and presents no risks, including having no role in helping HIV to make copies of itself: “It’s a highly stable structure. VACCINE CANDIDATE DROPPEDThe social media clip fails to acknowledge that the production of the Australian vaccine candidate was halted following the discovery that it temporarily caused false-positive HIV tests due to the presence of the protein. The Australian vaccine candidate contained an HIV protein which posed no safety threat, but led the vaccine candidate to be dropped before ever making it to larger trials because it produced false-positive test results for HIV.

Persons: Keith Chappell, Chappell, ” Chappell, Read Organizations: University of Queensland, CSL, BBC, University of Queensland’s, Reuters, HIV, Thomson Locations: ”

☆ Researchers link popular weight loss drugs to serious digestive problems for ‘hundreds of thousands’ worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

They can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and lead to substantial weight loss for people with or without diabetes. Liraglutide was FDA approved as a weight loss medicine since 2014. What’s been less clear is whether patients taking these drugs for weight loss may have the same serious side effects. CNN reached out to Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of both injectable weight loss drugs examined in this study, for comment. Sodhi said they started the man on a medication that treats stomach paralysis, “and he got a lot better,” Sodhi said.

Persons: Ozempic, ”, Mahyar, —, It’s, Liraglutide, it’s, Mohit Sodhi, Sodhi, Ian Musgrave, Musgrave, What’s, “, ” Sodhi, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, University of British, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, “, University of Adelaide, Science Media Centre, BMI, Novo Nordisk, CNN Health Locations: University of British Columbia, Australia, Novo

[1/3] Atomo Coffee's 'beanless coffee', which uses superfoods and upcycled ingredients to mimic the molecular structure of coffee, is seen in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 29, 2023. "Coffee is causing deforestation at a pretty alarming rate - almost up to ten (New York) Central Parks a day," said Atomo's CEO and co-founder Andy Kleitsch ahead of the firm's beanless coffee launch at the New York Coffee Festival on Friday. Atomo says its initial "proof-of-concept" cold brew beanless coffee caused 93% fewer carbon emissions and used 94% less water than regular coffee. The firm expects to see similar figures for its new hot beanless coffee which is also made using mostly upcycled ingredients like date pips, which tend to be discarded in the commercial production process. However, Atomo says it is in talks with most of the world's major coffee firms about how it might scale up and supply them.

Persons: Andy Kleitsch, Atomo, Maytaal, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Atomo, REUTERS, Acquire, baristas, Central Parks, New York Coffee, Time Magazine, Thomson Locations: Seattle, New York, Central

[1/7] Hans Ellegren (centre), Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announces the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, October 4, 2023. The more than century-old prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1 million). Earlier on Wednesday, the academy appeared to have inadvertently published the names of the three scientists before the official announcement. In 1993, Bawendi revolutionised the production of quantum dots, made up of clusters ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand atoms. The third of this year's crop of awards, the chemistry Nobel follows those for medicine and physics announced earlier this week.

Persons: Hans Ellegren, Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, Alexei Ekimov, Bawendi, Johan Aqvist, that's, Ekimov, Brus, Alfred Nobel, Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford, Marie Curie, Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, Barry Sharpless, Niklas Pollard, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander, Ludwig Burger, Terje Solsvik, Anna Ringstrom, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Columbia University, Nanocrystals Technology, AT, Bell Labs, U.S, Vavilov, Optical Institute, Nanocrystals Technology Inc, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, STOCKHOLM, United States, Paris, France, Tunisia, Soviet Union, Swedish, Frankfurt, Oslo

A scientist who studies the airborne transmission of diseases, a master hula dancer and cultural preservationist, and the sitting U.S. poet laureate were among the 20 new recipients of the prestigious fellowships from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, known as “genius grants,” announced on Wednesday. MacArthur fellows receive a grant of $800,000 over five years to spend however they want. Fellows are nominated and endorsed by their peers and communities through an often yearslong process that the foundation oversees. Many past fellows like Octavia Butler, Paul Farmer and Twyla Tharp are luminaries in their fields and Marlies Carruth, who directs the MacArthur Fellows program, emphasized that they hope fellows will support and inspire each other. "To think that I’ve actually been selected as one is really mind-blowing,” she said, of the MacArthur fellows.

Persons: John D, Catherine T, ”, MacArthur, it’s, Ada Limón, Allamay Barker, “, Limón, ” Limón, Octavia Butler, Paul Farmer, Twyla Tharp, Carruth, Andrea Armstrong, Patrick Makuakāne, Imani Perry, Linsey Marr, Marr, Ian Bassin, Bassin, Tendayi, Rina Foygel Barber, Courtney Bryan, Jason D, María Magdalena Campos, Pons, Raven Chacon, Diana Greene Foster, Lucy Hutyra, Carolyn Lazard, Lester Mackey, Manuel Muñoz, Williams, Amber Wutich Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, University of Montevallo, NASA, Marlies Carruth, MacArthur Fellows, Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law, Black, Virginia Tech, Protect Democracy, MacArthur, Mexican American, Associated, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Lexington , Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, Caribbean, Americas, Mexican, Central

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the 2023 class of fellows, often known as recipients of the “genius grant,” on Wednesday. The foundation reviews nominations for fellows over a yearslong process that solicits input from their communities and peers. Fellows do not apply and are never officially informed that they've been nominated unless they are selected for the award. The 2023 fellows are:E. Tendayi Achiume, 41, Los Angeles, a legal scholar who examines the history of global migration to argue for a reimagining of the rules governing the movement of people. Lester Mackey, 38, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a computer scientist and statistician whose research has helped improve the efficiency and predictions of machine learning techniques.

Persons: John D, Catherine T, ”, Carruth, they've, Tendayi Achiume, Andrea Armstrong, Rina Foygel Barber, Ian Bassin, Courtney Bryan, Jason D, María Magdalena Campos, Pons, Raven Chacon, Red, Diana Greene Foster, Lucy Hutyra, Carolyn Lazard, Ada Limón, Lester Mackey, Patrick Makuakāne, Linsey Marr, Manuel Muñoz, Imani Perry, Dyani, Williams, Amber Wutich Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, MacArthur Fellows, Mexican American, Black, Associated, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, Washington, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Nashville , Tennessee, Cuba, Red Hook , New York, United States, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Lexington , Kentucky, Blacksburg , Virginia, Tucson , Arizona, Mexican, Central Valley, Shakopee, Minneapolis, Tempe , Arizona

Only the fifth woman to win a Nobel physics prize, French-born L'Huillier works at Lund University in Sweden, while Agostini, who was also born in France, is a emeritus professor at Ohio State University in the United States. Agostini and Krausz then demonstrated how this could be used to create shorter light pulses than previously possible. These experiments all showed that attosecond pulses could be observed and measured, and could be used in new experiments. While the award for peace can take the limelight, the physics prize has also often taken centre stage with winners such as Albert Einstein and awards for science that has fundamentally changed how we see the world. Announced on consecutive weekdays in early October, the physics prize announcement will be followed by ones for chemistry, literature, peace and economics, the latter a later addition to the original line-up.

Persons: Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, Anne L'Huillier, Eva Olsson, Krausz, L'Huillier, Agostini, Emmanuel Macron, Hans Ellegren, Mats Larsson, Katalin Kariko, Drew Weissman, Alfred Nobel, Albert Einstein, Niklas Pollard, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander, Terje Solsvik, Elizabeth Pineau, Ayhan Uyanik, Christine Uyanik, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Michaela Cabrera, Alexandra Hudson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, Max Planck, Quantum Optics, Lund University, Ohio State University, Royal Academy of Sciences, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Hungarian, Garching, Germany, French, Sweden, France, United States, Stockholm, Austria, Paris, COVID, Oslo, Krisztina, Budapest, Amsterdam

☆ Rice, beer, and urine mixed into ancient structures could help explain how they're still standing after millennia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementIs ancient Roman concrete better than today's? Her research has found that the key could be in the specific volcanic materials used by the Romans. According to Selvaraj's research, in humid areas of India, builders used local herbs that help structures deal with moisture. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn't hold up heavy loads: "You couldn't build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete," Oleson said. Instead, researchers are trying to take some of the ancient material's specialties and add them into modern mixes.

Persons: —, they've, Carlos Rodriguez, Navarro, John Oleson, Domenico Stinellis, Vitruvius, Admir, Rome —, Marie Jackson, Jackson, Rodriguez, Moises Castillo, Cecilia Pesce, They'd, Pesce, Mark Schiefelbein, Thirumalini Selvaraj, Selvaraj, Oleson, Masic Organizations: Service, Spain's University of Granada, University of Victoria, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Utah, AP, University of Sheffield, Vellore Institute of Technology, Army Corps of Engineers, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Canada, Portland, Rome, Copan, Honduras, England, India

Is ancient Roman concrete better than today's? Most modern concrete starts with Portland cement, a powder made by heating limestone and clay to super-high temperatures and grinding them up. The ancient builders mixed materials like burnt limestone and volcanic sand with water and gravel, creating chemical reactions to bind everything together. Now, scientists think they’ve found a key reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years: The ancient material has an unusual power to repair itself. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn't hold up heavy loads: “You couldn’t build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete,” Oleson said.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Carlos Rodriguez, Navarro, John Oleson, Vitruvius, Admir, Rome —, Marie Jackson, Jackson, ” Jackson, Rodriguez, Cecilia Pesce, They’d, ” Pesce, Thirumalini Selvaraj, Selvaraj, Oleson, Masic Organizations: —, Spain’s University of Granada, University of Victoria, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Utah, University of Sheffield, Vellore Institute of Technology, Army Corps of Engineers, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Canada, Portland, Rome, Copan, Honduras, England, India

☆ What the Nobel Prizes get wrong about science
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Peter Brzezinski, the secretary of the committee for the Nobel chemistry prize, said there were no plans to change the rule. He said the Nobel Prize committees, at least for science prizes, are “innately conservative.”DiversityOther criticism leveled at the Nobel Prizes includes the lack of diversity among winners. Of course, these flaws and gaps only matter because the Nobels are far better known than other science prizes, Rees added. The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine will be announced on Monday, followed by the physics prize on Tuesday and the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday. The Nobel Prize for literature and the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Persons: Alfred Nobel, Martin Rees, Rees, ”, Jonathan Nackstrand, Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish, Kip Thorne, David Pendlebury, “ Nobel, ” Pendlebury, Nobel’s, Peter Brzezinski, “, ” Brzezinski, John Jumper, AlphaFold, Lasker, Pendlebury, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna, it’s, Carolyn Bertozzi, Andrea Ghez, Naomi Oreskes, Henry Charles Lea, ” Rees Organizations: CNN, Royal Society, Getty, Clarivate’s Institute for Scientific, Nobel Foundation, Academy, Google, Harvard University Locations: Swedish, AFP, Stockholm

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