Not always a lone hunter, the Volta’s electric eel can join forces with dozens of its kind to haul in a big catch. Credit: L. Sousa Animal behaviour 14 January 2021 High-voltage fish in the Amazon swarm the buffet together. Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, researchers have found that electric eels can work together to
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SAN FRANCISCO – Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s largest defense company, announced plans Jan. 14 to invest approximately $100 million to purchase 30% of the shares of satellite manufacturer Satrec Initiative. Once the deal is completed, Satrec Initiative, a firm known for manufacturing small and medium-size Earth-observation satellites, will be managed independently but will have access
For the last two decades, the European Union has played a leadership role in tackling the risks hazardous chemicals pose to our health and environment. It has now proposed a new vision for a “toxic-free environment” and published a strategy for moving the EU towards that goal. Just as its current policies have inspired imitation,
Inspired by how schools of fish intuitively synchronise their movements, Harvard scientists have engineered miniature underwater robots capable of forming autonomous swarms. Each robotic fish, known as a Bluebot, is equipped with cameras and blue LED lights that sense the direction and distance of others inside water tanks. They swim using flapping fins rather than
A 30-year-old man found himself hospitalized for up to 22 days after brewing and ingesting ‘magic mushroom’ by injecting the concoction into his veins. He landed at the hospital’s emergency department a few days later with fungus proliferating in his blood. (Photo : Paula) The man spent 8 days in the ICU (intensive care unit),
Steve Proehl | Corbis Unreleased | Getty Images Hyundai confirmed in a short statement last week it was in early talks with Apple about cars. Almost immediately, the Korean auto giant started to backtrack, releasing a subsequent statement that removed all mention of Apple. Hyundai’s retreat is almost certainly the latest fallout from Apple’s insistence
A bright-blue water droplet is gently held in place by vortices, which are generated by the upright plates of an acoustic ‘tweezer’ set-up. Credit: Haodong Zhu/Duke University Applied physics 13 January 2021 Vortex ‘tweezers’ can pick up and transport particles just 1 millimetre wide. The whirlpools created by sound waves in a liquid can be
WASHINGTON — The first in SpaceX’s new generation of Dragon cargo spacecraft completed its mission with a splashdown off the Florida coast Jan. 13. The CRS-21 Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico west of Tampa at 8:26 p.m. Eastern. It had undocked from the station a day and a half earlier after
Workers take down a Belt and Road Forum panel outside the venue of the forum in Beijing on April 27, 2019. Greg Baker | AFP | Getty Images SINGAPORE — U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s pledge to prioritize fighting climate change could turn up the pressure on China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative — which has
Customers look at a Tesla Motors Inc. Model X electric vehicle on display at the company’s showroom in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked Tesla in a letter on Wednesday to recall 158,716 of its Model S and Model
Marine scientists from the prestigious University of Hong Kong have turned to 3D printing to make human-made coral reefs off the city’s coast. The tiles are primarily designed to imitate brain corals and this will help to reform the reef population within Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. Inability to Thrive Naturally Prompts the Research (Photo
The SIREN study included thousands of UK health-care workers who were regularly tested for COVID-19.Credit: Kevin Coombs/Reuters Most people who catch and recover from COVID-19 are likely to be immune for several months afterwards, a study of more than 20,000 health-care workers in the United Kingdom has found. The study — published on the preprint
WASHINGTON — SpaceX secured contracts Jan. 13 for the launches of a commercial lunar lander mission backed by NASA as well as a privately funded satellite to track methane emissions. Intuitive Machines announced that it selected SpaceX for the launch of its IM-2 lunar lander mission on a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 2022.
Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, U.S., October 23, 2019. Erin Scott | Reuters Facebook on Wednesday said it is aware that calls for violence “have been high” since the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol last week. Specifically, the company has identified flyers that are
Hear the latest science news, with Benjamin Thompson and Nick Howe. Your browser does not support the audio element. Download MP3 In this episode: 00:45 Dire wolf DNA Dire wolves were huge predators that commonly roamed across North America before disappearing around 13,000 years ago. Despite the existence of a large number of dire wolf
The future headquarters will have approximately 1,400 military and civilian personnel. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, was picked as the future location of U.S. Space Command’s headquarters. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett announced the decision Jan. 13. The selection of Redstone Arsenal is a huge win for Huntsville, nicknamed “Rocket
Last year’s worst is now this year’s best. Energy is the top-performing sector now, up nearly 15% since Jan. 1 amid falling U.S. crude oil inventories. The group suffered a horrible 2020, losing over 37%. Though energy’s long-term outlook is dimming, the sector isn’t void of opportunity, Mark Tepper, president and CEO of Strategic Wealth
Researchers have made a shocking discovery by finding a link between Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that reproduces fast in cats and transmitted to humans via undercooked pork or raw meat, and brain cancer in humans. (Photo : Inge Wallumrod) The new study, which was published Monday, January 11 in the International Journal of Cancer, revealed that
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during a special event at the company’s headquarters of Apple Park in a still image from video taken in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 15, 2020. Apple Inc. | Reuters Apple on Wednesday announced its latest set of major donations as part of its $100 million initiative to help dismantle systemic
A scan shows the damaged lung of a person hospitalized for COVID-19.Credit: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg/Getty Traitorous antibodies are linked to COVID death Antibodies normally attack pathogens, but sometimes rogue antibodies instead besiege bodily components such as immune cells. Now, a new study adds to the growing body of research tying these ‘autoantibodies’ to poor outcomes in
WASHINGTON — NASA and the Japanese government have completed an agreement outlining Japan’s contributions to the lunar Gateway as NASA works to wrap up international contributions to the outpost. NASA announced Jan. 12 it signed an agreement with the Japanese government governing Japan’s contributions to the Gateway. They include components for the European-led International Habitation,
For the first time in its 54-year history, the world’s largest tech show — the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — kicked off this week as an all-virtual event, cramming a week of keynotes, press conferences and over 1,000 exhibitor booths onto the screens of our laptops and from the comfort of our homes. As a
According to a study published recently in the scientific journal nature plants, the Graz University of Technology has discovered a bacterium that provides immunity to rice plants against pathogens. Rice plant immunity (Photo : Pixabay) The scientists at the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at The Graz University of Technology have been studying the microbiome of rice
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai gestures during a session at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images Google has suspended President Donald Trump’s account on YouTube, which is the world’s largest video platform. The Google-owned company said Tuesday night that Trump uploaded content that violated its policies, giving
Otakuye Conroy-Ben studies water, considered sacred by Native American communities.Credit: American Indian Science and Engineering Society Despite long-standing calls to increase diversity on university campuses, Indigenous researchers remain poorly represented in academia, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. For example, Maori people make up about 17% of the population of New Zealand,
The NGA and NRO are stepping up research to better understand the emerging commercial geospatial intelligence market. WASHINGTON — The private sector is coming out with new geospatial intelligence products and services faster than the government can figure out how to buy them. That means analysts need ways to procure commercial geoint “at a moment’s
General Motors plans to launch a new all-electric van called the EV600 by the end of this year. The first 500 vehicles will be sold to FedEx. GM General Motors said Tuesday it plans to launch an all-electric van called the EV600 this year. The van – part of GM’s plan to invest $27 billion
Signal app Signal Facebook‘s WhatsApp is changing its privacy policy on Feb. 8, when it will begin to share some user information with Facebook, including location, phone numbers, profile names and pictures, when you last logged online and more. People are now flocking to an alternative texting app called Signal that doesn’t collect your data.
Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, could help to ensure that independent scientific advisers publish and disseminate complete data and evidence for changes to vaccine guidance.Credit: James Veysey/Shutterstock Coronavirus vaccines have arrived, and many countries have started their vaccination campaigns. The authorities face a race against time as infections and deaths from COVID-19 continue to
WASHINGTON — L3Harris Technologies announced Jan. 12 it completed the development of an electronic phased array ground antenna for the U.S. Space Force. The prototype “multi-band multi-mission” antenna is one three that were developed under a Defense Innovation Unit 2019 contract. Lockheed Martin and Atlas Space Operations also have completed prototypes. The DIU program was
Despite being in a global pandemic, essential low-wage workers, healthcare providers, knowledge workers and many others have continued to work. However, since the start of lockdowns in March 2020, some 42 percent of the U.S. workforce has been from working home full-time. The continued progression of COVID-19 has required many businesses to postpone their back-to-the-office dates
It was in 1841 when renowned biologist Richard Owen was left in awe when he found a new sea sponge species in the Philippines. He was astounded by the organism’s beauty. (Photo : From Steve Rupp, National Science Foundation)Green and yellow sea sponges, Antarctica Fast forward to today, many scientists are still marveling over sea
It was a Friday afternoon in March 2013 when Andy Geall got the call. Three people in China had just become infected with a new strain of avian influenza. The global head of vaccines research at Novartis, Rino Rappuoli, wanted to know whether Geall and his colleagues were ready to put their new vaccine technology
SAN FRANCISCO – Iceye is preparing to send three Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites into orbit on the SpaceX Falcon 9 small satellite rideshare mission scheduled for launch Jan. 21. With the upcoming launch, Iceye seeks to expand its constellation to include six SAR satellites. “We are excited to start 2021 with the launch of
Enough is enough. Congress should pass, and the next president should sign, legislation saying that social media networks can be held liable for damage caused by incitements to violence and libelous false information shared on their platforms. This would require a shift in how companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google‘s YouTube do business and could
The frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions and climate events have significantly affected both human life and the natural environment. (Photo : Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash)A taxi rides under heavy rain that is causing flooding in Macau, China Holding capacity for atmospheric water vapor has been increasing due to global warming,
1. Förster, T. Energiewanderung und Fluoreszenz. Naturwissenschaften 33, 166–175 (1946). ADS Article Google Scholar 2. Förster, T. Zwischenmolekulare Energiewanderung und Fluoreszenz. Ann. Phys. 437, 55–75 (1948). Article Google Scholar 3. Brixner, T. et al. Two-dimensional spectroscopy of electronic couplings in photosynthesis. Nature 434, 625–628 (2005). ADS CAS Article Google Scholar 4. Scholes, G. D., Fleming,
SAN FRANCISCO – NOAA’s National Satellite, Data and Information Service is recommending flying three satellites over the United States in the satellite constellation that will follow the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R Series (GOES-R). In addition, to operating satellites in orbits similar to those of the current GOES East and GOES West satellites, NOAA recommends
One of the biggest stories of 2020 was the rise of the corporate tree-planting movement, with dozens of multinational businesses from virtually every industry pledging millions of dollars to one of nature’s most effective carbon sequestration solutions. Now, NGOs and investors are urging consumer goods and food companies and financial institutions to devote more resources
Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, October 23, 2019. Erin Scott | Reuters Facebook on Monday announced that it will pause its contributions to political action committees in the wake of the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday by insurgents incited by President Donald
I’m a thin-film materials scientist and manage the Centre for Applied Superconductivity at the University of Oxford, UK. As you can see from the sole of my shoe, which is decorated with the transgender pride flag, I’m a trans scientist. I’d long believed that coming out as transgender would be career-ending. Instead, Oxford was the
If you live in a part of the world with cold winters, you probably know the awful feeling that comes with an unexpectedly early frost or snow—one that covers your car in a layer of ice before you’ve pulled out your gloves and ice scraper for the season. The one that makes your fingers freeze
WASHINGTON — Intelsat has ordered two geostationary communications satellites from Airbus Defence and Space that will support the satellite operator’s aviation connectivity business. The companies announced Jan. 8 the order of two spacecraft from Airbus’ OneSat family of fully reconfigurable geostationary satellites. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal beyond starting the
LafargeHolcim’s logo displayed at its offices in Switzerland, September 2019. Stefan Wermuth | Bloomberg | Getty Images Cement maker LafargeHolcim has agreed to buy specialist roofing company Firestone Building Products for $3.4 billion, in the latest example of shifting priorities within the building industry. In a statement issued last week, LafargeHolcim — which is the
Efforts to find the feared-extinct Catalina Island Shrew finally paid off when a picture of the tiny animal was captured by a camera trap set by researchers in Southern California. Biologists and conservationists have worked tirelessly for 15 years to find the tiny mouse-like animal after it was listed as a species of concern in 1996.
Satya Nadella speaking at the 2016 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. David A. Grogan | CNBC Microsoft said Monday it has put political contributions on hold following the storming of the Capitol in Washington last week as Congress was in the process of certifying the Electoral College results for the 2020 presidential election. The
The big stories of 2020 were not just about a pandemic, a reckoning on racial justice, an economic calamity and the ever-imminent rise of climate change impacts. If a crisis is the ultimate test of leadership, last year provided ample narratives about leaders stepping up. These 20 C-suite executives have steered their companies forward through
A visual representation of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin on November 20, 2018 in London, England. Jordan Mansfield | Getty Images News | Getty Images GUANGZHOU, China — Bitcoin and other digital coins tanked on Monday wiping off some $170 billion from the entire cryptocurrency market. The market capitalization or value of the cryptocurrency market was $959.53