"Boiling point of water dropped below 100C during Storm Ciaran."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 16 July 2024, 1407 UTC.

Content and Source:  https://www.theguardian/science.

Please check link or scroll down to read you selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

Science | The Guardian

14

TODAY

Boiling point of water dropped below 100C during Storm Ciarán, study finds

Science | The Guardian / 1h

Recordbreaking low pressure due to extreme weather meant water was boiling at 98C in Reading on day of storm Millions of Britons were forced to drink subpar cups of tea last November due to the recordbreaking low pressure caused by Storm Ciarán. The low pressure caused the boiling point of water to drop below the 100C temperature some experts recommend to extract the full flavour from tea leaves.

Academic publishing is a lucrative scam – and we’re determined to change that | Arash Abizadeh

Science | The Guardian / 2h

Giant publishers are bleeding universities dry, with profit margins that rival Google’s. So we decided to start our own Arash Abizadeh is a philosopher and the Angus professor of political science at McGill University, Canada If you’ve ever read an academic article, the chances are that you were unwittingly paying tribute to a vast profit-generating machine that exploits the free labour of resear

Scientists set sights on asteroid larger than Eiffel Tower as it skims past Earth

Science | The Guardian / 4h

Ramses mission to study 99942 Apophis when it passes closer to Earth than GPS and TV satellites in 2029 In 2029 an asteroid larger than the Eiffel Tower will skim past Earth in an event that until recently scientists had feared could foreshadow a catastrophic collision . Now researchers hope to scrutinise 99942 Apophis as it makes its close encounter in an effort to bolster our defences against o

YESTERDAY

Butter made from CO2, not cows, tastes like ‘the real thing’, claims startup

Science | The Guardian / 7h

Savor, backed by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, says product has lower carbon footprint as it doesn’t need cows Butter made from air instead of cows? A California-based startup claims to have worked out a complex process that eliminates the need for the animals while making its dairy-free alternative taste just as good. Savor, backed by the Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, has been experiment

‘A diagnosis can sweep away guilt’: the delicate art of treating ADHD

100+Science | The Guardian / 9h

For children with ADHD, getting the help they need depends on being correctly diagnosed. As a doctor, I have seen how tricky and frustrating a process that can be Late last summer, in the waiting room of a children’s mental health clinic, I found Daniel, a softly spoken 16-year-old boy, flanked by his parents. He had been referred to the clinic for an assessment for attention deficit hyperactivit

Can the climate survive AI’s thirst for energy? – podcast

Science | The Guardian / 9h

Artificial intelligence companies have lofty ambitions for what the technology could achieve, from curing diseases to eliminating poverty. But the energy required to power these innovations is threatening critical environmental targets. Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose, and UK technology editor, Alex Hern, to find out how big AI’s energy problem is,

Beaker Street science photography prize – in pictures

Science | The Guardian / 13h

As part of the annual Beaker Street festival , a celebration of science and art in Tasmania, finalist images in the festival’s annual science photographic competition will be on show at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from 6 August to 23 August Continue reading...

Underground cave found on moon could be ideal base for explorers

Science | The Guardian / 22h

Researchers find evidence for cave accessible from surface – which could shelter humans from harsh lunar environment Researchers have found evidence for a substantial underground cave on the moon that is accessible from the surface, making the spot a prime location to build a future lunar base. The cave appears to be reachable from an open pit in the Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility), the

JUL 14, 2024

Face your anger and let it out. It’s the only way to stay healthy

72Science | The Guardian / 1d

More than sadness, hatred or grief, rage is something that we shut away or flee. That endangers our relationships, our happiness – and our safety I have wanted to write about anger for some time. As I sat down to begin this column, a recent psychoanalysis session came to mind. I was telling my analyst about something that might have made me angry – but instead, as I spoke to her, I experienced a

First Asian elephant vaccinated in fight against deadly herpes virus

Two elephants die from virus

•

100+Science | The Guardian / 1d

Tess, a 40-year-old female at Houston zoo, has been given a trial mRNA vaccine to help combat the virus, a leading killer of calves in captivity An Asian elephant at Houston zoo in the US has received the first mRNA vaccine against herpes, which is the leading killer of Asian elephants calves in captivity. Tess, a 40-year-old Asian elephant, was injected with the trial vaccine at the Texas zoo in

The horror of everything all the time! Wait a minute, here is a happy snail story! | First Dog on the Moon

Science | The Guardian / 1d

Political violence is not OK but what about snails are they OK? Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading...

Uncanny Me review – exploration of cloning tech fraught with moral and ethical questions

Science | The Guardian / 1d

Creating a 3D avatar to increase a model’s income brings up all sorts of issues, but this documentary seems uninterested in addressing them Doubles, doppelgangers, clones; twin visions have long fascinated directors and audiences alike. It’s unnerving, however, when technologies that once belonged to the realm of science fiction are now realised in the present. A German model called Lale is inter

Starwatch: International Space Station passes over London

100+Science | The Guardian / 1d

This artificial star will be dazzlingly bright – almost rivalling Venus – on 15 July This week we’re looking for an artificial star: the International Space Station . From London on 15 July, the ISS will pass overhead and will be dazzlingly bright. The pass begins at 22.39 BST when the space station rises above the western horizon, but it is unlikely to be visible until it climbs higher than 10°

Scientists make DNA discovery that could help find pancreatic cancer cure

Science | The Guardian / 1d

Hope for new treatments after researchers find spread of disease is aided by shutting down of molecules in key genes Scientists have made a crucial DNA discovery that could help cure one of the deadliest cancers. A team of researchers from the UK and US have found that pancreatic cancer is able to shut down molecules in one of the body’s most important genes, helping the disease to grow and sprea

END OF FEED

 

Scientific American-Today in Science

"How baby orangutans become master treehouse builders."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 15 July 2024, 2128 UTC.

Content and Source:  https://www.scientificamerican.com

Please check link or scroll down to read your selections.

Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

July 15, 2024: We're covering "meteor-wrongs," orangutan treehouses and lab meat that tastes like real meat.  —Robin Lloyd, Contributing Editor

TOP STORIES

Orangutan Architecture

Orangutans are known for building elaborate sleeping nests nearly every day in trees. Made of branches, twigs and sometimes broad leaves, the nests can feature pillows, blankets and even roofs, suspended dozens of feet above the ground, ensuring that orangutans can get a good night’s sleep. The nests must be strong enough to bear the great apes’ weight—adult orangs weigh about the same as adult humans. Young orangutans practice nest-building daily, studying their mothers’ nest-building activities. The task is so complex that it takes the young ones seven years to grow sufficiently strong, dextrous and skilled to make their own nests, new findings reveal.  How they did it: For 13 years, the researchers observed 45 orangutans at Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser National Park, reports freelance journalist Sierra Boucher. Orangutans as young as three years old were seen making functional nests. What the experts say: Young orangutans typically sleep alongside their mothers to the age of seven. “[They] have this seven- to nine-year dependency period where they are little babies, and after that they are on their own,” says primatologist Hella Péter. Human ancestors and orangutans evolved to become nest builders around the same time, suggesting that sound sleep plays a crucial role in the evolution of our brains and those of orangutans.

An orangutan and her daughter in their day nest. Anup Shah/Getty Images

Tastes Like…Beef

Lab meat, aka cultured meat, has been around for several years, but some reviews have been tepid. Now, researchers have found a way to make cooked lab-grown meat taste more like the cooked beef that carnivores enjoy. The solution is to enhance the animal cells that make up cultured meat with a compound containing a chemical associated with the cooking of real meat, reports science communicator Helena Kudiabor. The chemical, called furfuryl mercaptan, is a product of the so-called Maillard reaction, which occurs when the amino acids and sugars in conventional meat react with each other during cooking with high heat. The reaction confers appetizing aromas and flavors, and often a caramel color as well. Past efforts to produce cultured meat have focused on mimicking the structure of beef but not the flavor and taste, according to sources quoted in the story. How it works: Researchers found a way to integrate furfuryl mercaptan into the process used to culture the cells that make up lab meat. Lab meat has a different profile of amino acids so cooked lab meat does not undergo the Maillard reaction and thus has lacked the savory appeal of conventional meat. Why it matters: The more lab meat catches on with consumers, the fewer cattle and other livestock are slaughtered. Ultimately, especially in the case of cattle, this shift is expected to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with rearing livestock and producing conventional meat.

Cristina Pedrazzini/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

TODAY'S NEWS

• New satellites alone won’t stop the methane climate crisis. | 4 min read

• Facing scorching heat waves, cities call on scientists to understand how people respond. | 3 min read

• Why animals living on islands are at greater risk of extinction. | 3 min read

• Is it time for U.S. farmworkers to get bird flu shots? | 6 min read

• Astronauts can drink more recycled pee than ever. | 9 min listen

More News

EXPERT PERSPECTIVES

• An inadvertent discovery of a dense, eye-catching, cracked-open rock in the Sahara Desert led to an investigation to figure out whether the item was a meteorite, a dinosaur egg or an accumulation of cement that formed inside another rock’s holes, writes science journalist Bethany Brookshire. The rock turned out to be a “meteor-wrong,” that is, not a meteorite, gem or egg, a geologist tells Brookshire, but the rock still had a fascinating story to tell. | 6 min read

More Opinion

Over lunch today, I mentioned the orangutan finding to my spouse, Scientific American contributing editor Steve Mirsky. I highlighted the remarkable finding that it takes young orangutans seven years to learn to make their sophisticated nightly nests. Steve’s reply: “I never learned to make my bed.” If you’re a former reader of his allegedly humorous "Anti-Gravity" column in the magazine, this reply will not surprise you. Despite the similarities between orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and humans, I often have to remind myself that all of them and Steve are part of the taxonomic group known as great apes, or Hominidae. For more details on the evolution of apes, check out this 2006 essay, “Planet of the Apes,” by paleoanthropologist David R. Begun and artist John Gurche.

We always like to hear from you, our great-ape friends. Feel free to reach out to us: newsletters@sciam.com.

—Robin Lloyd, Contributing Editor

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Live Science Newsletter

"Remains of hundreds of 7,000-year-old 'standing stone circles' discovered in Saudi Arabia."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 15 July 2024, 1419 UTC.

Content and Source:  https://www.livescience.com.

Please check link or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

 

July 15, 2024 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE      Amazing science every day SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE   TOP SCIENCE NEWS (Thalia Nitz, courtesy RCU/University of Western Australia/University of Sydney) Remains of hundreds of 7,000-year-old 'standing stone circles' discovered in Saudi Arabia Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have now excavated eight ancient stone circles that likely served as homes to people more than 7,000 years ago. Read More HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY (Visualization of the Žiga Koka LiDAR data) Mysterious Maya underground structure unearthed in Mexico Archaeologists in Campeche, Mexico, have found an underground structure beneath a Maya ball court, as well as offerings on top of a Maya pyramid at another site. Read More PLANET EARTH (VOJTa Herout via Shutterstock) Norway's Dragon's Eye: The fantastical 'pothole' that emerged from ice 16,000 years ago Norway's photogenic "Dragon's Eye" likely formed around 20,000 years ago, when all of Scandinavia sat beneath an enormous mass of ice called the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet. Read More LA may be spared 'horrifying' fate of the 'Big One' from San Andreas, simulation suggests (Cavan Images / Toby Harriman via Getty Images) A new simulation of the shaking from a magnitude 7.8 south San Andreas earthquake suggests that Los Angeles might avoid a worst-case scenario.  Full Story: Live Science (7/12)  ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS (NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)/ Decarli et. at / INAF / A&A 2024) James Webb Space Telescope sees an ancient black hole dance with colliding galaxies Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have witnessed the dramatic dance between a supermassive black hole-powered quasar and merging galaxies less than a billion years after the Big Bang. Read More HEALTH (CIPhotos via Getty Images) HIV prevention drug found 100% effective in clinical trial The drug, lenacapavir, provided better protection than other preventive medications. Read More ANIMALS (Emma Neave Webb/BDMLR) Entire pod of 89 pilot whales dies on Scottish beach in freak mass stranding Dozens of long-finned pilot whales have beached and died on Sanday in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, in the biggest mass stranding the country has seen since 1995. Read More DAILY QUIZ What gives honey its antimicrobial properties? (Learn the answer here.) Hydrogen peroxide High sugar content Gluconic, acetic, formic, and citric acids All of the above

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