Fire blankets can protect buildings from wildfires

Wrapping a building in a fire-protective blanket is a viable way of protecting it against wildfires, finds the first study to scientifically assesses this method of defense.

Rare 'itinerant breeding' behavior revealed in California bird

Reproduction and migration are the two most demanding tasks in a bird's life, and the vast majority of species separate them into different times of the year. Only two bird species have been shown to undertake what scientists call "itinerant breeding": nesting in one area, migrating to another region, and nesting again there within the same year, to take advantage of shifting food resources. New research just published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances provides strong evidence that a third bird species takes on this unusual challenge—the Phainopepla, a unique bird found in the southwestern U.S. and the northernmost member of an otherwise tropical family.

Handwashing robot helps schoolkids make a clean break with bad habits

A robot which encourages kids to wash their hands has helped pupils at a remote Indian primary school take a fresh approach to hygiene.

Converting absorbed photons by 2-oxocarboxylic acids into highly reactive singlet oxygen

Researchers at the University of Kentucky found that when aqueous solutions with pyruvic acid, a 2-oxocarboxylic acid, were exposed to light, the generated triplet excited state could efficiently convert dissolved molecular oxygen into highly singlet oxygen. This finding is expected to contribute to areas such as environmental, life, and medical sciences in the future.

* This article was originally published here

New study deepens understanding of effects of media exposure to collective trauma

According to a new UCI-led study, it's not just how much media exposure an individual has to collective trauma, but also the graphic quality of what one sees, that may make them more vulnerable to trauma-related mental and physical health problems over time. Published online in the current issue of the journal Clinical Psychological Science, the study suggests that greater frequency of viewing bloody images in the week following the bombings is associated with higher acute stress, post-traumatic stress, and other mental health issues linked to impaired functioning six months later.

Introduce standard units for cannabis to improve mental health

New findings suggest that introducing 'standard units' for cannabis could improve people's mental health.

Survey identifies a growing need to hire data analysts for government jobs

As public agencies across the nation increasingly rely on data to improve operations, the market for careers in the field of data analytics is expected to expand in federal, state, and local governments over the next two years, according to a new survey conducted by Johns Hopkins University and two partners, REI Systems and ACT-IAC.

Group behind Facebook's Libra coin push meet in Geneva

The Libra Association, created by Facebook to launch its new cryptocurrency, kicked off its first council meeting in Geneva on Monday, despite defections by previous supporters like Visa and Mastercard.

Faster video recognition for the smartphone era

A branch of machine learning called deep learning has helped computers surpass humans at well-defined visual tasks like reading medical scans, but as the technology expands into interpreting videos and real-world events, the models are getting larger and more computationally intensive.

Advanced ovarian cancer treatment approved

A targeted treatment for advanced ovarian cancer has been approved for use on the NHS in England and will be paid for by the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Four-day working week movement gathers momentum

A four-day working week continues to gain favor, says Head of Work and Pay at the New Economics Foundation think tank in the UK, Alice Martin, speaking ahead of her appearance at Swinburne's Society 4.0 Conference.

Fast food leads to slow testosterone

Obese men hoping to sire children—beware. Obesity is known to be associated with impaired testicular function, potentially resulting in androgen deficiency and sub-fertility. Now it is clear that fast food meals consumed by obese or overweight men have an immediate negative impact on testicular performance and testosterone production.

Esther Duflo: French specialist in combatting poverty

Esther Duflo, one of three people awarded the Nobel Economics Prize on Monday, is a high-profile academic feted in the United States and her home country France for her hands-on approach to studying how people can escape the poverty trap.

Trio win Nobel Economics Prize for work on poverty

A trio of American economists on Monday won the Nobel Economics Prize for their work in the fight against poverty, including with new approaches in education and healthcare, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

Philippines begins mass vaccinations after polio returns

Parents lined up from sunrise holding sleeping infants as the Philippines launched a campaign on Monday to vaccinate millions of children against polio, which has re-emerged nearly two decades after the nation's last cases.

Scientists have first 3-D view of life's processes in liquid

A new liquid-cell technology allows scientists to see living biological materials and systems in three dimensions under an electron microscope, according to researchers at Penn State, Virginia Tech and Protochips Inc.

Blue light isn't the main source of eye fatigue and sleep loss—it's your computer

Blue light has gotten a bad rap, getting blamed for loss of sleep and eye damage. Personal electronic devices emit more blue light than any other color. Blue light has a short wavelength, which means that it is high-energy and can damage the delicate tissues of the eye. It can also pass through the eye to the retina, the collection of neurons that converts light into the signals that are the foundation of sight.

Locally sourced power may be the answer for vulnerable energy grid

This week, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company took the unprecedented step of cutting power to nearly 750,000 Northern California customers, including much of the UC Berkeley campus, in an effort to mitigate the risk that active transmission lines could spark a wildfire during dry and windy conditions.

Guam avoids severe coral bleaching predicted for this year

Official say vulnerable coral reefs on Guam have not experienced severe bleaching that was predicted for this year.

Southern California blazes show signs of slowing

Wildfires raging across southern California showed signs of slowing Sunday, as firefighters contained nearly half of the biggest blaze.

US 'medical tourists' seek cheap health care abroad

When Veronica Merrill decided to undergo stomach surgery for weight loss, she found two options: pay $12,000 at home in the United States, or have it done in Mexico for $4,000.

Video captures whale bubble-net feeding

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) researchers and key collaborators captured amazing whale's-point-of-view and aerial drone video of humpback whale bubble-net feeding. It's one component of a project investigating causes of a possible decline in humpback whale numbers

Nobel awards season comes to an end with economics prize

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences will announce the last Nobel winner later Monday, when it awards its prestigious economics prize.

For low-risk thyroid cancer patients, less may be more for post-surgery surveillance

Not all patients feel the same way about medical treatment.

New brain research could change how concussions are treated

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), including concussions, can be caused by anything from sports injuries to battlefield trauma. And they can have fatal or lasting effects. The results of a severe concussion—problems with thinking, memory, movement, emotions—are clear. The causes, or underlying pathological mechanisms, were not.

Pioneering clinical trial to treat psychosis in Parkinson's patients using cannabidiol

A pioneering clinical trial will investigate the use of cannabidiol (CBD) - a compound found in the cannabis plant—in people with Parkinson's-related psychosis.

Self-reported suicide attempts rising in black teens as other groups decline

Adding to what is known about the growing crisis of suicide among American teens, a team led by researchers at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University have uncovered several troubling trends during the period of 1991-2017, among Black high school students in particular.