Wildfires can cause dangerous debris flows

Wildfires don't stop being dangerous after the flames go out. Even one modest rainfall after a fire can cause a deadly landslide, according to new UC Riverside research.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-wildfires-dangerous-debris.html

Grafting with epigenetically-modified rootstock yields surprise

Novel grafted plants—consisting of rootstock epigenetically modified to "believe" it has been under stress—joined to an unmodified scion, or above-ground shoot, give rise to progeny that are more vigorous, productive and resilient than the parental plants.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-grafting-epigenetically-modified-rootstock-yields.html

Airbnb partners with ex-Apple design star Jony Ive

Airbnb has hired former Apple design chief Jony Ive to work on showcasing the homesharing platform's forthcoming products, it announced Wednesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-airbnb-partners-ex-apple-star-jony.html

Short-video app Quibi shutting down just months after launch

Short-video app Quibi said it is shutting down just six months after its early April launch, having struggled to find customers.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-short-video-app-quibi-months.html

NASA spacecraft sent asteroid rubble flying in sample grab

NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft crushed rocks and sent rubble flying as it briefly touched an asteroid, a strong indication that samples were collected for return to Earth, officials said Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-nasa-spacecraft-asteroid-rubble-sample.html

Tesla posts net profit for fifth straight quarter

Tesla charged through a summertime auto industry sales slump in the U.S. to post stronger-than-expected net earnings for the third quarter.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-tesla-net-profit-straight-quarter.html

In Dubai, oil-rich UAE sees a new wonder: A coal power plant

A new wonder is rising in the southern desert of Dubai against the backdrop of Persian Gulf beaches, but it's not another skyscraper to grace the futuristic sheikhdom. Instead, it's one of mankind's oldest power sources gaining its own space on the oil-rich Arabian Peninsula—a coal-fired power plant.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-dubai-oil-rich-uae-coal-power.html

Trio who lived on space station return to Earth safely

A trio of space travelers safely returned to Earth on Thursday after a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-trio-space-station-earth-safely.html

New approach could lead to designed plastics with specific properties

Imagine a plastic bag that can carry home your groceries, then quickly degrade, without harming the environment. Or a super-strong, lightweight plastic for airplanes, rockets, and satellites that can replace traditional structural metals in aerospace technologies.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-approach-plastics-specific-properties.html