Sunday 26 May 2019

Rare iron oxide could be combined with 2-D materials for electronic, spintronic devices

Rice University researchers have simplified the synthesis of a unique, nearly two-dimensional form of iron oxide with strong magnetic properties that is easy to stack atop other 2-D materials.

* This article was originally published here

Dead roots, not just waves, account for marsh losses in gulf

A new Duke University-led study finds that the death of marsh plants due to disturbances like the heavy oiling from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill can double the rate of shoreline erosion in hard-hit marshes.

* This article was originally published here

Rare albino panda caught on camera in China: state media

A rare all-white panda has been caught on camera at a nature reserve in southwest China, showing albinism exists among wild pandas in the region, state media reported.

* This article was originally published here

Mobile phone app designed to boost physical activity in women shows promise in trial

Activity trackers and mobile phone apps are all the rage, but do they really help users increase and maintain physical activity? A new study has found that one mobile phone app designed for inactive women did help when combined with an activity tracker and personal counseling.

* This article was originally published here

Volcano on Bali erupts, briefly disrupting flights (Update)

Bali's airport has returned to normal operations after some flights were canceled on Friday night following an eruption of the Mount Agung volcano that spread ash over the south of the Indonesian island.

* This article was originally published here

An approach to enhance machine learning explanations

Researchers at IBM Research U.K., the U.S. Military Academy and Cardiff University have recently proposed a technique they call Local Interpretable Model Agnostic Explanations (LIME) for attaining a better understanding of the conclusions reached by machine learning algorithms. Their paper, published on SPIE digital library, could inform the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that provide exhaustive explanations of how they reached a particular outcome or conclusion.

* This article was originally published here

Dog-like robot jumps, flips and trots

Putting their own twist on robots that amble through complicated landscapes, the Stanford Student Robotics club's Extreme Mobility team has developed a four-legged robot that is not only capable of performing acrobatic tricks and traversing challenging terrain but is also designed with reproducibility in mind. Anyone who wants their own version of the robot, dubbed Stanford Doggo, can consult comprehensive plans, code and a supply list that the students have made freely available online.

* This article was originally published here

Nobel-winning physicist Murray Gell-Man dies at 89

Murray Gell-Mann, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who brought order to the universe by helping discover and classify subatomic particles, has died at the age of 89.

* This article was originally published here

Under the dome: Fears Pacific nuclear 'coffin' is leaking

As nuclear explosions go, the US "Cactus" bomb test in May 1958 was relatively small—but it has left a lasting legacy for the Marshall Islands in a dome-shaped radioactive dump.

* This article was originally published here

Sea dragons captivate visitors at California aquarium

At first glance, it looks like a branch of kelp, but then an eye moves among its leafy appendages, and ridges of tiny, translucent fins start to flutter, sending the creature gliding through the water like something from a fairy tale.

* This article was originally published here

Driverless cars working together can speed up traffic by 35%

A fleet of driverless cars working together to keep traffic moving smoothly can improve overall traffic flow by at least 35 percent, researchers have shown.

* This article was originally published here

Close encounters? SpaceX satellites spark Dutch UFO frenzy

A Dutch website set up to record UFO sightings was flooded early Saturday with reports after a "train of stars" was spotted crossing the Netherlands' skies, sparking fears of an alien invasion.

* This article was originally published here

World celebrates centenary of confirmation of relativity

Celebrations are underway across the globe to commemorate 100 years since a UK-led expedition confirmed Einstein's general theory of relativity. The theory fundamentally changed our understanding of physics and astronomy, and underpins critical modern technologies such as the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS). A series of public events in the UK and around the world will mark this seminal anniversary.

* This article was originally published here

Lonely patients with heart failure least likely to follow treatment recommendations

Less than 10% of heart failure patients comply with advice on salt and fluid restrictions, daily weighing, and physical activity, reports a study presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

* This article was originally published here

Electrified methane reformer produces far less carbon dioxide

A team of researchers from several institutions in Denmark, along with colleagues from Sintex and Haldor Topsoe, has developed an electrified methane reformer that produces far less CO2 than conventional steam-methane reformers. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their new technology and how well it works. Kevin Van Geem, Vladimir Galvita and Guy Marin with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology and Center for Sustainable Chemistry in Ghent have published a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue.

* This article was originally published here

Paper stickers to monitor pathogens are more effective than swabs

Using paper stickers to collect pathogens on surfaces where antisepsis is required, such as in food processing plants, is easier, and less expensive than swabbing, yet similarly sensitive. The research is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

* This article was originally published here