To find alien life in our universe, scientists have considered searches for optical lasers or even giant energy-harvesting structures known as Dyson spheres. Now they’re suggesting a more mundane sort of search, a hunt for air pollution in exoplanet atmospheres. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/can-pollution-help-us-find-alien-life…
Tag: aerosols
‘Nature’ Urges More Masks, Air Purifiers, and Ventilation Instead of Disinfecting Surfaces
“Catching the coronavirus from surfaces is rare. The World Health Organization and national public-health agencies need to clarify their advice,” urges an editorial in Nature (shared by long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo): A year into the pandemic, the evidence is now clear. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted predominantly through the air — by people talking and breathing out large droplets and small…
Does the coronavirus spread more through the air than on surfaces?
The debate over whether coronavirus spreads more through surfaces or aerosols is ongoing, but scientists and campaigners are now calling for tighter precautions to limit airborne spread Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265690-does-the-coronavirus-spread-more-through-the-air-than-on-surfaces/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Face Shields Ineffective at Trapping Aerosols, Says Japanese Supercomputer
Plastic face shields are almost totally ineffective at trapping respiratory aerosols, according to modelling in Japan, casting doubt on their effectiveness in preventing the spread of coronavirus. From a report: A simulation using Fugaku, the world’s fastest supercomputer, found that almost 100% of airborne droplets of less than 5 micrometres in size escaped through plastic visors of the kind often used…
Northern Hemisphere just had its hottest summer on record
Not only was August 2020 the 2nd-warmest August on record, but the Northern Hemisphere had its warmest summer on record, and the globe as a whole had its 3rd-hottest 3-month season. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/northern-hemisphere-2020-hottest-summer-on-record…
What’s in wildfire smoke and why it’s so bad for your lungs
The health impact of wildfire exposure depends in part on the fire itself and how much smoke a person breathes in, how often and for how long. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/what-is-in-wildfire-smoke…
WHO To Review Evidence of Airborne Transmission of Coronavirus
After hundreds of experts urged the World Health Organization to review mounting scientific research, the agency acknowledged on Tuesday that airborne transmission of the coronavirus may be a threat in indoor spaces. The New York Times reports: W.H.O. expert committees are going over evidence on transmission of the virus and plan to release updated recommendations in a few days, agency scientists…
200 Scientists Say WHO Ignores the Risk That Coronavirus ‘Aerosols’ Float in the Air
“Six months into a pandemic that has killed over half a million people, more than 200 scientists from around the world are challenging the official view of how the coronavirus spreads,” reports the Los Angeles Times: The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain that you have to worry about only two types of transmission:…
Clouds may explain why climate models are predicting a warmer future
More realistic representation of clouds and aerosols seems to explain why a new generation of climate models are projecting the world is more sensitive to rising CO2 levels Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2246971-clouds-may-explain-why-climate-models-are-predicting-a-warmer-future/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Covid-19 spreads through the air. That’s a big challenge for reopening
Clear, straightforward information on how a virus spreads, from a scientist who studies infectious disease Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/coronavirus-covid19-how-virus-spreads-through-air-reopening…