Physicists trap ultracold plasma in a magnetic bottle for the 1st time

The breakthrough technique supercools plasma with lasers before trapping them in a magnetic field; allowing physicists to study the northern lights, white dwarves and nuclear fusion in ever greater detail. Source: https://www.livescience.com/laser-cooled-plasma-trapped.html

What’s the coldest Earth has ever been?

Our planet’s history includes episodes of cold so extreme that glaciers reached sea level in equatorial regions. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/whats-coldest-earth-has-ever-been…

Grizzlies Are Coming Back. But Can We Make Room For Them?

As grizzly bears expand their range in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming into places where they haven’t been seen in a century or more, they’re increasingly encountering humans. From a report: Things intensified last summer as trails and campgrounds across the region flooded with inexperienced tourists seeking refuge in the outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. Grizzly attacks spiked. Bear managers were inundated…

First ever high-res image taken of rare gazelles in a desert setting

Ugo Mellone captured the first ever high-resolution image of a rare Cuvier’s gazelle (and her calf) in a desert environment using a technique called photo trapping Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933183-300-first-ever-high-res-image-taken-of-rare-gazelles-in-a-desert-setting/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Ancient Mayan civilization used advanced water treatment technology

The oldest known example of a water treatment system in the Western Hemisphere was recently discovered in Guatemala. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/ancient-mayan-civilization-used-advanced-water-treatment-technology…

Phew! Record-smashing 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is officially over

November 30 marked the official end of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, although more storms are still possible. Why did 2020 have so many storms? And what does climate change have to do with it? Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/record-smashing-2020-atlantic-hurricane-season-official-end…

Ending Greenhouse Gas Emissions May Not Stop Global Warming, Study Says

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org : Even if humanity stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, Earth will warm for centuries to come and oceans will rise by meters, according to a controversial modeling study published Thursday. Natural drivers of global warming — more heat-trapping clouds, thawing permafrost, and shrinking sea ice — already set in motion by carbon pollution…

Here are 3 amazing feats of spiders

Halloween time is spider time. Three amazing spider skills you might not have known about. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/three-amazing-feats-of-spiders…

First ‘Murder Hornet’ Nest In US Is Found In Washington State

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: Remember the “murder hornets”? You know, the terrifyingly large Asian giant hornets that are threatening to wipe out the North American bee population? Entomologists with the Washington State Department of Agriculture have now located a nest of them — the first to be found in the U.S., the agency says. The nest was…

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…