Daycares In Finland Built a ‘Forest Floor,’ and It Changed Children’s Immune Systems

omfglearntoplay shares a report from ScienceAlert: Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest’s undergrowth for just one month may be enough to change a child’s immune system, according to a small new experiment. When daycare workers in Finland rolled out a lawn, planted forest undergrowth such as dwarf heather and blueberries, and allowed children to care for crops…

Researchers Discover Second ‘Key’ Used By Coronavirus To Enter Human Cells

Kiuas writes: Researchers from the Technical University of Munich and the University of Helsinki have discovered a second receptor (called neuropilin-1) which is used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter into human cells via the nasal cavity. The discovery is important as it helps explain the rapid spread of the virus, and also helps define a potential target for antirviral intervention……

Cit­izen scientists identify new form of north­ern lights

Space researchers and amateur photographers in Finland have identified a new type of aurora, or northern lights. They call them “dunes.” Read more and see a video. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/citizen-scientists-new-aurora-northern-lights-dunes…

New Type of Aurora Called ‘The Dunes’ Documented

davidwr writes: Remember the aurora-that-wasn’t called STEVE from last April? Well, amateur stargazers in Finland are at it again. This time it’s for a new kind of aurora dubbed “the dunes.” These new aurora are thought to be an example of a “mesosphereic bore” in which oxygen is exited by the solar wind or possibly gravity waves. The original paper can…