Supercomputer simulations could unlock mystery of Moon's formation

Astronomers have taken a step towards understanding how the Moon might have formed out of a giant collision between the early Earth and another massive object 4.5 billion years ago.

Supercomputer simulations could unlock mystery of Moon's formation

Astronomers have taken a step towards understanding how the Moon might have formed out of a giant collision between the early Earth and another massive object 4.5 billion years ago.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-supercomputer-simulations-mystery-moon-formation.html

Drinking linked to a decline in brain health from cradle to grave

The evidence for the harmful effects of alcohol on brain health is compelling, but now experts have pin-pointed three key time periods in life when the effects of alcohol are likely to be at their greatest.

Daily data from COVID app predicts local incidence and prevalence of virus

Published today in The Lancet Public Health, a study by researchers at King's College London research team detail the modelling behind the ZOE COVID Symptom Study App.

Scientists predict 'optimal' organism stress levels

Scientists have created an evolutionary model to predict how animals should react in stressful situations.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-scientists-optimal-stress.html

Voyager spacecraft detect new type of solar electron burst

More than 40 years since they launched, the Voyager spacecraft are still making discoveries.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-voyager-spacecraft-solar-electron.html

Britain OKs Pfizer vaccine and will begin shots within days

Britain became the first country in the world to authorize a rigorously tested COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday and could be dispensing shots within days—a historic step toward eventually ending the outbreak that has killed more than 1.4 million people around the globe.

China: Moon probe preparing to return rock samples to Earth

China said Thursday its latest lunar probe has finished taking samples of the moon's surface and sealed them within the spacecraft for return to Earth, the first time such a mission has been attempted by any country in more than 40 years.

Midday fireball, boom thrill gazers from Ontario to Virginia

A noontime boom that was heard and felt from southern Ontario to Virginia was likely caused by a disintegrating meteor, according to an organization in western New York that keeps track of such phenomena.

NASA: Mystery object is 54-year-old rocket, not asteroid

A mysterious object temporarily orbiting Earth is a 54-year-old rocket, not an asteroid after all, astronomers confirmed Wednesday.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise to move headquarters to Texas

Tech giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise said it is moving its global headquarters to the Houston area from California, where the company's roots go back to the founding of Silicon Valley decades ago.

New activity found for CHD7, a protein factor vital in embryonic development

Research by Kai Jiao, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and in Germany has yielded fundamental insights into the causes of severe birth defects known as CHARGE syndrome cases. These congenital birth defects include severe and life-threatening heart malformations.

Once in a lifetime floods to become regular occurrences by end of century

Superstorm Sandy brought flood-levels to the New York region that had not been seen in generations. Causing an estimated $74.1 billion in damages, it was the fourth-costliest U.S. storm behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and hurricanes Harvey and Maria in 2017 according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Now, due to the impact of climate change, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have found that 100-year and 500-year flood levels could become regular occurrences for the thousands of homes surrounding Jamaica Bay, New York by the end of the century.

After CDC guidance, little change in opioid prescriptions to those at risk of misuse

Research from Saint Louis University finds that among patients at risk for opioid misuse, the odds of receiving a schedule II opioid for non-cancer pain were similar to those not at risk, despite new prescribing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Why does it matter if most Republican voters still think Biden lost?

As President-elect Joe Biden and his administrative team officially begin the transition process, only about 20 percent of Republican voters consider him the true winner of the election. Nearly half of all respondents—48 percent—still expect President Donald Trump to be inaugurated for a second term on January 20, despite plenty of indicators to the contrary. Those are among the findings of the latest Bright Line Watch (November) survey—the political science research project of faculty at the University of Rochester, the University of Chicago, and Dartmouth College.

Medicine-carriers made from human cells can cure lung infections

Scientists used human white blood cell membranes to carry two drugs, an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory, directly to infected lungs in mice.

Understanding bacteria's metabolism could improve biofuel production

A new study reveals how bacteria control the chemicals produced from consuming 'food.' The insight could lead to organisms that are more efficient at converting plants into biofuels.

Cluster of Alaskan islands could be single, interconnected giant volcano

A small group of volcanic islands in Alaska's Aleutian chain might be part of a single, undiscovered giant volcano, say scientists presenting the findings Monday, 7 December at AGU's Fall Meeting 2020. If the researchers' suspicions are correct, the newfound volcanic caldera would belong to the same category of volcanoes as the Yellowstone Caldera and other volcanoes that have had super-eruptions with severe global consequences.

To increase organs available for transplant, reassess organ procurement organizations' metrics

Organ procurement organizations are a critical component in organ transplantation in the United States. But, what makes an organ procurement organization high performing and obtaining much needed organs to those awaiting a transplantation?

Understanding quality of life for caregivers of persons with traumatic brain injury

Quality of life is important for persons with traumatic brain injury, and new studies find it's just as important for the person's caregiver.

Incredible vision in ancient marine creatures drove an evolutionary arms race

Ancient deep sea creatures called radiodonts had incredible vision that likely drove an evolutionary arms race according to new research published today.

Scientists predict 'optimal' organism stress levels

Scientists have created an evolutionary model to predict how animals should react in stressful situations.

Voyager spacecraft detect new type of solar electron burst

More than 40 years since they launched, the Voyager spacecraft are still making discoveries.