Understanding human-robot interaction critical in design of rehabilitation systems

Robotic body-weight support (BWS) devices can play a key role in helping people with neurological disorders to improve their walking. The team that developed the advanced body-weight support device RYSEN in 2018 has since gained more fundamental insight in BWS but also concludes that improvement in this field is necessary. They find that recommendations for the optimal therapy settings have to be customized to each device and that developers should be more aware of the interaction between patient and the device. The researchers have published the results of their evaluation in Science Robotics on Wednesday September 22.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-human-robot-interaction-critical.html

Boeing to build military aircraft drones in Australian city

Chicago-based aerospace giant Boeing has announced plans to build a new type of drone military aircraft in Australia.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-boeing-military-aircraft-drones-australian.html

EPA completes rule to phase out gases used as refrigerants

In what officials call a key step to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-epa-phase-gases-refrigerants.html

Gas pipe workers find 800-year-old bodies in Peru

Peruvian workers laying gas pipes found the remains of eight people buried in a common tomb with food and musical instruments some 800 years ago, an archaeologist said Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-gas-pipe-workers-year-old-bodies.html

Lake Maracaibo, lightning capital of the world

One firebolt after another illuminates a stilt-house settlement where the Catatumbo river flows into Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo, the lightning capital of the world.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-lake-maracaibo-lightning-capital-world.html

COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff

One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students' lunchboxes, telling parents it's "now hiring." Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-covid-dire-shortage-teachers-school.html

Facebook tech chief Mike Schroepfer to step down

Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer is stepping down from the social media company, taking on a part-time role while longtime executive Andrew Bosworth will replace him next year.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-facebook-tech-chief-mike-schroepfer.html

US projections on drought-hit Colorado River grow more dire

The U.S. government released projections Wednesday that indicate an even more troubling outlook for a river that serves 40 million people in the American West.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-drought-hit-colorado-river-dire.html

Thousands fight wildfires threatening California's sequoias

Growing armies of firefighters battled wildfires in the heart of California's sequoia country on Wednesday.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-thousands-wildfires-threatening-california-sequoias.html

EPA completes rule to phase out gases used as refrigerants

In what officials call a key step to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.

Gas pipe workers find 800-year-old bodies in Peru

Peruvian workers laying gas pipes found the remains of eight people buried in a common tomb with food and musical instruments some 800 years ago, an archaeologist said Wednesday.

Lake Maracaibo, lightning capital of the world

One firebolt after another illuminates a stilt-house settlement where the Catatumbo river flows into Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo, the lightning capital of the world.

COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff

One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students' lunchboxes, telling parents it's "now hiring." Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning.

Bat guts become less healthy through diet of 'fast food' from banana plantations

Nectar-feeding bats foraging in intensively managed banana plantations in Costa Rica have a less diverse set of gut microbes in comparison to bats feeding in their natural forest habitat or organic plantations, reveals new research published today in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. This the first study to show an association between habitat alteration, sustainable agriculture and the gut microbiota of wildlife.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-guts-healthy-diet-fast-food.html

Artificial intelligence may be set to reveal climate-change tipping points

Researchers are developing artificial intelligence that could assess climate change tipping points. The deep learning algorithm could act as an early warning system against runaway climate change.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-artificial-intelligence-reveal-climate-change.html

Global ocean report shows unprecedented climate change impact, as Arctic registers record low ice levels

Arctic ice levels logged in the last two years have reached record lows, whilst per decade have—on average since 1979 to 2020—dropped by nearly 13%, a new vast report on the ocean worldwide shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-global-ocean-unprecedented-climate-impact.html

US projections on drought-hit Colorado River grow more dire

The U.S. government released projections Wednesday that indicate an even more troubling outlook for a river that serves 40 million people in the American West.

Thousands fight wildfires threatening California's sequoias

Growing armies of firefighters battled wildfires in the heart of California's sequoia country on Wednesday.

Bat guts become less healthy through diet of 'fast food' from banana plantations

Nectar-feeding bats foraging in intensively managed banana plantations in Costa Rica have a less diverse set of gut microbes in comparison to bats feeding in their natural forest habitat or organic plantations, reveals new research published today in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. This the first study to show an association between habitat alteration, sustainable agriculture and the gut microbiota of wildlife.

Artificial intelligence may be set to reveal climate-change tipping points

Researchers are developing artificial intelligence that could assess climate change tipping points. The deep learning algorithm could act as an early warning system against runaway climate change.

Global ocean report shows unprecedented climate change impact, as Arctic registers record low ice levels

Arctic ice levels logged in the last two years have reached record lows, whilst per decade have—on average since 1979 to 2020—dropped by nearly 13%, a new vast report on the ocean worldwide shows.