How COVID-19 upended our understanding of migration, citizenship and inequality

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the global system governing migration may not be sustainable. Temporary migration schemes including those for seasonal agriculture workers or those allowing for construction and care work no longer function when people's mobility is hampered because of a rapidly circulating and dangerous virus.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-covid-upended-migration-citizenship-inequality.html

Geological cold case may reveal critical minerals

Researchers on the hunt for why cold eclogites mysteriously disappeared from geological records during the early stages of the Earth's development may have found the answer, and with it clues that could help locate critical minerals today.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-geological-cold-case-reveal-critical.html

Fossil footprints prove humans populated the Americas thousands of years earlier than we thought

Our species began migrating out of Africa around 100,000 years ago. Aside from Antarctica, the Americas were the last continents humans reached, with the early pioneers crossing the now-submerged Bering land bridge that once connected eastern Siberia to North America.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-fossil-footprints-humans-populated-americas.html

Bizarre armoured spikes belong to oldest ankylosaur ever discovered

An unusual fossil showing a series of spikes fused to a rib has been revealed to be the remains of the oldest ankylosaur ever found and the first from the African continent.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-bizarre-armoured-spikes-oldest-ankylosaur.html

New research reveals credit rating agencies responded too slowly to COVID-19

The first study into the effect of COVID-19 on sovereign credit ratings found that rating agencies were slow to react to the pandemic's unprecedented economic and fiscal reverberations. The research raises questions about the timeliness and reliability of prominent creditworthiness measures, with potentially significant consequences for investors and for public debt and global financial stability.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-reveals-credit-agencies-slowly-covid-.html

Can sustainability standards effectively mitigate food system challenges?

While agrifood production is essential for feeding our growing global population, it can also contribute to environmental and social problems, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, poor or precarious labor conditions, and persistent poverty. Certification and standards can encourage use of sustainable production practices, but how effective are such programs in addressing food system challenges? A new study from a team of international researchers reviews the literature on sustainability standards and identifies a series of important questions.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-sustainability-standards-effectively-mitigate-food.html

Earth and Venus grew up as rambunctious planets

What doesn't stick comes around: Using machine learning and simulations of giant impacts, researchers at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory found that the planets residing in the inner solar systems were likely born from repeated hit-and-run collisions, challenging conventional models of planet formation.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-earth-venus-grew-rambunctious-planets.html

Kirigami cools electronics

Scientists from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University, Oita National College of Technology, and Tokyo Polytechnic University demonstrated enhanced passive convective cooling using cellulose nanofiber films designed based on kirigami, a traditional paper design form similar to origami. The difference when compared with origami is that, in addition to folding, kirigami involves cutting the paper as well. This work may enable small flexible electronic devices to operate without overheating.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-kirigami-cools-electronics.html

Bizarre armoured spikes belong to oldest ankylosaur ever discovered

An unusual fossil showing a series of spikes fused to a rib has been revealed to be the remains of the oldest ankylosaur ever found and the first from the African continent.

New research reveals credit rating agencies responded too slowly to COVID-19

The first study into the effect of COVID-19 on sovereign credit ratings found that rating agencies were slow to react to the pandemic's unprecedented economic and fiscal reverberations. The research raises questions about the timeliness and reliability of prominent creditworthiness measures, with potentially significant consequences for investors and for public debt and global financial stability.

Can sustainability standards effectively mitigate food system challenges?

While agrifood production is essential for feeding our growing global population, it can also contribute to environmental and social problems, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, poor or precarious labor conditions, and persistent poverty. Certification and standards can encourage use of sustainable production practices, but how effective are such programs in addressing food system challenges? A new study from a team of international researchers reviews the literature on sustainability standards and identifies a series of important questions.

Earth and Venus grew up as rambunctious planets

What doesn't stick comes around: Using machine learning and simulations of giant impacts, researchers at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory found that the planets residing in the inner solar systems were likely born from repeated hit-and-run collisions, challenging conventional models of planet formation.

Machine learning uncovers 'genes of importance' in agriculture and medicine

Machine learning can pinpoint "genes of importance" that help crops to grow with less fertilizer, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. It can also predict additional traits in plants and disease outcomes in animals, illustrating its applications beyond agriculture.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-machine-uncovers-genes-importance-agriculture.html

Apple will soon let you put your vaccination card in Wallet. Here's what it'll look like

Apple will soon roll out COVID vaccination cards in its Wallet app, allowing people to demonstrate proof of vaccination through their iPhones and Apple Watches.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-apple-vaccination-card-wallet-itll.html

Use Google in the car? Google Assistant, Android Auto get fresh updates and new partner in Honda

Google is updating critical features for the millions of drivers who depend on its technology to help them get around.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-google-car-android-auto-fresh.html

Guatemala volcano erupts but no evacuations yet

Guatemala's Fuego volcano began a strong eruptive phase on Thursday, spewing lava and ash in a series of explosions that have not yet forced any evacuations, authorities said.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-guatemala-volcano-erupts-evacuations.html

Facebook ordered to release anti-Rohingya posts for genocide case

A US judge has ordered Facebook to release posts the social network removed over their role in inciting government-backed violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-facebook-anti-rohingya-genocide-case.html

Machine learning uncovers "genes of importance" in agriculture and medicine

Machine learning can pinpoint "genes of importance" that help crops to grow with less fertilizer, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. It can also predict additional traits in plants and disease outcomes in animals, illustrating its applications beyond agriculture.

Guatemala volcano erupts but no evacuations yet

Guatemala's Fuego volcano began a strong eruptive phase on Thursday, spewing lava and ash in a series of explosions that have not yet forced any evacuations, authorities said.

Systems approach helps assess public health impacts of changing climate, environmental policies

A team co-led by a Washington State University scientist offers an alternative way to understand and minimize health impacts from human-caused changes to the climate and environment in a new study published in the journal One Earth. 

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-approach-health-impacts-climate-environmental.html

Ageing the unageable: Researchers develop new way to age lobsters

Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have identified a way of determining the age of a lobster based on its DNA. 

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-ageing-unageable-uea-age-lobsters.html

Systems approach helps assess public health impacts of changing climate, environmental policies

A team co-led by a Washington State University scientist offers an alternative way to understand and minimize health impacts from human-caused changes to the climate and environment in a new study published in the journal One Earth. 

Ageing the unageable: Researchers develop new way to age lobsters

Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have identified a way of determining the age of a lobster based on its DNA.