News
- Quantum Physics
Rumors hint that Google has accomplished quantum supremacy
Reports suggest a quantum computer has bested standard computers on one type of calculation, but practical applications are still a distant goal.
- Planetary Science
India’s first attempt to land on the moon appears to have failed
Indian scientists haven’t heard from the Vikram lander for a full lunar day, after they lost contact during the robotic spacecraft’s descent.
- Life
We’ve lost 3 billion birds since 1970 in North America
Scientists estimated the change in total number of individual birds since 1970. They found profound losses spread among rare and common birds alike.
- Humans
Alcohol-producing bacteria could cause liver disease in some people
A majority of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also had gut bacteria churning out medium to high levels of ethanol.
- Humans
Ancient DNA reveals the first glimpse of what a Denisovan may have looked like
A controversial technique reconstructs a teenage Denisovan’s physical appearance from genetics.
- Health & Medicine
1 in 4 U.S. high school seniors has vaped recently — up 4.5 percentage points from 2018
A 2019 survey finds the number of high school and middle school students who report using e-cigarettes recently continues to grow.
- Physics
A new experiment slashes the maximum possible mass of tiny neutrinos
The KATRIN experiment suggests that the tiny subatomic particles have masses a minuscule fraction of an electron’s.
- Climate
Expanding ice slabs are increasing Greenland’s contribution to sea level rise
Since 2001, melting and refreezing have created vast ice layers near the surface that could drastically amp up meltwater runoff and sea level rise.
- Humans
Babies born by C-section have more potentially infectious bacteria in their guts
Microbial mixes in babies’ guts differ depending on birth method.
- Health & Medicine
Mucus prevents hand sanitizers from quickly killing the flu
Flu viruses can hold out for minutes against ethanol when encased in wet mucus.
- Health & Medicine
Air pollution can reach the placenta around a developing baby
A small study of women living in Belgium found soot embedded in their placental tissue.
- Space
The Milky Way’s supermassive black hole reached record brightness this year
The big black hole at the center of the galaxy recently flared twice as bright as ever seen before in near-infrared wavelengths.
