My shed is my castle: one Cuban’s move to self-isolate By: Agencies on August 23, 2020Rafael Viguera is taking no risks. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, he has traded in his comfortable house in Havana for his roadside, tiny wooden juice shack out by the fortress overlooking the city bay to self-isolate. The 55-year-old considers that up on the sparsely populated hillside from which Spanish soldiers used to […]
COVID SCIENCE-Remdesivir disappoints in COVID-19 study; breast milk transmission unlikely By: Agencies on August 23, 2020The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. New questions about remdesivir COVID-19 efficacy A new study is raising fresh questions about the efficacy of Gilead Sciences Inc’s anti-viral medication remdesivir […]
Alaska’s salmon are shrinking, and climate change may be to blame By: Agencies on August 23, 2020Alaska´s highly prized salmon – a favorite of seafood lovers the world over – are getting smaller, and climate change is a suspected culprit, a new study reported, documenting a trend that may pose a risk to a valuable fishery, indigenous people and wildlife. The study, led by University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UAF) scientists, […]
Spirited away: Safe full of cash vanishes from Japan ninja museum By: Agencies on August 23, 2020They came in the dead of night; no one saw them and nobody knew they were there. Moments later, the Japanese ninja museum was missing a safe full of cash. Under cover of darkness, thieves vanished with the 150-kilogramme (330-pound) strongbox containing around $9,500, paid as admission fees to the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum in central […]
Science Says: Climate change, people stoke California fires By: Agencies on August 21, 2020If you want to build a fire, you need three things: Ignition, fuel and oxygen. But wildfire in California is a much more complex people-stoked witch´s brew. The state burns regularly because of fierce autumn winds, invasive grasses that act as kindling, fire-happy native shrubs and trees, frequent drought punctuated by spurts of downpours, a […]
Humans overshoot 2020 planetary ‘budget’ on August 22: report By: Agencies on August 21, 2020Humanity will have burned through all the natural resources that the planet can replenish for 2020 by Saturday, according to researchers who said the grim milestone is slightly later than last year after the pandemic slowed runaway overconsumption. So-called Earth Overshoot Day — the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth […]
Scientists urge more protection for platypus in Australian state By: Agencies on August 21, 2020Australian scientists have called for the platypus to be listed as a vulnerable species in Victoria state, after research found dwindling numbers of the semi-aquatic mammal because of loss of habitat and a warming climate. Ecologist Joshua Griffiths, who supervised the collection of data that led to the recommendation by a scientific advisory panel, said […]
Robotic surgery may improve mouth and throat cancer outcomes — study By: Agencies on August 21, 2020Robotic surgery may improve outcomes in mouth and throat cancer, new research suggests. The method is also associated with better long-term survival, the study indicates. Oropharyngeal cancer occurs in the back of the throat and includes the base of the tongue and tonsils. In transoral robotic surgery a surgeon uses a computer-enhanced system to guide […]
Greenland’s ice sheet saw record mass loss in 2019, study finds By: Agencies on August 21, 2020Greenland’s ice sheet lost a record amount of mass last year, according to a study published on Thursday, a finding that could prompt scientists to redefine their worst-case scenario as they assess the effects of climate change. The rate of ice loss had slowed for a two-year period amid cooler summers and higher snowfall in […]
X-rays shed light on animal mummies’ secrets By: Agencies on August 21, 2020Scientists have used 3D imaging to examine the contents of three mummified animals — a cat, a snake and a bird of prey — to provide unprecedented insight into how they died, all without damaging the specimens. Ancient Egyptians frequently preserved domesticated animals alongside humans in burial chambers to help bridge the gap between the […]