Science Summary for last month
Lots of astonishing papers were published in April. Sources below.
Monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/359cae84aa22/science_summary
#Science #Wikipedia #OpenScience #news #month #review #2020 #April #month-review #research
----------------- Selection -----------------
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_in_science
Items which I added to the Wikipedia list are marked with a star.
Some more relevant information can be found on the list's talk page.
------------------ Sources ------------------
Marine life*
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52122447
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2146-7
Homo erectus
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/science/skulls-africa-caves.html
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6486/eaaw7293
Coral bleaching*
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarathiessen/2020/04/07/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-climate-change-tragedy/
https://www.coralcoe.org.au/media-releases/climate-change-triggers-great-barrier-reef-bleaching
Expansion*
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/uob-dab040820.php
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2020/04/aa36602-19/aa36602-19.html
SARS-CoV-2
Glycans*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-reveal-coronavirus-camouflage-aid.html
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.26.010322v1
Novel coronaviruses*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-coronaviruses.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7144984
Reinfections
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-reports-recovered-coronavirus-patients-testing-positive-again-idUSKCN21S15X
Strains*
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3080771/coronavirus-mutations-affect-deadliness-strains-chinese-study
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.14.20060160v2
Strain identification*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-genetic-barcode-rapidly-revealing-covid-.html
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.07.030759v4
Testing device*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-inexpensive-portable-detector-pathogens-minutes.html
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/LC/D0LC00304B
Genomic signature*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-covid-genome-signature.html
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0232391
Memristor*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-unveil-electronics-mimic-human-brain.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15759-y
Fine-structure constant*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-laws-nature-downright-weird-constant.html
Note: it should say quasar, not quasars
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/17/eaay9672/tab-figures-data
Glowing plants*
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/27/world/glowing-plants-intl-scli-scn/index.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-0500-9
_________
Microbes
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/uot-dol033020.php
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-0860-1
Virus genes*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-viruses-dont-metabolism-blocks.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7136201
Animal*
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/science/longest-animal-ocean.html
https://twitter.com/SchmidtOcean/status/1247231196347674625
Neanderthals
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/science/neanderthals-fiber-string-math.html
Note: 50,000 - not 50.000
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7145842
Atlantic*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-ancient-teeth-peru-hint-now-extinct.html
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6487/136
X-ray device*
https://physicsworld.com/a/thin-film-perovskite-detectors-could-enable-extremely-low-dose-medical-imaging/
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/15/eaay0815
ʻOumuamua
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/uoc--nft041020.php
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1065-8
Supernova
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-supernova-outshines.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1066-7
Methane emissions*
https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-methane-study/us-underestimates-methane-emissions-from-offshore-oil-industry-study-idUSL2N2C112G
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c00179
Anoxia*
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mass-extinction-oxygen-ocean-study-climate-change-ordovician-a9463866.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15400-y
Wolfram Physics Project*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-wolfram-physics-fundamental-theory.html
https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2020/04/finally-we-may-have-a-path-to-the-fundamental-theory-of-physics-and-its-beautiful/
Exoplanet
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/15/world/kepler-earth-size-exoplanet-discovery-scn/index.html
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ab84e5
Quantum processor*
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2240539-quantum-computer-chips-demonstrated-at-the-highest-temperatures-ever/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2171-6
Greenland ice melting*
https://in.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-greenland/greenland-ice-sheet-shrinks-by-record-amount-climate-study-idINKCN21X1UG
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1209/2020/
Bacteriocin*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-bactericidal-nanomachine-reveal-mechanisms-natural.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2186-z
Face masks*
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-researchers-hit-sweet-spot-with-new-mask-material-20200414-p54jr2.html
https://www.qut.edu.au/news?id=161468
R&D program*
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/16/brightening-clouds-and-coral-larvae-study-picks-best-great-barrier-reef-rescue-ideas
https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/150-million-drive-innovations-boost-reef-resilience
Pheromones*
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/16/africa/male-lemurs-stink-flirting-scn/index.html
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30407-3
Local food crops*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-local-food-distant-world.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-0060-7
Arctic*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-north-pole-ice-free-summer.html
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019GL086749
Borisov*
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2240989-interstellar-comet-borisov-came-from-a-cold-and-distant-home-star/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1095-2
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1087-2
Cognition*
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01134-w
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019GH000237
Collective memory*
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-microbes-memory.html
https://www.cell.com/cell-systems/pdf/S2405-4712(20)30116-2.pdf
FRB
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-galactic-magnetar-just-spat-out-something-shockingly-like-a-fast-radio-burst
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=13681
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=13679
ATLAS
https://phys.org/news/2020-04-hubble-captures-breakup-comet-atlas.html
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/hubble-watches-comet-atlas-disintegrate-into-more-than-two-dozen-pieces
------------------ Not included ------------------
- *Traces of rainforest discovered on Antarctica indicate a CO2 level higher than expected 115-80 million years ago
- *Stretching cells alone can activate genes without intermediates, enzymes or signaling molecules in the cell being necessary; tests with forces common in activities like breathing
- *Genetic information retrieved from the fossils of H. antecessor ~800,000 y.o. and Homo erectus 1.77 million y.o. via proteomes; H. antecessor is a closely related sister-lineage to subsequent hominins incl. modern humans and Neanderthals
- Report on vaccine candidate PittCoVacc
- Report on a trial drug that can substantially block early stages of the COVID-19 disease in engineered human tissues
- Further data on fragmentation of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov
- Astronomers report possible disintegration of comet ATLAS
- *Mini ozone hole discovered over the Arctic; like due to unusual atmospheric conditions, incl. freezing temperatures in the stratosphere
- *Study with first photograph of a relativistic jet from an ongoing galaxy merger; young jet pointed near Earth emerges from from one of the two galaxies active galactic nuclei and proves that such merge events can trigger such jets
- *Highest resolution images of Sun's coronal loops published
- *Microbes can actively colonize high-pH environments of radioactive waste storage sites; implications for the safety of such sites and the knowledge about extremophile microbial life
- First direct measurement of winds on a brown dwarf star
- *Wireless control of adrenal hormone secretion in genetically unmodified rats through the use of injectable, magnetic, heatable nanoparticles
- According to US government SARS-CoV-2 may have accidentally come from a Wuhan laboratory; no data or proof provided
- *Predictive algorithm can show visualizations how combinations of genetic mutations can make proteins highly effective or ineffective developed; incl. for viral evolution
- *Rashba effect proven perovskites
- *The 2000–2018 Southwestern North American drought was second driest 19-year period since 800 CE, exceeded only by a late-1500s megadrought
- *Origin of shark fins of endangered hammerhead sharks from a retail market in Hong Kong back to the location where the sharks were first caught using DNA analysis
- New approach to fabricate metallic polymers with atomic precision
- *Researchers demonstrate a method to direct self-assembly – in terms of size, position and geometry – of a multitude of materials made out of components of more than four orders of magnitude different in size and mass using femtosecond laser pulses
- *Eurasian ice sheet collapse was a major source meltwater pulse 1A sea level rise 14,600 years ago, causing up to half of the ca. 16 meter rise
- *Perovskite electrochemical cells which can efficiently convert electricity and water into hydrogen and back developed
- Microplastic pollution is recorded in Antarctic sea ice for the first time
- *Extreme rainfall can trigger volcanic eruptions
- *Ferroelectricity in a material structure with functional features down to a thickness of one nanometre discovered; candidate for e.g. powering very small devices
- *Mass DNA analysis of over 27,000 Icelanders shows that the Neanderthal population that mixed with modern Icelanders was more similar to a Neanderthal found in Croatia than to Neanderthals found in Russia, that Icelanders carry traces of Denisovan DNA, that on average these Neanderthal children had older mothers and younger fathers compared to modern humans and that Neanderthal DNA has a relatively minor effect on human health and appearance today
- *Oil and gas operations in the United States' Permian Basin are releasing methane at twice the average rate found in earlier studies of 11 other major oil and gas regions of the United States
- NASA built a successful COVID-19 ventilator; received FDA fast-track approval for emergency use in late April
- Nitrogen-bearing organics discovered in Allan Hills 84001, a Martian meteorite found on Earth
- *Improper fit of a face mask can decrease the filtration efficiency by over 60%; filtration efficiencies of hybrid homemade face mask such as cotton–chiffon are larger than single-layer homemade masks
- Astronomers describe a way of detecting exoplanetary life using oxygen on water worlds
- *Researchers publish an analysis of the growth of confirmed infected COVID-19 cases in 9 countries which characterizes the spread and identifies efficient flatten the curve-strategies
- New study of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus claims to have found the first unambiguous evidence for an aquatic propulsive structure in a non-avian dinosaur
- Melting in Antarctica and Greenland has contributed 14 mm of global sea level rise since 2003
- NASA selects three U.S. companies to design and develop human landing systems for the agency's Artemis program, one of which is planned to deliver the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.
- *One of the climate models – the CMIP6 model CESM2 – is not supported by paleoclimate records; comparing simulations of this model with geological evidence suggests that it's climate sensitivity is too high; it overestimated global warming at high levels of CO2 where its equilibrium climate sensitivity is 5.3 °C and tropical land temperature exceed 55°C
- *Astronomers publish 15 images of proto-planetary disks believed to undergo planet formation