Notes

Environment

Ice loss in Antarctica increases sixfold in 40 years

A new tool has made it possible to more accurately calculate the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheets and the speed at which they are moving

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Archaeology

First exhibition since the fire

On January 17, the Brazilian National Museum opened its first exhibition since the fire that destroyed much of its collection on September 2, 2018

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Astrophysics

The young, ephemeral rings of Saturn

Two recent studies have presented new theories on their origin and probable end of Saturn's rings

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History

Roughly 1.5 million Jews killed in just three months

Between August and October of 1942, at the height of Operation Reinhard, 500,000 Jews per month were taken to concentration camps and killed in occupied Poland

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Energy

Turbine layout affects power generation

Researchers found that irregular spacing between turbines may optimize energy production

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Funding

British universities face financial uncertainty

British universities are on the brink of a credit crunch, having run up debts of £10.8 billion amidst financial uncertainties caused by Brexit

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Genetics

Rare paternal inheritance

Researchers found maternal and paternal mitochondrial DNA in the cells of multiple generations of men and women from three different families

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Nanotechnology

Sensor detects bacteria in food

Brazilian researchers have developed a biosensor capable of quickly identifying bacteria in food and drink

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Chang'e 4

China lands probe on dark side of the Moon

China has become the first country to land a probe on the far side of the Moon

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Energy

Thousands of solar panels on the Sobradinho dam

The solar farm is capable of generating 1 megawatt peak (MWp)

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Epidemiology

Viruses in monkeys and sloths

Primates and sloths in the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia carry an unexpected range of insect-borne viruses

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History

Guaraní still influenced by missionaries

People living in areas closer to the mission sites earn about 10% more than residents of neighboring regions where the Jesuit missions were abandoned

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Art

New Nature Museum in Piauí

The new institution is located in an area that borders the Serra da Capivara National Park

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Archaeology

National Museum rescues 1,500 pieces

They include exhibit pieces and others that were stored in the museum's archives, as well as equipment, personal objects, and architectural fragments

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History

France must return African objects

Tens of thousands of African artifacts kept in French museums should be permanently returned if requested by the country of origin

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History

Solar radiation set off sea mines during the Vietnam War

A strong solar storm in 1972 is now believed the most likely cause of the sudden detonation of dozens of naval mines during the Vietnam War

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Microbiology

Bacteria hungry for works of art

Some microorganisms destroy works of art while others protect them

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Astronomy

Telescope measures almost all the starlight ever produced in the universe

Based on data collected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, an international group of astrophysicists has been able to measure almost all of the starlight produced since the universe was formed about 13.7 billion years ago

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Biodiversity

The long life of parrots

Genetic mutations help the turquoise-fronted Amazon parrot live for up to 80 years

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Zoology

Orangutan mother alerts infant of danger after spotting a “tiger”

Primate makes a noise that sounds like a kiss to warn its offspring

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Nobel Prize in Physics

Richard Feynman’s medal sold at auction

The medal was just one of the items up for sale in Sotheby's History of Science and Technology auction

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Funding

Europe streamlines project approval

The European Union has adopted a series of measures to simplify the process of requesting scientific funding under the Horizon 2020 program

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Physics

First Sirius beamlines expected to begin operating by the end of 2019

The electron beam is expected to start circulating in the second half of 2019 and the six initial experimental stations, called beamlines

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Biology

Termite mounds in the Caatinga occupy an area larger than Great Britain

Murundus are up to 9 m in diameter, and occupy an area of approximately 230,000 km2 and were formed between 690 and 3,820 years ago

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Genetics

Bones of “disappeared” politician identified

The bones belonged to Aluísio Palhano Pedreira Ferreira, a trade union leader from Rio de Janeiro and a member of the Popular Revolutionary Vanguard

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Atmospherical Science

Half of the world’s annual rain falls in 12 days

Approximately 75% of annual rainfall falls on the 30 wettest days of the year

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Geology

Looking deep into Mars

Almost six months after leaving Earth, NASA's InSight probe landed safely in Elysium Planitia, in the equatorial region of Mars

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Geology

More water dragged into the interior of the earth

Slow collisions of tectonic plates beneath the ocean may be dragging three times as much water into the earth's interior as previously predicted

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paleontology

225-million-year-old long-necked dinosaurs

The fossils of three specimens of a new genus and species of herbivorous dinosaur have been found in the state of Rio Grande do Sul

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Physics

New standard approved for measuring a kilogram

The kilogram will now be measured using the Planck constant

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