Neat News - Neat things do happen

The BBC gives some tips how to stay positive: Show good humour, have interesting hobbies also in fresh air, and have friends.

Adding biochar, a form of charcoal, to the soil has been used for thousands of years as an indigenous farming technique. It is also a useful way of restoring rain forests.

A layer of graphene on the skin prevents most mosquito bites. It is breathable but prevents some smell that triggers the bites. The main problem before having a repellent is to make the layer durable.

Greta Thunberg has finished her 15-day sailing across the Atlantic to attend the UN climate summit in New York. The zero carbon emission yacht safely arrived in New York.

In a study it has been found that optimists have an 11 to 15 percent longer lifespan and have a higher chance to reach an age of 85 than the least optimistic group.

In a large study it has been found that a modified drug combination may decrease the risk of the recurrence of a particular form of breast cancer.

A number of shark and ray species have been given international protections by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They may no longer be traded unless there is proof that their fishing will not impact the survival of the species.

Nerve fibres are usually unable to regenerate. A new approach - disabling a particular protein - may be key to enabling the regeneration of such fibres. One problem is to control the side effects.

The rare iron-60 isotope is created in stellar explosions. It has now been found in the snow of Antarctica. It is assumed that it comes from our interstellar neighbourhood.

In Nigeria, the last country in Africa where polio cases were registered, no new case has been seen in three years. There is a chance that the disease is now eradicated from all of Africa.

Single use plastic has been banned in Nepal's Everest region in order to reduce the amount of rubbish to be collected around the world's highest mountain.

Donepezil, a drug used to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer patients, has shown in experiments with rats the potential to reverse some brain damage caused by alcohol abuse.

Testing an ancient Egyptian piece of papyrus with tomography, researchers have found that the empty looking piece contained some writing. It is assumed that it has faded over the many centuries. The technique can be used without unrolling ancient fragile scrolls.

New measurements of the asteroid 2006 QV89, which was discovered in 2006, mean that it will not crash into the Earth for the next century.

Some big power plants such as Navajo Generating Station are closing this year. They are very big CO₂ producers and will be replaced by renewable and natural gas based power plants.

After been disrupted by birds after take-off from Zhukovsky International Airport near Moscow, the pilots had to make an emergency landing in a cornfield. All of the more than 230 people on board survived, mainly unhurt.

In Alzheimer patients, a particular protein, beta-amyloid plaques, accumulates and damages neurons of the brain. The protein causes further damage by making holes in the blood-brain barrier that prevents the entry of damaging molecules to the brain. The better understanding gained may result in a therapy in the long run.

Tea, apples, broccoli, and blueberries are rich in flavonoids and these protect against cancer and heart disease, a study has found.

In a trial, two drugs show highly effective in treating Ebola, boosting survival rates from about 50 percent to around 90 percent.

Scientists have produced a form of gold that is only two atoms thick. One potential application is that of catalysts in which the surface is to be maximized.

Quantum communication promises secure communication. Now, a tripartite unit of quantum information, a so-called qutrit, has been teleported in a proof of principle. The qutrit is related to the bipartite qubit.

Some shark species can transform the blue light in the deep sea into a bright green colour that can be seen by other sharks. Now it has been understood how they do this.

Bats can live to an age of 40 years, a lot more than most other mammals of their size. They do this by using their senses, living in large colonies, being generous (reciprocal altruisms), and being clean.

A UN report has stated that people in the West who want to do something against climate change can do so by reducing their meat consumption.

Scientists have identified proteins that control the growth of so-called hair cells in the inner ear of mice. This may in the long run contribute to restoring hearing for people with currently irreversible deafness.

Combining powerful microscopy and imaging algorithms, a non-invasive technique has been developed that can detect metastasis of cancer cells in real time.

Using magnetic resonance imaging scientists have found that people who have excellent general knowledge have brains that are efficiently wired by nerve fibres.

In order to reduce plastic rubbish, no plastic bottles are sold any more at San Francisco airport from 20 August 2019. People can refill bottles at almost 100 water fountains.

A vaccination against influenza not only protects against the flu but also gives survival advantages to elderly people who are admitted to intensive care units.

A new test has been developed that can detect Alzheimer's disease before patients show symptoms. In order to be used on the wider community its accuracy needs still to be improved.

Gene editing has been used in non-human primates in order to test lasting improvements for patients with blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.