Neat News 2020-244 (added 2020-08-31)
Fun social distancing in Florida school
![]() Public Domain by NIAID Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), U.S. NIH
| In a primary school in Florida, teachers have build Covid-19 separators that look like cars so that in the classroom the pupils are keeping their distance and look like drivers. This way, there is more fun in the exercise for the children. |
News seen at: Good News Network
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Neat News 2020-243 (added 2020-08-30)
Forest fire detection
![]() Public Domain by Quadell
| Early detection of forest fires is important. Detectors are used to this purpose. However, changing the batteries in tens of thousands traditional detectors is a problem. A new type of detector has now been developed that is powered by the swinging of the tree branches. |
News seen at: Science - News
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Neat News 2020-242 (added 2020-08-29)
Piano for inclusion
![]() © KarlKunde [CC BY-SA 3.0]
| In a project `Open Piano for Refugees', a piano is placed temporarily at different places in Vienna where everybody can play between 12:00 and 21:00 hours. It is meant as a symbol that music is something that connects all human beings. |
News seen at: Vienna Online
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Neat News 2020-241 (added 2020-08-28)
Birds must not be caught by glue
![]() | Following a directive by the European Union, France outlaws the controversial practice of catching birds by covering twigs in glue since the method is cruel and non selective. |
News seen at: BBC - Science & Environment
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Neat News 2020-240 (added 2020-08-27)
Reducing dengue fever
![]() Public Domain by Jim Gathany
| In parts of an Indonesian city a large number of mosquitoes infected with a natural occurring bacteria, called Wolbachia, have been released. This resulted in a 77 percent reduction of dengue infections. |
News seen at: the guardian - Science
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Neat News 2020-239 (added 2020-08-26)
Ice age temperature determined
![]() © Ittiz [CC BY-SA 3.0]
| In a new study it has been determined that during the last ice age, some 20000 years ago, the average global temperature was 6 degrees Celsius lower than today. As a reference value, in the 20th century the average global temperature was 14 degrees Celsius. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Earth & Climate
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Neat News 2020-238 (added 2020-08-25)
Polio eradicated in Africa
![]() Public Domain by CDC/Dr. Karp, Emory University
| The wild (not vaccine-derived) form of polio has been eradicated in Africa after billions of oral polio vaccinations have been applied since 1996. The only countries left with wild polio are currently Afghanistan and Pakistan. |
News seen at: BBC - Health
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Neat News 2020-237 (added 2020-08-24)
425 old gold coins found
![]() © DrFO.Jr.Tn [CC BY 3.0]
| In central Israel, young archaeological volunteers found 425 gold coins, which are some 1100 years old. They weigh 845g and are from the time of the Abbasid caliphate. |
News seen at: BBC - Science & Environment
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Neat News 2020-236 (added 2020-08-23)
Radiotherapy
![]() Public Domain by Cecil Fox (National Cancer Institue)
| A new study found that for most women with early stage breast cancer a single application of radiotherapy during surgery is as effective as the traditional approach of several applications after surgery. The new approach saves the patient many visits to the hospital. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Health & Medicine
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Neat News 2020-235 (added 2020-08-22)
Selfie to detect heart disease
![]() © Patrick J. Lynch [CC BY 2.5]
| Using machine learning techniques it may be possible to use four selfies of a person's face to detect signs of a heart disease, a study shows. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Computers & Math
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Neat News 2020-234 (added 2020-08-21)
Nasal vaccine against Covid-19
![]() Public Domain by NIAID Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), U.S. NIH
| A new nasal vaccine against Covid-19 is applied once and has proved effective in experiments with mice. Tests with primates are planned next. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Health & Medicine
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Neat News 2020-233 (added 2020-08-20)
New catalyst to transform CO2
![]() | A new catalyst made of nickel phthalocyanine has been found that allows the reduction of the greenhouse gas CO2 to carbon monoxide more efficiently at room temperature. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Top Physical/Tech
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Neat News 2020-232 (added 2020-08-19)
Gut bacteria to support immunotherapy
![]() Public Domain by National Institutes of Health of the USA
| There is now a better understanding how certain gut bacteria can support immunotherapy in treating some forms of cancer. This may lead to a therapy that supplements immunotherapy by combining it with a microbial therapy. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Top Health
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Neat News 2020-231 (added 2020-08-18)
Elephant shrew rediscovered
![]() © Galen B. Rathbun et al. [CC BY 3.0]
| A mouse-sized relative of the elephant, the Somali elephant shrew, has been rediscovered in Djibouti, Africa, after it was not seen there for 50 years. |
News seen at: BBC - Science & Environment
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Neat News 2020-230 (added 2020-08-17)
Nudging for better food
![]() | In order to nudge people to go for a healthier and more eco-friendly diet when selecting meals in a cafeteria, it can make a big difference in the number of people choosing a more plant based option when the meat variant is moved more than a metre further away from the plant based one. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Living Well
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Neat News 2020-229 (added 2020-08-16)
![]() | Over 100 million people suffer from osteoarthritis. Now in a study with rats it has been found that an injection of liposomal adenosine can restore the cartilage to 35 to 50 percent. The findings could result in a new therapy against osteoarthritis. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Health & Medicine
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Neat News 2020-228 (added 2020-08-15)
New type of taste buds found
![]() | Humans have another type of taste cells that are capable of detecting sour, sweet, bitter, and umami tastes. Future research is expected to lead to a better understanding how taste information is processed. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Living Well
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Neat News 2020-227 (added 2020-08-14)
Breeding success for golden eagle
![]() | For the first time in 40 years a pair of golden eagles are rearing a chick in the Scottish Highlands. This is a success of a rewilding project. |
News seen at: BBC - Science & Environment
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Neat News 2020-226 (added 2020-08-13)
Large blue butterfly successfully reintroduced
![]() © PJC&Co [CC BY-SA 3.0]
| The large blue butterfly, a globally endangered butterfly, has been successfully reintroduced in Gloucestershire, England. Of 1100 larvae an estimated 750 butterflies emerged, which mated and laid eggs. |
News seen at: Ecologist - News
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Neat News 2020-225 (added 2020-08-12)
Inhalation to protect against Covid-19
![]() Public Domain by NIAID Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), U.S. NIH
| Scientists have developed a spray, called AeroNabs, that can be inhaled and if applied on a daily basis seems to provide a good protection against Covid-19. Further tests are necessary. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Science News
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Neat News 2020-224 (added 2020-08-11)
Rare bronze find in Scotland
![]() © Rama [CC BY-SA 2,9 fr]
| An amateur treasure hunter has found a Bronze Age treasure in Scotland. It includes a sword, axle caps from a chariot, and a horse harness. The artefacts are some 3000 years old. |
News seen at: Deutsche Welle - Top Stories
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Neat News 2020-223 (added 2020-08-10)
Drug to buy time with snakebite
![]() © HCA [CC BY-SA 4.0]
| In experiments with mice it has been found that a drug that is used to treat heavy metal poisoning seems also to buy time in treating a venomous snakebite. |
News seen at: Scientific American - Health
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Neat News 2020-222 (added 2020-08-09)
Faster development of antiviral and cancer drugs
![]() | In order to find new antiviral and cancer drugs, a number of new drugs are built and explored. The synthesis is a time consuming process that typically takes months. By using different starting points for the synthesis the process can be shortened to weeks. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Health & Medicine
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Neat News 2020-221 (added 2020-08-08)
Stop worrying
![]() Public Domain by René Descartes
| When people worry too much or overthink matters too long then this has a negative psychological effect. By stopping and doing something else as a distraction - such as listening to music, reading a book, or meditating - the cycle can be overcome and stress can be reduced. |
News seen at: Deutsche Welle - Sci-Tech
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Neat News 2020-220 (added 2020-08-07)
New titanium dioxide face mask
![]() | A new type of face mask has been developed that is made of titanium dioxide which reacts when exposed to ultraviolet radiation to produce oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide that have antibacterial and antiviral properties. P.S.: Note that the form in which the titanium dioxide is brought in the masks is important, since the material as such is classified as carcinogen (e.g., by the European Commission), see cosmeticsdesign. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Health & Medicine
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Neat News 2020-219 (added 2020-08-06)
Placebos' power
![]() Public Domain by Elaine and Arthur Shapiro
| Even when people know that they are taking a placebo, it can help them to feel better. In a new study it has been shown that a placebo can reduce brain markers of emotional distress. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Mind & Brain
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Neat News 2020-218 (added 2020-08-05)
New colonies of emperor penguins detected
![]() | Using satellites, new colonies of emperor penguins have been detected. This means that about 5 to 10 percent more breeding pairs are around than previously thought. This is welcome news for the species which is under threat because of climate change. |
News seen at: BBC - Science & Environment
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Neat News 2020-217 (added 2020-08-04)
Laser against Alzheimer's disease
![]() Public Domain by Garrondo
| Alzheimer's disease is accompanied by amyloid plaques that afflict brain cells. Now scientists have developed an infrared laser that at a specific frequency can disintegrate the amyloid fibrils. This may lead to a potential therapy against Alzheimer's disease. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Health & Medicine
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Neat News 2020-216 (added 2020-08-03)
Cooling by volcano eruption
![]() | Some 13,000 years ago the Earth cooled down by about 3 degrees Centigrade. Sediments recently found in Texas indicate that this was due to volcano eruptions and not caused by meteors. |
News seen at: ScienceDaily - Top Science News
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Neat News 2020-215 (added 2020-08-02)
Two six year old friends raise money
![]() | Two six year old friends from London have raised GBP 37,000 for Yemen crisis by selling lemonade. |
News seen at: BBC - News
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Neat News 2020-214 (added 2020-08-01)
Laughter against stress
![]() Public Domain by Hans von Aachen
| A study indicates that laughing regularly in everyday life may act as a buffer against stress, since symptoms such as headaches or restlessness are less frequent in corresponding people. |