Neat News - Neat things do happen

There are more and more robots used in firefighting. They can go to places that are too dangerous for humans to go. In recent developments robots act more autonomously and can cooperate in form of drone swarms.

related: #robot #firefighting

In 1021, exactly 1000 years ago, Vikings left traces in form of tools with iron and wood in Newfoundland. The exact dating was possible because of an upsurge in atmospheric radiocarbon in the year 993.

related: #Vikings #America

In water polo, the egg-beater swimming technique is used, where the legs alternate breaststroke kicks. In a study this technique was now found to be more energy efficient than other techniques and may be the best to prevent drowning in an emergency.

related: #egg_beater #water

In experiments with mice four standard drugs used to treat hypertension and inflammation in humans reversed some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. This may provide a new promising treatment of the disease.

related: #Alzheimer_disease #medication

An exoplanet (a planet outside our solar system) is established by the light that is blocked when it passes in front of its star. The ones found are typically less than 3000 light-years away from Earth. Now looking at X-ray wavelengths, exoplanets outside our galaxy may be established. A potential candidate is about 28 million light-years away.

related: #exoplanet

A new study with mice explains why at times the immune system has problems to kill cancer cells. There are hundreds of genes that can block the immune system's defences against cancer. When better understood this new insight may in the long run result in new therapies.

related: #immune_system #cancer

A new study finds that children in hospital are helped in their healing by listening to stories, since the story time reduces pain and stress by increasing oxytocin and decreasing cortisol.

related: #story_telling

A study found that young children living in a green environment show a better overall development than their counterparts exposed to less greenspace.

related: #greenspace #child_development

The minerals in tap water provide a coating to appliances made of plastic (such as water kettles) and this way protect the appliances from disintegrating and us from being contaminated by microplastics, a new study finds.

related: #tap_water #microplastics

Scientists managed to process wood in a way that makes it harder by a factor of 23 so that it is harder than steel by removing parts of it by steam and then compressing it. This way it is possible to produce nails and knives in a more sustainable and energy efficient way.

related: #wood #tools

A new study simulating different strategies when mammography should start for black women in the USA found that a regime in which black women begin mammography screening at the age of 40 and have it every other year can reduce the number of breast cancer deaths in them by 57 percent compared to starting ten years later.

related: #mammography

More than 100 countries have signed today the Kunming Declaration to protect biodiversity at the UN climate conference in Kunming, China. By 2030 each nation should protect and conserve 30 percent of its territory. However, at this moment the declaration is only a statement of political will and not yet binding.

related: #biodiversity

A new antibiotic against Lyme disease has been developed and tested in mice. It has fewer side effects than the broad spectrum antibiotics normally used. Also a vaccination has recently been developed against the disease spread by tick bites.

related: #lyme_disease

In experiments with mice, these were put in four groups, those that could 1. eat as much as they like, 2. eat as much as they like but only at a single time per day, 3. calorie reduced by 30 percent distributed over the day, 4. calorie reduced by 30 percent but only at a single time per day. It turned out that the health benefits attributed to reduced calories required also a reduction in the number of meals.

related: #fasting

A woman in British Columbia, Canada, was woken up by a loud bang and found herself showered by debris from the roof. It turned out that a 1.3 kilogram heavy meteorite had landed between her pillows very close to where her head must have been just moments earlier.

related: #meteorite #luck

Mangroves can normally grow only at the coast. However, there is an exception on the Yucatan peninsula in the north of Guatemala. A new study found that a mangrove forest has existed for some 120000 years and started as a usual coastal forest, but when the sea level dropped it managed to adapt and is now 170 kilometres away from the sea.

related: #mangrove

A new Food Compass has been developed that ranks food from 1 (least healthy) to 100 (most healthy). Food scoring 1-30 should be avoided or minimized, 31-69 consumed in moderation, and 70-100 is encouraged for consumption. In the first category are snacks and sweet desserts, in the last vegetables and raw fruit.

related: #food_ranking

Individuals with obesity can lose weight and improve their health with intermittent fasting. This works, for instance, by alternating a normal day with a fast day during which only a single meal of about 500 calories is consumed.

related: #intermittent_fasting

An eight year old girl who was on a hike with her parents got lost in the woods in the German-Czech border region. After a search involving around 1400 people she was found safe after two cold nights in the woods. She was cold and exhausted but otherwise fine.

related: #lost_and_found

Eating mushrooms has positive health effects. Now, in a study based on data of more than 24000 adults in the USA between 2005 and 2016, it has been found that people eating mushrooms may have lower odds of having depression. It is assumed that this is due to an antioxidant called ergothioneine, which gives protection against cell and tissue damage.

related: #mushrooms #depression

Some farmland is given up, in the European Union possibly up to 30 percent. This raises the question how best to use the land to address the global biodiversity loss. There is some argument that passive rewilding is a good approach by allowing wildlife to return according to the motto `if you love it, set it free.'

related: #rewilding #biodiversity

A Kenyan engineer has managed to build bricks from recycled plastic. The bricks can withstand twice the weight threshold of concrete. Producing the bricks from plastic waste can reduce Kenya's plastic pollution problem.

related: #plastic_pollution #bricks

In a new study it is estimated that the 1987 Montreal Protocol will prevent more than 400 million cases of skin cancer just in the USA by protecting the ozone layer that blocks ultraviolet rays.

related: #Montreal_Protocol #skin_cancer

In a new meta study it is found that outdoor activities in nature (including gardening) that last for 20 to 90 minutes per week and go for 8 to 12 weeks are associated with an improvement in the mental well-being.

related: #nature #mental_health

By painting streets grey in hot areas their temperature may be lowered by more than five degrees Celsius compared to standard black asphalt, a study of the Arizona State University and the city of Phoenix found.

related: #street #heat

Malaria causes more than 400,000 deaths a year, mostly children in Africa. Now the World Health Organization (WHO) has given the go ahead for a vaccination campaign. In pilots with more than 2.3 million doses, the vaccine showed a reduction of 30 percent in severe malaria. It is expected that many lives will be saved by the vaccination campaign.

related: #malaria #vaccination

This year's Nobel Prize in Physics goes to scientists who have developed models to understand complex system, in particular our climate. One of them predicted already in the 1960s the Earth's rising average temperature as consequence of the increasing levels of CO₂.

related: #Nobel_Prize #physics

Certain proteins in our body react to heat and touch, for instance, the burn of a chilli pepper or the pressure of a hug. Understanding this is important in order to treat conditions such as chronic pain. This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be awarded in recognition of two researchers revealing the corresponding mechanism.

related: #Nobel_Prize #physiology

A new study finds that the exposure to moral values (care, fairness, loyalty, and authority) in media content influences adolescents in that the emphasis of some can alter their corresponding salience in the adolescents.

related: #moral_values #stories

In initial clinical trials, a new antiviral drug called molnupiravir has proved effective. When given to patients recently diagnosed with Covid-19 it halves their risk of hospitalization and their risk of death. Further tests are needed for confirmation.

related: #Covid19 #drug

In negotiations it may backfire when the initial offer is too low, a new study finds, since it may be perceived as disrespectful and provoke a strong counter-offer. A more reasonable offer, however, may result in a better outcome, since it may not sour the atmosphere.

related: #fair_offer #negotiations