Facebook exec pushes back on whistleblower claims

Monika Bickert, Facebook's head of global policy management, says the social media giant does not prioritize engagement and user growth over safety. That contradicts Senate testimony by whistleblower Frances Haugen, who claims Facebook knows its systems harm vulnerable people and hasn't made meaningful changes to prevent it. The platform is designed to exploit negative emotions to keep people on the platform, Haugen says.

Drying land and heating seas: Why nature in Australia's southwest is on the climate frontline

In a few days world leaders will descend on Glasgow for the United Nations climate change talks. Much depends on it. We know climate change is already happening, and nowhere is the damage more stark than in Australia's southwest.

COVID vaccines for 5 to 11 year olds are inching closer. Here's what we know so far

Australian children aged five to 11 could begin receiving the Pfizer vaccine by the end of November, with the nation's regulator currently reviewing the health and safety data.

Egyptian fruit bat pups steer echolocation beams from day zero

A trio of researchers with Tel Aviv University's School of Zoology has found that newly born Egyptian fruit bats are capable of steering echolocation beams. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Grace Smarsh, Yifat Tarnovsky and Yossi Yovel note also that just after birth, the pups are also able to hear the echolocation clicks produced by adults and can produce clicks of their own.

Researchers observe interband collective excitations in twisted bilayer graphene

Twisted bilayer graphene is a carbon-based, two-dimensional (2D) material comprising two graphene layers. Although many scientists have recently started exploring its potential for superconductivity and magnetism, so far, there have been very few optical studies examining it.

Study: 10 UNESCO forests emit more CO2 than they soak up

Sites containing some of the world's most treasured forests, including the Yosemite National Park and Indonesia's Sumatra rainforest, have been emitting more heat-trapping carbon dioxide than they have absorbed in recent years, a U.N.-backed report said.

Same treatment tested for kids with Kawasaki disease and rare COVID-19 reaction

Kawasaki disease (KD) is rare, with fewer than 6,000 diagnosed cases per year in the United States. It is most common in infants and young children and causes inflammation in the walls of some blood vessels in the body. KD is a common cause of acquired heart disease in children around the world, causing coronary artery aneurysms in a quarter of untreated children.

Making the strange metal state in high temperature superconductors even stranger

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have uncovered a striking new behavior of the 'strange metal' state of high temperature superconductors. The discovery represents an important piece of the puzzle for understanding these materials, and the findings have been published in the journal Science.

Researchers help expand mineral exploration using machine learning

Curtin University researchers have developed a new system that will help identify undiscovered mineral deposits in Western Australia using an advanced machine learning tool.

Working-age people living with dementia experience inadequate guidance and counselling

The right of working-age people living with dementia to receive adequate and timely guidance and counseling is not realized properly, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Study participants highlighted shortcomings in the continuity of guidance and counseling, as well as in equal access to guidance and counseling services. The study was published in Ageing & Society.

Study reveals gaps when it comes to recognizing racism in Ontario university sports

An anti-racism project led by a University of Toronto researcher in collaboration with Ontario University Athletics found many "completely unaware of the depths of the problem."

Carbon nanotubes could help electronics withstand outer space's harsh conditions

Space missions, such as NASA's Orion that will take astronauts to Mars, are pushing the limits of human exploration. But during their transit, spacecrafts encounter a continuous stream of damaging cosmic radiation, which can harm or even destroy onboard electronics. To extend future missions, researchers reporting in ACS Nano show that transistors and circuits with carbon nanotubes can be configured to maintain their electrical properties and memory after being bombarded by high amounts of radiation.

Germany to end national 'epidemic' situation next month

The German parliament will not extend the "epidemic situation of national scope" when it expires next month, but will keep in place certain measures to check the spread of the coronavirus, lawmakers said on Wednesday.

Sinkholes on receding Dead Sea shore mark 'nature's revenge'

In the heyday of the Ein Gedi spa in the 1960s, holidaymakers could marinate in heated pools and then slip into the briny Dead Sea. Now the same beach is punctured by craters.

Iran says cyberattack affected every gas station in nation

A cyberattack in Iran affected all of the Islamic Republic's 4,300 gas stations, a senior official said, as some still faced problems Wednesday.

Greenpeace urges Europe to drop short flights, take trains

A study commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace shows that over one-third of the busiest short-haul flights in Europe have viable train alternatives which are far less polluting.

Finnish scientists create 'sustainable' lab-grown coffee

Latte drinkers may in the future be sipping on java sourced from a petri dish rather than a plantation, say scientists behind a new technique to grow what they hope to be sustainable coffee in a lab.

Vietnam starts vaccinating kids in effort to reopen schools

Vietnam on Wednesday started to vaccinate children as part of an effort to reopen schools after more than half a year of closures due to COVID-19.

Orkney's seaweed-eating sheep offer hopes of greener farming

On a tiny island in Scotland's far-flung Orkneys, thousands of sheep spend the winter munching on seaweed, a unique diet that scientists say offers hope for reducing planet-warming methane emissions.

Kiwi boffins aim to clear the air on livestock emissions

Tucked away in rural New Zealand, a multi-million dollar research facility is working to slash the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by farm animals—saving the world one belch at a time.

US bans China Telecom over national security concerns

The United States on Tuesday banned China Telecom from operating in the country citing "significant" national security concerns, further straining already tense relations between the superpowers.

Louisiana lifts mask mandate amid sharp drop in COVID cases

Louisiana is ending its statewide indoor mask mandate after emerging from its latest and worst coronavirus spike of the pandemic and seeing a sharp decline in new COVID-19 infections, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday.

'Save your species': UN uses dinosaur in fossil fuel message

The United Nations is summoning an unusual "witness" to testify to the dangers of burning fossil fuels that stoke global warming: a dinosaur.

Impaired vision increases risk of depression in midlife women

Midlife women are known to have the highest prevalence of depression compared with all other age groups, and women have higher depression rates than men. A new study suggests that midlife vision impairment is associated with increased odds of future depressive symptoms for midlife women. Study results are published online today in Menopause.

Facemask ventilation of patients for surgery does not increase the risk of spread of COVID-19

New research published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) says that the use of facemask ventilation during routine surgery should not be classed as an aerosol-generating procedure and does not increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission compared with normal breathing/coughing of patients.

Study confirms mistaken identity may explain why sharks bite humans

World-first research testing a simulated 'shark vision' model on swimming patterns of humans, seals and sea-lions, confirms theories that when great white sharks bite humans, it may be a case of mistaken identity.

US State Department sets up cyber bureau, envoy amid hacking alarm

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the State Department will establish a new bureau and envoy to handle cyber policy, revamping amid alarm over rising hacking attacks.

Asia suffered hottest year on record in 2020: UN

Asia suffered its hottest year on record in 2020, the United Nations said Tuesday ahead of the COP26 summit, with extreme weather taking a heavy toll on the continent's development.

Rescued from extinction, bison rediscover Romania mountains

Hoof prints in the mud, tree bark nibbled away: even if the newest residents of Romania's Carpathian mountain forest shy away from visitors, their traces are there for those who know where to look.

Novartis says 'all options' on table for Sandoz generics unit

Swiss drugmaker Novartis said Tuesday that it is reviewing the future of its generic medicines division, Sandoz, with all options on the table—from retaining it to a sale.

World failing to learn lessons from pandemic: monitor

A year-and-a-half into the coronavirus pandemic, the world has still done far too little to respond and has failed to learn from its mistakes, a global health monitor said Tuesday.

China locks down city of 4 million over COVID

China placed a city of four million under lockdown on Tuesday in a bid to stamp out a domestic coronavirus spike, with residents told not to leave home except in emergencies.

New Zealand expands vaccine mandate to 40% of all workers

New Zealand's government said Tuesday it will expand a vaccine mandate to include thousands of workers who have close contact with their customers—including employees at restaurants, bars, gyms and hair salons.

Hong Kong to tighten COVID-19 rules, seeks to open to China

Hong Kong will tighten COVID-19 restrictions despite a lack of local outbreaks to better align with China's policies and increase chances of quarantine-free travel between the territory and mainland, leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday.

CDC extends cruise line health rules until mid-January

Federal health officials on Monday extended for nearly three more months its rules that cruise ships must follow to sail during the pandemic.

Belgium poised to boost COVID-19 measures to counter surge

Belgium is poised to reinforce pandemic measures in an attempt to stunt a sharp increase of coronavirus cases, with officials indicating Monday that they are looked at increased mandatory use of face masks and virus passports.

YouTube, TikTok, Snap execs face senators on kids' safety

Bearing down on hugely popular social media platforms and their impact on children, the leaders of a Senate panel have called executives from YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat to face questions on what their companies are doing to ensure young users' safety.

Facebook profits rise amid Facebook Papers findings

Amid fallout from the Facebook Papers documents supporting claims that the social network has valued financial success over user safety, Facebook on Monday reported higher profit for the latest quarter.

Poll: Majority in US concerned about climate

President Joe Biden heads to a vital U.N. climate summit at a time when a majority of Americans regard the deteriorating climate as a problem of high importance to them, an increase from just a few years ago.

Addition of genotypic resistance testing did not improve virologic response in patients with HIV virologic failure

A randomized controlled trial found that the addition of genotypic resistance testing to routine care did not improve virologic suppression among persons whose first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failed in public-sector HIV clinics in Uganda and South Africa. These results reinforce the critical need for and persistent challenge of finding effective interventions for persons who have virologic failure after ART initiation in the public sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Stress In America 2021: Pandemic impedes basic decision-making ability

Americans are struggling with the basic decisions required to navigate daily life as the effects of pandemic-related stress continue to take a toll, especially on younger adults and parents, according to a national survey from the American Psychological Association.

'Nanozyme' therapy prevents harmful dental plaque build-up

A growing body of evidence points to a link between iron-deficiency anemia and severe tooth decay. Whether the connection is correlative or causative is unknown, though both conditions are associated with poor diets and are more common in people living in impoverished environments and with underlying medical conditions.

Publication of 500-year-old manuscript exposes medieval beliefs and religious cults

A rare English illuminated medieval prayer roll, believed to be among only a few dozen still in existence worldwide, has been analyzed in a new study to expose Catholic beliefs in England before the Reformation in the sixteenth century.

Shadow loss: Young adults cope with missing out during pandemic

A new paper featuring college students' experiences with loss during the COVID-19 pandemic shows that although few directly experienced a close death, everyone lost something that impacted their lives.

Stimulus designed to help restaurant workers led to more COVID cases

A new paper in The Economic Journal indicates that a large-scale government subsidy aimed at encouraging people to eat out in restaurants in the wake of the first 2020 COVID-19 wave in the United Kingdom accelerated a second COVID19 wave.

Waters off French coast in winter may be a deadly trap for small, foraging turtles

The documented habitat boundaries of the loggerhead, Kemp's ridley and green turtles are questioned by a new study suggesting that stranded turtles rescued from European French Atlantic and Channel waters could be visiting the area to forage for food. Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, satellite tracking data reveals that while some turtles may be able to return home, after their rehabilitation and release to Florida in the US, or Cape Verde off the African coast, younger individuals are at risk of being trapped in the region.

Scientists make breakthrough in understanding how penicillin works

The mechanism which allows β-lactam antibiotics, including penicillin, to kill MRSA has been revealed for the first time.

Distributed protocol underpinning cloud computing automatically determined safe and secure

In an important step toward ensuring the protocols that dictate how our networked services operate are safe, secure and running as expected, University of Michigan researchers have automated a technique called formal verification.

Infection with COVID carries much higher risk of developing neurological complications than vaccine, says new study

COVID-19 is more likely to cause very rare neurological events than vaccines, according to a new study involving experts from the University of Nottingham.

Urgent action is needed to reduce uncertainty on carbon dioxide storage prospects, researchers warn

An urgent increase in policy support and investment would be needed for carbon capture and storage (CCS) to achieve the scale needed to meet global decarbonisation goals, according to University of Queensland and Princeton University researchers.