Markets ponder Musk role in cryptocurrency turbulence

First he loved them, then he doubted them, but is he manipulating them? Tesla boss Elon Musk's tweets about cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are annoying their devotees and raising eyebrows among market watchers.

Excess deaths due to pandemic much higher than reported COVID toll: WHO

Up to three times more people have died due to the pandemic than indicated by the officially reported COVID deaths, the World Health Organization said Friday.

Deadly fungus stalks India's COVID wards

Coronavirus patient Parvesh Dubey died within just one week of contracting black fungus—the latest victim of a horrifying COVID-19 complication sweeping India.

Plutonium particles from nuclear testing more complex than previously thought

More than 100 kg of highly toxic uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) was dispersed in the form of tiny 'hot' radioactive particles after the British detonated nine atomic bombs in remote areas of South Australia, including Maralinga.

Brazil confirms first cases of Indian COVID variant

Brazil has detected its first six cases of the so-called Indian variant of the COVID-19 virus, in crew members who arrived aboard a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship, officials said Thursday.

Scientists discover gene signature responsible for plaque-eating microglia in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by the build-up of amyloid plaques in the brain. Microglia, the immune sentinels of the brain, are not only responsible for eliminating foreign invaders, but also maintaining brain homeostasis by clearing toxic waste such as the amyloid plaques.

Microsoft announces retirement of Internet Explorer

Microsoft said it is retiring Internet Explorer, the browser it created more than 25 years and which is now largely abandoned as people instead use competitors like Google's Chrome or Apple's Safari.

Africa has much higher mortality rate for very ill COVID patients: study

Seriously ill COVID-19 patients in African countries are more likely to die than those on other continents, which could be because of a lack of critical care equipment, a study published Friday said.

Australia urges over-50s to get jabbed as vaccine hesitancy grows

Australia on Friday pressed over-50s to get their coronavirus shots, as fears mounted that vaccine hesitancy could be priming the country for disaster.

Old records shed new light on smallpox outbreaks in 1700s

A highly contagious disease originating far from America's shores triggers deadly outbreaks that spread rapidly, infecting the masses. Shots are available, but a divided public agonizes over getting jabbed.

Argentina resumes strict pandemic lockdown after case surge

The government of President Alberto Fernández on Thursday announced a strict lockdown for the first time this year after more than 35,000 coronavirus infections were reported for the third straight day in Argentina and the death toll skyrocketed.

Greek firefighters hopeful of containing forest blaze

Hundreds of Greek firefighters fought for a second day on Friday to bring a large forest blaze under control, with better weather conditions providing hope the flames could be subdued.

Japan approves Moderna, AstraZeneca vaccines

Japan formally approved Moderna and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines on Friday, but the latter will not be used immediately because of lingering concern over very rare blood clots.

Korean firm to invest $10M, hire 285, to make battery parts

A Korean auto supplier will invest $10 million and hire 285 people northeast of Atlanta to make parts that will accompany electric vehicle batteries that SK Innovation will produce nearby.

Tax changes would boost IRS monitoring of cryptocurrency use

The Biden administration is taking steps to ensure Americans who pay for goods or services with cryptocurrencies don't sidestep the tax man.

Powerful US nuclear test reactor getting rare major overhaul

Scientists in Idaho this summer plan to remove the 62,000-pound (28,100-kilogram) stainless steel lid on one of the world's most powerful nuclear test reactors for a rare internal overhaul.

Carbon storage offers hope for climate, cash for farmers

The rye and rapeseed that Rick Clifton cultivated in central Ohio were coming along nicely—until his tractor rumbled over the flat, fertile landscape, spraying it with herbicides.

New detector finds gamma rays from surprising cosmic sources

Astrophysicist Cao Zhen opens a steel hatch on a windswept Tibetan Plateau and climbs down a ladder into inky darkness. His flashlight picks out a boat floating on a pool of purified water above thousands of glittering orbs the size of beachballs.

States laws limit local control over guns, favor gun rights

The majority of U.S. states have passed laws preserving state authority over firearms policies—and preventing local communities from passing their own—but at the same time have refrained from enacting statewide gun-control policies, according to a new study by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health.

Will COVID-19 eventually become just a seasonal nuisance?

Within the next decade, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 could become little more than a nuisance, causing no more than common cold-like coughs and sniffles. That possible future is predicted by mathematical models that incorporate lessons learned from the current pandemic on how our body's immunity changes over time. Scientists at the University of Utah carried out the research, now published in the journal Viruses.

First-of-its-kind flower smells like dead insects to imprison 'coffin flies'

The plant Aristolochia microstoma uses a unique trick: its flowers emit a fetid-musty scent that seems to mimic the smell of decomposing insects. Flies from the genus Megaselia (family Phoridae) likely get attracted to this smell while searching for insect corpses to mate over and lay their eggs in. When they enter a flower, they are imprisoned and first pollinate the female organs, before being covered with pollen by the male organs. The flower then releases them unharmed.

Doctors have nothing to fear from a central register of interests, say experts

UK doctors have nothing to fear from the introduction of a central register listing money or benefits they receive in addition to their NHS salary, say experts today ahead of a public meeting on the issue hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for First Do No Harm and The BMJ.

Study on intermittency in gang membership underscores value of preventing youth from rejoining gangs

Research has shown that joining a gang is associated with increased criminal behavior. A new study examined whether the intermittent nature of gang membership affects offending. Researchers sought to determine whether the association with increased offending was a consistent attribute or, since people enter and exit and re-enter gangs, whether the intermittent nature of membership affected members' likelihood of offending. The study found that first-time membership was associated with increases in criminal behavior from when gang members were not in gangs, and that joining for a second time significantly raised the likelihood of offending, including more violent behavior.

Scientists reveal structural details of how SARS-CoV-2 variants escape immune response

Fast-spreading variants of the COVID-19-causing coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, carry mutations that enable the virus to escape some of the immune response created naturally or by vaccination. A new study from scientists at Scripps Research, along with collaborators in Germany and the Netherlands, has revealed key details of how these escape mutations work.