Expert: Climate protection policy does not have a negative economic impact

The benefits of strict climate policies are often underestimated in public debate, while the costs are generally overestimated, says Lucas Bretschger. Climate protection does not have a negative impact on economic development.

Image: Hubble sees a spiral in good company

This image, taken with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3, features the spiral galaxy NGC 4680. Two other galaxies, at the far right and bottom center of the image, flank NGC 4680. NGC 4680 enjoyed a wave of attention in 1997, as it played host to a supernova explosion known as SN 1997bp. Australian amateur astronomer Robert Evans identified the supernova and has identified an extraordinary 42 supernova explosions.

Durable goods drive two-thirds of global households' final energy footprints

Everyone knows that disposable products are bad for the environment. But are durable goods that much better?

How COVID-19 exposed the systemic ageism at the heart of Britain

The UK public cares deeply about injustices. In the first few months of 2021, thousands of people took to the streets demanding much-needed social changes, from Black Lives Matter to Kill the Bill protests against the government's proposed new crime legislation, the vigil for Sarah Everard and massive demonstrations against Israel's bombing of Gaza. Why then, haven't the deaths of 138,163 people from coronavirus resulted in the same kind of outpouring of public anger?

From milk protein, a plastic foam that gets better in a tough environment

A new high-performance plastic foam developed from whey proteins can withstand extreme heat better than many common thermoplastics made from petroleum. A research team in Sweden reports that the material, which may be used for example in catalysts for cars, fuel filters or packaging foam, actually improves its mechanical performance after days of exposure to high temperatures.

Toward a daily-use deep UV light source for sterilization and disinfection

Researchers from the Graduate School of Engineering and the Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology at Osaka University unveiled a new solid state second-harmonic generation (SHG) device that converts infrared radiation into blue light. This work may lead to a practical daily-use deep ultraviolet light source for sterilization and disinfection.

COVID-19 can cause severe inflammation in the brain

Both during and after infection with the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, patients may suffer from severe neurological symptoms, including anosmia, the loss of taste and smell typically associated with COVID-19. Along with direct damage caused by the virus, researchers suspect a role for excessive inflammatory responses in the disease. A team of researchers from the Freiburg University Medical Center and the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS has now shown that a severe inflammatory response can develop in the central nervous system of COVID-19 patients involving different immune cells around the vascular system and in the brain tissue. The team led by Professor Dr. Marco Prinz, Medical Director at the Institute of Neuropathology, and Professor Dr. Dr. Bertram Bengsch, Section Head of Translational Systems Immunology in Hepatogastroenterology at the Internal Medicine II just published their results in the current issue of Immunity.

Into the belly of the bee: A closer look at bees' gut microbes

Environmental bacteria and fungi that end up in the belly of honeybees may be essential to their survival in a changing world as bee populations dwindle due to pesticides, poor nutrition, habitat destruction and declining genetic diversity.

Hair follicles heal blisters at personal cost

A team of scientists has shown that the healing of skin blisters is driven by hair follicle stem cells, which delay their own development in the process.

Making sure ships, other marine craft find their way

Nearly everything in our daily lives—from the electronic gizmos we all use, to the coffee we drink and the bananas we eat—relies on shipping. Ships worldwide transport roughly 11 billion tons of goods annually, which works out to about 1.5 tons for every person on the planet.

Sex organs of baobab flowers solve puzzle of trees that bear more fruit

Baobabs are the mainstay of rural communities in some parts of Africa—they provide food in the form of leaves that are cooked like spinach, and large oval fruit which are rich in vitamin C. Oils are extracted from the crushed seeds (used in the cosmetic industry), and bark may be used for making rope.

Two rare Javan rhino calves spotted in Indonesia

Two Javan rhinoceros calves have been spotted at an Indonesian national park, offering a rare sighting of one of the world's most endangered mammals.

German health minister floats lifting of mask rules

Germany could soon begin easing rules on mask-wearing as the country enjoys a sharp drop in COVID-19 infections, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Monday.

French nuclear firm seeks to fix 'performance issue' at China plant

A French nuclear firm said Monday it was working to resolve a "performance issue" at a plant it part-owns in China's southern Guangdong province following a US media report of a potential leak there.

Young adults who lost and then restored heart health had lower risk of heart attack, stroke

Preserving good cardiovascular health during young adulthood is one of the best ways to reduce risks of premature heart attack or stroke, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

Pacific islanders likely found Antarctica first: study

Polynesian seafarers likely reached Antarctica hundreds of years before the Western explorers usually credited with discovering the frozen continent, a new study has concluded.

After fire and floods, Aussie farmers suffer devastating mouse plague

After surviving years of crippling drought, farmers in eastern Australia are locked in a months-long battle with hordes of mice that are pouring through fields and devouring hard-earned crops.

Toshiba apologises to shareholders after vote probe

Toshiba apologised to shareholders Monday and said it would remove two directors after a probe found the Japanese conglomerate had sought government help to try and influence a boardroom vote.

Microsoft bolsters video game line-up as Xbox turns 20

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo".

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs superior to codeine for managing outpatient postoperative pain

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen provide better pain control and have fewer adverse effects than codeine, a commonly prescribed opioid, when prescribed after outpatient surgery, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Barks in the night lead to the discovery of new species

The raucous calls of tree hyraxes—small, herbivorous mammals—reverberate through the night in the forests of West and Central Africa, but their sound differs depending on the location.

Radiotracer effective for detection and assessment of lung fibrosis

Positron emission tomography (PET) using a 68Ga-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) can noninvasively identify and monitor pulmonary fibrosis, according to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021 Annual Meeting. By binding to activated fibroblasts present in affected lungs, FAPI-PET allows for direct imaging of the disease process.

New super-resolution technique allows for more detailed brain imaging

A new imaging technique has the potential to detect neurological disorders—such as Alzheimer's disease—at their earliest stages, enabling physicians to diagnose and treat patients more quickly. Termed super-resolution, the imaging methodology combines position emission tomography (PET) with an external motion tracking device to create highly detailed images of the brain. This research was presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting.