livescience--2020-10-06--Something huge ripped the skin off this star before it died

A giant star died , blasting its guts out into space .
But before the star detonated , some stellar thief had already stolen the giant 's skin .
Now , astrophysicists think they 've identified the culprit : another star blasting its own guts out nearby .
Supernovas are fairly common in space .
Most very large stars end their lives as stellar explosions .
When they die , hot clouds of gas spread across space .
Those clouds are full of the heavy the stars into being in the nuclear engines of their bellies .
But usually there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuse into helium to get their engines started — in the clouds too : These simple , single-proton atoms remain in the outer skin of the star , where pressure and heat never got high enough to fuse them together into heavier elements .
It 's unspent fuel , in other words .
Sometimes , however , that skin vanishes .
Usually gravity from a nearby star —— such as a binary twin in the same system — strips that outer envelope of hydrogen away .
Sometimes , however , it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For a long time , that was the case for the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A ( Cas A ) .
But not anymore .
Related : 8 ways you can see Einstein 's theory of relativity in real life In a new paper , researchers describe a scenario that could produce a solitary , `` stripped-envelope '' supernova like Cas A 's .
Their story , like most skinless supernova tales , begins with two sibling stars in a tight binary orbit around one another .
Critically , these siblings were born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place and at nearly the same mass .
As a result , the two stars would also live for similar lengths of time , become swollen red giants in their old age , and die in short succession , one after the other .
If Cas A 's sibling went first , that first supernova would have effectively sandblasted the surviving big red supergiant ( in other words , Cas A ) , just as Cas A was nearing the end of its own life .
The researchers , a team at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Discovery ( OzGrav ) in Melbourne , Australia , simulated how this would work .
Their simulations showed between 50 % and 90 % of the surviving star 's outer skin of hydrogen gets blasted away in the wind of the first supernova , as long as the two stars orbit very close together .
`` This is enough for the second supernova of the binary system to become a stripped-envelope supernova , confirming that our proposed scenario is plausible , '' lead study author Ryosuke Hirai , an OzGrav astrophysicist , .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supernova to rip off just some of its sibling 's envelope , causing that star to be in an unstable state ; in this scenario , the instability leads to more hydrogen being expelled from the star before it goes supernova .
The star would react like it had just been shot with a shotgun , convulsing and losing fuel to space before its demise , the simulations showed .
If this version of star death happens , it 's likely rare , the researchers wrote — occurring in just 0.35 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario has n't been confirmed , though the researchers think it might apply to two other known supernovas , RX J1713.7-3946 and G11.2-0.3 .
But Cas A is the most exciting example for a simple reason : The simulation predicts that there should still be a signature of that envelope lost in the first supernova : a puff of hydrogen-rich gas drifting through space 30 to 300 light-years away from the supernova remnant .
And in the case of Cas A , they found one such puff , just 50 light-years away — @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Cassiopeia A, the remnant of a "stripped-envelope supernova," may have actually taken its form from two supernovas in quick succession.
A giant star died, blasting its guts out into space. But before the star detonated, some stellar thief had already stolen the giant's skin. Now, astrophysicists think they've identified the culprit: another star blasting its own guts out nearby.
Supernovas are fairly common in space. Most very large stars end their lives as stellar explosions. When they die, hot clouds of gas spread across space. Those clouds are full of the heavy atoms the stars fused into being in the nuclear engines of their bellies. But usually there's hydrogen — the element that stars initially fuse into helium to get their engines started — in the clouds too: These simple, single-proton atoms remain in the outer skin of the star, where pressure and heat never got high enough to fuse them together into heavier elements. It's unspent fuel, in other words. Sometimes, however, that skin vanishes. Usually gravity from a nearby star —— such as a binary twin in the same system — strips that outer envelope of hydrogen away. Sometimes, however, it's not clear where all the hydrogen-rich skin went. For a long time, that was the case for the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). But not anymore.
Related: 8 ways you can see Einstein's theory of relativity in real life
In a new paper, researchers describe a scenario that could produce a solitary, "stripped-envelope" supernova like Cas A's. Their story, like most skinless supernova tales, begins with two sibling stars in a tight binary orbit around one another. Critically, these siblings were born at the same time in the same place and at nearly the same mass. As a result, the two stars would also live for similar lengths of time, become swollen red giants in their old age, and die in short succession, one after the other.
If Cas A's sibling went first, that first supernova would have effectively sandblasted the surviving big red supergiant (in other words, Cas A), just as Cas A was nearing the end of its own life.
The researchers, a team at the ARC Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) in Melbourne, Australia, simulated how this would work.
"Snapshots" from the simulation show how a supernova blast could strip off a star's outer layer. (Image credit: Ryosuke Hirai)
Their simulations showed between 50% and 90% of the surviving star's outer skin of hydrogen gets blasted away in the wind of the first supernova, as long as the two stars orbit very close together.
"This is enough for the second supernova of the binary system to become a stripped-envelope supernova, confirming that our proposed scenario is plausible," lead study author Ryosuke Hirai, an OzGrav astrophysicist, said in a statement .
It's also possible for the first supernova to rip off just some of its sibling's envelope, causing that star to be in an unstable state; in this scenario, the instability leads to more hydrogen being expelled from the star before it goes supernova. The star would react like it had just been shot with a shotgun, convulsing and losing fuel to space before its demise, the simulations showed.
If this version of star death happens, it's likely rare, the researchers wrote — occurring in just 0.35% to 1% of supernovas.
And the scenario hasn't been confirmed, though the researchers think it might apply to two other known supernovas, RX J1713.7-3946 and G11.2-0.3.
But Cas A is the most exciting example for a simple reason: The simulation predicts that there should still be a signature of that envelope lost in the first supernova: a puff of hydrogen-rich gas drifting through space 30 to 300 light-years away from the supernova remnant. And in the case of Cas A, they found one such puff, just 50 light-years away — precisely fitting what their model predicted.
Originally published on Live Science


livescience--2020-10-06--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-10-06--59 priest mummies and statue of unusual god unearthed in Egypt

In a span of one month , the number of sealed coffins found at an archaeological dig in Saqqara in Egypt has ballooned from 13 to 59 — and there is more to come — the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement .
The colorful coffins , which date back to Egypt 's 26th dynasty ( 688 B.C .
to 525 B.C . )
, were found stacked together within or near three burial wells , the ministry said on Oct. 3 .
The mummies are still preserved within the coffins ; and hieroglyphic writing on the coffins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priests .
Beside the coffins , they found the remains of 28 small statues .
One of the most interesting statues is a nearly 14-inch-tall ( 35 centimeters ) bronze statue of the god Nefertem , who is shown wearing a headdress shaped like a lotus blossom .
The headdress is made of red agate stone , turquoise and lapis lazuli , the ministry statement said .
In mythology , Nefertem was a god associated with lotus flowers and was the son of Ptah , a creator god who was popular in Memphis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Saqqara served as the burial ground for Memphis . )
Another small statue found near the coffins depicts the god Ptah-Soker — an amalgamation of the gods Ptah and Soker .
`` Saqqara was called Saqqara because of the god Soker .
In the Late Period [ the time the coffins date to ] , there was a combination of the god Ptah of Memphis with Soker , '' Zahi Hawass , a former Egyptian minister of antiquities , said in a video released by the ministry .
`` This is unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Hawass said of the Ptah-Soker statue .
Numerous shabti figurines were also found with the coffins .
Ancient Egyptians often buried the dead with shabti figurines , which they believed would work for the deceased in the afterlife .
Egypt struggled to gain and maintain its independence during the 26th dynasty .
At the start of the dynasty the pharaohs were vassals of however as Assyrian power weakened the Egyptians were able to assert their political independence .
However the rise of Persia would spell the end of the dynasty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Persian empire .
Work at Saqqara is being conducted by an Egyptian team led by Mustafa Waziri , the secretary general of Egypt 's Supreme Council of Antiquities .
Work is ongoing and more coffins and other artifacts are expected to be discovered soon .

HIeroglyphic writing indicates that many of the people buried in the coffins were priests.
In a span of one month, the number of sealed coffins found at an archaeological dig in Saqqara in Egypt has ballooned from 13 to 59 — and there is more to come — the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement.
The colorful coffins, which date back to Egypt's 26th dynasty (688 B.C. to 525 B.C.), were found stacked together within or near three burial wells, the ministry said on Oct. 3. The mummies are still preserved within the coffins; and hieroglyphic writing on the coffins indicates that many of the mummies were priests.
Beside the coffins, they found the remains of 28 small statues. One of the most interesting statues is a nearly 14-inch-tall (35 centimeters) bronze statue of the god Nefertem, who is shown wearing a headdress shaped like a lotus blossom. The headdress is made of red agate stone, turquoise and lapis lazuli, the ministry statement said. In ancient Egyptian mythology, Nefertem was a god associated with lotus flowers and was the son of Ptah, a creator god who was popular in Memphis, the first capital of Egypt. (Saqqara served as the burial ground for Memphis.)
Related: Image gallery: Mummy evisceration techniques
Image 1 of 6 A close-up of one of the coffins discovered during the excavation at Saqqara. They date back more than 2,500 years ago to the 26th dynasty of Egypt. (Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities) A close-up of one of the coffins discovered during the excavation at Saqqara. They date back more than 2,500 years ago to the 26th dynasty of Egypt. (Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities) A photo showing some of the coffins that were discovered. The colors are remarkably well preserved despite the passage of time. (Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities) Archaeologists opened this coffin revealing a mummy that has not seen the light of day in more than 2,500 years. (Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities) This bronze statue of the god Nefertem was found near the coffins. It has a lotus-shaped headdress made of red agate stone, turquoise and lapis lazuli. (Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities) HIeroglyphic writing indicates that many of the people buried in the coffins were priests. (Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)
Another small statue found near the coffins depicts the god Ptah-Soker — an amalgamation of the gods Ptah and Soker. "Saqqara was called Saqqara because of the god Soker. In the Late Period [the time the coffins date to], there was a combination of the god Ptah of Memphis with Soker," Zahi Hawass, a former Egyptian minister of antiquities, said in a video released by the ministry. "This is unique. I have never seen this before," Hawass said of the Ptah-Soker statue.
Numerous shabti figurines were also found with the coffins. Ancient Egyptians often buried the dead with shabti figurines, which they believed would work for the deceased in the afterlife.
Egypt struggled to gain and maintain its independence during the 26th dynasty. At the start of the dynasty the pharaohs were vassals of Assyria however as Assyrian power weakened the Egyptians were able to assert their political independence. However the rise of Persia would spell the end of the dynasty and in 525 B.C. Egypt was conquered by the Persian empire.
Work at Saqqara is being conducted by an Egyptian team led by Mustafa Waziri, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Work is ongoing and more coffins and other artifacts are expected to be discovered soon.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-06--Nobel Prize in physics awarded to 3 scientists for their black hole discoveries

The has been awarded to three scientists for their work involving some of the cosmos 's most mysterious , darkest , secrets — black holes .
Roger Penrose , of the University of Oxford in the U.K. , received one-half of the prize `` for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity , '' while Andrea Ghez of University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA ) and Reinhard Genzel , of the University of Bonn and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany , jointly shared the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supermassive compact object at the center of our galaxy , '' the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced this morning ( Oct. 6 ) .
Ghez is only the fourth woman to be awarded a Nobel in physics ever .
( The other three were Marie Curie in 1903 , Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963 and Donna Strickland in 2018 . )
Related : The 12 strangest objects in the universe For his part , Penrose showed with eloquent mathematical models that the very existence of black holes is a direct consequence of Albert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , Einstein did n't believe such heavyweights — objects that devour everything , even light , that comes within their reach — even existed .
Even so , his theory of general relativity predicts that gravity results from the warping of space-time .
Under this theory , massive objects ( like black holes ) put cosmic dents in this space-time fabric so that other nearby objects ca n't help but fall into these gravity divots .
One of the predictions to come out of general relativity is that black holes have an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing , not even light , can escape .
In January 1965 , just 10 years after Einstein had died on April 18 , 1955 , Penrose revealed that black holes can , and do , form , describing them in detail in an article that is regarded even today `` as the most important contribution to the general theory of relativity since Einstein , '' the academy said in a statement .
Penrose found that at the heart of black holes lies an infinitely dense core called a singularity , where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 8 ways you can see Einstein 's theory of relativity in real life For their part , teams led by Ghez and Genzel revealed the dark secret at the center of the Milky Way .
Since the early 1990s , by focusing on a region at the heart of our galaxy called Sagittarius A* , Ghez and Genzel independently found that some super-heavy object there is pulling on clusters of stars and causing them to whiz around at mind-bending speeds , the academy said .
In fact , their teams discovered that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 million solar masses is packed into a spot no larger than our solar system .
Not only did the two predict the existence of this black behemoth , but they developed telescope methods that allowed them to see through dense clouds of interstellar gas and dust at the center of the Milky Way .
They refined these techniques to compensate for distortions that occur due to Earth 's atmosphere .
And in the end , the two groups provided the strongest evidence so far that a supermassive black hole lurks at our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascinating facts about our Milky Way galaxy '' The discoveries of this year 's Laureates have broken new ground in the study of compact and supermassive objects , '' David Haviland , chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics , said in the academy 's statement .
`` But these exotic objects still pose many questions that beg for answers and motivate future research .
Not only questions about their inner structure , but also questions about how to test our theory of gravity under the extreme conditions in the immediate vicinity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's physics Nobel prize was awarded to three scientists for unraveling the structure and history of the universe and for changing humanity 's perspective of our planet 's place in it , .
Penrose will receive half of the 10 million kronor ( about $ 1.2 million ) Nobel prize , while Ghez and Genzel will split the other half .

The Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to three scientists for their work involving some of the cosmos's most mysterious, darkest, secrets — black holes.
Roger Penrose, of the University of Oxford in the U.K., received one-half of the prize "for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity," while Andrea Ghez of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Reinhard Genzel, of the University of Bonn and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, jointly shared the other half "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of our galaxy," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced this morning (Oct. 6).
Ghez is only the fourth woman to be awarded a Nobel in physics ever. (The other three were Marie Curie in 1903, Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963 and Donna Strickland in 2018.)
Related: The 12 strangest objects in the universe
For his part, Penrose showed with eloquent mathematical models that the very existence of black holes is a direct consequence of Albert Einstein's most famous theory; in fact, Einstein didn't believe such heavyweights — objects that devour everything, even light, that comes within their reach — even existed.
Göran K. Hansson, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announces the winners of the Nobel Prize in physics on Oct. 6, 2020. (Image credit: Nobel Prize Foundation)
Even so, his theory of general relativity predicts that gravity results from the warping of space-time. Under this theory, massive objects (like black holes) put cosmic dents in this space-time fabric so that other nearby objects can't help but fall into these gravity divots. One of the predictions to come out of general relativity is that black holes have an event horizon, a demarcation beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape.
In January 1965, just 10 years after Einstein had died on April 18, 1955, Penrose revealed that black holes can, and do, form, describing them in detail in an article that is regarded even today "as the most important contribution to the general theory of relativity since Einstein," the academy said in a statement.
Penrose found that at the heart of black holes lies an infinitely dense core called a singularity, where the laws of nature break down.
Related: 8 ways you can see Einstein's theory of relativity in real life
For their part, teams led by Ghez and Genzel revealed the dark secret at the center of the Milky Way.
Since the early 1990s, by focusing on a region at the heart of our galaxy called Sagittarius A*, Ghez and Genzel independently found that some super-heavy object there is pulling on clusters of stars and causing them to whiz around at mind-bending speeds, the academy said. In fact, their teams discovered that an object weighing in at a whopping 4 million solar masses is packed into a spot no larger than our solar system.
Not only did the two predict the existence of this black behemoth, but they developed telescope methods that allowed them to see through dense clouds of interstellar gas and dust at the center of the Milky Way. They refined these techniques to compensate for distortions that occur due to Earth's atmosphere. And in the end, the two groups provided the strongest evidence so far that a supermassive black hole lurks at our galaxy's heart.
Related: 11 fascinating facts about our Milky Way galaxy
"The discoveries of this year's Laureates have broken new ground in the study of compact and supermassive objects," David Haviland, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in the academy's statement. "But these exotic objects still pose many questions that beg for answers and motivate future research. Not only questions about their inner structure, but also questions about how to test our theory of gravity under the extreme conditions in the immediate vicinity of a black hole."
Last year's physics Nobel prize was awarded to three scientists for unraveling the structure and history of the universe and for changing humanity's perspective of our planet's place in it, Live Science previously reported .
Penrose will receive half of the 10 million kronor (about $1.2 million) Nobel prize, while Ghez and Genzel will split the other half.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-07--Scarlet fever is making a comeback. Bacterial 'clone' could be to blame.

Once a leading cause of death for children across the western world , scarlet fever was nearly eradicated thanks to 20th century medicine .
But fresh outbreaks in the UK and North East Asia over recent years suggest we 've still got a long way to go .
Just why we 're experiencing a resurgence of the deadly pathogen is a mystery .
A new study has uncovered clues in the genome of one of the bacterial strains responsible , showing just how complex the family tree of infectious diseases can be .
The species behind the illness is group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ball-shaped microbe that can churn out toxic compounds called superantigens , capable of wreaking havoc inside the body .
Especially in children .
The results can be as mild as an uncomfortable case of pharyngitis or a bad rash , or as severe as a toxic shock that causes organs to fail .
With the advent of antibiotics , outbreaks could easily be managed before they got out of hand .
By the 1940s , the disease was well on the way out .
That all looks to be changing .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic became evident with reports of a second outbreak in the UK , beginning in 2014 , and we 've now discovered outbreak isolates here in Australia , '' says University of Queensland molecular biologist Stephan Brouwer .
`` This global re-emergence of scarlet fever has caused a more than five-fold increase in disease rate and more than 600,000 cases around the world . ''
Leading an international team of researchers in a study on group A strep genes , Brouwer has been able to characterize a variety of superantigens produced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among them was a kind of superantigen that appears to give the bacterial invaders a clever new way to gain access to the insides of the host 's cells , one never seen before among bacteria .
Its novelty implies that these outbreaks are n't descended from the same strains of bacteria that have rippled through communities in centuries past .
Rather , they 're closely related populations of group A strep that learned a new trick or two on their own .
One way similar organisms can evolve the same characteristics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for natural selection to independently fine-tune shared genes in the same way .
But other studies have already suggested this strain of bacterium received a helping hand in the form of an infection of their own , one from a type of virus called a phage .
`` The toxins would have been transferred into the bacterium when it was infected by viruses that carried the toxin genes , '' says bioscientist Mark Walker , also from the University of Queensland .
`` We 've shown that these acquired toxins allow Streptococcus pyogenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely allows it to out-compete other strains . ''
In a process known as horizontal gene transfer , a gene that evolved in one microbe can be incorporated into a virus 's genome and edited into a new host 's DNA , creating a kind of clone of the original .
Though hardly limited to bacteria , it is a quick and handy way for single-celled microbes to adapt .
Such stolen genes can provide pathogens with new ways to gain entry to host tissues , or resist the chemical warfare that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case , it has helped a less serious strain of bacteria to develop a weapon that makes it as concerning as its vanquished cousin .
To double check the acquired superantigen 's importance , the researchers used genetic editing to disable their coding .
As a result , the strains lost their knack for colonizing the animal models used to test the bacteria 's virulence .
For now , our management of an even bigger threat seems to be containing the most recent scarlet fever outbreaks .
Spread through aerosols much like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become an epidemic under current restrictions .
`` But when social distancing eventually is relaxed , scarlet fever is likely to come back , '' says Walker .
`` Just like COVID-19 , ultimately a vaccine will be critical for eradicating scarlet fever – one of history 's most pervasive and deadly childhood diseases . ''
This research was published in Nature Communications .
This article was originally published by ScienceAlert .
Read the original article here .

Once a leading cause of death for children across the western world, scarlet fever was nearly eradicated thanks to 20th century medicine. But fresh outbreaks in the UK and North East Asia over recent years suggest we've still got a long way to go.
Just why we're experiencing a resurgence of the deadly pathogen is a mystery. A new study has uncovered clues in the genome of one of the bacterial strains responsible, showing just how complex the family tree of infectious diseases can be.
The species behind the illness is group A strep, or Streptococcus pyogenes; a ball-shaped microbe that can churn out toxic compounds called superantigens, capable of wreaking havoc inside the body. Especially in children.
The results can be as mild as an uncomfortable case of pharyngitis or a bad rash, or as severe as a toxic shock that causes organs to fail.
With the advent of antibiotics, outbreaks could easily be managed before they got out of hand. By the 1940s, the disease was well on the way out.
That all looks to be changing.
"After 2011, the global reach of the pandemic became evident with reports of a second outbreak in the UK, beginning in 2014, and we've now discovered outbreak isolates here in Australia," says University of Queensland molecular biologist Stephan Brouwer.
"This global re-emergence of scarlet fever has caused a more than five-fold increase in disease rate and more than 600,000 cases around the world."
Leading an international team of researchers in a study on group A strep genes, Brouwer has been able to characterize a variety of superantigens produced by one particular strain from North East Asia.
Among them was a kind of superantigen that appears to give the bacterial invaders a clever new way to gain access to the insides of the host's cells, one never seen before among bacteria.
Its novelty implies that these outbreaks aren't descended from the same strains of bacteria that have rippled through communities in centuries past. Rather, they're closely related populations of group A strep that learned a new trick or two on their own.
One way similar organisms can evolve the same characteristics – such as advanced virulence – is for natural selection to independently fine-tune shared genes in the same way.
But other studies have already suggested this strain of bacterium received a helping hand in the form of an infection of their own, one from a type of virus called a phage.
"The toxins would have been transferred into the bacterium when it was infected by viruses that carried the toxin genes," says bioscientist Mark Walker, also from the University of Queensland.
"We've shown that these acquired toxins allow Streptococcus pyogenes to better colonize its host, which likely allows it to out-compete other strains."
In a process known as horizontal gene transfer, a gene that evolved in one microbe can be incorporated into a virus's genome and edited into a new host's DNA, creating a kind of clone of the original.
Though hardly limited to bacteria, it is a quick and handy way for single-celled microbes to adapt. Such stolen genes can provide pathogens with new ways to gain entry to host tissues, or resist the chemical warfare that would otherwise keep them at bay.
In this case, it has helped a less serious strain of bacteria to develop a weapon that makes it as concerning as its vanquished cousin.
To double check the acquired superantigen's importance, the researchers used genetic editing to disable their coding. As a result, the strains lost their knack for colonizing the animal models used to test the bacteria's virulence.
For now, our management of an even bigger threat seems to be containing the most recent scarlet fever outbreaks. Spread through aerosols much like SARS-CoV-2, group A strep is unlikely to become an epidemic under current restrictions.
"But when social distancing eventually is relaxed, scarlet fever is likely to come back," says Walker.
"Just like COVID-19, ultimately a vaccine will be critical for eradicating scarlet fever – one of history's most pervasive and deadly childhood diseases."
This research was published in Nature Communications.
This article was originally published by ScienceAlert. Read the original article here.


livescience--2020-10-07--Draconid Meteor Shower 2020: When, where and how to watch the unpredictable 'shooting star' display

The annual Draconid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday , Oct. 7 , but do n't get your hopes up for a spectacular sky show .
Even at their peak — which , this year , occurs just after nightfall on Wednesday evening — the Draconids are usually modest , generating just a few meteors per hour .
The waning gibbous moon , with its face about 75 % illuminated , will wash out all but the brightest meteors .
The shower , which is typically active from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10 every year , occasionally puts on an incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , skywatchers in Europe saw up to 500 Draconids per minute , according to Space.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao .
And observers throughout the Western United States saw thousands of Draconids per hour at the shower 's peak in 1946 , he added .
Related : How to see the best meteor showers of 2020 The Draconids occur when Earth plows through the stream of debris shed over the eons by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner .
Dramatic outbursts like those of 1933 and 1946 — and lesser ones in 1926 , 1952 , 1985 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occur only when the Earth passes just inside Comet Giacobini-Zinner 's orbit shortly after the comet itself has gone by , '' Rao wrote .
Experts are n't predicting that such a close pass will happen this year .
So , again : Do n't expect a dazzling Draconid storm .
The Draconids `` are an all or nothing shower , '' Cooke told Space.com .
`` They are rich in faint meteors if they appear . ''
Most meteor showers are best viewed in the early morning hours .
But to maximize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evening this weekend , as soon as it gets dark .
That 's because the constellation Draco , the dragon — the shower 's `` radiant , '' or point from which the meteors appear to radiate — is highest in the sky shortly after nightfall .
Editor 's note : If you snap an amazing photo of a Draconid meteor or any other night-sky sight and you 'd like to share it with Space.com for a story or image gallery , send images , comments and location information spacephotos @ space.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Out There '' ( Grand Central Publishing , 2018 ; illustrated by Karl Tate ) , a book about the search for alien life .
Follow him on Twitter @ michaeldwall .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom or Facebook .

A Draconid meteor streaks across the starry sky over Taos, New Mexico, in this photo taken by Mike Lewinski on Oct. 5, 2018. CC BY 2.0) (Image credit: Mike Lewinski/ Flickr
The annual Draconid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday, Oct. 7, but don't get your hopes up for a spectacular sky show.
Even at their peak — which, this year, occurs just after nightfall on Wednesday evening — the Draconids are usually modest, generating just a few meteors per hour. The waning gibbous moon, with its face about 75% illuminated, will wash out all but the brightest meteors.
The shower, which is typically active from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10 every year, occasionally puts on an incredible display. In 1933, for example, skywatchers in Europe saw up to 500 Draconids per minute, according to Space.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao. And observers throughout the Western United States saw thousands of Draconids per hour at the shower's peak in 1946, he added.
Related: How to see the best meteor showers of 2020
This long-exposure image taken by Jesper Grønne in Denmark shows Draconid meteors streaking through the sky in October 2011. The Draconids were unusually active that year. (Image credit: Jesper Grønne)
The Draconids occur when Earth plows through the stream of debris shed over the eons by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Dramatic outbursts like those of 1933 and 1946 — and lesser ones in 1926, 1952, 1985, 1998 and 2011 — seem "to occur only when the Earth passes just inside Comet Giacobini-Zinner's orbit shortly after the comet itself has gone by," Rao wrote.
Experts aren't predicting that such a close pass will happen this year. So, again: Don't expect a dazzling Draconid storm.
The Draconids "are an all or nothing shower," Cooke told Space.com. "They are rich in faint meteors if they appear."
This sky map shows the Draconid meteor shower's radiant, or the point from which the meteors seem to originate. (Image credit: Starry Night Software
Most meteor showers are best viewed in the early morning hours. But to maximize your Draconid experience, start observing in the evening this weekend, as soon as it gets dark.
That's because the constellation Draco, the dragon — the shower's "radiant," or point from which the meteors appear to radiate — is highest in the sky shortly after nightfall.
Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of a Draconid meteor or any other night-sky sight and you'd like to share it with Space.com for a story or image gallery, send images, comments and location information spacephotos@space.com.
Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.


livescience--2020-10-07--Coronavirus can survive on skin for 9 hours

The new coronavirus can linger on human skin much longer than flu viruses can , according to a new study from researchers in Japan .
SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , remained viable on samples of human skin for about 9 hours , according to the study .
In contrast , a strain of the A virus ( IAV ) remained viable on human skin for about 2 hours .
Fortunately , both viruses on skin were rapidly inactivated with .
The findings underscore the importance of washing your hands or using sanitizer to prevent the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SARS-CoV-2 may have a higher risk of contact transmission [ i.e .
transmission from direct contact ] than IAV because the first is much more stable on human skin [ than the latter ] '' the authors wrote in their paper , which was published online Oct. 3 in the journal .
`` These findings support the hypothesis that proper hand hygiene is important for the prevention of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 . ''
Earlier in the pandemic , researchers in the U.S. analyzed how long SARS-CoV-2 could last on surfaces and found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 4 hours , on cardboard for up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours , .
However , for ethical reasons , examining how long the virus can last on human skin is more complicated — you ca n't just put samples of a potentially lethal virus on people 's hands .
So for the new study , the researchers , from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan , created a skin model using samples of obtained from autopsies .
The samples were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The authors note that even 24 hours after death , human skin can still be used for skin grafts , meaning that it retains much of its function for some time after death .
Thus , the collected samples could be a suitable model for human skin , the authors argued .
Using their model , the authors found SARS-CoV-2 survived on the human skin samples for 9.04 hours , compared with 1.82 hours for the influenza A virus .
When these viruses were mixed with mucus , to mimic the release of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , SARS-CoV-2 lasted an even longer time , about 11 hours .
However , both viruses were inactivated on skin 15 seconds after using hand sanitizer that was 80 % ethanol .
`` Appropriate hand hygiene … leads to the quick viral inactivation [ of SARS-CoV-2 ] and may reduce the high risk of contact infections , '' the authors said .
The authors note that their study did not consider the `` infectious dose '' of SARS-CoV-2 , that is , the quantity of virus particles needed to give someone an infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so future research should also examine this question .

The new coronavirus can linger on human skin much longer than flu viruses can, according to a new study from researchers in Japan.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remained viable on samples of human skin for about 9 hours, according to the study. In contrast, a strain of the influenza A virus (IAV) remained viable on human skin for about 2 hours.
Fortunately, both viruses on skin were rapidly inactivated with hand sanitizer .
The findings underscore the importance of washing your hands or using sanitizer to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 may have a higher risk of contact transmission [i.e. transmission from direct contact] than IAV because the first is much more stable on human skin [than the latter]" the authors wrote in their paper, which was published online Oct. 3 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases . "These findings support the hypothesis that proper hand hygiene is important for the prevention of the spread of SARS-CoV-2."
Related: 14 coronavirus myths busted by science
Survival on skin
Earlier in the pandemic, researchers in the U.S. analyzed how long SARS-CoV-2 could last on surfaces and found it remained viable on copper surfaces for up to 4 hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours, Live Science previously reported . However, for ethical reasons, examining how long the virus can last on human skin is more complicated — you can't just put samples of a potentially lethal virus on people's hands.
So for the new study, the researchers, from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan, created a skin model using samples of human skin obtained from autopsies. The samples were collected approximately one day after death. The authors note that even 24 hours after death, human skin can still be used for skin grafts, meaning that it retains much of its function for some time after death. Thus, the collected samples could be a suitable model for human skin, the authors argued.
Using their model, the authors found SARS-CoV-2 survived on the human skin samples for 9.04 hours, compared with 1.82 hours for the influenza A virus. When these viruses were mixed with mucus, to mimic the release of viral particles in a cough or sneeze, SARS-CoV-2 lasted an even longer time, about 11 hours.
However, both viruses were inactivated on skin 15 seconds after using hand sanitizer that was 80% ethanol.
"Appropriate hand hygiene … leads to the quick viral inactivation [of SARS-CoV-2] and may reduce the high risk of contact infections," the authors said.
The authors note that their study did not consider the "infectious dose" of SARS-CoV-2, that is, the quantity of virus particles needed to give someone an infection from contact with contaminated skin, and so future research should also examine this question.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-07--Orthorexia: Causes, symptoms and treatment

Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with the perceived `` purity '' of food .
People with orthorexia might restrict themselves to eating only unprocessed or organic foods , cut out whole food groups from their diet or restrict themselves to eating raw foods only .
The condition goes beyond a general concern with maintaining a healthy diet .
For people with orthorexia , the pursuit of a `` perfect '' diet takes up a significant amount of time and energy , and interferes with work , school and relationships .
In some cases , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Experts answer : How do you tell if someone has an eating disorder ?
There 's disagreement over whether orthorexia is a valid diagnosis , said Jennifer Mills , a clinical psychologist at York University in Toronto , Ontario .
The condition is n't listed in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5 ) , the American Psychological Association 's official diagnostic guide , which was last updated in 2013 and contains criteria for various psychological conditions .
Some experts say orthorexia falls under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while others say recognition of the condition makes good eating habits seem abnormal or unhealthy , Mills said .
But in recent years , the condition has received an increasing amount of attention from researchers and clinicians .
`` There is a consensus that [ orthorexia ] deviates from what we would consider to be normal or 'healthy ' eating , '' Mills said .
`` Research has really highlighted how individuals who have this pattern of eating can suffer quite significantly . ''
Orthorexia differs from a healthy preoccupation with diet in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the well-being of the person suffering from the condition , said Thomas Dunn , a psychologist at the University of Northern Colorado .
Symptoms of orthorexia may be psychological in nature , and may eventually manifest as nutritional deficiencies that can cause a host of health issues , he said .
People with orthorexia might compulsively check ingredient lists and nutritional labels , spend hours per day meal-planning and cut out an increasing number of food groups from their diet ( for example : all carbs , all dairy or all sugar ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association .
This obsession can lead to anxiety and make it difficult to participate in social activities , either due to concerns about accommodating dietary restrictions or because of the time-consuming nature of orthorexia .
Related : A woman consumed only juice and water for weeks .
Now , she may have brain damage .
People with orthorexia often struggle with social anxiety and isolation because their restricted diets make it difficult to connect with others in social settings where food is served .
These types of social events can cause distress when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't served .
And lapsing or breaking self-imposed food rules may cause intense anxiety or feelings of guilt for someone with orthorexia , according to a 2015 article published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment , which may cause the person to avoid social gatherings altogether .
`` In its extreme form , orthorexia nervosa can lead to an individual eating only a handful of foods that they feel comfortable eating , '' Mills said .
Such a diet can lack essential macronutrients ( like fat or carbohydrates ) or micronutrients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In extreme cases , malnutrition can lead to the same life-threatening consequences as anorexia nervosa : anemia , osteoporosis , hormone imbalances , and an abnormally slow heart-rate , according to the article published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment .
While food restriction is n't a new phenomenon , orthorexia is largely a product of modern cultural trends , Dunn said .
`` We 've known about restrictive eating for a long time , '' he said , but `` the reasons people restrict have changed . ''
An increasing cultural focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's prevalence , Dunn said .
There 's some evidence that people with careers focusing on nutrition and health ( such as dieticians ) or with careers in entertainment ( such as actors ) are at greater risk of developing orthorexia than the general population , possibly because of the careers ' focus on diet or pressure to model healthy eating behaviors for others .
Social media also appears to contribute to the disorder .
A 2017 study published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders found a high prevalence of orthorexia symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instagram — a mix of health-professionals , non-professionals and influencers who create posts about their diets .
The more often an individual used the app ( judged by the number of posts ) , the more symptoms of orthorexia they had .
Related : These 5 social media habits are linked with depression It 's common for people with orthorexia to struggle with other mental health disorders .
Having anxiety or depression is an important risk factor for the condition , according to a 2019 review published in the journal Appetite .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the journal Eating and Weight Disorders , found prior history of an eating disorder to be a strong predictor of developing orthorexia — stronger even than perfectionism and body image .
t 's not clear how common orthorexia is , but studies suggest that it does n't discriminate based on age or gender — it 's distributed across age groups and is equally common among men and women , Dunn said .
The problem with attempting to measure prevalence , Dunn said , is that some of the most common assessments for orthorexia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about healthy eating , but not whether their diets actually impair their ability to function .
That can lead to numbers that are inconsistent , or too high .
These studies come up with a wide range of numbers ranging from 6.9 % among a general population in Italy , to 86 % among Ashtanga Yoga practitioners in Spain .
A 2016 study , published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders , considered whether diet was actually interfering with the physical health and quality of life of participants from the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the study authors estimated that fewer than 1 % of participants had orthorexia .
How orthorexia compares to other conditions Symptoms of orthorexia can look similar to those of another eating disorder called anorexia nervosa , Mills said .
People with anorexia and orthorexia both exert strict control over their diets , and view deviation from their food rules as a mark of failure .
Orthorexia , like anorexia , can involve extreme weight loss and malnutrition , according to the 2015 article published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an important way : People with anorexia are generally unhappy with their body , while those with orthorexia are n't driven by body dissatisfaction , Mills said .
`` In many cases , they 're quite happy with the way their body looks , '' she said .
Related : Eating disorders are deadly , but who 's to blame ?
( Op-Ed ) There 's also a strong overlap in symptoms between orthorexia and obsessive compulsive disorder ( OCD ) , a disorder in which a person compulsively repeats certain routines or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Eating Disorders Association .
For example , a person with OCD might fear germs , and obsessively clean to avoid contamination .
Similarly , orthorexia involves compulsive behaviors to try and make food as `` clean '' as possible , Mills said .
`` It 's an obsessive way of thinking about the feared consequences of one 's behavior , '' she explained .
There is n't one agreed upon method of treatment for orthorexia nervosa , Mills said .
Instead , treatment is usually tailored to the individual .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense to treat it like an eating disorder , '' Mills said .
Such an approach might involve cognitive behavioral therapy , which helps the patient identify and replace distorted or harmful thoughts and beliefs about food .
If an individual is underweight or malnourished , treatment might also involve re-establishing a healthy weight and eating patterns .
In other cases , it makes more sense to treat orthorexia like OCD , Mills said .
In this method of treatment , patients are gradually exposed to feared foods and situations , while a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a healthy way .
Ideally , treatment for orthorexia is about identifying goals for life post-recovery .
`` It should be collaborative , '' Mills said .
`` It should be customized to what the person wants to be able to do , that their anxiety is currently holding them back from '' — whether that 's enjoying birthday cake at a friend 's party , going out to eat at a restaurant or walking to get ice cream on a summer night .
• Learn more about the common health consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eating Disorders Association .
• Here are some helpful tips for how to talk about eating disorders , from the National Institute of Mental Health .
• Find out what the statistics are for eating disorders in the U.S. and globally , from the National Associate of Anorexia and Associated Disorders .

Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with the perceived "purity" of food. People with orthorexia might restrict themselves to eating only unprocessed or organic foods, cut out whole food groups from their diet or restrict themselves to eating raw foods only.
The condition goes beyond a general concern with maintaining a healthy diet. For people with orthorexia, the pursuit of a "perfect" diet takes up a significant amount of time and energy, and interferes with work, school and relationships. In some cases, it can even lead to malnutrition.
Related: Experts answer: How do you tell if someone has an eating disorder?
There's disagreement over whether orthorexia is a valid diagnosis, said Jennifer Mills, a clinical psychologist at York University in Toronto, Ontario. The condition isn't listed in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the American Psychological Association's official diagnostic guide, which was last updated in 2013 and contains criteria for various psychological conditions. Some experts say orthorexia falls under the umbrella of other mental health diagnoses, while others say recognition of the condition makes good eating habits seem abnormal or unhealthy, Mills said. But in recent years, the condition has received an increasing amount of attention from researchers and clinicians.
"There is a consensus that [orthorexia] deviates from what we would consider to be normal or 'healthy' eating," Mills said. "Research has really highlighted how individuals who have this pattern of eating can suffer quite significantly."
Symptoms of orthorexia
Orthorexia differs from a healthy preoccupation with diet in that it's an obsession that damages the well-being of the person suffering from the condition, said Thomas Dunn, a psychologist at the University of Northern Colorado. Symptoms of orthorexia may be psychological in nature, and may eventually manifest as nutritional deficiencies that can cause a host of health issues, he said.
People with orthorexia might compulsively check ingredient lists and nutritional labels, spend hours per day meal-planning and cut out an increasing number of food groups from their diet (for example: all carbs, all dairy or all sugar), according to the National Eating Disorders Association. This obsession can lead to anxiety and make it difficult to participate in social activities, either due to concerns about accommodating dietary restrictions or because of the time-consuming nature of orthorexia.
Related: A woman consumed only juice and water for weeks. Now, she may have brain damage.
People with orthorexia often struggle with social anxiety and isolation because their restricted diets make it difficult to connect with others in social settings where food is served. These types of social events can cause distress when an individual's "allowed" foods aren't served. And lapsing or breaking self-imposed food rules may cause intense anxiety or feelings of guilt for someone with orthorexia, according to a 2015 article published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, which may cause the person to avoid social gatherings altogether.
"In its extreme form, orthorexia nervosa can lead to an individual eating only a handful of foods that they feel comfortable eating," Mills said. Such a diet can lack essential macronutrients (like fat or carbohydrates) or micronutrients (like iron or zinc). In extreme cases, malnutrition can lead to the same life-threatening consequences as anorexia nervosa: anemia, osteoporosis, hormone imbalances, and an abnormally slow heart-rate, according to the article published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
Causes of orthorexia
While food restriction isn't a new phenomenon, orthorexia is largely a product of modern cultural trends, Dunn said. "We've known about restrictive eating for a long time," he said, but "the reasons people restrict have changed."
An increasing cultural focus on health and well-being may contribute to orthorexia's prevalence, Dunn said. There's some evidence that people with careers focusing on nutrition and health (such as dieticians) or with careers in entertainment (such as actors) are at greater risk of developing orthorexia than the general population, possibly because of the careers' focus on diet or pressure to model healthy eating behaviors for others.
Social media also appears to contribute to the disorder. A 2017 study published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders found a high prevalence of orthorexia symptoms among the "healthy-eating" community on Instagram — a mix of health-professionals, non-professionals and influencers who create posts about their diets. The more often an individual used the app (judged by the number of posts), the more symptoms of orthorexia they had.
Related: These 5 social media habits are linked with depression
It's common for people with orthorexia to struggle with other mental health disorders. Having anxiety or depression is an important risk factor for the condition, according to a 2019 review published in the journal Appetite. An Australian study, published in 2017 in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, found prior history of an eating disorder to be a strong predictor of developing orthorexia — stronger even than perfectionism and body image.
How common is orthorexia?
t's not clear how common orthorexia is, but studies suggest that it doesn't discriminate based on age or gender — it's distributed across age groups and is equally common among men and women, Dunn said.
The problem with attempting to measure prevalence, Dunn said, is that some of the most common assessments for orthorexia tend to only measure how much participants care about healthy eating, but not whether their diets actually impair their ability to function. That can lead to numbers that are inconsistent, or too high.
These studies come up with a wide range of numbers ranging from 6.9% among a general population in Italy, to 86% among Ashtanga Yoga practitioners in Spain. A 2016 study, published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, considered whether diet was actually interfering with the physical health and quality of life of participants from the general population. Based on this stricter criteria, the study authors estimated that fewer than 1% of participants had orthorexia.
How orthorexia compares to other conditions
Symptoms of orthorexia can look similar to those of another eating disorder called anorexia nervosa, Mills said. People with anorexia and orthorexia both exert strict control over their diets, and view deviation from their food rules as a mark of failure. Orthorexia, like anorexia, can involve extreme weight loss and malnutrition, according to the 2015 article published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
However, these two disorders differ in an important way: People with anorexia are generally unhappy with their body, while those with orthorexia aren't driven by body dissatisfaction, Mills said. "In many cases, they're quite happy with the way their body looks," she said.
Related: Eating disorders are deadly, but who's to blame? (Op-Ed)
There's also a strong overlap in symptoms between orthorexia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a disorder in which a person compulsively repeats certain routines or has recurring unwanted thoughts, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. For example, a person with OCD might fear germs, and obsessively clean to avoid contamination. Similarly, orthorexia involves compulsive behaviors to try and make food as "clean" as possible, Mills said. "It's an obsessive way of thinking about the feared consequences of one's behavior," she explained.
Treatment for orthorexia
There isn't one agreed upon method of treatment for orthorexia nervosa, Mills said. Instead, treatment is usually tailored to the individual. "In some cases, it might make sense to treat it like an eating disorder," Mills said. Such an approach might involve cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps the patient identify and replace distorted or harmful thoughts and beliefs about food. If an individual is underweight or malnourished, treatment might also involve re-establishing a healthy weight and eating patterns.
In other cases, it makes more sense to treat orthorexia like OCD, Mills said. In this method of treatment, patients are gradually exposed to feared foods and situations, while a treatment team helps them manage their anxiety in a healthy way.
Ideally, treatment for orthorexia is about identifying goals for life post-recovery. "It should be collaborative," Mills said. "It should be customized to what the person wants to be able to do, that their anxiety is currently holding them back from" — whether that's enjoying birthday cake at a friend's party, going out to eat at a restaurant or walking to get ice cream on a summer night.
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livescience--2020-10-07--After 3,000 years, Tasmanian devils return to mainland Australia

The pitter-patter of feet was heard in the wild of mainland Australia for the first time in 3,000 years , after a group of devils was released in Barrington Tops , a protected national park about 120 miles ( 200 kilometers ) north of Sydney .
Tasmanian devils ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) , the world 's largest carnivorous marsupial , have been long gone from most of the Australian continent , and until now the only remaining wild populations were on the island of Tasmania .
Mainland devils were likely outcompeted by , the wild dogs that were introduced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and which are now considered a pest species .
However , a decade of dingo eradication has offered Tasmanian devils a second chance .
By clearing out dingos and reintroducing devils to Barrington Tops , conservationists hope to not only reestablish thriving wild populations of the iconic marsupials , but to also help protect other native species that are threatened by invasive predators , according to a released on Oct. 5 by Global Wildlife Conservation ( GWC ) .
Aussie Ark , a wildlife nonprofit in Australia , has been breeding and studying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the goal of eventually reintroducing devils into the wild once conditions were sustainable for their survival , according to the statement .
For the recent release , Aussie Ark partnered with GWC and WildArk , another wildlife conservation nonprofit ; they released 11 Tasmanian devils on Sept. 10 .
Tasmanian devils are black-furred and stocky with blunt muzzles and short limbs , measuring about 22 to 26 inches ( 55 to 65 centimeters ) long and standing about 12 inches ( 30 cm ) high at the shoulder , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tasmania were safe from dingos , which never got a foothold there .
But Tasmania 's devils face another deadly threat : a highly contagious and fatal known as ( DFTD ) .
First detected in the 1990s , the cancer has since wiped out about 90 % of Tasmania 's devils , leaving only 25,000 in the wild , according to the GWC statement .
Conservation experts in Tasmania work to isolate healthy devils from sick ones , and to breed healthy populations .
But there are limited opportunities on the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them separated from infected devils , `` and it 's impossible as yet to eradicate the disease , '' GWC president Don Church told Live Science .
Because the cancer only spreads through direct facial contact between devils — usually when they nip each other 's faces while competing over prey — a cancer-free devil population on Australia 's mainland would therefore be safe from infection , Church said .
Bringing Tasmanian devils back to the Australian continent could also help address another dire ecological threat posed by domestic cats and ; neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and both were introduced to Australia in the 18th century by European colonizers .
Dingos once helped keep cat and fox populations somewhat under control , but as dingos were eradicated over the last decade , the number of cats and foxes has skyrocketed — and their impact on native wildlife is devastating .
Cats in Australia kill more than 2 billion wild animals each year ; in just one day , Australia 's millions of cats kill an estimated 1.3 million birds , 1.8 million reptiles and over 3.1 million mammals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invasive predators or disrupt their hunting habits , Church said .
`` In the presence of devils , cats are less able to hunt at night , because devils are nocturnal , '' he explained .
`` So they shift to hunt during the day , and they 're not as effective when they hunt during the day . ''
As for foxes , European colonizers tried to introduce them to Tasmania at least six times and failed every attempt — possibly because Tasmanian devils were already established there .
`` There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why it never took — the habitat seemed perfect for them , the prey was there , '' Church said .
But one hypothesis is that the presence of the Tasmanian devil prevented foxes from gaining a foothold .
Though Tasmanian devils are carnivorous , they would be less detrimental to native biodiversity than cats or foxes because devils are marsupials .
As such , they have a lower metabolic rate than placental carnivores , and do n't need to eat as often , Church said .
Devils also prefer to eat animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduces their impact on an ecosystem 's resources , he added .
`` That Barrington Tops area has about 40 species that we know of that are in trouble , '' Church said .
`` Our hope is that the presence of the devils will be an ecological solution , a contribution to addressing the main driver of extinction on the Australian continent , which is the presence of feral cats and foxes .
We hope long-term that the presence of the devil on the landscape will help keep the numbers of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll be a natural , self-replicating solution to the problem . ''
After a few weeks , scientists will recapture some of the released devils and fit them with radio transmitter harnesses ; the animals ca n't wear collars because `` they do n't really have a neck , '' Church said .
Surveys and camera traps will provide additional data on how the devils are adapting to their new home .
But the real proof of their success will arrive around June 2021 , if new devil joeys are spotted peeping out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Live Science .
`` That 'll be a great indicator that the population can survive on its own , '' he said .

The pitter-patter of Tasmanian devil feet was heard in the wild of mainland Australia for the first time in 3,000 years, after a group of devils was released in Barrington Tops, a protected national park about 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Sydney.
Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii), the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, have been long gone from most of the Australian continent, and until now the only remaining wild populations were on the island of Tasmania. Mainland devils were likely outcompeted by dingos , the wild dogs that were introduced to Australia at least 3,500 years ago, and which are now considered a pest species.
However, a decade of dingo eradication has offered Tasmanian devils a second chance. By clearing out dingos and reintroducing devils to Barrington Tops, conservationists hope to not only reestablish thriving wild populations of the iconic marsupials, but to also help protect other native species that are threatened by invasive predators, according to a statement released on Oct. 5 by Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC).
Related: Australia's struggling marsupial: Photos of the Tasmanian devil
Aussie Ark, a wildlife nonprofit in Australia, has been breeding and studying Tasmanian devils for more than a decade, with the goal of eventually reintroducing devils into the wild once conditions were sustainable for their survival, according to the statement. For the recent release, Aussie Ark partnered with GWC and WildArk, another wildlife conservation nonprofit; they released 11 Tasmanian devils on Sept. 10.
Tasmanian devils are black-furred and stocky with blunt muzzles and short limbs, measuring about 22 to 26 inches (55 to 65 centimeters) long and standing about 12 inches (30 cm) high at the shoulder, according to the Australian Museum . Devils on the island of Tasmania were safe from dingos, which never got a foothold there. But Tasmania's devils face another deadly threat: a highly contagious and fatal cancer known as devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). First detected in the 1990s, the cancer has since wiped out about 90% of Tasmania's devils, leaving only 25,000 in the wild, according to the GWC statement.
Conservation experts in Tasmania work to isolate healthy devils from sick ones, and to breed healthy populations. But there are limited opportunities on the island for reintroducing the healthy devils and keeping them separated from infected devils, "and it's impossible as yet to eradicate the disease," GWC president Don Church told Live Science.
Because the cancer only spreads through direct facial contact between devils — usually when they nip each other's faces while competing over prey — a cancer-free devil population on Australia's mainland would therefore be safe from infection, Church said.
Wildlife nonprofit Aussie Ark breeds endangered Tasmanian devils, raising the animals so that they retain natural behavior and habits and can be reintroduced into the wild. (Image credit: Photo courtesy of Aussie Ark)
Bringing Tasmanian devils back to the Australian continent could also help address another dire ecological threat posed by domestic cats and foxes ; neither species is native to the continent, and both were introduced to Australia in the 18th century by European colonizers. Dingos once helped keep cat and fox populations somewhat under control, but as dingos were eradicated over the last decade, the number of cats and foxes has skyrocketed — and their impact on native wildlife is devastating. Cats in Australia kill more than 2 billion wild animals each year; in just one day, Australia's millions of cats kill an estimated 1.3 million birds, 1.8 million reptiles and over 3.1 million mammals, Live Science previously reported .
But introducing devils might deter these invasive predators or disrupt their hunting habits, Church said.
"In the presence of devils, cats are less able to hunt at night, because devils are nocturnal," he explained. "So they shift to hunt during the day, and they're not as effective when they hunt during the day."
As for foxes, European colonizers tried to introduce them to Tasmania at least six times and failed every attempt — possibly because Tasmanian devils were already established there.
"There was never a scientific study done as to why it never took — the habitat seemed perfect for them, the prey was there," Church said. But one hypothesis is that the presence of the Tasmanian devil prevented foxes from gaining a foothold.
Reintroducing Tasmanian devils could help curb the harmful impact of invasive cats and foxes on native wildlife. (Image credit: Photo courtesy of Aussie Ark)
Though Tasmanian devils are carnivorous, they would be less detrimental to native biodiversity than cats or foxes because devils are marsupials. As such, they have a lower metabolic rate than placental carnivores, and don't need to eat as often, Church said. Devils also prefer to eat animals that are already dead, which further reduces their impact on an ecosystem's resources, he added.
"That Barrington Tops area has about 40 species that we know of that are in trouble," Church said. "Our hope is that the presence of the devils will be an ecological solution, a contribution to addressing the main driver of extinction on the Australian continent, which is the presence of feral cats and foxes. We hope long-term that the presence of the devil on the landscape will help keep the numbers of those introduced species at bay, and it'll be a natural, self-replicating solution to the problem."
After a few weeks, scientists will recapture some of the released devils and fit them with radio transmitter harnesses; the animals can't wear collars because "they don't really have a neck," Church said. Surveys and camera traps will provide additional data on how the devils are adapting to their new home. But the real proof of their success will arrive around June 2021, if new devil joeys are spotted peeping out of their mothers' pouches, Church told Live Science.
"That'll be a great indicator that the population can survive on its own," he said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-07--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates


livescience--2020-10-07--Black hole-sized magnetic fields could be created on Earth, study says

Scientists should be able to create magnetic fields on that rival the strength of those seen in black holes and neutron stars , a new study suggests .
Such strong , which would be created by blasting microtubules with lasers , are important for conducting basic physics , materials science and astronomy research , according to a new research paper authored by Osaka University engineer Masakatsu Murakami and colleagues .
The paper was published Oct. 6 in the open-access journal .
Most magnetic fields on Earth , even artificial ones , are not particularly strong .
The ( MRI ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 1 tesla , or 10,000 gauss .
( For comparison , the geomagnetic field that swings compass needles to the north registers between 0.3 and 0.5 gauss . )
Some research MRI machines use fields as high as 10.5 tesla , or 105,000 gauss , and a 2018 lab experiment involving lasers created a field of up to about 1,200 tesla , or just over 1 kilotesla .
But no one has successfully gone higher than that .
Now , new simulations suggest that generating a megatesla field — that is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be possible .
Murakami and his team used computer simulations and modeling to find that shooting ultra-intense laser pulses at hollow tubes just a few microns in diameter could energize the electrons in the tube wall and cause some to leap into the hollow cavity at the center of the tube , imploding the tube .
The interactions of these ultra-hot electrons and the vacuum created as the tube implodes leads to the flow of .
The flow of electric charges is what creates a magnetic field .
In this case , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field by two to three orders of magnitude , the researchers found .
The megatesla magnetic field would n't last long , fading after about 10 nanoseconds .
But that 's plenty of time for modern physics experiments , which frequently work with particles and conditions that wink out of existence in far less than the blink of an eye .
Murakami and his team further used supercomputer simulations to confirm that these ultra-strong are in reach for modern technology .
They calculated that creating these magnetic fields in the real world would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy of 0.1 to 1 kilojoule and a total power of 10 to 100 petawatts .
( A petawatt is a million billion watts . )
Ten-petawatt lasers are already being deployed as part of the European Extreme Light Infrastructure , and Chinese scientists are planning to build a 100 petawatt laser called the Station of Extreme Light , .
Ultrastrong magnetic fields have multiple applications in fundamental physics , including in the search for .
Superstrong magnets can also confine plasma inside nuclear fusion reactors into a smaller area , paving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , .

Scientists should be able to create magnetic fields on Earth that rival the strength of those seen in black holes and neutron stars, a new study suggests.
Such strong magnetic fields , which would be created by blasting microtubules with lasers, are important for conducting basic physics, materials science and astronomy research, according to a new research paper authored by Osaka University engineer Masakatsu Murakami and colleagues. The paper was published Oct. 6 in the open-access journal Scientific Reports .
Most magnetic fields on Earth, even artificial ones, are not particularly strong. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) used in hospitals typically produces fields of around 1 tesla, or 10,000 gauss. (For comparison, the geomagnetic field that swings compass needles to the north registers between 0.3 and 0.5 gauss.) Some research MRI machines use fields as high as 10.5 tesla , or 105,000 gauss, and a 2018 lab experiment involving lasers created a field of up to about 1,200 tesla , or just over 1 kilotesla. But no one has successfully gone higher than that.
Related: 9 cool facts about magnets
Now, new simulations suggest that generating a megatesla field — that is, a 1 million tesla field — should be possible. Murakami and his team used computer simulations and modeling to find that shooting ultra-intense laser pulses at hollow tubes just a few microns in diameter could energize the electrons in the tube wall and cause some to leap into the hollow cavity at the center of the tube, imploding the tube. The interactions of these ultra-hot electrons and the vacuum created as the tube implodes leads to the flow of electric current . The flow of electric charges is what creates a magnetic field. In this case, the current flow can amplify a pre-existing magnetic field by two to three orders of magnitude, the researchers found.
The megatesla magnetic field wouldn't last long, fading after about 10 nanoseconds. But that's plenty of time for modern physics experiments, which frequently work with particles and conditions that wink out of existence in far less than the blink of an eye.
Murakami and his team further used supercomputer simulations to confirm that these ultra-strong magnetic fields are in reach for modern technology. They calculated that creating these magnetic fields in the real world would require a laser system with a pulse energy of 0.1 to 1 kilojoule and a total power of 10 to 100 petawatts. (A petawatt is a million billion watts.) Ten-petawatt lasers are already being deployed as part of the European Extreme Light Infrastructure, and Chinese scientists are planning to build a 100 petawatt laser called the Station of Extreme Light, Science Magazine reported in 2018 .
Ultrastrong magnetic fields have multiple applications in fundamental physics, including in the search for dark matter . Superstrong magnets can also confine plasma inside nuclear fusion reactors into a smaller area, paving the way for viable fusion energy in the future, Live Science previously reported .
Originally published on Live Science.