livescience--2020-08-07--Physicists watch quantum particles tunnel through solid barriers. Here's what they found.

The quantum world is a pretty wild one , where the seemingly impossible happens all the time : Teensy objects separated by miles are tied to one another , and particles can even be in two places at once .
But one of the most perplexing quantum superpowers is the movement of particles through seemingly impenetrable barriers .
Now , a team of physicists has devised a simple way to measure the duration of this bizarre phenomenon , called quantum tunneling .
And they figured out how long the tunneling takes from start to finish — from the moment a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and comes out the other side , they reported online July 22 in the journal .
Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon where an or a subatomic particle can appear on the opposite side of a barrier that should be impossible for the particle to penetrate .
It 's as if you were walking and encountered a 10-foot-tall ( 3 meters ) wall extending as far as the eye can see .
Without a ladder or Spider-man climbing skills , the wall would make it impossible for you to continue .
However , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but possible , for an atom or electron to simply `` appear '' on the other side , as if a tunnel had been dug through the wall .
`` Quantum tunneling is one of the most puzzling of quantum phenomena , '' said study co-author Aephraim Steinberg , co-director of the Quantum Information Science Program at Canadian Institute for Advanced Research .
`` And it is fantastic that we 're now able to actually study it in this way . ''
Quantum tunneling is not new to physicists .
It forms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as electronic chips , called tunnel diodes , which allow for the movement of electricity through a circuit in one direction but not the other .
Scanning tunneling microscopes ( STM ) also use tunneling to literally show individual atoms on the surface of a solid .
Shortly after the first STM was invented , researchers at using the device to spell out the letters IBM using 35 on a nickel substrate .
While the laws of quantum mechanics allow for quantum tunneling , researchers still do n't know exactly what happens while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .
Indeed , some researchers thought that the particle appears instantaneously on the other side of the barrier as if it instantaneously teleported there , .
Researchers had previously tried to measure the amount of time it takes for tunneling to occur , with varying results .
One of the difficulties in earlier versions of this type of experiment is identifying the moment tunneling starts and stops .
To simplify the methodology , the researchers used magnets to create a new kind of `` clock '' that would tick only while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have magnetic properties and when magnets are in an external magnetic field , they rotate like a spinning top .
The amount of rotation ( also called precession ) depends on how long the particle is bathed in that .
Knowing that , the Toronto group used a magnetic field to form their barrier .
When particles are inside the barrier , they precess .
Outside it , they do n't .
So measuring how long the particles precess told the researchers how long those atoms took to tunnel through the barrier .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ achievement , '' said Drew Alton , physics professor at Augustana University , in South Dakota .
The researchers prepared approximately 8,000 rubidium atoms , cooled them to a billionth of a degree above absolute zero .
The atoms needed to be this temperature , otherwise they would have moved around randomly at high speeds , rather than staying in a small clump .
The scientists used a laser to create the magnetic barrier ; they focused the laser so that the barrier was 1.3 micrometers ( microns ) thick , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( So if you were a foot thick , front to back , this barrier would be the equivalent of about half a mile thick . )
Using another laser , the scientists nudged the toward the barrier , moving them about 0.15 inches per second ( 4 millimeters/s ) .
As expected , most of the rubidium atoms bounced off the barrier .
However , due to quantum tunneling , about 3 % of the atoms penetrated the barrier and appeared on the other side .
Based on the precession of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milliseconds to traverse the barrier .
Chad Orzel , an associate professor of physics at Union College in New York , who was not part of the study , applauded the experiment , `` Their experiment is ingeniously constructed to make it difficult to interpret as anything other than what they say , '' said Orzel , author of `` How to Teach Quantum Mechanics to Your Dog `` ( Scribner , 2010 ) It `` is one of the best examples you 'll see of a thought experiment made real , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are difficult and further research is needed to understand the implications of this study .
The Toronto group is already considering improvements to their apparatus to not only determine the duration of the tunneling process , but to also see if they can learn anything about velocity of the atoms at different points inside the barrier .
`` We 're working on a new measurement where we make the barrier thicker and then determine the amount of precession at different depths , '' Steinberg said .
`` It will be very interesting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constant or not . ''
In many interpretations of quantum mechanics , it is impossible — even in principle — to determine a subatomic particle 's trajectory .
Such a measurement could lead to insights into the confusing world of quantum theory .
The quantum world is very different from the world we 're familiar with .
Experiments like these will help make it a little less mysterious .

The quantum world is a pretty wild one, where the seemingly impossible happens all the time: Teensy objects separated by miles are tied to one another, and particles can even be in two places at once. But one of the most perplexing quantum superpowers is the movement of particles through seemingly impenetrable barriers.
Now, a team of physicists has devised a simple way to measure the duration of this bizarre phenomenon, called quantum tunneling. And they figured out how long the tunneling takes from start to finish — from the moment a particle enters the barrier, tunnels through and comes out the other side, they reported online July 22 in the journal Nature .
Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon where an atom or a subatomic particle can appear on the opposite side of a barrier that should be impossible for the particle to penetrate. It's as if you were walking and encountered a 10-foot-tall (3 meters) wall extending as far as the eye can see. Without a ladder or Spider-man climbing skills, the wall would make it impossible for you to continue.
Related: The 18 biggest unsolved mysteries in physics
However, in the quantum world, it is rare, but possible, for an atom or electron to simply "appear" on the other side, as if a tunnel had been dug through the wall. "Quantum tunneling is one of the most puzzling of quantum phenomena," said study co-author Aephraim Steinberg, co-director of the Quantum Information Science Program at Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. "And it is fantastic that we're now able to actually study it in this way."
Quantum tunneling is not new to physicists. It forms the basis of many modern technologies such as electronic chips, called tunnel diodes, which allow for the movement of electricity through a circuit in one direction but not the other. Scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) also use tunneling to literally show individual atoms on the surface of a solid. Shortly after the first STM was invented, researchers at IBM reported using the device to spell out the letters IBM using 35 xenon atoms on a nickel substrate.
While the laws of quantum mechanics allow for quantum tunneling, researchers still don't know exactly what happens while a subatomic particle is undergoing the tunneling process. Indeed, some researchers thought that the particle appears instantaneously on the other side of the barrier as if it instantaneously teleported there, Sci-News.com reported .
Researchers had previously tried to measure the amount of time it takes for tunneling to occur, with varying results. One of the difficulties in earlier versions of this type of experiment is identifying the moment tunneling starts and stops. To simplify the methodology, the researchers used magnets to create a new kind of "clock" that would tick only while the particle was tunneling.
Subatomic particles all have magnetic properties and when magnets are in an external magnetic field, they rotate like a spinning top. The amount of rotation (also called precession) depends on how long the particle is bathed in that magnetic field . Knowing that, the Toronto group used a magnetic field to form their barrier. When particles are inside the barrier, they precess. Outside it, they don't. So measuring how long the particles precess told the researchers how long those atoms took to tunnel through the barrier.
Related: 18 times quantum particles blew our minds
"The experiment is a breathtaking technical achievement," said Drew Alton, physics professor at Augustana University, in South Dakota.
The researchers prepared approximately 8,000 rubidium atoms, cooled them to a billionth of a degree above absolute zero. The atoms needed to be this temperature, otherwise they would have moved around randomly at high speeds, rather than staying in a small clump. The scientists used a laser to create the magnetic barrier; they focused the laser so that the barrier was 1.3 micrometers (microns) thick, or the thickness of about 2,500 rubidium atoms. (So if you were a foot thick, front to back, this barrier would be the equivalent of about half a mile thick.) Using another laser, the scientists nudged the rubidium atoms toward the barrier, moving them about 0.15 inches per second (4 millimeters/s).
As expected, most of the rubidium atoms bounced off the barrier. However, due to quantum tunneling, about 3% of the atoms penetrated the barrier and appeared on the other side. Based on the precession of those atoms, it took them about 0.6 milliseconds to traverse the barrier.
Chad Orzel, an associate professor of physics at Union College in New York, who was not part of the study, applauded the experiment, "Their experiment is ingeniously constructed to make it difficult to interpret as anything other than what they say," said Orzel, author of " How to Teach Quantum Mechanics to Your Dog " (Scribner, 2010) It "is one of the best examples you'll see of a thought experiment made real," he added.
Experiments exploring quantum tunneling are difficult and further research is needed to understand the implications of this study. The Toronto group is already considering improvements to their apparatus to not only determine the duration of the tunneling process, but to also see if they can learn anything about velocity of the atoms at different points inside the barrier. "We're working on a new measurement where we make the barrier thicker and then determine the amount of precession at different depths," Steinberg said. "It will be very interesting to see if the atoms' speed is constant or not."
In many interpretations of quantum mechanics, it is impossible — even in principle — to determine a subatomic particle's trajectory. Such a measurement could lead to insights into the confusing world of quantum theory. The quantum world is very different from the world we're familiar with. Experiments like these will help make it a little less mysterious.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-07--Live Science podcast 'Life's Little Mysteries' special report: Coronavirus (August 6)

In this special episode of Life 's Little Mysteries , we focus on a serious topic that everybody is talking about : SARS-CoV-2 , and the disease it causes , COVID-19 .
Every day at Live Science , our reporters and editors track the latest coronavirus developments around the world : from global case numbers and quarantines , to vaccine development , to best practices for safety , prevention and treatment .
Here to talk about the latest coronavirus news is Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese , who is at the forefront of our coronavirus coverage .
This episode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicoletta 's weekly coronavirus video update and Q & A ; new updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12 p.m .
ET .
Listen to Coronavirus : A Life 's Little Mysteries Special Report below , and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , so you don ’ t miss out on new episodes .
You can find all the latest Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our `` Coronavirus '' topic page .
We 'll also be refreshing our live coronavirus updates and our map of U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes available .
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for even more Life 's Little Mysteries , and catch up on the latest Life 's Little Mysteries articles .
You can also join the conversation in our forums , where you can pose Life 's Little Mysteries questions of your own , or even suggest topics for upcoming podcast episodes .

In this special episode of Life's Little Mysteries, we focus on a serious topic that everybody is talking about: SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, COVID-19.
Every day at Live Science, our reporters and editors track the latest coronavirus developments around the world: from global case numbers and quarantines, to vaccine development, to best practices for safety, prevention and treatment.
Here to talk about the latest coronavirus news is Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of our coronavirus coverage. This episode was recorded on August 6 and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus video update and Q&A; new updates are livestreamed on Facebook every Thursday at 12 p.m. ET.
Co-hosts: Jeanna Bryner and Mindy Weisberger
Guest host: Nicoletta Lanese, staff writer at Live Science
Listen to Coronavirus: A Life's Little Mysteries Special Report below, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so you don’t miss out on new episodes.
You can find all the latest Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our "Coronavirus" topic page. We'll also be refreshing our live coronavirus updates and our map of U.S. coronavirus cases and news, as information becomes available.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for even more Life's Little Mysteries, and catch up on the latest Life's Little Mysteries articles. You can also join the conversation in our forums, where you can pose Life's Little Mysteries questions of your own, or even suggest topics for upcoming podcast episodes.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-07--Mysterious 'fast radio burst' detected closer to Earth than ever before

Thirty thousand years ago , a dead star on the other side of the Milky Way belched out a powerful mixture of radio and X-ray energy .
On April 28 , 2020 , that belch swept over Earth , triggering alarms at observatories around the world .
The signal was there and gone in half a second , but that 's all scientists needed to confirm they had detected something remarkable : the first ever `` `` ( FRB ) to emanate from a known star within the Milky Way , according to a study published July 27 in Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puzzled scientists .
The bursts of powerful last only a few milliseconds at most , but generate more energy in that time than Earth 's sun does in a century .
Scientists have yet to pin down what causes these blasts , but they 've proposed everything from colliding black holes to the pulse of as possible explanations .
So far , every known FRB has originated from another galaxy , hundreds of millions of light-years away .
Related : 11 fascinating facts about our Milky Way galaxy This FRB is different .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a known — the fast-spinning , compact core of a dead star , which packs a sun's-worth of mass into a city-sized ball — about 30,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Vulpecula .
The stellar remnant fits into an even stranger class of star called a magnetar , named for its incredibly powerful , which is capable of spitting out intense amounts of energy long after the star itself has died .
It now seems that magnetars are almost certainly the source of at least some of the universe 's many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We 've never seen a burst of radio waves , resembling a fast radio burst , from a magnetar before , '' lead study author Sandro Mereghetti , of the National Institute for Astrophysics in Milan , Italy , .
`` This is the first ever observational connection between magnetars and fast radio bursts . ''
The magnetar , named SGR 1935+2154 , was discovered in 2014 when scientists saw it emitting powerful bursts of gamma rays and at random intervals .
After quieting down for a while , the dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blast in late April .
Sandro and his colleagues detected this burst with the European Space Agency 's ( ESA ) Integral satellite , designed to capture the most energetic phenomena in the universe .
At the same time , a radio telescope in the mountains of British Columbia , Canada , detected a blast of radio waves coming from the same source .
Radio telescopes in California and Utah confirmed the FRB the next day .
A simultaneous blast of radio waves and X-rays has never been detected from a magnetar before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to these stellar remnants as plausible sources of FRBs .
Crucially , ESA scientist Erik Kuulkers added , this finding was only possible because multiple telescopes on Earth and in orbit were able to catch the burst simultaneously , and in many wavelengths across the .
Further collaboration between institutions is necessary to further `` bring the origin of these mysterious phenomena into focus , '' Kuulkers said .

Thirty thousand years ago, a dead star on the other side of the Milky Way belched out a powerful mixture of radio and X-ray energy. On April 28, 2020, that belch swept over Earth, triggering alarms at observatories around the world.
The signal was there and gone in half a second, but that's all scientists needed to confirm they had detected something remarkable: the first ever " fast radio burst " (FRB) to emanate from a known star within the Milky Way, according to a study published July 27 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters .
Since their discovery in 2007, FRBs have puzzled scientists. The bursts of powerful radio waves last only a few milliseconds at most, but generate more energy in that time than Earth's sun does in a century. Scientists have yet to pin down what causes these blasts, but they've proposed everything from colliding black holes to the pulse of alien starships as possible explanations. So far, every known FRB has originated from another galaxy, hundreds of millions of light-years away.
Related: 11 fascinating facts about our Milky Way galaxy
This FRB is different. Telescope observations suggest that the burst came from a known neutron star — the fast-spinning, compact core of a dead star, which packs a sun's-worth of mass into a city-sized ball — about 30,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Vulpecula. The stellar remnant fits into an even stranger class of star called a magnetar, named for its incredibly powerful magnetic field , which is capable of spitting out intense amounts of energy long after the star itself has died. It now seems that magnetars are almost certainly the source of at least some of the universe's many mysterious FRBs, the study authors wrote.
"We've never seen a burst of radio waves, resembling a fast radio burst, from a magnetar before," lead study author Sandro Mereghetti, of the National Institute for Astrophysics in Milan, Italy, said in a statement . "This is the first ever observational connection between magnetars and fast radio bursts."
The magnetar, named SGR 1935+2154, was discovered in 2014 when scientists saw it emitting powerful bursts of gamma rays and X-rays at random intervals. After quieting down for a while, the dead star woke up with a powerful X-ray blast in late April. Sandro and his colleagues detected this burst with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Integral satellite, designed to capture the most energetic phenomena in the universe. At the same time, a radio telescope in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, detected a blast of radio waves coming from the same source. Radio telescopes in California and Utah confirmed the FRB the next day.
A simultaneous blast of radio waves and X-rays has never been detected from a magnetar before, the researchers wrote, strongly pointing to these stellar remnants as plausible sources of FRBs.
Crucially, ESA scientist Erik Kuulkers added, this finding was only possible because multiple telescopes on Earth and in orbit were able to catch the burst simultaneously, and in many wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum . Further collaboration between institutions is necessary to further "bring the origin of these mysterious phenomena into focus," Kuulkers said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-12--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--2020-08-12--Insect apocalypse? Not so fast, at least in North America

In recent years , the notion of an has become a hot topic in the conservation science community and has captured the .
Scientists who warn that this catastrophe is unfolding assert that arthropods — a large category of invertebrates that includes insects — are , perhaps signaling a general collapse of ecosystems across the world .
Starting around the year 2000 , and more frequently since 2017 , researchers have documented large population declines among , , , and many .
If verified , this trend would be of serious concern , especially considering that insects are important animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a that co-authored with 11 colleagues , we reviewed over 5,000 sets of data on arthropods across North America , covering thousands of species and dozens of habitats over decades of time .
We found , in essence , no change in population sizes .
These results do n't mean that insects are fine .
Indeed , I believe there is good evidence that some species of insects are in decline and in .
But our findings indicate that overall , the idea of large-scale insect declines remains an open question .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappearing insects is a foreboding prospect that would have harmful repercussions for all aspects of life on Earth , including human well-being .
But some scholars were of the reported insect apocalypse .
A number of studies that showed broad declines were , focusing mainly on Europe .
Typically these studies analyzed only a few species or groups of species .
Some particularly long-running assessments showed that declines in the past 30 years occurred after periods when the relevant insect populations .
Many insect populations are known to naturally fluctuate , .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass insect losses was concerning , the jury was still out on what was actually happening .
Ecologist and I thought that the studies suggesting widespread insect die-offs produced an intriguing pattern with important ramifications , but that the evidence was n't strong enough yet to draw conclusions .
We wanted to examine what was happening in North America , which has an immensely diverse landscape and , surprisingly to us , had not been broadly analyzed for insect declines .
For our study , we decided to use data from sites in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Science Foundation .
The includes 28 sites across the U.S. that have been studied in depth since the 1980s , and covers deserts , mountains , prairies and forests .
With almost 40 years of data collected , we hoped trends at these sites would be a good complement to European insect studies .
We put together a 12-person team that included six undergraduate students , post-doctoral scholars and , and colleagues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture .
When we finished compiling our data sets , at least some of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the results left us perplexed .
Some species we considered declined , while others increased .
But by far the most common result for a species at a particular site was no significant change .
The vast majority of our species had stable numbers .
At first we thought we were missing something .
We tried comparing different taxonomic groups , such as beetles and butterflies , and different types of feeding , such as herbivores and carnivores .
We tried comparing urban , agricultural and relatively undisturbed areas .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time .
But the answer remained the same : no change .
We had to conclude that at the sites we examined , there were no signs of an insect apocalypse and , in reality , no broad declines at all .
We are confident in our analysis and our conclusion , but a more important question is why our results are so different from those of .
I see two potential explanations : location and publication bias .
As I have noted , most insect decline papers have come from European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more extensive long-term data than other parts of the world .
It is also one of the most densely populated parts of the world — three times higher than North America .
Moreover , almost all of Europe 's land has been .
Agriculture is , and cities and suburban areas cover large swaths of the landscape .
So perhaps it is unsurprising that Europe has also lost a larger proportion of its wild creatures compared to North America .
Publication bias is not about dishonesty or false results .
It refers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more publishable .
Reviewers and journals are more likely to be interested in species that are disappearing than in species that show no change over time .
The result is that over time , declining species can become overrepresented in the literature .
Then , when scholars go looking for papers on animal populations , declines are predominantly what they find .
We selected Long-Term Ecological Research sites for our analysis in part because they had `` raw '' data available that had not been peer reviewed for publication and were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather , scientists amassed these data to .
In other words , it was unbiased data .
And because the data sets were so varied , they covered a broad range of species and habitats .
Our study will not be the final answer .
As the human population continues to grow and of the world 's land , water , space and biomass , other species can only retreat and survive with fewer resources .
I have no doubt that every time a forest is cut , a prairie is plowed or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loses some of its animal and plant life .
Quantifying this process will require more monitoring , more conservation biologists working in the field and more awareness of how human actions affect Earth 's biodiversity .
But it may be possible that insects , who have survived for millions of years through a great many , are finding a way to survive our presence too .
This article was originally published at The Conversation .
The publication contributed the article to Live Science 's Expert Voices : Op-Ed & Insights .

In recent years, the notion of an insect apocalypse has become a hot topic in the conservation science community and has captured the public's attention . Scientists who warn that this catastrophe is unfolding assert that arthropods — a large category of invertebrates that includes insects — are rapidly declining , perhaps signaling a general collapse of ecosystems across the world.
Starting around the year 2000, and more frequently since 2017, researchers have documented large population declines among moths , beetles , bees , butterflies and many other insect types . If verified, this trend would be of serious concern, especially considering that insects are important animals in almost all terrestrial environments.
But in a newly published study that I co-authored with 11 colleagues, we reviewed over 5,000 sets of data on arthropods across North America, covering thousands of species and dozens of habitats over decades of time. We found, in essence, no change in population sizes.
These results don't mean that insects are fine. Indeed, I believe there is good evidence that some species of insects are in decline and in danger of extinction . But our findings indicate that overall, the idea of large-scale insect declines remains an open question.
The debate
For most scientists, the idea of disappearing insects is a foreboding prospect that would have harmful repercussions for all aspects of life on Earth, including human well-being.
But some scholars were skeptical of the reported insect apocalypse. A number of studies that showed broad declines were limited geographically , focusing mainly on Europe. Typically these studies analyzed only a few species or groups of species.
Some particularly long-running assessments showed that declines in the past 30 years occurred after periods when the relevant insect populations increased . Many insect populations are known to naturally fluctuate, sometimes dramatically .
Many scientists concluded that while the prospect of mass insect losses was concerning, the jury was still out on what was actually happening.
The Monarch butterfly, a highly migratory species, has declined across parts of its North American range in recent years. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
Spotlighting North America
Ecologist Bill Snyder and I thought that the studies suggesting widespread insect die-offs produced an intriguing pattern with important ramifications, but that the evidence wasn't strong enough yet to draw conclusions. We wanted to examine what was happening in North America, which has an immensely diverse landscape and, surprisingly to us, had not been broadly analyzed for insect declines.
For our study, we decided to use data from sites in the Long Term Ecological Research network , which is supported by the National Science Foundation. The network includes 28 sites across the U.S. that have been studied in depth since the 1980s, and covers deserts, mountains, prairies and forests. With almost 40 years of data collected, we hoped trends at these sites would be a good complement to European insect studies.
We put together a 12-person team that included six undergraduate students, post-doctoral scholars Michael Scott Crossley and Amanda Meier , and colleagues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When we finished compiling our data sets, at least some of us expected to see broad insect declines.
Instead, the results left us perplexed. Some species we considered declined, while others increased. But by far the most common result for a species at a particular site was no significant change. The vast majority of our species had stable numbers.
At first we thought we were missing something. We tried comparing different taxonomic groups, such as beetles and butterflies, and different types of feeding, such as herbivores and carnivores. We tried comparing urban, agricultural and relatively undisturbed areas. We tried comparing different habitats and different periods of time.
But the answer remained the same: no change. We had to conclude that at the sites we examined, there were no signs of an insect apocalypse and, in reality, no broad declines at all.
Publication bias is not about dishonesty or false results. It refers to the idea that more dramatic results are more publishable.
Explaining continental differences
We are confident in our analysis and our conclusion, but a more important question is why our results are so different from those of other recent studies . I see two potential explanations: location and publication bias.
As I have noted, most insect decline papers have come from European data. Indeed, Europe has better and more extensive long-term data than other parts of the world. It is also one of the most densely populated parts of the world — three times higher than North America.
Moreover, almost all of Europe's land has been modified for human use . Agriculture is widespread and intense , and cities and suburban areas cover large swaths of the landscape. So perhaps it is unsurprising that Europe has also lost a larger proportion of its wild creatures compared to North America.
Publication bias is not about dishonesty or false results. It refers to the idea that more dramatic results are more publishable . Reviewers and journals are more likely to be interested in species that are disappearing than in species that show no change over time.
The result is that over time, declining species can become overrepresented in the literature. Then, when scholars go looking for papers on animal populations, declines are predominantly what they find .
We selected Long-Term Ecological Research sites for our analysis in part because they had "raw" data available that had not been peer reviewed for publication and were not collected in anticipation of finding declines. Rather, scientists amassed these data to monitor ecosystems and observe trends over time . In other words, it was unbiased data. And because the data sets were so varied, they covered a broad range of species and habitats.
The future of insects
For most scientists, the idea of disappearing insects is a foreboding prospect that would have harmful repercussions for all aspects of life on Earth.
Our study will not be the final answer. As the human population continues to grow and appropriates an ever larger share of the world's land, water, space and biomass, other species can only retreat and survive with fewer resources. I have no doubt that every time a forest is cut, a prairie is plowed or a field is paved, the world loses some of its animal and plant life.
Quantifying this process will require more monitoring, more conservation biologists working in the field and more awareness of how human actions affect Earth's biodiversity. But it may be possible that insects, who have survived for millions of years through a great many biological catastrophes , are finding a way to survive our presence too.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.


livescience--2020-08-12--What would happen if a black hole fell into a wormhole?

Astronomers think they might be able to detect black holes falling into using ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves , but only if wormholes actually exist and such a scenario ever happened , a new study finds .
According to Einstein , who first predicted the existence of in 1916 , gravity results from the way in which mass warps space and time .
When two or more objects move within a gravitational field , they produce gravitational waves that travel at , stretching and squeezing space-time along the way .
Gravitational waves are extraordinarily difficult to detect because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Einstein was uncertain whether they really existed and if they would get discovered .
After decades of work , scientists reported the first direct evidence of gravitational waves in 2016 , detected using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory ( LIGO ) .
Related : The strangest black holes in the universe Gravitational-wave observatories have detected more than 20 giant collisions between extraordinarily dense and massive objects such as and .
However , more exotic objects may theoretically exist , such as wormholes , the collisions of which should also produce gravitational signals that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in spacetime that , in theory , can allow travel anywhere in space and time , or even into another universe .
Einstein 's theory of general relativity allows for the possibility of wormholes , although whether they really exist is another matter .
In principle , all wormholes are unstable , closing the instant they open .
The only way to keep them open and traversable is with an exotic form of matter with so-called `` negative mass . ''
Such exotic matter has bizarre properties , including flying away from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it like normal matter .
No one knows if such exotic matter actually exists .
Related : Weirdly-shaped wormholes might work better than spherical ones In many ways , a wormhole resembles a black hole .
Both types of objects are extraordinarily dense and have powerful gravitational pulls for objects their size .
The main difference is that no object can theoretically get back out after entering a black hole 's event horizon — the threshold where the speed needed to escape the black hole 's gravitational pull exceeds the speed of light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could theoretically reverse course .
Assuming wormholes might exist , scientists investigated the gravitational signals generated when a black hole orbits a wormhole , which has not yet been peer-reviewed .
The researchers also explored what might happen when the black hole enters one mouth of the wormhole , exits out the wormhole 's other mouth into another point in space-time , and then — assuming the black hole and wormhole are gravitationally bound to one another — falls back into the wormhole and emerges out the other side .
In computer models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a black hole five times the mass of the sun and a stable traversable wormhole 200 times the mass of the sun with a throat 60 times wider than the black hole .
The models suggested that gravitational signals unlike any seen up to now would occur when the black hole journeyed into and out of the wormhole .
When two black holes spiral closer to one another , their orbital speeds increase , much like spinning figure skaters who draw their arms closer to their bodies .
In turn , the frequency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sound these gravitational waves would produce is a chirp , much like when one increases the pitch rapidly on a slide whistle , since any increase in frequency corresponds to an increase in pitch .
If one watched a black hole spiral into a wormhole , one would see a chirp much like two black holes meeting , but the gravitational signal from the black hole would quickly fade as it radiated most of its gravitational waves on the other side of the wormhole .
( In contrast , when two black holes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burst of gravitational waves . )
Related : Here 's how we could detect a wormhole If one watched a black hole emerge from a wormhole , one would see an `` anti-chirp . ''
Specifically , the frequency of gravitational waves from the black hole would decrease as it moved farther away from the wormhole .
As the black hole keeps journeying in and out each mouth of the wormhole , it would generate a cycle of chirps and anti-chirps .
The length of time between each chirp and anti-chirp would shrink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck in the throat of the wormhole .
Detecting this kind of gravitational signal might support the existence of wormholes .
`` Though wormholes are very , very speculative , the fact that we might have the ability to prove or at least give credibility to their existence is pretty cool , '' study co-author William Gabella , a physicist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville , told Space.com .
In this scenario , eventually the black hole would stop falling in and out of the wormhole and settle near its throat .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the completely speculative properties of the exotic matter found in the wormhole 's throat .
One possibility is that the black hole has effectively increased the mass of the wormhole and the wormhole may not possess enough exotic matter to keep stable .
Maybe the resulting disruption in space-time causes the black hole to convert its mass to energy in the form of an extraordinary amount of gravitational waves , Gabella said .
As long as a wormhole has a greater mass than any black hole it encounters , it should remain stable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black hole , the black hole may disrupt the wormhole 's exotic matter enough to destabilize the wormhole , causing it to collapse and likely form a new black hole , Gabella said .
It remains uncertain what might happen if a black hole only clipped the edges of a wormhole , with part of the black hole entering a wormhole 's mouth with the rest staying outside it .
`` I suspect that there would be some crazy behavior at the black hole event horizon giving rise to even more gravitational waves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Such a collision may also disrupt the wormhole 's exotic matter , `` leading to an unstable wormhole , '' he added .
Future research can explore the interactions between a wormhole 's exotic matter and any normal matter entering the wormhole , as well as more complex scenarios , such as what might happen if the wormhole is spinning , Gabella said .
Other research directions could investigate how gravitational waves interact with both the normal and exotic matter in these scenarios , as well as `` the variety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you name it , '' he added .
The scientists detailed online July 17 in a study they plan to submit to the journal Physical Review Letters .
The research was detailed on the preprint site arXiv.org .
Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @ cqchoi .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook .

Astronomers think they might be able to detect black holes falling into wormholes using ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves, but only if wormholes actually exist and such a scenario ever happened, a new study finds.
According to Einstein, who first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, gravity results from the way in which mass warps space and time. When two or more objects move within a gravitational field, they produce gravitational waves that travel at the speed of light , stretching and squeezing space-time along the way.
Gravitational waves are extraordinarily difficult to detect because they are extremely weak, and even Einstein was uncertain whether they really existed and if they would get discovered. After decades of work, scientists reported the first direct evidence of gravitational waves in 2016, detected using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
Related: The strangest black holes in the universe
Black holes vs. wormholes
Gravitational-wave observatories have detected more than 20 giant collisions between extraordinarily dense and massive objects such as black holes and neutron stars . However, more exotic objects may theoretically exist, such as wormholes, the collisions of which should also produce gravitational signals that scientists could detect.
Wormholes are tunnels in spacetime that, in theory, can allow travel anywhere in space and time, or even into another universe. Einstein's theory of general relativity allows for the possibility of wormholes, although whether they really exist is another matter.
In principle, all wormholes are unstable, closing the instant they open. The only way to keep them open and traversable is with an exotic form of matter with so-called "negative mass." Such exotic matter has bizarre properties, including flying away from a standard gravitational field instead of falling toward it like normal matter. No one knows if such exotic matter actually exists.
Related: Weirdly-shaped wormholes might work better than spherical ones
In many ways, a wormhole resembles a black hole. Both types of objects are extraordinarily dense and have powerful gravitational pulls for objects their size. The main difference is that no object can theoretically get back out after entering a black hole's event horizon — the threshold where the speed needed to escape the black hole's gravitational pull exceeds the speed of light — whereas any object entering a wormhole could theoretically reverse course.
Assuming wormholes might exist, scientists investigated the gravitational signals generated when a black hole orbits a wormhole for a new paper , which has not yet been peer-reviewed. The researchers also explored what might happen when the black hole enters one mouth of the wormhole, exits out the wormhole's other mouth into another point in space-time, and then — assuming the black hole and wormhole are gravitationally bound to one another — falls back into the wormhole and emerges out the other side.
No escape
In computer models, the researchers analyzed the interactions between a black hole five times the mass of the sun and a stable traversable wormhole 200 times the mass of the sun with a throat 60 times wider than the black hole. The models suggested that gravitational signals unlike any seen up to now would occur when the black hole journeyed into and out of the wormhole.
When two black holes spiral closer to one another, their orbital speeds increase, much like spinning figure skaters who draw their arms closer to their bodies. In turn, the frequency of the gravitational waves rises. The sound these gravitational waves would produce is a chirp, much like when one increases the pitch rapidly on a slide whistle, since any increase in frequency corresponds to an increase in pitch.
If one watched a black hole spiral into a wormhole, one would see a chirp much like two black holes meeting, but the gravitational signal from the black hole would quickly fade as it radiated most of its gravitational waves on the other side of the wormhole. (In contrast, when two black holes collide, the result is a giant burst of gravitational waves .)
Related: Here's how we could detect a wormhole
If one watched a black hole emerge from a wormhole, one would see an "anti-chirp." Specifically, the frequency of gravitational waves from the black hole would decrease as it moved farther away from the wormhole.
As the black hole keeps journeying in and out each mouth of the wormhole, it would generate a cycle of chirps and anti-chirps. The length of time between each chirp and anti-chirp would shrink over time until the black hole got stuck in the throat of the wormhole. Detecting this kind of gravitational signal might support the existence of wormholes.
"Though wormholes are very, very speculative, the fact that we might have the ability to prove or at least give credibility to their existence is pretty cool," study co-author William Gabella, a physicist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, told Space.com.
In this scenario, eventually the black hole would stop falling in and out of the wormhole and settle near its throat. The consequences of such a finale depend on the completely speculative properties of the exotic matter found in the wormhole's throat. One possibility is that the black hole has effectively increased the mass of the wormhole and the wormhole may not possess enough exotic matter to keep stable. Maybe the resulting disruption in space-time causes the black hole to convert its mass to energy in the form of an extraordinary amount of gravitational waves, Gabella said.
As long as a wormhole has a greater mass than any black hole it encounters, it should remain stable. If a wormhole encounters a larger black hole, the black hole may disrupt the wormhole's exotic matter enough to destabilize the wormhole, causing it to collapse and likely form a new black hole, Gabella said.
It remains uncertain what might happen if a black hole only clipped the edges of a wormhole, with part of the black hole entering a wormhole's mouth with the rest staying outside it. "I suspect that there would be some crazy behavior at the black hole event horizon giving rise to even more gravitational waves and more energy loss," Gabella said. Such a collision may also disrupt the wormhole's exotic matter, "leading to an unstable wormhole," he added.
Future research can explore the interactions between a wormhole's exotic matter and any normal matter entering the wormhole, as well as more complex scenarios, such as what might happen if the wormhole is spinning, Gabella said. Other research directions could investigate how gravitational waves interact with both the normal and exotic matter in these scenarios, as well as "the variety of orbits that might occur between wormholes and you name it," he added.
The scientists detailed their findings online July 17 in a study they plan to submit to the journal Physical Review Letters. The research was detailed on the preprint site arXiv.org.
Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


livescience--2020-08-12--Vaping linked with much higher risk of getting COVID-19

Vaping may increase the risk of getting COVID-19 , at least in teens and young adults , a new study suggests .
The researchers analyzed information from more than 4,300 U.S. teens and young adults , ages 13 to 24 , who completed an online survey in early May , according to the study , published Tuesday ( Aug. 11 ) in the .
Participants answered questions about their cigarette and e-cigarette use , as well as whether they had experienced , undergone testing or were diagnosed with the disease from a positive test .
Among those tested for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 , and those who used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes ( `` dual users '' ) were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 , compared with those who did not use e-cigarettes or traditional cigarettes .
In addition , dual users were nearly five times more likely to report experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of the survey , regardless of whether they were tested , compared with non-users .
`` Young people may believe their age protects them from contracting the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 , '' study lead author Shivani Mathur Gaiha , a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine , .
But this study shows that people who vape , or use cigarettes and e-cigarettes face increased risks .
`` It 's not just a small increase in risk ; it 's a big one , ” Gaiha said .
The researchers do n't know what causes the link , but they have a number of hypotheses .
Both smoking and vaping are known to and affect the , which may increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after exposure to the virus , .
In addition , behaviors such as repeatedly and mouth to use an e-cigarette , or sharing vaping products , could also increase the risk of infection .
Although about half of the participants said they were sheltering in place , `` that does n't mean they 're not in the backyard with a friend sharing their vaping product , '' study senior author Bonnie Halpern-Felsher , a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine , .
However , the study only found an association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not prove that vaping led to the illness .
But the study did take into account a number of factors that could infuence participants ' risk of infection , such as their self-reported compliance with shelter-in-place orders and the rate of COVID-19 diagnoses in their state , as well as their age , sex , race/ethnicity , and socioeconomic status .
The researchers hope their results not only provide a warning to teens and young adults about the , but also encourage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are sold to young people .
Recently , lawmakers sent a letter to FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn urging the FDA to temporarily clear the market of all e-cigarettes for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic , CNN reported .
The letter cites the current study as evidence that vaping is a risk factor for COVID-19 .

Vaping may increase the risk of getting COVID-19, at least in teens and young adults, a new study suggests.
The researchers analyzed information from more than 4,300 U.S. teens and young adults, ages 13 to 24, who completed an online survey in early May, according to the study, published Tuesday (Aug. 11) in the Journal of Adolescent Health . Participants answered questions about their cigarette and e-cigarette use, as well as whether they had experienced symptoms of COVID-19 , undergone testing or were diagnosed with the disease from a positive test.
Among those tested for COVID-19, e-cigarette users were five times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, and those who used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes ("dual users") were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, compared with those who did not use e-cigarettes or traditional cigarettes.
In addition, dual users were nearly five times more likely to report experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of the survey, regardless of whether they were tested, compared with non-users.
"Young people may believe their age protects them from contracting the virus or that they will not experience symptoms of COVID-19," study lead author Shivani Mathur Gaiha, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a statement . But this study shows that people who vape, or use cigarettes and e-cigarettes face increased risks."It's not just a small increase in risk; it's a big one,” Gaiha said.
The researchers don't know what causes the link, but they have a number of hypotheses. Both smoking and vaping are known to damage the lungs and affect the immune system , which may increase the risk of developing a COVID-19 infection after exposure to the virus, according to NBC .
In addition, behaviors such as repeatedly touching your face and mouth to use an e-cigarette, or sharing vaping products, could also increase the risk of infection. Although about half of the participants said they were sheltering in place, "that doesn't mean they're not in the backyard with a friend sharing their vaping product," study senior author Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, told CNN .
However, the study only found an association between vaping and COVID-19 infection, and cannot prove that vaping led to the illness. But the study did take into account a number of factors that could infuence participants' risk of infection, such as their self-reported compliance with shelter-in-place orders and the rate of COVID-19 diagnoses in their state, as well as their age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index and socioeconomic status.
The researchers hope their results not only provide a warning to teens and young adults about the risks of vaping , but also encourage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to further tighten regulations on e-cigarettes and how they are sold to young people.
Recently, lawmakers sent a letter to FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn urging the FDA to temporarily clear the market of all e-cigarettes for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, CNN reported. The letter cites the current study as evidence that vaping is a risk factor for COVID-19.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-12--Trippy 'reverse waterfalls' seen flowing backwards in Australia

In a year where rivers in Arizona and red `` `` stains the Antarctic Peninsula , you may not be surprised to learn that several waterfalls in southeast Australia have been flowing backwards .
Local news agency 7NEWS Sydney of the phenomenon on Twitter last weekend .
Sure enough , as water pours over the clifftops of the New South Wales coast , the stream curves back up and sprays backwards onto land .
Partway through the footage , the gravity-defying mist also creates a rainbow that seems to say , `` Aw , the apocalypse is so much prettier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a simple meteorological explanation for this reverse-waterfall action : It 's just a trick of the wind .
Over the past several days , Sydney and the surrounding coast have been battered by heavy rain , strong winds and towering ocean surf .
According to 7NEWS Sydney , weather experts recorded winds raging at 45 mph ( 70 km/h ) at the Royal National Park south of Sydney , where the video was recorded .
The strong coastal winds were more than enough to temporarily divert the course of the falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wreaked havoc on surrounding communities .
Hundreds of residents of New South Wales were urged to evacuate their homes for three days during the peak of the storm , , though not because of the backwards-flowing waterfall .
The coastline 's wild weather caused rivers to flood and left thousands of homes without power .
The rain has finally subsided , thankfully , and the evacuation order has been lifted , 7NEWS reported .
And the waterfalls ?
Back to majestically tumbling over the cliffs of New South Wales and into the blue @ @ @ @ @ @

In a year where rivers in Arizona run black with steaming sludge and red " blood snow " stains the Antarctic Peninsula, you may not be surprised to learn that several waterfalls in southeast Australia have been flowing backwards.
Local news agency 7NEWS Sydney shared an aerial video of the phenomenon on Twitter last weekend. Sure enough, as water pours over the clifftops of the New South Wales coast, the stream curves back up and sprays backwards onto land. Partway through the footage, the gravity-defying mist also creates a rainbow that seems to say, "Aw, the apocalypse is so much prettier than I imagined!"
Obviously, there is a simple meteorological explanation for this reverse-waterfall action: It's just a trick of the wind.
A severe weather warning for damaging winds and damaging surf is current for Sydney, Central Coast, Mid North Coast, Hunter and Illawarra areas. At the moment, wind gusts of 70km/h are producing several reverse waterfalls in the Royal National Park. https://t.co/OF81oZFF1j pic.twitter.com/kQIZlsOnMcAugust 10, 2020 See more
Over the past several days, Sydney and the surrounding coast have been battered by heavy rain, strong winds and towering ocean surf. According to 7NEWS Sydney, weather experts recorded winds raging at 45 mph (70 km/h) at the Royal National Park south of Sydney, where the video was recorded.
The strong coastal winds were more than enough to temporarily divert the course of the falls — and, unfortunately, they also wreaked havoc on surrounding communities. Hundreds of residents of New South Wales were urged to evacuate their homes for three days during the peak of the storm, 7NEWS Sydney reported , though not because of the backwards-flowing waterfall. The coastline's wild weather caused rivers to flood and left thousands of homes without power.
The rain has finally subsided, thankfully, and the evacuation order has been lifted, 7NEWS reported. And the waterfalls? Back to majestically tumbling over the cliffs of New South Wales and into the blue, boundless sea. Bo-ring.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-12--Oldest human cremation in the Near East unearthed

The oldest known person to be intentionally cremated in the Near East took their last breath about 9,000 years ago , and their body went up in flames shortly thereafter , a new study finds .
The body was n't simply thrown in a fire , however ; whoever arranged the funeral pyre did so with care , archaeologists found by sifting through the body 's burnt remains .
It appears that the deceased was placed in a seated position , with their knees bent to their chest in a kiln-like pit .
Then , a fire was ignited next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , the earliest known cremation in the Near East dated to the sixth millennium B.C .
Meanwhile , the oldest known human cremation in the world — the so-called `` Mungo Lady , '' whose burned remains were found near Lake Mungo in New South Wales , Australia in 1969 — is much older , dating to about 40,000 years ago , according to a 2003 study in the journal .
Related : Top 10 weird ways we deal with the dead Researchers discovered the extraordinary burial in 2013 , while excavating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ) village of Beisamoun , in the Upper Jordan Valley of northern Israel .
The burial pit contained 355 bone fragments , many of which were scorched , said study lead researcher Fanny Bocquentin , an archaeo-anthropologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research ( CNRS ) .
The cremated individual was a young adult , but their sex and height remain a mystery ( the remaining bones were too damaged to tell , Bocquentin said ) .
Even so , an analysis of the bones revealed that this person had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found a 0.5-inch-long ( 1.2 centimeters ) flint projectile point embedded in the left shoulder bone — an injury that likely tore the muscle and likely caused `` severe pain but not necessarily impaired function , '' the researchers wrote in the study .
The bone had started to heal , indicating that the individual survived the injury for at least several weeks or months , but then `` died of something else , we do n't know what , '' Bocquentin told Live Science .
of the fibula ( the lower leg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometime between 7031 B.C .
and 6700 B.C.
, during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C culture .
That means the deceased lived amongst early farmers who had domesticated certain cereals and animals , but who had n't yet figured out how to create pottery .
( That technology emerged in the South Levant , the southern land east of the Mediterranean , in the sixth millennium B.C.
, Bocquentin said . )
The U-shaped grave itself is small , just 32 inches in diameter and 24 inches deep ( 80 by 60 cm ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plaster that these Neolithic people used to make bricks for their houses .
So , it appears that the burial pit was designed to function as a kiln , the researchers wrote in the study .
Once the `` kiln '' was complete , the deceased 's body was placed in a seated position in the grave , with their upper body leaning against the southern wall .
It 's possible that the body was placed on a pallet above the pyre , Bocquentin noted , as the bottom of the pit does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the fire was n't very hot at its base .
The walls of the grave , however , were scorched , which makes sense because the fire would have been hotter higher up , where there was more oxygen to fuel it , the researchers wrote in the study .
After the fire started , it appears that the upper body fell forward and rotated .
As bone burns , its chemical composition changes .
To determine how hot the fire was , the researchers used Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy ( FTIR ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sample — in this case , several bone fragments and a tooth from the grave — to detect unique molecular fingerprints .
These fingerprints revealed that the person 's body had been heated to temperatures reaching at least 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit ( 700 degrees Celsius ) , the researchers found .
That 's on par with modern cremation incinerators , which are typically preheated to about 1,100 F ( 593 C ) before a body is placed inside , .
The researchers also found high levels of plants known as sedges , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are commonly used for basketry and matting , '' the researchers wrote in the study .
Perhaps , the cremated individual was wrapped in a shroud of sedges , the team said .
This practice has been identified as far back as the Natufian period ( 13,050 B.C .
to 7,550 B.C .
in the Levant ) and is also seen in other Neolithic burials in the Levant , the researchers wrote .
Related : The science of death : 10 tales from the crypt and beyond In addition , the researchers found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cremation pit , which could have been used as fuel for the fire or grave offerings ; they also may have been refuse in the village 's dirt that just happened to become part of the grave .
They identified 84 of the animal remains as belonging to : cattle , goats , gazelles , pigs , birds of prey and fish , the researchers said .
Elżbieta Jaskulska , a bioarchaeologist at the University of Warsaw in Poland , who specializes in cremated remains , and was not involved in the study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprehensiveness , '' saying the paper could serve as an example for bioarchaeological analyses of other ancient cremations .
As this discovery is `` mostly a case study , '' more research is needed to illustrate `` differences and similarities within the sites , cultures , regions and chronological periods , '' Jaskulska told Live Science in an email .
`` That will bring more understanding of what was happening in the past societies , the question at the core of every archaeological study . ''
So far , the researchers have unearthed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults , three youngsters and 12 infants — in Beisamoun dating to before and during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C culture .
There are many types of burials , including single and double graves , primary burials and even secondary burials , five of which contain `` secondary '' cremations of individuals whose remains were dried first and burnt later .
The pyre-pit is the only known burial from the site that holds a corpse that was cremated while it was still `` fresh , '' according to chemical analyses done by the researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster way to process the dead compared with the formerly lengthy burial practices of people in the South Levant .
`` Here they are really reducing the time of the funerary customs , '' Bocquentin said .
Just 200 to 300 years after this particular burial , ancient people living in the South Levant no longer buried the dead inside or near villages , making it a challenge for archaeologists to find their remains .
`` We have very few graves from the six millenium [ B.C . ]
in the South Levant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened because the living decided to invest less time in the dead , she said .
The study was done in conjunction with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Israel Antiquities Authority .
It was published online today ( Aug. 12 ) in the journal .

The oldest known person to be intentionally cremated in the Near East took their last breath about 9,000 years ago, and their body went up in flames shortly thereafter, a new study finds.
The body wasn't simply thrown in a fire, however; whoever arranged the funeral pyre did so with care, archaeologists found by sifting through the body's burnt remains. It appears that the deceased was placed in a seated position, with their knees bent to their chest in a kiln-like pit. Then, a fire was ignited next to or under the deceased.
Until now, the earliest known cremation in the Near East dated to the sixth millennium B.C. Meanwhile, the oldest known human cremation in the world — the so-called "Mungo Lady," whose burned remains were found near Lake Mungo in New South Wales, Australia in 1969 — is much older, dating to about 40,000 years ago, according to a 2003 study in the journal Nature .
Related: Top 10 weird ways we deal with the dead
Researchers discovered the extraordinary burial in 2013, while excavating the Neolithic (the last age of the Stone Age ) village of Beisamoun, in the Upper Jordan Valley of northern Israel. The burial pit contained 355 bone fragments, many of which were scorched, said study lead researcher Fanny Bocquentin, an archaeo-anthropologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
The cremated individual was a young adult, but their sex and height remain a mystery (the remaining bones were too damaged to tell, Bocquentin said). Even so, an analysis of the bones revealed that this person had survived a ghastly injury; the researchers found a 0.5-inch-long (1.2 centimeters) flint projectile point embedded in the left shoulder bone — an injury that likely tore the muscle and likely caused "severe pain but not necessarily impaired function," the researchers wrote in the study.
The bone had started to heal, indicating that the individual survived the injury for at least several weeks or months, but then "died of something else, we don't know what," Bocquentin told Live Science.
Radiocarbon dating of the fibula (the lower leg bone) revealed that the person lived sometime between 7031 B.C. and 6700 B.C., during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C culture. That means the deceased lived amongst early farmers who had domesticated certain cereals and animals, but who hadn't yet figured out how to create pottery. (That technology emerged in the South Levant, the southern land east of the Mediterranean, in the sixth millennium B.C., Bocquentin said.)
Image 1 of 5 A sampling of the bones found in the cremation pit, after they were cleaned and pieced together. (Image credit: Bocquentin et al. PLOS One. (2020) CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) The ancient village of Beisamoun (red star) is located in what is now Israel. (Image credit: Bocquentin et al. PLOS One. (2020) CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; (ground map: M. Sauvage, Copyright CNRS)) These photos were taken of the bones in the cremation pit. They include (a) a segment of the ribs and vertebrae, (b) a piece of the right pelvis, and (c) four toe bones. (Image credit: Bocquentin et al. PLOS One. (2020) CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) The researchers found the individual's bones in this arrangement in the burial pit. (Image credit: Bocquentin et al. PLOS One. (2020) CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) (Image credit: © Mission Beisamoun)
A kiln-like grave
The U-shaped grave itself is small, just 32 inches in diameter and 24 inches deep (80 by 60 cm). It was lined with reddish mud plaster that these Neolithic people used to make bricks for their houses. So, it appears that the burial pit was designed to function as a kiln, the researchers wrote in the study.
Once the "kiln" was complete, the deceased's body was placed in a seated position in the grave, with their upper body leaning against the southern wall. It's possible that the body was placed on a pallet above the pyre, Bocquentin noted, as the bottom of the pit doesn't show signs of burning, likely because the fire wasn't very hot at its base. The walls of the grave, however, were scorched, which makes sense because the fire would have been hotter higher up, where there was more oxygen to fuel it, the researchers wrote in the study.
After the fire started, it appears that the upper body fell forward and rotated.
Related: Photos: 5,000-Year-Old Neolithic Figurine
As bone burns, its chemical composition changes. To determine how hot the fire was, the researchers used Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a technique that directs infrared radiation at a sample — in this case, several bone fragments and a tooth from the grave — to detect unique molecular fingerprints. These fingerprints revealed that the person's body had been heated to temperatures reaching at least 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit (700 degrees Celsius), the researchers found. That's on par with modern cremation incinerators, which are typically preheated to about 1,100 F (593 C) before a body is placed inside, according to HowStuffWorks .
Wrapped in a shroud?
The researchers also found high levels of plants known as sedges, "water-loving rushes that have spongy stems and are commonly used for basketry and matting," the researchers wrote in the study. Perhaps, the cremated individual was wrapped in a shroud of sedges, the team said. This practice has been identified as far back as the Natufian period (13,050 B.C. to 7,550 B.C. in the Levant) and is also seen in other Neolithic burials in the Levant, the researchers wrote.
Related: The science of death: 10 tales from the crypt and beyond
In addition, the researchers found 776 fragments of animal remains in the cremation pit, which could have been used as fuel for the fire or grave offerings; they also may have been refuse in the village's dirt that just happened to become part of the grave. They identified 84 of the animal remains as belonging to: cattle, goats, gazelles, pigs, birds of prey and fish, the researchers said.
Elżbieta Jaskulska, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Warsaw in Poland, who specializes in cremated remains, and was not involved in the study, praised the researchers for their "comprehensiveness," saying the paper could serve as an example for bioarchaeological analyses of other ancient cremations.
As this discovery is "mostly a case study," more research is needed to illustrate "differences and similarities within the sites, cultures, regions and chronological periods," Jaskulska told Live Science in an email. "That will bring more understanding of what was happening in the past societies, the question at the core of every archaeological study."
Related: In Photos: Intricately Carved Stone Balls Puzzle Archaeologists
Grave changes
So far, the researchers have unearthed 33 other ancient burials — including 18 adults, three youngsters and 12 infants — in Beisamoun dating to before and during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C culture. There are many types of burials, including single and double graves, primary burials and even secondary burials, five of which contain "secondary" cremations of individuals whose remains were dried first and burnt later. The pyre-pit is the only known burial from the site that holds a corpse that was cremated while it was still "fresh," according to chemical analyses done by the researchers.
The pyre-pit cremation was likely a faster way to process the dead compared with the formerly lengthy burial practices of people in the South Levant.
"Here they are really reducing the time of the funerary customs," Bocquentin said.
Just 200 to 300 years after this particular burial, ancient people living in the South Levant no longer buried the dead inside or near villages, making it a challenge for archaeologists to find their remains. "We have very few graves from the six millenium [B.C.] in the South Levant," Bocquentin noted. Perhaps this happened because the living decided to invest less time in the dead, she said.
The study was done in conjunction with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Israel Antiquities Authority. It was published online today (Aug. 12) in the journal PLOS One .
Originally published on Live Science.