WEIRD SCIENCE
The CDC predicts an Omicron subvariant dubbed BA.2.12.1 will become the predominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States within weeks. Depositphotos – By Rich Haridy 2022 May 05 – COVID-19 variant-tracking estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate a …
Don’t dismiss soil: its unknowable wonders could ensure the survival of our species. When a plant root pushes into soil, it triggers an explosion of activity in billions of bacteria. Photograph: Liz McBurney/The Guardian – By George Monbiot Published: 2022 May 07 – …
The Moon as seen by the Galileo deep-space probe in 1992. NASA/JPL/USGS – By Michael Irving 2022 May 04 – The Moon may look like a big dry ball, but there’s more water up there than you might expect. In a new study, scientists have …
Wind quickly spread a blaze that burned homes near Flagstaff, Ariz., in April of 2022. Coconino National Forest via AP – By Molly Hunter, Associate Research Professor in Environment and Natural Resources, University of Arizona Published: 2022 May 04 – New Mexico and …
Scientists have used a protein derived from corn as the basis for a potential vaccine for Alzheimer’s. Depositphotos – By Nick Lavars 2022 May 03 – Among the many ways scientists hope to be able to tackle Alzheimer’s is by preventing it from taking …
A toxic green pigment was once used to color everything from fake flowers to book covers. Now a museum conservator is working to track down the noxious volumes. During the 19th century, emerald green pigment was all the rage in fashion and home …
The system already utilizes M18-size screws, and should soon be available in M20 and M36. Fraunhofer – By Ben Coxworth 2022 May 02 – It’s easy to forget that structures such as bridges, wind turbines and scaffolding are held together by screws which could …
Artist’s concept of a ship-mounted laser weapon. Lockheed Martin – By David Szondy 2022 Apr 17 – The US Navy has shot down its first drone, representing a subsonic cruise missile, using an all-electric high-energy laser. At the US Army’s High Energy Laser Systems …
Researchers have created and tested a light field camera with the greatest depth of field ever demonstrated, keeping everything between 3 cm and 1.7 km from the lens in focus. NIST – By Loz Blain 2022 Apr 29 – In photography, depth of field …
Artist’s impression of a superconducting chip. TU Delft – By Loz Blain 2022 Apr 28 – A TU Delft team has demonstrated a one-way superconductor that gives zero resistance in one direction, but blocks current completely in the other. The discovery, long thought impossible, …
