Soil’s earthy smell comes from chemicals produced by bacteria called Streptomyces, which use the odour to attract springtails to help disperse their spores
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239854-soil-gets-its-smell-from-bacteria-trying-to-attract-invertebrates/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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Glass has an unusual atomic structure that resembles a liquid frozen in place, making it hard to predict how it will behave. DeepMind has developed an AI capable of doing so, which may also be able to predict traffic jams
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239850-deepmind-ai-can-understand-the-unusual-atomic-structure-of-glass/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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In 2012, mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki produced a proof claiming to solve the long-standing ABC conjecture, but no one understood it. Most mathematicians still don’t, but it will now be published in a journal
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239662-baffling-500-page-abc-maths-proof-to-be-published-after-eight-year-row/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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The age of a whale shark can be determined by dating the rings of growth in their cartilage, a method that has confirmed that these animals can live for at least 50 years
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239595-whale-sharks-can-live-for-at-least-50-years-and-probably-longer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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Ethereal photos of life’s building blocks, Earth’s toughest creature and a close-up of a gem win Olympus Global Image of the Year Life Science Light Microscopy Award regional prizes
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532760-300-incredible-close-up-images-of-the-natural-world-recognised-with-awards/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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Is our love affair with AI really about building a new kind of deity to meet human needs no amount of rationality can fill? Max Barry’s disturbing novel Providence lays out the case, says Sally Adee
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532760-700-providence-review-chilling-sci-fi-where-an-ai-becomes-god-by-accident/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who discovered that hydrogen dominates our universe, finally gets the recognition she deserves in a rich biography, What Stars Are Made Of
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532760-500-cecilia-payne-gaposchkin-the-unsung-discoverer-of-star-chemistry/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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With all the unknowns about covid-19, any numbers you hear about death tolls or how long restrictions will last should be taken not just with a pinch of salt but with a sack of it
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532763-600-estimates-of-the-predicted-coronavirus-death-toll-have-little-meaning/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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WUHAN: The central Chinese city of Wuhan began allowing people to leave on Wednesday for the first time since it was locked down 76 days ago to contain the novel coronavirus, despite fears of a second wave of infection if such restrictions are eased too soon.
China sealed off the city of 11 million people on Jan. 23 after it became clear that the flu-like virus that had emerged there late last year was highly contagious and potentially deadly.
The first train to carry departing passengers out of the city left at 00:50 a.m. (1650 GMT), and outbound highways were opened to vehicular traffic around the same time.
“I’m very happy, I’m going home today,“ migrant worker Liu Xiaomin told Reuters as she stood with her suitcases inside Wuhan’s Hankou railway station, bound for Xiangyang city.
The topic “Wuhan lifts lockdown” quickly became the top trending topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform, with posters leaving comments such as “welcome back Wuhan”.
Based on ticket sales, 55,000 people will leave Wuhan by train on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the railway authority.
That is slightly more than the number of people who have caught the virus in Wuhan since December. The death toll in the city has reached 2,571, about 80% of the total fatalities in China, according to official figures.
At its peak, the lockdown saw people forcibly confined to their homes and the transport and industrial hub resembled a ghost town, with streets deserted except for police patrols and emergency vehicles.
But such restrictions have eased in recent days as new infections dropped to a trickle. Mainland China reported no coronavirus deaths for the first time on Tuesday, and Wuhan has counted only two new infections in the past fortnight.
Authorities are walking a fine line between allowing greater freedom of movement and economic activity while also guarding against a second wave of infection, with particular concern around imported cases and people who show no symptoms but can still pass on the virus.
Wuhan residents are still urged not to leave their neighbourhoods, the city and even the province unless necessary, health officials said on Tuesday.
Many people remain fearful of catching the disease, with China reporting 137 new asymptomatic cases on April 7.
“The number of asymptomatic patients has been slowly going up, I’m worried about this,“ said Yang Chengjun, who was leaving Wuhan by train to get back to his design job in Fuzhou. He was wearing a knee-length raincoat and speaking through a mask.
Tall barriers continue to surround housing compounds in Wuhan and residents can only leave if they have a green health code or documents showing a valid reason.
Migrant worker Liu said she and her husband would still be careful about going outside even when they get home to Xiangyang city.
“My mood will be better but when I get back I still won’t go out too much,“ she said.
Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser. – Reuters
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https://www.thesundaily.my/world/people-allowed-to-leave-china-s-wuhan-as-covid-19-lockdown-eases-EB2232134
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KUALA TERENGGANU: The atmosphere during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period in Redang Island and Perhentian Island is quieter than during the monsoon season.
This is due to the current circumstances during which no tourism activities are allowed, and the residents also do not carry out much activities, but to remain at home in compliance with the order.
Pulau Perhentian Village Community Management Council (MPKK) chairman Mohd Zakuan Mad Nasir said that during the monsoon season, although there is no tourists on the island, life goes on normal for the locals as they still go to food stalls, gather at the surau for prayers and and also attend wedding ceremonies and other events.
“However, with the MCO, the residents choose to remain at home because they understand the importance of adhering to the rule so that the government’s aim to break the chain of the Covid-19 infection is achieved,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Based on observation, the supply of daily necessities for more than 2,000 people on the island is still sufficient for another week or two.
“Recently, the state government provided assistance for the affected families and some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also came to deliver basic necessities such as rice, flour, milk, sugar and cooking oil.
“Most of the villagers are fishermen, so they still go to the sea, but not far out, as that is their only source of income, but they comply with the MCO to be back by 6 pm,” he said, adding that so far, there is no Covid-19 positive case reported on the island.
Tourism activities in Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang were ceased for four months following the monsoon season and programmes for the new tourism calendar year were supposed to start last March 1, but postponed due to the MCO.
Despite the inconvenience, the residents comply with the order and this is acknowledged by the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) coordinator of the Pulau Redang Unit, Lieutenant Awang Azmi Kamarulzaman.
Awang Azmi, who is from the island himself, said despite living on the island and being isolated from the mainland, it did not mean that they had no contact with the outside world and could defy the MCO.
“This is because authorities like APM, RELA and the Royal Malaysian Police continue to monitor the movement of the residents to ensure that they also practice social distancing when going out to buy groceries at nearby shops.
“Although they are allowed to go out to the mainland for important purposes, so far there has been no movement in and out of the island. The compliance to MCO by residents on the island is very satisfactory,” he added.
Meanwhile, Batu Rakit State Assemblyman Bazlan Abdul Rahman said Pulau Redang is one of the main locations where aid is sent as the island is farther from the mainland.
“We have delivered food supplies to the island on March 30 and will continue to deliver essential items if MCO is extended.
“The Batu Rakit State Assemblyman’s office is in constant contact with the Social Welfare Department, APM, RELA and the police to safeguard the welfare of about 2,000 people on the island during MCO,” he added. –Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/home/mco-pulau-perhentian-pulau-redang-is-quieter-than-during-monsoon-season-XX2231880
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