Matt Willemsen @Nonog@fedibird.com

Surface Water Penetrates Deep into Earth, New Research Suggests
A few decades ago, seismologists identified a thin layer with a lower velocity in Earth’s metallic liquid core. The origin of this layer, known as the E’ layer, has been a mystery. Now, geoscientists have revealed that water from the Earth’s surface can penetrate deep into the planet, altering the composition of the outermost region of the core and creating the E’ layer.
https://www.sci.news/othersciences/geoscience/earth-e-layer-12446.html #water #core #mantle #boundary #EPrimeLayer #hydrogen #silicon

The Next Leap in Battery Tech: Lithium-Ion Batteries Are No Longer the Gold Standard
investigating artificial SEI (ASEI) layers, including polymeric and inorganic-organic hybrid types, to improve stability and functionality
https://scitechdaily.com/the-next-leap-in-battery-tech-lithium-ion-batteries-are-no-longer-the-gold-standard/ #batteries #technology #lithium #ArtificialSolidElectrolyteInterphase #SEI #ASEI #electrodes

Engineered stone kills tradies. Bunnings and IKEA stopping its sales is a big win for public health
Major retailers Bunnings and IKEA have announced this week they will discontinue selling engineered stone. While this might mean you have to rethink your plans for your new kitchen benchtops, it’s a positive step that will protect the health of tradespeople exposed to this dangerous product.
https://theconversation.com/engineered-stone-kills-tradies-bunnings-and-ikea-stopping-its-sales-is-a-big-win-for-public-health-217791 #silicosis #IKEA #Bunnings #health #silica #EngineeredStone

Rapid Relief: Ketamine’s Surprisingly Swift Treatment of PTSD and Depression
The drug ketamine shows promise in rapidly reducing PTSD and depression symptoms, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy. While traditionally used as an anesthetic and sometimes misused, ketamine’s potential in mental health treatment is being explored.
https://scitechdaily.com/rapid-relief-ketamines-surprisingly-swift-treatment-of-ptsd-and-depression/ #Depression #MentalHealth #Psychedelics #PTSD #ketamine #relief

Yee-Ouch!⚡
Cosmic blast seared Earth’s atmosphere from 2 billion light-years away
Effects of brightest ever gamma ray burst show how a closer blast could harm life
https://www.science.org/content/article/cosmic-blast-seared-earth-s-atmosphere-2-billion-light-years-away #cosmic #blast #GammaRayBurst #BOAT

Eating in a 10-Hour Window Linked to Increased Mood and Energy
A recent study revealed that eating within a ten-hour window leads to increased energy and mood, along with decreased hunger. The largest UK study of its kind, involving over 37,000 participants, showed that consistent adherence to this ten-hour intermittent fasting regime resulted in notable health benefits.
https://scitechdaily.com/eating-in-a-10-hour-window-linked-to-increased-mood-and-energy/ #eating #window #intermittent #fasting #TenHour #consistency

The Worst Companies for Employee Retention (U.S. and UK)
Employees consider various factors when committing to a company long term, including a positive work environment, fair compensation, job security, opportunities for professional growth, and resilience against disruptive changes in the economy or technology.
So, which companies have the worst employee retention?
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/ranked-worst-companies-for-employee-retention-u-s-and-uk/ #infographic #employee #retention #US #UK #TechGiants #COL

@wonderofscience Rubber Duckie????

Ancient Cycads: The Dinosaur-Era Plants That “Breathed” Nitrogen To Survive Extinction
Cycads, ancient plants once prevalent during the Mesozoic Era, have mostly gone extinct, with a few species surviving in tropical and subtropical areas. Researchers have discovered that these surviving cycads relied on symbiotic bacteria for nitrogen fixation, a trait not found in their extinct counterparts.
https://scitechdaily.com/ancient-cycads-the-dinosaur-era-plants-that-breathed-nitrogen-to-survive-extinction/ #plants #extinction #nitrogen #fixation #survive #cycads #symbiotic #bacteria

Disaster early-warning systems are ‘doomed to fail’ — only collective action can plug the gaps
From floods to wildfires, and tsunamis to volcanic eruptions, early-warning systems can stop natural hazards becoming human disasters. But more joined-up thinking is urgently needed.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03510-8 #disaster #EarlyWarning #systems #NaturalHazards #forecasting

“Christchurch Mutation” – How Good Can Overpower Evil in Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics
Gladstone Institutes researchers found that the Christchurch mutation in the APOE gene protects against the effects of APOE4, the primary risk factor for Alzheimer’s. This discovery, showing reduced neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s models, opens up new possibilities for treatment and was published in Nature Neuroscience.
https://scitechdaily.com/christchurch-mutation-how-good-can-overpower-evil-in-alzheimers-disease-genetics/ #alzheimers #genetic #variant #ChristchurchMutation #apolipoproteinEFour #PSENOne

Did this chemical reaction create the building blocks of life on Earth?
In our latest work, my colleagues and I have integrated autocatalysis into a well-known chemical pathway for producing the ribonucleotide building blocks, which could have plausibly happened with the simple molecules and complex conditions found on the early Earth.
https://theconversation.com/did-this-chemical-reaction-create-the-building-blocks-of-life-on-earth-216843 #life #origin #chemistry #autocatalysis #ribonucleotide #BuildingBlocks #cyanamide

A Milestone in Computing: 2D In-Memory Processor With Over 1000 Transistors
EPFL researchers have created an energy-efficient in-memory processor using MoS2, combining over 1000 transistors. This processor, which efficiently performs vector-matrix multiplication, represents a shift away from traditional von Neumann architecture and could boost the European semiconductor industry.
https://scitechdaily.com/a-milestone-in-computing-2d-in-memory-processor-with-over-1000-transistors/ #TwoD #InMemory #Processor #SingleDevice #MolybdenumDisulfide

Ranked: The Most Innovative Countries in 2023
Which countries are the global innovation powerhouses?
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-innovative-countries-in-2023/ Infographic #ranking #innovative #countries #Knowledge&TechOutputs
#HumanCapital&Research #BusinessSophistication #MarketSophistication #CreativeOutputs #Infrastructure #Institutions

Ancient Arsenal Unearthed: 31,000-Year-Old Long-Distance Weapons Found in Belgium
A study conducted by TraceoLab at the University of Liège has uncovered evidence suggesting the existence of long-distance weaponry 10,000 years earlier than previously estimated.
https://scitechdaily.com/ancient-arsenal-unearthed-31000-year-old-long-distance-weapons-found-in-belgium/ #Ancient #Arsenal #LongDistance #Weapons #Belgium #Anthropology #Archaeology

Giant UK programme to lower people’s blood-sugar levels really works
One of the world’s biggest campaigns to prevent diabetes through behaviour change holds promise for public-health gains.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03524-2 #UK #diabetes #prevention #programme #behaviour #BloodSugar #effective

Heart PET Scans: A Breakthrough Predictor of Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia Years Before Symptoms
By analyzing cardiac norepinephrine levels in individuals with Parkinson’s risk factors, the research led by Dr. Goldstein offers a potential method for early detection and intervention in these neurodegenerative diseases.
https://scitechdaily.com/heart-pet-scans-a-breakthrough-predictor-of-parkinsons-and-lewy-body-dementia-years-before-symptoms/ #Heart #PETScans #Predictor #Parkinsons #LewyBodyDementia #Symptoms #norepinephrine #neurodegenerative #diseases

Do lemmings actually jump off of cliffs?
Do these tundra-inhabiting rodents actually jump to their deaths as depicted in a 1958 wildlife documentary?
https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/do-lemmings-actually-jump-off-of-cliffs #lemmings #cliffs #jump #Disney #WhiteWilderness

The Genetic Edge: Unmasking the Secret of COVID-19 “Super Dodgers”
Researchers at UC San Francisco discovered that people who don’t develop symptoms after contracting COVID-19 often carry the gene mutation HLA-B*15:01. This mutation enables a more effective immune response against the virus.
https://scitechdaily.com/the-genetic-edge-unmasking-the-secret-of-covid-19-super-dodgers/ #COVIDー19 #genetics #asymptomatic #mutation #immune

In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, new marine ecosystems are flourishing
Sea life, stuck to plastic bottles and other human trash, has journeyed far from coastal habitats — and may threaten local species
https://knowablemagazine.org/article/food-environment/2023/in-great-pacific-garbage-patch-new-marine-ecosystems #GreatPacificGarbagePatch #SeaLife #marine #ecosystems