http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/ Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:09:23 +0000 MyBB http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=572 Tue, 19 May 2020 16:10:48 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=572 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52724821

Daily global emissions of CO2 fell by 17% at the peak of the shutdown because of measures taken by governments in response to Covid-19, say scientists. The most comprehensive account yet published says that almost half the record decrease was due to fewer car journeys. But the authors are worried that, as people return to work, car use will soar again. They fear CO2 emissions could soon be higher than before the crisis. They are urging politicians to grasp the moment and make real, durable changes on transport and personal mobility.
 
In the UK, transport secretary Grant Shapps has pledged £250m for improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure. Other countries are also looking at similar plans.
The lockdowns that most governments have implemented in response to Covid-19 have had a significant impact on the carbon-producing activities that are embedded in almost everything we do. Road transport has declined hugely, as has aviation.
 
Industry has temporarily closed down and demand for energy all over the world has crashed. Now in detailed analysis, researchers have shown how those changes have impacted our emissions of CO2. They've calculated the fall off in carbon based on the lockdown policies implemented in 69 countries that between them account for 97% of global emissions. 
During the peak of the crisis in early April, daily emissions dropped by 17% compared to the previous year, meaning around 17 millions tonnes less CO2 were emitted every day. The key to the fall has been cars. 
Surface transport emissions have declined by 43%, the same amount as the drop from industry and power generation combined. While the aviation slowdown has grabbed headlines for the economic impact, it only accounts for 10% of the decrease during the pandemic. 
China has been responsible for the biggest drop, followed by the US, Europe and India. If some restrictions on economic activity stay in place worldwide until the end of the year, then global emissions will likely drop by 7%. 
If pre-pandemic levels of transport and economic activity return by mid-June, the annual fall would be around 4%. But the research team that carried out this work is concerned that the rebound, especially on the roads, could see a carbon surge.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52724821

Daily global emissions of CO2 fell by 17% at the peak of the shutdown because of measures taken by governments in response to Covid-19, say scientists. The most comprehensive account yet published says that almost half the record decrease was due to fewer car journeys. But the authors are worried that, as people return to work, car use will soar again. They fear CO2 emissions could soon be higher than before the crisis. They are urging politicians to grasp the moment and make real, durable changes on transport and personal mobility.
 
In the UK, transport secretary Grant Shapps has pledged £250m for improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure. Other countries are also looking at similar plans.
The lockdowns that most governments have implemented in response to Covid-19 have had a significant impact on the carbon-producing activities that are embedded in almost everything we do. Road transport has declined hugely, as has aviation.
 
Industry has temporarily closed down and demand for energy all over the world has crashed. Now in detailed analysis, researchers have shown how those changes have impacted our emissions of CO2. They've calculated the fall off in carbon based on the lockdown policies implemented in 69 countries that between them account for 97% of global emissions. 
During the peak of the crisis in early April, daily emissions dropped by 17% compared to the previous year, meaning around 17 millions tonnes less CO2 were emitted every day. The key to the fall has been cars. 
Surface transport emissions have declined by 43%, the same amount as the drop from industry and power generation combined. While the aviation slowdown has grabbed headlines for the economic impact, it only accounts for 10% of the decrease during the pandemic. 
China has been responsible for the biggest drop, followed by the US, Europe and India. If some restrictions on economic activity stay in place worldwide until the end of the year, then global emissions will likely drop by 7%. 
If pre-pandemic levels of transport and economic activity return by mid-June, the annual fall would be around 4%. But the research team that carried out this work is concerned that the rebound, especially on the roads, could see a carbon surge.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=571 Mon, 11 May 2020 19:57:27 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=571 https://www.bbc.com/news/52533585

Even as the US remains under attack from the coronavirus outbreak, a new terror has arrived: "murder hornets". The 2-inch (5cm) long Asian giant hornets, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Washington State. Multiple stings are deadly to humans and in their "slaughter phase" the hornets destroy honeybees, whose bodies they feed to their young.
 
Scientists are now on a hunt for the hornets, hoping to eradicate the species before they wipe out US bees. 
- Loss of bumblebees driven by 'climate chaos'
- Asian hornet queen s UK's first of 2019
- One nest could spread Asian hornets 

Although they typically avoid people, in Asia, "murder hornet" stings are thought to cause as many as 50 human fatalities a year, according to the New York Times. The hornets made their first North American appearance in August 2019, in British Columbia, Canada. Months later, in December 2019, the flying insects were reported south of the border in Washington State. Washington State University (WSU) are unsure how or when the hornet first arrived in North America, but beekeepers in the region have reported gruesome hive deaths in recent months.
 
Scientists are bracing for further emergence of the species, which begins its life cycle in spring.
The hornets are "shockingly large", said Todd Murray, a WSU scientist and invasive species specialist. "It's a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honeybees." The insects, roughly the size of a matchbox, have large yellow-orange heads, prominent black eyes, and a black and yellow striped abdomen.
 
The Asian giant hornet's life cycle begins in April, when queens come out of hibernation, and begin to feed and seek out subterranean dens to build their nests. Once their habitats are built in the summer and autumn months, worker hornets are sent to find food. With their sharp, spiked mandibles, the hornets decapitate honeybees, using the bodies to feed their young. The hornets can destroy a honeybee hive in a matter of hours. Though beehives are their primary target, when threatened the hornets can attack people. Multiple stings can kill humans, even those who are not allergic. 

The WSU scientists will begin trapping queen murder hornets this spring, aiming to detect and eradicate the species. Populations of honeybees and other pollinators in the US were already under pressure. Between 1947 and 2017, number of honeybee colonies in the US plummeted from 6 million to 2.5 million. And last year, researchers from the University of Maryland reported that 40% of the country's honeybee colonies died in a single winter, between October 2018 and April 2019 - the largest loss of its kind. Pollinators, most often honeybees, are responsible for one of every three bites of food taken in the US, and increase the country's nation crop values.
 
 ]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/52533585

Even as the US remains under attack from the coronavirus outbreak, a new terror has arrived: "murder hornets". The 2-inch (5cm) long Asian giant hornets, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Washington State. Multiple stings are deadly to humans and in their "slaughter phase" the hornets destroy honeybees, whose bodies they feed to their young.
 
Scientists are now on a hunt for the hornets, hoping to eradicate the species before they wipe out US bees. 
- Loss of bumblebees driven by 'climate chaos'
- Asian hornet queen s UK's first of 2019
- One nest could spread Asian hornets 

Although they typically avoid people, in Asia, "murder hornet" stings are thought to cause as many as 50 human fatalities a year, according to the New York Times. The hornets made their first North American appearance in August 2019, in British Columbia, Canada. Months later, in December 2019, the flying insects were reported south of the border in Washington State. Washington State University (WSU) are unsure how or when the hornet first arrived in North America, but beekeepers in the region have reported gruesome hive deaths in recent months.
 
Scientists are bracing for further emergence of the species, which begins its life cycle in spring.
The hornets are "shockingly large", said Todd Murray, a WSU scientist and invasive species specialist. "It's a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honeybees." The insects, roughly the size of a matchbox, have large yellow-orange heads, prominent black eyes, and a black and yellow striped abdomen.
 
The Asian giant hornet's life cycle begins in April, when queens come out of hibernation, and begin to feed and seek out subterranean dens to build their nests. Once their habitats are built in the summer and autumn months, worker hornets are sent to find food. With their sharp, spiked mandibles, the hornets decapitate honeybees, using the bodies to feed their young. The hornets can destroy a honeybee hive in a matter of hours. Though beehives are their primary target, when threatened the hornets can attack people. Multiple stings can kill humans, even those who are not allergic. 

The WSU scientists will begin trapping queen murder hornets this spring, aiming to detect and eradicate the species. Populations of honeybees and other pollinators in the US were already under pressure. Between 1947 and 2017, number of honeybee colonies in the US plummeted from 6 million to 2.5 million. And last year, researchers from the University of Maryland reported that 40% of the country's honeybee colonies died in a single winter, between October 2018 and April 2019 - the largest loss of its kind. Pollinators, most often honeybees, are responsible for one of every three bites of food taken in the US, and increase the country's nation crop values.
 
 ]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=570 Mon, 11 May 2020 19:45:55 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=570 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52587488

Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, tracing the glowing regions of warmth that lurk beneath the gas giant's cloud tops.
 
The picture was captured in infrared by the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, and is one of the sharpest observations of the planet ever made from the ground. To achieve the resolution, scientists used a technique called "lucky imaging" which scrubs out the blurring effect of looking through Earth's turbulent atmosphere. This method involves acquiring multiple exposures of the target and only keeping those segments of an image where that turbulence is at a minimum.
 
When all the "lucky shots" are put together in a mosaic, a clarity emerges that's beyond just the single exposure.
- Planet Jupiter's winds run deep
- Jupiter Great Red Spot has deep roots

Infrared is a longer wavelength than the more familiar visible light detected by the likes of the Hubble telescope. It is used to see past the haze and thin clouds at the top of Jupiter's atmosphere, to give scientists the opportunity to probe deeper into the planet's internal workings.
 
Researchers want to understand better what makes and sustains the gas giant's weather systems, and in particular the great storms that can rage for decades and even centuries.
The study that produced this infrared image was led from the University of California at Berkeley. It was part of a joint programme of observations that involved Hubble and the Juno spacecraft that's currently orbiting the fifth planet from the Sun.
 
Facts about Jupiter
- Jupiter is 11 times wider than Earth and 300 times more massive
- It takes 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun; a 'day' is 10 hours long
- In composition it resembles a star; it's mostly hydrogen and helium
- Under pressure, the hydrogen assumes a state similar to a metal
- This 'metallic hydrogen' could be the source of the magnetic field
- Most of the visible cloudtops contain ammonia and hydrogen sulphide
- Jupiter's low-latitude 'bands' play host to very strong east-west winds
- The Great Red Spot is a giant storm vortex wider than Planet Earth]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52587488

Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, tracing the glowing regions of warmth that lurk beneath the gas giant's cloud tops.
 
The picture was captured in infrared by the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, and is one of the sharpest observations of the planet ever made from the ground. To achieve the resolution, scientists used a technique called "lucky imaging" which scrubs out the blurring effect of looking through Earth's turbulent atmosphere. This method involves acquiring multiple exposures of the target and only keeping those segments of an image where that turbulence is at a minimum.
 
When all the "lucky shots" are put together in a mosaic, a clarity emerges that's beyond just the single exposure.
- Planet Jupiter's winds run deep
- Jupiter Great Red Spot has deep roots

Infrared is a longer wavelength than the more familiar visible light detected by the likes of the Hubble telescope. It is used to see past the haze and thin clouds at the top of Jupiter's atmosphere, to give scientists the opportunity to probe deeper into the planet's internal workings.
 
Researchers want to understand better what makes and sustains the gas giant's weather systems, and in particular the great storms that can rage for decades and even centuries.
The study that produced this infrared image was led from the University of California at Berkeley. It was part of a joint programme of observations that involved Hubble and the Juno spacecraft that's currently orbiting the fifth planet from the Sun.
 
Facts about Jupiter
- Jupiter is 11 times wider than Earth and 300 times more massive
- It takes 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun; a 'day' is 10 hours long
- In composition it resembles a star; it's mostly hydrogen and helium
- Under pressure, the hydrogen assumes a state similar to a metal
- This 'metallic hydrogen' could be the source of the magnetic field
- Most of the visible cloudtops contain ammonia and hydrogen sulphide
- Jupiter's low-latitude 'bands' play host to very strong east-west winds
- The Great Red Spot is a giant storm vortex wider than Planet Earth]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=569 Tue, 05 May 2020 19:38:20 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=569 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52522460

Ministers are reported to be considering whether to relax the two-metre rule for social distancing in workplaces. It could make it easier for people to get back to jobs where it is not always feasible to stay apart. But a key question is whether that would be safe, given how little is known about how far the virus can spread.
A new report by the government's scientific advisers is due to be released shortly assessing latest research into the risks.
 
What does science say about the rule?
There is a wide variety of recommendations in different countries, but a simple guide is that the closer you are to someone who is infected, the greater the risk. The World Health Organization says that a distance of one metre is safe, while others suggest 1.5m or 1.8m with the UK opting for two metres. Also the longer you spend in close proximity with an infected person, the more your chances of catching the virus go up.
One leading scientist says that timing can really make a difference. "Spending two seconds one metre apart is as dangerous as spending one minute two metres apart," he says.
 
Where does the two-metre rule come from?
Surprisingly, it can be traced back to research in the 1930s. Back then scientists established that droplets of liquid released by coughs or sneezes will either evaporate quickly in the air or be dragged by gravity down to the ground. And the majority of those droplets, they reckoned, would land within one to two metres. That is why it is said the greatest risks come from having the virus coughed at you from close range or from touching a surface - and then your face - that someone coughed onto.
Some researchers are now concerned that the coronavirus is not just carried in droplets. They worry that it can also be transported through the air in tiny particles called aerosols. If that is the case, then the flow of wind from someone's breath could carry the virus over longer distances.
 
Could wearing face masks help?
Amid the uncertainty, many governments are urging - or ordering - their citizens to cover their faces. In Spain, anyone using public transport from Monday will have to wear a mask, and the same applies in Germany. The logic is that where keeping apart is not realistic - up to whatever distance is recommended - then even a homemade covering can limit how much virus is released from an infected person's mouth or nose. The Scottish government is among those to recommend that in confined spaces, a non-medical mask should be worn. The UK government is still considering what to advise the British public as a whole.
 
Health professionals have long worried that medical and care staff might lose out if supplies are snapped up and that masks would give people a false sense of security leading them to give up other measures like social distancing.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that masks might help slow the spread of the disease.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52522460

Ministers are reported to be considering whether to relax the two-metre rule for social distancing in workplaces. It could make it easier for people to get back to jobs where it is not always feasible to stay apart. But a key question is whether that would be safe, given how little is known about how far the virus can spread.
A new report by the government's scientific advisers is due to be released shortly assessing latest research into the risks.
 
What does science say about the rule?
There is a wide variety of recommendations in different countries, but a simple guide is that the closer you are to someone who is infected, the greater the risk. The World Health Organization says that a distance of one metre is safe, while others suggest 1.5m or 1.8m with the UK opting for two metres. Also the longer you spend in close proximity with an infected person, the more your chances of catching the virus go up.
One leading scientist says that timing can really make a difference. "Spending two seconds one metre apart is as dangerous as spending one minute two metres apart," he says.
 
Where does the two-metre rule come from?
Surprisingly, it can be traced back to research in the 1930s. Back then scientists established that droplets of liquid released by coughs or sneezes will either evaporate quickly in the air or be dragged by gravity down to the ground. And the majority of those droplets, they reckoned, would land within one to two metres. That is why it is said the greatest risks come from having the virus coughed at you from close range or from touching a surface - and then your face - that someone coughed onto.
Some researchers are now concerned that the coronavirus is not just carried in droplets. They worry that it can also be transported through the air in tiny particles called aerosols. If that is the case, then the flow of wind from someone's breath could carry the virus over longer distances.
 
Could wearing face masks help?
Amid the uncertainty, many governments are urging - or ordering - their citizens to cover their faces. In Spain, anyone using public transport from Monday will have to wear a mask, and the same applies in Germany. The logic is that where keeping apart is not realistic - up to whatever distance is recommended - then even a homemade covering can limit how much virus is released from an infected person's mouth or nose. The Scottish government is among those to recommend that in confined spaces, a non-medical mask should be worn. The UK government is still considering what to advise the British public as a whole.
 
Health professionals have long worried that medical and care staff might lose out if supplies are snapped up and that masks would give people a false sense of security leading them to give up other measures like social distancing.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that masks might help slow the spread of the disease.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=568 Tue, 05 May 2020 19:26:24 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=568 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52479763

At a time when so many of us are facing a heightened sense of threat as well as deep worries about our future, can nature lift our spirits?
"Our current crisis has switched us out of normal existence and into survival mode," says Dr. Anna Jorgensen, who researches the connection between environment and wellbeing at the University of Sheffield. 
With far more people unable to work, or working from home, many have been inspired to explore nature in their neighbourhood as they refocus on their immediate surroundings. As factory and car emissions have declined, there are fewer tiny particles in the air, so it's easier to see beyond built-up areas and to the stars in the night sky. Less city noise also highlights the sounds of birds. There is also greater interest in gardening.

Can experiences in nature help us manage stress and anxiety?
While the impact of experiencing nature on our physical health is less well documented, a wealth of studies have demonstrated the positive effects of the natural world on our mental health. Even a brief nature fix - 10 minutes of wind brushing across our cheek, or the sun on our skin - can lower stress, explains Dr. Mathew White, from the University of Exeter. If we immerse ourselves in beautiful landscapes, like a rich coastline or a wild forest teeming with an array of species, we feel more intense emotions, he adds. Connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised, with an increased sense of meaning and purpose, as well as making tasks seem more manageable. Nature-based activities, such as gardening and farming, have been used as part of mental health treatments around the world for centuries.
 
Sounds have a particular power to evoke memory, according to PhD researcher Alex Smalley. Your feelings can be enhanced by listening to recordings of natural sounds, such as crashing waves or squawks of forest birds, after you've experienced them in person or watched a powerful film or programme featuring that landscape.
 
Why does nature have such a positive effect?
Part of nature's power lies in its ability to wash away whatever is provoking a lot of our stress, explains Dr. Daily. Slow movements such as the ripples of water or clouds moving across the sky place effortless demands on our working memory but enough to distract us from spiralling rumination, self-blame and hopelessness. Tending to a plant helps us to appreciate the power we have to nurture, and gives us a sense of achievement when the plant flourishes, which Dr. Jorgensen says is particularly important for those struggling with their mental health. According to Dr. White, the benefits are maximised if we can spend a total of two hours a week connecting with nature. The more senses we use - not only sight and sound but also smell, feel and taste - the greater the benefits. ]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52479763

At a time when so many of us are facing a heightened sense of threat as well as deep worries about our future, can nature lift our spirits?
"Our current crisis has switched us out of normal existence and into survival mode," says Dr. Anna Jorgensen, who researches the connection between environment and wellbeing at the University of Sheffield. 
With far more people unable to work, or working from home, many have been inspired to explore nature in their neighbourhood as they refocus on their immediate surroundings. As factory and car emissions have declined, there are fewer tiny particles in the air, so it's easier to see beyond built-up areas and to the stars in the night sky. Less city noise also highlights the sounds of birds. There is also greater interest in gardening.

Can experiences in nature help us manage stress and anxiety?
While the impact of experiencing nature on our physical health is less well documented, a wealth of studies have demonstrated the positive effects of the natural world on our mental health. Even a brief nature fix - 10 minutes of wind brushing across our cheek, or the sun on our skin - can lower stress, explains Dr. Mathew White, from the University of Exeter. If we immerse ourselves in beautiful landscapes, like a rich coastline or a wild forest teeming with an array of species, we feel more intense emotions, he adds. Connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised, with an increased sense of meaning and purpose, as well as making tasks seem more manageable. Nature-based activities, such as gardening and farming, have been used as part of mental health treatments around the world for centuries.
 
Sounds have a particular power to evoke memory, according to PhD researcher Alex Smalley. Your feelings can be enhanced by listening to recordings of natural sounds, such as crashing waves or squawks of forest birds, after you've experienced them in person or watched a powerful film or programme featuring that landscape.
 
Why does nature have such a positive effect?
Part of nature's power lies in its ability to wash away whatever is provoking a lot of our stress, explains Dr. Daily. Slow movements such as the ripples of water or clouds moving across the sky place effortless demands on our working memory but enough to distract us from spiralling rumination, self-blame and hopelessness. Tending to a plant helps us to appreciate the power we have to nurture, and gives us a sense of achievement when the plant flourishes, which Dr. Jorgensen says is particularly important for those struggling with their mental health. According to Dr. White, the benefits are maximised if we can spend a total of two hours a week connecting with nature. The more senses we use - not only sight and sound but also smell, feel and taste - the greater the benefits. ]]>