life

Turkey reports 50 new COVID-19 deaths as it prepares to return to normal life

Total fatalities stand at 3,739, while infections number 137,115. According to figures posted on Twitter by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, 89,480 patients have recovered.




life

COVID-19 patient ends life

60-year-old was being treated at SevenHills




life

Mother’s Day: 5 apps that can make a mother’s life easier




life

Solution scattering at the Life Science X-ray Scattering (LiX) beamline

This work reports the instrumentation and software implementation at the Life Science X-ray Scattering (LiX) beamline at NSLS-II in support of biomolecular solution scattering. For automated static measurements, samples are stored in PCR tubes and grouped in 18-position sample holders. Unattended operations are enabled using a six-axis robot that exchanges sample holders between a storage box and a sample handler, transporting samples from the PCR tubes to the X-ray beam for scattering measurements. The storage box has a capacity of 20 sample holders. At full capacity, the measurements on all samples last for ∼9 h. For in-line size-exclusion chromatography, the beamline-control software coordinates with a commercial high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system to measure multiple samples in batch mode. The beamline can switch between static and HPLC measurements instantaneously. In all measurements, the scattering data span a wide q-range of typically 0.006–3.2 Å−1. Functionalities in the Python package py4xs have been developed to support automated data processing, including azimuthal averaging, merging data from multiple detectors, buffer scattering subtraction, data storage in HDF5 format and exporting the final data in a three-column text format that is acceptable by most data analysis tools. These functionalities have been integrated into graphical user interfaces that run in Jupyter notebooks, with hooks for external data analysis software.




life

Planets form around many star types, but intelligent life is probably rare

Koenig and his colleagues examined an area of space called W5, which lies about 6,500 light-years away toward the constellation Cassiopeia—about 6 trillion miles. Their research indicates the prospects for hypothetical alien life there are disappointing.

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Only large, fast-flying bats can handle life in the big city; small bats can’t adapt

Bats living in the dense urban area of Panama City, the scientists learned, represent just a small fraction of the roughly 25 species of high-flying insectivorous bats found in Panama’s rainforests.

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Urban songbirds adjust melodies to adapt to life in the big city, Smithsonian scientists find

For the first time, researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center analyzed how songbirds are affected by both general noise and the acoustics of hard human-made surfaces in urban areas.

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Largest snake the world has ever seen is being brought back to life by Smithsonian Channel

Slithering in at 48 feet long and weighing an estimated one-and-a-half tons, the largest snake the world has ever seen is being brought back to […]

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life

With no credit to Cupid, white-naped crane couples remain faithful for life

Chris Crowe, keeper of the National Zoo’s 15 white-naped cranes, is well acquainted with the strong attachments these graceful Asian birds form with their mates.

The post With no credit to Cupid, white-naped crane couples remain faithful for life appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




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New evidence of extraterrestrial life may come from dying stars

Even dying stars could host planets with life – and if such life exists, we might be able to detect it within the next decade. […]

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  • Science & Nature
  • Space
  • astronomy
  • astrophysics
  • Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
  • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory


life

Harsh space weather dooms life on red-dwarf planets

Life in the universe might be even rarer than we thought. Recently, astronomers looking for potentially habitable worlds have targeted red dwarf stars because they […]

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life

Comet probe set to answer ancient question of life on earth

A few images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko just sent back by the European spaceship Rosetta appear to be a snowboarder’s dream: pristine slopes covered in powder. […]

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life

This simple trick helped fix a wildlife water shortage in Cambodia

It is a simple solution to a wildlife water shortage. During the annual dry season [November through April] in a protected forest in eastern Cambodia, […]

The post This simple trick helped fix a wildlife water shortage in Cambodia appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

Interstellar Seeds Could Create Oases of Life

We only have one example of a planet with life: Earth. But within the next generation, it should become possible to detect signs of life […]

The post Interstellar Seeds Could Create Oases of Life appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




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Drought slows wildlife reproduction on California’s Channel Islands

California’s Channel Islands are located dozens of miles west of the state’s coast and surrounded by Pacific waters, yet they too are experiencing the same […]

The post Drought slows wildlife reproduction on California’s Channel Islands appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




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Ghost octopod shows how little we know about deep-sea life

A social media celebrity was born last week when the bright lights and camera of NOAA’s remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer zoomed in on a […]

The post Ghost octopod shows how little we know about deep-sea life appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.





life

Urban Nestwatch: A bird in hand awakens a lifetime of wildlife awareness

Firm though it was, Kaitlyn Wilson’s gentle grip on the rust-brown female cardinal didn’t stop the bird from twisting its head around to deliver a […]

The post Urban Nestwatch: A bird in hand awakens a lifetime of wildlife awareness appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

There’s more to extraterrestrial life than planets in “habitable zone” orbits

Two separate teams of scientists have identified major challenges for the development of life in what has recently become one of the most famous exoplanet […]

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life

In search for life, ultraviolet light may be ultra important

In everyday life, ultraviolet, or UV, light earns a bad reputation for being responsible for sunburns and other harmful effects on humans. However, research suggests […]

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  • Science & Nature
  • Space
  • Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
  • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

life

New book brings Kennewick Man to life

Nearly 20 years since Kennewick Man was serendipitously discovered along the banks of the Columbia River in Washington State, the scientific saga of his life […]

The post New book brings Kennewick Man to life appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

New Book: A History of Life in 100 Fossils

Left-handed snails, giant wombats, spiny trilobites, zombie ants, glyptodonts…these are a few of the fascinating animals and plants whose fossils spring to life across the […]

The post New Book: A History of Life in 100 Fossils appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

Sun-like Star Shows Magnetic Field Critical for Life on the early Earth

Nearly four billion years ago, life arose on Earth. Life appeared because our planet had a rocky surface, liquid water, and a blanketing atmosphere. But […]

The post Sun-like Star Shows Magnetic Field Critical for Life on the early Earth appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

Is Earthly Life Premature From a Cosmic Perspective?

The universe is 13.8 billion years old, while our planet formed just 4.5 billion years ago. Some scientists think this time gap means that life […]

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Glittering, mesmerizing, lifesaving: Hospital exhibit showcases minerals used in medicine

Have an upset stomach? Pop a chalky, chewable antacid. Maybe you’ve got a painful cut or burn. No problem; reach for a healing ointment or […]

The post Glittering, mesmerizing, lifesaving: Hospital exhibit showcases minerals used in medicine appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.



  • Earth Science
  • Science & Nature
  • National Museum of Natural History

life

Tropical Research Institute entomologist David Roubik talks about his life as a scientist based in Panama

"I'm getting paid to do what I like doing," says entomologist David Roubik. He loved nature and being outdoors when he was a kid, and now he does fieldwork in the tropical forests of Panama. He loves to travel, and his research takes him around the world. Can his work, then, be called a job?

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life

If a supernova vaporized our ozone layer, what would happen to life on Earth?

If a supernova vaporized Earth’s ozone layer, what would happen to life in the ocean? Smithsonian biologist Pat Neale shows how UV rays could harm […]

The post If a supernova vaporized our ozone layer, what would happen to life on Earth? appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

Ancient ancestors come to life

See our ancient ancestors come to life through paleoartist John Gurche’s realistic human likenesses for the Smithsonian’s Hall of Human Origins. “The human story is […]

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life

Mass Extinction: Life at the brink

Yellowstone National Park is one of the world’s most protected ecosystems. But that’s still not enough to keep its grizzly bears completely safe. Click here […]

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Museum specimens come to life in new “Skin and Bones” mobile app

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History released a new mobile app “Skin and Bones” Jan. 13. The free app is available for download in […]

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Basque Dance Troupe “Aukeran” at Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Aukeran is a professional dance troupe from Basque country founded in 1997 by Edu Muruamendiaraz. The beautiful and graceful professional dancers have backgrounds in both […]

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  • Art
  • History & Culture
  • Video
  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival


life

Folklife Festival Big Top Rises in D.C.

The circus is coming to the Smithsonian! The Big Top went up on the National Mall this week in preparation for the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife […]

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  • History & Culture
  • Video
  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival

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Marcia Ball at the Folklife Festival

 Blues singer and pianist Marcia Ball performs “Louella” at the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.      

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  • Art
  • History & Culture
  • Video
  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival


life

Study reveals hazards of the high-wire life for bromeliads

Botanists Gerhard Zotz of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Stefan Wester of the University of Oldenburg in Germany decided to take a closer look at these high-wire bromeliads. They were interested to find out how the growth and survival rates of these plants on electrical cables compared to the growth and survival of plants of the same species growing in trees--their natural environment.

The post Study reveals hazards of the high-wire life for bromeliads appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




life

The Encyclopedia of Life is a global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants and other life forms on Earth

The Encyclopedia of Life is an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered. The Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, and Biodiversity Heritage Library joined together to initiate the project, bringing together species and software experts from across the world. Lean more at www.eol.org

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life

Sweet life: tropical plants attract ants with sugary nectar

Scientific inspiration springs from many sources. In the case of Smithsonian botanist David Kenfack, ant bites were the inspiration for a recent paper he co-authored […]

The post Sweet life: tropical plants attract ants with sugary nectar appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.





life

The Secret Life of Orchids – Part II: Pollinators

Orchids are beautiful, but their beauty can be deceiving. Most orchids don’t have any nectar, yet they cheat their pollinators into thinking that they do […]

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The Secret Life of Orchids – Part III: Conservation

Orchids account for 10 percent of the world’s plant species, making them the largest plant family. They act as indicators of the health of ecosystems […]

The post The Secret Life of Orchids – Part III: Conservation appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.





life

Life Elsewhere in Solar System Could Be Different from Life as We Know It

The search for life elsewhere in the solar system and beyond should include efforts to detect what scientists sometimes refer to as weird life -- that is, life with an alternative biochemistry to that of life on Earth -- says a new report from the National Research Council.




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New Report Examines Implications of Growing Gap in Life Span by Income for Entitlement Programs

As the gap in life expectancy between the highest and lowest earners in the U.S. has widened over time, high earners have disproportionately received larger lifetime benefits from government programs such as Social Security and Medicare, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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United States Skilled Technical Workforce Is Inadequate to Compete in Coming Decades - Actions Needed to Improve Education, Training, and Lifelong Learning of Workers

Policymakers, employers, and educational institutions should take steps to strengthen the nation’s skilled technical workforce, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Policies Governing Dual-Use Research in the Life Sciences Are Fragmented - Most Scientists Have Little Awareness of Issues Related to Biosecurity

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines policies and practices governing dual-use research in the life sciences – research that could potentially be misused to cause harm – and its findings identify multiple shortcomings.




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Learning Is a Complex and Active Process That Occurs Throughout the Life Span, New Report Says

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine highlights the dynamic process of learning throughout the life span and identifies frontiers in which more research is needed to pursue an even deeper understanding of human learning.




life

NASA Should Expand the Search for Life in the Universe and Make Astrobiology an Integral Part of its Missions, Says New Report

To advance the search for life in the universe, NASA should support research on a broader range of biosignatures and environments, and incorporate the field of astrobiology into all stages of future exploratory missions, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.