FAA: SpaceX requests launch amid ongoing disaster investigation

FAA: SpaceX requests launch amid ongoing disaster investigation

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) SpaceX has filed a request that would allow another Starship launch while earlier disaster investigations are still open. The FAA is currently investigating the third Starship test flight, similar to the investigations that were launched after the first two tests. In a statement sent to ValleyCentral, the FAA stated that on April … Read more

Cracking the genetic code for COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness

Cracking the genetic code for COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness

A medical assistant prepares a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to administer to a patient. Credit: Public domain image courtesy of Lisa Ferdinando, US Department of Defense Researchers have uncovered critical insights into how our genetic makeup affects the body’s response to COVID-19 vaccines. The study, published in Nature Communicationsmay open new paths to personalized … Read more

The Schuylkill has become much cleaner, but sewage spills still plague it

Kianna Bingham of Councimember Jamie Gauthier's office (front); Nathan Boon, of the William Penn Foundation (left front); Dave Corddry at the helm; Philadelphia Councilmember Mark Squilla (rear left); and, Nick Pagon of Riverways Collaborative (rear, right) on boat tour of the Schuylkill.

Kianna Bingham sat in the boat as it scraped along the river under the South Street Bridge. To her left, the Schuylkill Banks boardwalk stretched out, and the towering skyscrapers of University City and Center City seemed to hover behind it. This is the first time I’ve seen the river like this, said Bingham, a … Read more

The study reveals that wild birds possess genetic predispositions to learn population-specific songs

The study reveals that wild birds possess genetic predispositions to learn population-specific songs

Graphic abstract. Credit: Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.061 Genetic predispositions drive the learning of population-specific songs in wild birds, a new study from Stockholm University shows. By studying adult hosts that had been moved as eggs from the Netherlands to Sweden, the researchers found that the songs of the relocated birds resembled both their social … Read more

The study reveals that wild birds possess genetic predispositions to learn population-specific songs

The study reveals that wild birds possess genetic predispositions to learn population-specific songs

Graphic abstract. Credit: Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.061 Genetic predispositions drive the learning of population-specific songs in wild birds, a new study from Stockholm University shows. By studying adult hosts that had been moved as eggs from the Netherlands to Sweden, the researchers found that the songs of the relocated birds resembled both their social … Read more

Tunable coupling of two distant superconducting spin qubits

Tunable coupling of two distant superconducting spin qubits

The complete chip mounted on a printed circuit board. Credit: Pita-Vidal, Wesdorp et al. Quantum computers, computing devices that use the principles of quantum mechanics, can outperform classical computing in some complex optimization and processing tasks. In quantum computers, the classical units of information (bits), which can have the value 1 or 0, are replaced … Read more

Stroke genetics: HTRA1-independent mechanisms increase risk, study shows

Stroke genetics: HTRA1-independent mechanisms increase risk, study shows

Analytical workflow of human phenotypes associated with rare and common HTRA1 variants. Credit: Cardiovascular Nature Research (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00475-3 Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and coronary artery disease, are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Classic risk factors include age, personal lifestyle and pre-existing conditions, but genetic predisposition also plays a role. “Genome-wide association studies … Read more