Science journalist Debora MacKenzie in her first book investigates the rapidly developing Covid-19 story up to June 2020. She addresses several basic scientific questions on how the virus got started; when it was first identified; and what steps were taken to impede its progression.
In his book, Paul Halpern uses a surprising pairing of characters as the focal point of his investigations into the physics of mysterious actions, namely the pioneering theoretician of quantum mechanics Wolfgang Pauli (1900–58) and the eminent psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961).
Graphene and other two-dimensional materials can be given a host of exciting new properties, including superconductivity and magnetism, as Jon Evans discovers. Read the C&I magazine feature article.
Techniques to bring tiny amounts of reactant together – such as ultrasonic levitation – are helping researchers to understand the fine details of reactions. Lou Reade reports. Read the C&I magazine feature.
The earliest agricultural civilisations in the Middle East were built around managing mountain water supplies, holding back water to irrigate lowland areas. Mountain water is still critical in many regions. But it is increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change, Anthony King reports. Read the feature article in C&I Magazine.
Supercapacitors are super-fast in charge transfer, can quickly respond to changing energy demands and they can also be made flexible and wearable. The next challenge is to make them super-sustainable. Michael Gross reports. Read the feature story in C&I magazine.
Scientists in the US have discovered a powerful anti-fungal compound from a bacteria isolated from a sea squirt collected in the Florida Keys (Science, 2020, 370, 974). Read more in C&I magazine.
The pungent aromas of cheeses have surprising effects on microbes, researchers in the US report. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be generated by fungi on the rinds of smelly cheeses such as camembert. Now, researchers report that fungal volatiles influence bacterial communities present in the cheese. Read the C&I news article.
The ability of bacteria to evolve resistance is outpacing the ability to generate effective drugs from traditional sources of antibiotics such as moulds and soil. Now, scientists in the US have compiled the first comprehensive review of plant natural products that play a role in antibacterial activity. Read the C&I magazine article.
Plans to build a huge solar and wind farm stretching over 6500km2 in north-western Australia’s Pilbara desert are moving apace. In October 2020, the Australian government gave the Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) project ‘Major Project Status,’ which will allow it to fast-track through regulatory approval processes.