FIVE SCIENCE TOPICS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

1

TINY STATUETTE THE ORIGIN OF CHINESE ART

A tiny statue of a bird carved from burnt bone 13,500 years ago reveals the origins of Chinese art, embodying a style different from prehistoric three-dimensional artwork by people elsewhere, researchers say. The figurine, 1.5 cm long,

found in Henan Province in China, was crafted using stone tools employing abrasion, gouging, scraping and incision.

2

WORLD’S LARGEST GREEN TURTLE COLONY NEARLY TWICE AS BIG AS THOUGHT The world’s largest population

of nesting green turtles is nearly twice as big as thought, Australian scientists said Wednesday, after drone-enabled surveys. About 64,000 green turtles were waiting to lay eggs

on Raine Island, on the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef.

3

EMBRYO-LIKE RESEARCH MODEL MADE FROM HUMAN

STEM CELLS Scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to create an embryo-like research model. The model overcomes some of the ethical restrictions on

using human embryos for research and will allow scientists to study a period of early human development known as the “black box” period, which they say has never been directly observed before.

4

SEASONALITY OF THE

CORONAVIRUS Evidence about the effect of weather on the new virus is mixed. One study of 221 Chinese cities found that temperature, humidity and daylight did not affect speed of spread. Two other studies did find an effect, including a look at new infections in 47 countries that linked higher temperatures to slower transmission in such places as the Philippines, Australia and Brazil. Another study of 117 countries found that each one-degree of latitude increase in distance from the equator was associated with a

2.6 per cent drop in cases.

5

POLLEN, ALLERGIES

AND THE VIRUS

A study in the Netherlands of all “flu-like” illnesses, including COVID-19, in recent years concludes that pollen concentrations are a predictor of respiratory disease trends. Clouds of pollen act as air filters, snagging virus particles, and pollen activates immune responses, even in people without overt allergies. The study found that flu-like illness started to drop when pollen in the air reached 610 grains per cubic metre, a typical level from early spring to October in

most middle latitudes.