TRENDING Coronavirus Live Updates Coronavirus forums Coronavirus in U.S. Podcast Live Science Gear! Live Science is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Will COVID-19 die down in summer? New tests could help answer that. By Stephanie Pappas - Live Science Contributor 9 hours ago Physicists test empty coronavirus shells under different weather conditions. Comments (0) Stylized SEM of the SARS coronavirus. (Image: © MedicalRF.com/Getty Images) Empty, mocked-up shells of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may help explain how well the virus stands up to heat, humidity and other environmental changes. Advertisement The research, just launched by physicists at The University of Utah, is designed to help public health officials understand how the new coronavirus will react as the seasons change. One major question about the virus, which causes a disease called COVID-19, is whether summer will do anything to slow the spread. Related: How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu? "Coronavirus spreads similarly to the influenza virus — as small mucus droplets suspended in the air … Viruses lose infectivity because the particles lose structural integrity," University of Utah physicist Saveez Saffarian said in a statement. "The physics of how the droplets evolve in different temperature and humidity conditions affect how infectious it is." Along with physicist Michael Vershinin, Saffarian has just received a nearly $200,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study how the virus's protective outer shell responds to changes in heat and humidity. Viruses are not able to "do anything" on their own, as they are simply shells with genetic instructions tucked inside; when a virus invades a host's cells, it uses that cell's machinery to replicate itself, over and over again. Related: 13 Coronavirus myths busted by science The research involves working with dummy versions of the virus's protective outer shell. Using the sequenced genome of SARS-CoV-2, the researchers are building synthetic versions of these shells, with no viral genomes inside. This makes the shells uninfectious and safe to work with. "We're making a faithful replica of the virus packaging that holds everything together," Vershinin said in the statement. "The idea is to figure out what makes this virus fall apart, what makes it tick, what makes it die." To manipulate the nano-sized dummy particles, Vershinin's lab uses a tool called optical tweezers — essentially, focused beams of light. The light's energy can be directed to move and probe individual molecules. Saffarian studies RNA viruses on a broader scale and is an expert in lab techniques that can track individual viral particles. The researchers said they hope to find out how well the virus will transmit in different conditions, from outdoors in summer heat to indoors in air-conditioned offices. This could influence how long social distancing and lockdown policies will need to be in place. Advertisement "This is not a vaccine," Vershinin said. "It won't solve the crisis, but it will hopefully inform policy decisions going forward." The 9 deadliest viruses on Earth 28 devastating infectious diseases 11 surprising facts about the respiratory system

The Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) is a NASA funded project supported by the Near Earth Object Observation Program (NEOO) under the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO). Astronomers from The Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) have announced that Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. Discovery has made on the night of 15/Feb/2020 by two colleagues astronomers Teddy Pruyne and Kacper Wierzchos. According to the astronomers, the Earth‘s new companion has an erratic orbit but there’s little cause for concern: it’s only about the size of compact car. Wierzchos calculated that the asteroid is between 1.9 and 3.5 meters in diameter.

An amazing footage has been caught during the broadcast of the ISS. A Rhombus shaped object was shown by the camera of the international space station, while NASA performed a live broadcast, the tracking of the solid object for the approx 22 minutes, until the UFO walked away from orbit heading towards to deep space. On February 22, 2020, Earth Orbit, International Space Station. Thanks For NASA Link of 22 min full footage: https://youtu.be/qVASOH875sQ

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2267504/The-sealed-bottle-garden-thriving-40-years-fresh-air-water.html THis is how we can grow food up there