Today’s top news
Chinese researchers claim to have synthesized the first sample of a “hexagonal diamond”. This diamond is a mysterious and coveted material that is believed to be harder, harder, and chemically stronger than natural diamonds.
Scientists have been debating hexagonal diamonds (in which carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal pattern rather than the cubic lattice found in natural diamonds) for decades. Diamonds were first theorized in 1962 and later discovered in a meteorite that reached Earth from the shattered mantle of a dwarf planet, but the evidence is controversial.
It now appears that three separate research groups have created samples of pure or nearly pure hexagonal diamond. If their findings can be consistently replicated and scaled up, all sorts of new applications could become possible.
trend
Climate change is causing fish to become smaller, according to a surprising new study published in the journal Science. It warns that the transition could worsen fishing losses by 50%.
As ocean temperatures rise, fish are evolving to grow faster and mature earlier, reducing their maximum size. As a result, fisheries catches have declined, leaving critical protein sources on which billions of people depend on a very thin line.
Scientists behind the study say this is another reason to reduce carbon emissions and save millions of tonnes of food production that would otherwise be lost.
3 books to read
Measles resurgence in the US is a frightening sign of what’s to come [Live Science]China develops a clock accurate enough to redefine the second hand [ScienceAlert]GPS is being weaponized in electronic warfare, putting ships at risk [Live Science]
said, said
Word of the day: Zugzwang — This German word, which began as a chess term, is used in psychology and game theory to describe situations in which no matter what move you make, your position gets worse.
Quote of the day: “We are now faced with a 30 million ton problem. We need to determine whether this is a tiny natural leak of ancient carbon or the beginning of a major destabilization.”
Travis Drake, a carbon biogeochemist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), spoke about detecting ancient carbon seeping into the atmosphere from the Congo Basin.
fun and games
Today’s game is Chain Word. This is a bit like another popular word game, but with a science theme.
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