The world of science is flooded with new developments day by day. Read on to find the biggest and most amazing science news that made it to headlines of science journals in the month of June, 2020.
Temperature in Siberian Town Soars to a New High
Global warming had badly affected Siberia, which is one of the coldest regions on the surface of planet Earth. The region has been experiencing unusually warm temperatures since the start of 2020. In the month of June 2020, a Siberian town set a new record for the hottest temperature of the region.
The small Siberian town of Verkhoyansk has recorded a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in the latter half of June, 2020. Verkhoyansk is located on the Yana River in the Arctic Circle, and is known to experience extreme low temperatures in winters. While the average June temperatures of the region hover around 68 degrees, this year it has seen a record high. This new high is alarming, according to climate researchers and scientists. They feel that there is a need to conduct more studies on this phenomenon.
Hummingbirds can see colors that humans can’t
It is fascinating to watch hummingbirds flapping their wings very fast. They can fly backwards, or even upside down. But the most unique characteristic of this tiny bird is none of these. A new research study has found that hummingbirds can recognize colors that humans cannot.
Our ability to sense colors comes from the color cones in the retina. Human eyes have three types of color cones which enable the recognition of trichromatic colors, made from a blend of red, blue and green. But hummingbirds have an additional color cone that helps them to recognize ultraviolet light. So they can see an ultraviolet version of the colors that we see. The world must be looking wonderful through the eyes of a hummingbird!
Japan’s Fugaku is the world’s fastest supercomputer
Fugaku, the supercomputer being installed at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Japan has earned the title of being the fastest supercomputer. This ambitious project was conceptualized a decade back, and now it is ready to be launched. A complete launch of this supercomputer will happen in April 2021.
Even before the official launch, Fugaku is being put to work on the coronavirus crisis. It has run simulations on how the virus spreads in closed spaces and how fast it spreads. It is also trying to identify potential drug combinations that can control the spread of the virus.
Antarctic Penguins Happy When Ice Melts
Until now, we have always read about the adverse effects of global warming, and how the melting of ice in Polar Regions is affecting animals. Here is some amazing science news that there are animals which are happy with melting ice.
A recent research finding has found out that the Antarctic Adelie penguins are happier when the sea ice melts more. Researchers know this for a fact that the population of penguins increase when the sea ice is less. But they did not know the reasons for this till now.
A group of researchers from the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan tagged GPS devices to 175 penguins to study their behavior. They found out that penguins can travel faster by swimming than by walking. When there is less ice, they can dive into water and swim as much as they want.
Lesser ice also means that the penguins will face lesser competition for their catch of krill, which is their favorite food. When more ice melts, more sunlight enters water, which leads to an increase in the quantity of plankton, which krill feeds on. So the penguins feed more, travel more, and reproduce more, when the ice is less. Really happy feet, right?
These were some amazing science news pieces that we saw in the month of June. Watch out for the latest News every month.
