See PopSci’s updated post for more Wuhan coronavirus news. Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia, announced Jan. 29 that they were able to grow the Wuhan coronavirus from a patient sample in the laboratory. This was the first time the virus had been grown in a lab outside China. This is good news, since it will allow researchers to quickly develop new diagnostic tests for the virus, which will be essential if scientists want to be able to track its spread across China and the rest of the globe....

As the name suggests, an inversion occurs when the vertical temperature profile of air flips. Temperatures usually drop higher up into the troposphere, the atmosphere’s base and, weather-wise, the most happening layer. There, lower atmospheric pressure and the ground’s natural ability to absorb heat from the sun during sunlit hours keep air warm. But during an inversion, aided by snow cover and still winds, warm air may ascend above cold air and trap it underneath....

But the best part is that you can make one too with a little soldering, coding, drilling ,and carving. There’s nothing we like more than spending hours on a cool, tech-y DIY project that is only appropriate for one day out of the year. Unfortunately there probably isn’t enough time to do all of this before costumed children arrive at your doorstep. Halloween 2013, anyone? Check out Pryor’s tutorial for Pumpktris here....

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A recent study out in PLOS ONE found that good old peer pressure may be why Americans go to such great lengths to keep their yards looking sharp. Surveying over 7,000 households across six distinct climates—Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, and Los Angeles—the study found that respondents who knew more neighbors by name were nine percent more likely to irrigate and fertilize their lawns. “The quintessential American lawn is produced and reproduced because people want to fit in and not be ostracized,” says Dexter Locke, the author of the study and a research social scientist with the USDA Forest Service....

Until now, the oldest confirmed fungal fossils dated to around 450 million years ago—about the same time that plants migrated from sea to land. One of the most famous fossilized fungi from this period is the Prototaxites, which could grow up to eight meters tall—leading to its misidentification for many years as a tree. But previous examination of the fungal “molecular clock,” using DNA-based methods, suggested that fungi may have evolved much earlier, between 760 million and 1....

The Body Glide Anti-Chafe Balm is a great way to protect any part of your body from the dreaded effects of chafing. If your thighs rub together, if your backpack irritates your shoulders, if your armpits hit your surfboard, if your chest rubs against your shirt, then this is going to be the balm for you. Just rub the stick over any area you think might need attention before you get dressed and you’ll be ready to roll....

Right now, Apple provides these tools and resources to about 5,000 members in its Apple Authorized Service Providers network, but the new program would extend those courtesies to repair shops in the United States. There are some catches, however. Shops have to apply to the program and Apple can reject applicants without explicitly explaining why. Once a shop gains entry to the program, it will have to follow some specific requirements set by the mothership....

The elegant idea behind AirPower was to charge your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch all at once, no matter where you put them on the surface of the pad. There are multi-device wireless chargers out there like the Samsung Duo, but they often require you to place specific devices on certain areas of the pad to accommodate different charging requirements, like wattage. The power needs of a smart watch are considerably different than those of a juice-hungry smartphone that wants ample watts to quick-charge its bigger battery....

The change is available now to developers who download iOS 10 beta 4, although I should note that software is not designed for the general public, but rather app creators looking to get their own software ready and working in time for the fall release of iOS 10. But if you do install iOS 10 beta 4, the revolver is gone and a green squirt gun with an orange tip appears in its place....

If you’re a climate scientist, you are likely to hear the same question, again and again, from inquiring minds at weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthday parties and cocktail hours: Are we screwed? It’s a fair query. Experts have put forward a litany of bleak scientific reports outlining what climate change means for the future of life on Earth—forests incinerated by wildfires, farms laid bare by drought, cities submerged under rising seas....

In this recent study, they grew substitute organs out of bladder cells taken from 23 animals, cultivated the cells in a biodegradable scaffold, and then implanted them back into the test subjects. Six months after the surgery, the regenerated bladders were the same size as the originals, and worked effectively, too. Next the company hopes to start clinical trials in 2009. Check the videos of how it works here. Via MedGadget

Viruses have been the talk of the town this past year, and for good reason. A fairly deadly one—SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19—has found its way to every corner of the globe. This pandemic has shown just how dangerous viruses can be, and it’s definitely not the first to do so. But the world isn’t necessarily black and white, and viruses are no different. So in this episode of Ask Us Anything, I’m excited to give a spotlight to the do-gooders of the virus world....

At first glance, a volcano’s hot lava seems ideal for incinerating our trash. But, like so many things in science, it’s so much more complicated than that. And the short answer is, the effort might not be worth the reward. If you did try to turn a volcano into a dump, you would likely run into a number of obstacles. First, humans produce a lot of trash. Americans alone generate, on average, about 4....

When using muscular avatars in a virtual reality spin studio, participants completed an intense workout more easily than when they used avatars with less-defined musculature, according to a small study presented at the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in May. The effect wasn’t just mental: participants embodying the muscular avatars also had lower heart rates during workouts than when they embodied avatars designed with lower percentages of muscle and higher percentages of body fat....

Canister vacuums can be moved around easily because the weight is distributed between the canister and the powerhead. That way, you’re not lifting the entire vacuum around as you clean. Plus, the attached wand and hose give you more extension for hard-to-reach spots such as blinds, curtains, and overhead fixtures. This extra-long reach even makes them well suited for cleaning the interior of your car. Because of their maneuverability, canister vacuums work great on all types of hard flooring and are perfect for getting dust bunnies that accumulate under raised furniture....

Best overall: PetFusion Ultimate BedBest for small dogs: FuzzBall Fluffy Luxe BedBest for calming your dog: BarkBox Memory Foam BedBest for chewers: Kuranda Bed – Chewproof DesignBest orthopedic: Furhaven Orthopedic CertiPUR-US Certified Foam BedBest washable: Newton Baby Washable & Orthopedic Pet BedBest budget: MidWest Homes for Pets Bolster Bed How we chose the best dog beds As a dog lover myself, I combined my own experience, as well as that of other PopSci contributors familiar with dog products, into my search....

Best overall: Philips Momentum 559M1RYVBest budget gaming monitor Gigabyte AORUS FV43UBest 1440p 144Hz monitor: LG 32GK650F-BBest 4K gaming monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG289QBest TV: LG C2 OLED How we selected the best monitors for Xbox Series X Through testing, reading monitor reviews, and a lifetime of experience in both console and PC gaming, we surveyed modern monitors on the market right now and drilled down on those capable of showcasing the Xbox Series X’s graphical specs....

Best airless: Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer Best HVLP: Wagner Spraytech Control Spray MaxBest cart: Graco Magnum Prox19 Cart Paint Sprayer Best for your car: Wagner Spraytech MotoCoat Complete Sprayer Best budget: Astro Pneumatic Tool 4008 Spray Gun With Cup Things to consider when picking a paint spray gun to cover walls, ceilings, furniture, and more Whether you’ve never used a paint gun before, or you’re just looking to try a new model, finding the best paint spray gun for your needs can be a bit tricky....