Science News Roundup: Climate change is a huge threat to humanity, says Nobel laureate in physics Parisi; Russian actor takes to the skies for world premiere: a movie in space and more

Here is a summary of scientific news briefs.

Climate change is a huge threat to humanity, says Nobel laureate in physics Parisi

Climate change is a “huge threat” to humanity and it is very important that governments act as quickly as possible, Italian Nobel laureate in physics Giorgio Parisi told reporters on Tuesday. “I am very happy to have this Nobel because it is a recognition of the whole field in which I have worked”, added Parisi.

Russian actor flies off for world premiere: a film in space

A Russian actress and director flew to the International Space Station on Tuesday, beating Tom Cruise in the race to shoot the first film in space. The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft is expected to dock at 12:12 GMT at the station, which orbits Earth at an altitude of about 220 miles (354 km).

From Soundstage to Space: “Star Trek” Actor Shatner on Board for Blue Origin Rocket Launch

William Shatner, the “Star Trek” actor who rose to fame by claiming a Hollywood soundstage was a spaceship exploring the galaxy, will be launched to the edge of space for real next week in a rocket built by Blue Origin, the space company of billionaire Jeff Bezos. Shatner, better known as Captain Kirk in the original “Star Trek” television series, will be part of a crew of four aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard launcher on the flight scheduled for the morning of October 12, a the company announced on Monday. .

Robots improve the speed of Greece’s postal service

There’s a new addition to the Greek Postal Service: a fleet of yellow robots sorting mail. Fifty-five small, autonomous four-wheeled mobile robots – or AMRs – powered by artificial intelligence, glide around Hellenic Post’s sorting center in Athens, speeding up an often arduous process.

Barbie astronaut doll takes off in zero gravity

A Barbie doll version of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took to the skies on a weightless flight in an effort to inspire young girls to consider careers in space and science, technology, math and engineering (STEM). On the occasion of World Space Week October 4-10, which this year celebrates women in space, toy maker Mattel Inc has partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Cristoforetti, who is currently training for his next mission to the International Space Station. next april.

Trio wins Nobel Prize in physics for their work in deciphering chaotic climate

Japanese-American Syukuro Manabe, German Klaus Hasselmann and Italian Giorgio Parisi won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for work that helps understand complex physical systems such as Earth’s climate change. In a move hailed by the United Nations meteorological agency as a sign of consensus around man-made global warming, half the price of 10 million Swedish kronor ($ 1.15 million) goes equally in Manabe, 90, and Hasselmann, 89. , to model the Earth’s climate and reliably predict global warming.

Former Indonesian woman reshapes views on spread of early humans

Genetic traces in the body of a young woman who died 7,000 years ago provide the first clue that the mixing between the first humans of Indonesia and those of distant Siberia took place much earlier than previously thought previously. Theories on the first human migrations in Asia could be transformed by research published in the scientific journal Nature in August, after analysis of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), or genetic fingerprint, of the woman who received a burial ritual in an Indonesian cave. .

Creators of precision tools for building molecules win Nobel Prize in chemistry

Germany’s Benjamin List and Scottish David MacMillan won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for the development of new tools for building molecules that have helped make new drugs and are more environmentally friendly. Their work on asymmetric organocatalysis, which the winning organization described as “a new and ingenious tool for building molecules,” also contributed to the development of plastics, fragrances and aromas.

Two Americans win Nobel Prize in medicine for their work on heat and touch

US scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine on Monday for the discovery of receptors in the skin that sense temperature and touch and could pave the way for new pain relievers. Their work, conducted independently, has helped show how humans convert the physical impact of heat or touch into nerve impulses that allow us to “perceive and adapt to the world around us,” said L Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)