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News: June 2020

Noisy humans make birds sleep with one eye open – but lockdown offered a reprieve

Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for your well-being, as any new parent will tell you. Chronic sleep loss can have a range of effects on the body, from impaired memory to an increased risk of heart attack . But it’s not just humans that need regular sleep. Most animals, from insects to primates, undergo a state of reduced awareness at some point in their day that we can think of as sleep . This article by Graeme Shannon , Lecturer in Zoology, School of Natural Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Publication date: 25 June 2020

Coronavirus: wastewater can tell us where the next outbreak will be

Fairly early in the COVID-19 outbreak, scientists discovered that the virus that causes the disease – SARS-CoV-2 – is shed in faeces . But unlike the virus found in mucus and spit, the bits of virus found in faecal matter are no longer infectious, having lost their protective outer layer. They are merely bits of RNA – the virus’s genetic material. But these bits of RNA are very useful because they allow us to track outbreaks through the wastewater system. This article By Prof Davey Jones of the School of Natural Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Publication date: 9 June 2020

Coming of age in 2020 – the summer without exams or school proms

The transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by humans in a wide variety of ways across the world. Many of these “coming of age” celebrations are held at puberty. For instance, the filing of front teeth in Bali is said to ease the “sad ripu” or six evils of lust, greed, wrath, pride, jealousy and intoxication. In contrast, the Jewish bar mitzvah marks the point at which children are deemed to be responsible for their own actions. This article by Isabelle Catherine Winder , School of Natural Sciences and Gwyndaf Roberts , and Vivien Shaw , School of Medical Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Publication date: 8 June 2020

A new research centre to study the growing problem of plastic waste

A new research Centre has been established at Bangor Universty to study the growing problem of plastic waste. The Plastic Research Centre of Wales (PRC Wales) is the first of its kind in the country and brings together a wide variety of academics, students, organisations and industries.

Publication date: 4 June 2020

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