Weekly Science Picks

It’s amazing how diverse this week has been. It brought us a lot of exciting stories, but, for this occasion, we choose only several of them. For example, what especially attracted our attention are some news from physics, the science of mindfulness, the facts about Ebola and very surprising findings about a death of Richard III. Well, it’s our time to present you all these interesting information. Let’s start with our review.

Resilience: How to train a tougher mind

Tuesday, 11 September 2001. Lisa Siegman was in her first year as principal of Public School 3 (PS 3) in downtown Manhattan. Up on the fourth floor, the fifth-graders’ classroom looked directly towards the World Trade Center. “They had a perfect view of the towers,” Lisa says. “The kids saw people jumping. People were running into the halls of the school, just doubled over.”

Richard III died in battle after losing helmet, new research shows

Professor Guy Rutty, from the University of Leicester, said: “The most likely injuries to have caused the king’s death are the two to the inferior aspect of the skull – a large sharp force trauma possibly from a sword or staff weapon, such as a halberd or bill, and a penetrating injury from the tip of an edged weapon.

Genetic evolution: how the Ebola virus changes and adapts

The current outbreak of Ebola virus in West Africa is unprecedented in size, with nearly 4,800 confirmed or probable cases and more than 2,400 deaths. People have been infected in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal.

Scientists twist radio beams to send data: Transmissions reach speeds of 32 gigibits per second

Researchers twist four radio beams together to achieve high data transmission speeds. The researchers reached data transmission rates of 32 gigabits per second across 2.5 meters of free space in a basement lab. For reference, 32 gigabits per second is fast enough to transmit more than 10 hour-and-a-half-long HD movies in one second and is 30 times faster than LTE wireless.

This week is finishing and the next one is coming, so please stay curious and scientifically passionate. We are coming with new stories!