Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily

1. Better understanding of soft artificial muscles
   Artificial muscles will power the soft robots and wearable devices of the future. But more needs to be understood about the underlying mechanics of these powerful structures in order to design and build new devices. Now, researchers have uncovered some of the fundamental physical properties of artificial muscle fibers.

   
2. Amazon deforestation and number of fires show summer of 2019 not a 'normal' year
   The perceived scale of the Amazon blazes received global attention this summer. However, international concerns raised at the time were countered by the Brazilian Government, which claimed the fire situation in August was 'normal' and 'below the historical average'. An international team of scientists writing in the journal Global Change Biology say the number of active fires in August was actually three times higher than in 2018 and the highest number since 2010.

   
3. Link between inflammation and mental sluggishness shown in new study
   Scientists have uncovered a possible explanation for the mental sluggishness that often accompanies illness.

   
4. Ketogenic diet helps tame flu virus
   A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet like the Keto regimen has its fans, but influenza apparently isn't one of them. Mice fed a ketogenic diet were better able to combat the flu virus than mice fed food high in carbohydrates, according to a new study.

   
5. Plants use a single communication route when developing new chloroplasts
   When a plant begins growing its first leaves, it is in a race for survival to build its chloroplasts. Research reveals that a chain of communication from the developing chloroplast to the cell's central DNA center, the nucleus, is controlled in-part by a protein that defied characterization for the past quarter-century and there is also a role for a molecule recently made famous by the plant-based 'meat' industry: plant heme.