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Methane gas flare and pump jack at an oil well in North DakotaRichard Hamilton Smith/Getty

The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has reached an all-time high. Data from a network of sampling stations operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show concentrations of the potent greenhouse gas are rising, with an accelerating rate of increase. Methane comes from natural sources, such as wetlands, and from human activities, including oil and gas extraction and livestock farming. “Here we are. It’s 2020, and it’s not only not dropping. It’s not level. In fact, it’s one of the fastest growth rates we’ve seen in the last 20 years,” says climate scientist Drew Shindell.

Scientific American | 4 min read

Read more: Methane leaks from US gas fields dwarf government estimates (Nature, from 2018)

Reference: NOAA report

Open-source machine-learning can now cut the time it takes to complete certain chemical analyses from eight hours to one minute. The software tool, called DP4-AI, takes nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data and automatically suggests the most probable structure from a set of candidates. The tool’s creators say chemists shouldn’t worry that automation will lead them to lose their skills in teasing out what their spectra show. “Calculators have not stopped people doing arithmetic, but rather have allowed people to perform complex arithmetic more quickly and accurately,” says synthetic-chemist Jonathan Goodman.

Chemistry World | 4 min read

Reference: Chemical Science paper

Source: Our World in Data; European CDC - Situation Update Worldwide.

Notable quotable “We’ve managed to get to the life raft. But I’m really unclear how we will get to the shore.” Some nations have managed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but our exit strategy remains unclear, says epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch. Decision makers will have to find the right mix of isolating people with SARS-CoV-2 and tracing their contacts, border restrictions and social distancing. (Science | 5 min read)

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