· Overseas academic circles
Musk was elected a member of the American Academy of Engineering, and Chinese mainland 2 scholars were elected as foreign academicians
There are 2 Chinese mainland scholars elected as foreign academicians, namely: Fang Daining, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, vice president of Beijing Institute of Technology, and expert in the field of materials and structural mechanics; Zhang Hongjiang, one of the founders of Microsoft Research Asia, chairman of Beijing Zhiyuan Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, senior consultant of Carlyle Investment Group, and expert in artificial intelligence and multimedia computing. NAE recognizes engineers who develop innovative approaches to engineering education, make significant contributions to engineering research practices, or pioneer emerging and traditional technologies. （NAE）
· Space accidents
40 satellites of the Starlink fell into the atmosphere due to solar activity and burned down
The Sociedad de Astronomia del Caribe reported that it captured burning footage of space debris falling into the atmosphere over Puerto Rico on Feb. 7, believed to be part of the constellation of satellites. （The Guardian，Space.com）
· Controlled nuclear fusion
The European Joint Ring Reactor breaks the record for sustained energy output from nuclear fusion
The ratio of fusion energy output to energy input that maintains the plasma state is called Q. So far, no experiment has produced more energy than the energy input. If researchers can use nuclear fusion to produce more energy than it inputs, it is expected to provide nearly unlimited clean energy. JET's latest experiment has a Q of 0.33, but using a similar design, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is scheduled to begin experimenting in 2025, will be able to meet the design goal of Q = 10, which is to output 10 times the input energy. The researchers point out that this technology validation is an important step towards ITER's ultimate goal. （Nature News）
· Marine pollution
Improperly discarded surgical masks threaten marine ecosystems and food chains
Researchers are collecting discarded masks at the beach. Image credit: City University of Hong Kong
The research team at the City University of Hong Kong found that improper disposal of surgical masks can cause severe microplastic pollution, and that heavily polluted seawater can fill more than 54 800 Olympic-sized swimming pools each year, affecting the growth and reproduction of marine life and food chains. The team immersed the mask in a bottle filled with artificial seawater and used a mechanical shaker to shake it continuously for 9 days to simulate the natural process of releasing microplastics from discarded masks. The research team estimates through analysis that surgical masks improperly discarded in 2020 released more than 1370 trillion microplastic particles in the coastal marine environment.
· astronomy
The first direct observation of the last moments of the accretion planetary debris of a white dwarf
· Outbreak notification
On 9 February, there were 29 new confirmed cases in the mainland, including 7 indigenous cases
According to the official website of the National Health Commission, at 0-24:00 on February 9, 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 29 new confirmed cases. Among them, there were 22 imported cases (9 cases in Guangdong, 8 cases in Shanghai, 2 cases in Jilin, 1 case in Zhejiang, 1 case in Fujian, and 1 case in Guangxi), including 2 cases from asymptomatic infected people to confirmed cases (1 case in Guangdong and 1 case in Guangxi); 7 local cases (all in Baise City, Guangxi); 28 new asymptomatic infected people, including 27 cases imported from abroad and 1 case from local (in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province). As of 24:00 on February 9, the mainland has reported a cumulative total of 106 663 confirmed cases and 4636 cumulative deaths. (National Health Commission)
Authors: Ruan Xueming, Zhou Yang, Li Xiaoxing, Zheng Xinyuan, Wu Dake
Edit: Wu Dake
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