July–September 2020 in science#September

This article lists a number of significant events in science that have occurred in the third quarter of 2020.

Events

=July=

File:Mars_atmosphere.jpg, China, and the United States launch probes to Mars.]]

1 July
Scientist at CERN report that the LHCb experiment has observed a four-charm tetraquark particle never seen before, which is likely to be the first of a previously undiscovered class of particles.{{cite news|url=https://home.cern/news/news/physics/lhcb-discovers-new-type-tetraquark-cern|title=LHCb discovers a new type of tetraquark at CERN |date=1 July 2020|access-date=5 July 2020|work=CERN}}{{cite news|url=https://interestingengineering.com/first-of-its-kind-four-quark-particle-discovered-at-cern|title=First-of-Its-Kind Four Quark Particle Discovered at CERN |date=2 July 2020|access-date=5 July 2020|work=Interesting Engineering}}{{cite journal |title=Observation of structure in the $J/\psi$-pair mass spectrum |date=30 June 2020|arxiv=2006.16957 |last1=collaboration |first1=LHCb |last2=Aaij |first2=R. |last3=Abellán Beteta |first3=C. |last4=Ackernley |first4=T. |last5=Adeva |first5=B. |last6=Adinolfi |first6=M. |last7=Afsharnia |first7=H. |last8=Aidala |first8=C. A. |last9=Aiola |first9=S. |last10=Ajaltouni |first10=Z. |last11=Akar |first11=S. |last12=Albrecht |first12=J. |last13=Alessio |first13=F. |last14=Alexander |first14=M. |last15=Alfonso Albero |first15=A. |last16=Aliouche |first16=Z. |last17=Alkhazov |first17=G. |last18=Alvarez Cartelle |first18=P. |last19=Alves Jr |first19=A. A. |last20=Amato |first20=S. |last21=Amhis |first21=Y. |last22=An |first22=L. |last23=Anderlini |first23=L. |last24=Andreassi |first24=G. |last25=Andreianov |first25=A. |last26=Andreotti |first26=M. |last27=Archilli |first27=F. |last28=Artamonov |first28=A. |last29=Artuso |first29=M. |author-link29=Marina Artuso |last30=Arzymatov |first30=K. |journal=Science Bulletin|volume=65|issue=23|pages=1983–1993|doi=10.1016/j.scib.2020.08.032|pmid=36659056 |bibcode=2020SciBu..65.1983L|s2cid=220265852|display-authors=29 }}
Scientists report that they measured that quantum vacuum fluctuations can influence the motion of macroscopic, human-scale objects for the first time by measuring correlations below the standard quantum limit between the position/momentum uncertainty of the mirrors of LIGO and the photon number/phase uncertainty of light that they reflect.{{cite news |title=Quantum fluctuations can jiggle objects on the human scale |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-quantum-fluctuations-jiggle-human-scale.html |access-date=15 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=LIGO reveals quantum correlations at work in mirrors weighing tens of kilograms |url=https://physicsworld.com/a/ligo-reveals-quantum-correlations-at-work-in-mirrors-weighing-tens-of-kilograms/ |access-date=15 August 2020 |work=Physics World |date=1 July 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=Haocun |last2=McCuller |first2=L. |last3=Tse |first3=M. |last4=Kijbunchoo |first4=N. |last5=Barsotti |first5=L. |last6=Mavalvala |first6=N. |title=Quantum correlations between light and the kilogram-mass mirrors of LIGO |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7814 |pages=43–47 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2420-8 |pmid=32612226 |arxiv=2002.01519 |bibcode=2020Natur.583...43Y |s2cid=211031944 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2420-8 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
2 July – Scientists report that a more infectious SARS-CoV-2 variant with spike protein variant G614 has replaced D614 as the dominant form in the pandemic.{{cite news |title=New, more infectious strain of COVID-19 now dominates global cases of virus: study |url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-infectious-strain-covid-dominates-global.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=medicalxpress.com |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Korber |first1=Bette |last2=Fischer |first2=Will M. |last3=Gnanakaran |first3=Sandrasegaram |last4=Yoon |first4=Hyejin |last5=Theiler |first5=James |last6=Abfalterer |first6=Werner |last7=Hengartner |first7=Nick |last8=Giorgi |first8=Elena E. |last9=Bhattacharya |first9=Tanmoy |last10=Foley |first10=Brian |last11=Hastie |first11=Kathryn M. |last12=Parker |first12=Matthew D. |last13=Partridge |first13=David G. |last14=Evans |first14=Cariad M. |last15=Freeman |first15=Timothy M. |last16=Silva |first16=Thushan I. de |last17=Angyal |first17=Adrienne |last18=Brown |first18=Rebecca L. |last19=Carrilero |first19=Laura |last20=Green |first20=Luke R. |last21=Groves |first21=Danielle C. |last22=Johnson |first22=Katie J. |last23=Keeley |first23=Alexander J. |last24=Lindsey |first24=Benjamin B. |last25=Parsons |first25=Paul J. |last26=Raza |first26=Mohammad |last27=Rowland-Jones |first27=Sarah |last28=Smith |first28=Nikki |last29=Tucker |first29=Rachel M. |last30=Wang |first30=Dennis |last31=Wyles |first31=Matthew D. |last32=McDanal |first32=Charlene |last33=Perez |first33=Lautaro G. |last34=Tang |first34=Haili |last35=Moon-Walker |first35=Alex |last36=Whelan |first36=Sean P. |last37=LaBranche |first37=Celia C. |last38=Saphire |first38=Erica O. |last39=Montefiori |first39=David C. |title=Tracking Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike: Evidence that D614G Increases Infectivity of the COVID-19 Virus |journal=Cell |date=2 July 2020 |volume=182 |issue=4 |pages=812–827.e19 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.043 |pmid=32697968 |pmc=7332439 |url=|language=English |issn=0092-8674}}

File:Malayasia iko 2002169.jpg, scientists show that certified "sustainable" palm oil production resulted in deforestation of tropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo and endangered mammals' habitat degradation in the last 30 years.]]

3 July
Scientists report in a preprint that a major genetic risk factor of the SARS-CoV-2 was inherited from archaic Neanderthals ~60,000 years ago.{{cite news |last=Zimmer |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Zimmer |title=DNA Linked to Covid-19 Was Inherited From Neanderthals, Study Finds - The stretch of six genes seems to increase the risk of severe illness from the coronavirus. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/coronavirus-neanderthals.html |work=New York Times|date=4 July 2020 |access-date=5 July 2020 }}{{cite journal |last1=Zeberg |first1=Hugo |last2=Paabo |first2=Svante |title=The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neandertals |date=3 July 2020 |journal=bioRxiv |doi=10.1101/2020.07.03.186296 |hdl=21.11116/0000-0006-AB4F-2 |s2cid=220366134 |url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2020/07/03/2020.07.03.186296.full.pdf |doi-access=free }}
Scientists show that adding an organic-based ionic solid into perovskites can result in substantial improvement in solar cell performance and stability. The study also reveals a complex degradation route that is responsible for failures in aged perovskite solar cells. The understanding could help the future development of photovoltaic technologies with industrially relevant longevity.{{Cite web|title=Crystal structure discovered almost 200 years ago could hold key to solar cell revolution|url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-crystal-years-key-solar-cell.html|access-date=2020-07-04|website=phys.org|language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Lin |first1=Yen-Hung |last2=Sakai |first2=Nobuya |last3=Da |first3=Peimei |last4=Wu |first4=Jiaying |last5=Sansom |first5=Harry C. |last6=Ramadan |first6=Alexandra J. |last7=Mahesh |first7=Suhas |last8=Liu |first8=Junliang |last9=Oliver |first9=Robert D. J. |last10=Lim |first10=Jongchul |last11=Aspitarte |first11=Lee |last12=Sharma |first12=Kshama |last13=Madhu |first13=P. K. |last14=Morales-Vilches |first14=Anna B. |last15=Nayak |first15=Pabitra K. |last16=Bai |first16=Sai |last17=Gao |first17=Feng |last18=Grovenor |first18=Chris R. M. |last19=Johnston |first19=Michael B. |last20=Labram |first20=John G. |last21=Durrant |first21=James R. |last22=Ball |first22=James M. |last23=Wenger |first23=Bernard |last24=Stannowski |first24=Bernd |last25=Snaith |first25=Henry J. |title=A piperidinium salt stabilizes efficient metal-halide perovskite solar cells |journal=Science |date=2 July 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6499 |pages=96–102 |doi=10.1126/science.aba1628 |pmid=32631893 |bibcode=2020Sci...369...96L |hdl=10044/1/82840 |s2cid=220304363 |url=https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54855/Download/54855__17834__56da1616101640a481cb01c071a91ebc.pdf }}
Via analysis of satellite images, scientists show that certified "sustainable" palm oil production resulted in deforestation of tropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo and endangered mammals' habitat degradation in the last 30 years.{{cite news |title=Certified 'sustainable' palm oil fields endanger mammal habitats and biodiverse tropical forests over 30 years |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-certified-sustainable-palm-oil-fields.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Cazzolla Gatti |first1=Roberto |last2=Velichevskaya |first2=Alena |journal=Science of the Total Environment |date=10 November 2020 |volume=742 |pages=140712 |doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140712 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720342340|title=Certified "sustainable" palm oil took the place of endangered Bornean and Sumatran large mammals habitat and tropical forests in the last 30 years |pmid=32721759 |bibcode=2020ScTEn.742n0712C |s2cid=220852123 |access-date=16 August 2020 |language=en |issn=0048-9697}}
4 July
According to WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) of COVID-19 and related pandemic is currently estimated at 0.6%, and the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) at 5%.{{cite news |last=McNeil Jr. |first=Donald G. |title=The Pandemic's Big Mystery: How Deadly Is the Coronavirus? - Even with more than 500,000 dead worldwide, scientists are struggling to learn how often the virus kills. Here's why. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/coronavirus-death-rate.html |date=4 July 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=6 July 2020 }}
Scientists report that COVID-19 may be an airborne disease, and not just one transmitted by droplets of the virus in the air or on surfaces.{{cite news |last=Mandavilli |first=Apoorva |title=239 Experts With One Big Claim: The Coronavirus Is Airborne - The W.H.O. has resisted mounting evidence that viral particles floating indoors are infectious, some scientists say. The agency maintains the research is still inconclusive. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/239-experts-with-one-big-claim-the-coronavirus-is-airborne.html |date=4 July 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=5 July 2020 }}
6 July
Astronomers report evidence that the chemical element carbon, the fourth most abundant chemical element (after hydrogen, helium and oxygen) in the universe, and one of the most essential chemical elements for the formation of life as we know it, was formed mainly in white dwarf stars, particularly those bigger than two solar masses.{{cite news |last=Rabie |first=Passant |title=Astronomers Have Found The Source Of Life In The Universe |url=https://www.inverse.com/science/carbon-from-white-dwarfs |date=6 July 2020 |work=Inverse |access-date=7 July 2020 }}{{cite journal |last1=Marigo |first1=Paola |last2=Cummings |first2=Jeffrey D. |last3=Curtis |first3=Jason Lee |last4=Kalirai |first4=Jason |last5=Chen |first5=Yang |last6=Tremblay |first6=Pier-Emmanuel |last7=Ramirez-Ruiz |first7=Enrico |last8=Bergeron |first8=Pierre |last9=Bladh |first9=Sara |last10=Bressan |first10=Alessandro |last11=Girardi |first11=Léo |last12=Pastorelli |first12=Giada |last13=Trabucchi |first13=Michele |last14=Cheng |first14=Sihao |last15=Aringer |first15=Bernhard |last16=Tio |first16=Piero Dal |title=Carbon star formation as seen through the non-monotonic initial–final mass relation |journal=Nature Astronomy |date=6 July 2020 |volume=4 |issue=11 |pages=1102–1110 |doi=10.1038/s41550-020-1132-1 |arxiv=2007.04163 |bibcode=2020NatAs...4.1102M |s2cid=220403402 }}
The Versatile Video Coding standard (H.266) is finalised, designed to halve the bitrate of previous formats, and paving the way for on-demand 8K streaming services.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53322755|title=New video format 'halves data use of 4K and 8K TVs' |date=7 July 2020|access-date=9 July 2020|work=BBC News}}{{cite web |title=Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI |url=https://newsletter.fraunhofer.de/-viewonline2/17386/465/11/14SHcBTt/V44RELLZBp/1 |website=newsletter.fraunhofer.de |access-date=17 August 2020}}
Scientists report that analysis of simulations and a recent observational field model show that maximum rates of directional change of Earth's magnetic field reached ~10° per year – almost 100 times faster than current changes and ~10 times faster than previously thought.{{cite news |title=Simulations show magnetic field can change ~10 times faster than previously thought |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-simulations-magnetic-field-faster-previously.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Davies |first1=Christopher J. |last2=Constable |first2=Catherine G. |title=Rapid geomagnetic changes inferred from Earth observations and numerical simulations |journal=Nature Communications |date=6 July 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=3371 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-16888-0 |pmid=32632222 |pmc=7338531 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.3371D |language=en |issn=2041-1723}}
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin demonstrate a cobalt-free, high-energy, lithium-ion battery.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/uota-ncl071520.php|title=New cobalt-free lithium-ion battery reduces costs without sacrificing performance |date=15 July 2020|access-date=16 July 2020|work=EurekAlert!}}{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Wangda |last2=Lee |first2=Steven |last3=Manthiram |first3=Arumugam |title=High-Nickel NMA: A Cobalt-Free Alternative to NMC and NCA Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries |journal=Advanced Materials |year=2020 |volume=32 |issue=33 |pages=2002718 |doi=10.1002/adma.202002718 |pmid=32627875 |bibcode=2020AdM....3202718L |language=en |issn=1521-4095|doi-access=free }}

File:Large-scale production and fiber extrusion of MaSp1-(6-mer) artificial spidroin.webp of R. sulfidophilum to produce spidroins, the main proteins in spider silk.]]

8 July
Scientists writing in the journal Brain publish evidence that a few mildly affected or recovering COVID-19 patients can be left with serious or potentially fatal brain conditions, such as delirium, inflammation, nerve damage, and psychosis.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brains/scientists-warn-of-potential-wave-of-covid-linked-brain-damage-idUSKBN24837S|title=Scientists warn of potential wave of COVID-linked brain damage |date=8 July 2020|access-date=8 July 2020|work=Reuters}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/warning-of-serious-brain-disorders-in-people-with-mild-covid-symptoms|title=Warning of serious brain disorders in people with mild coronavirus symptoms |date=8 July 2020|access-date=8 July 2020|work=The Guardian}}
Mitochondria are gene-edited for the first time, using a new kind of CRISPR-free base editor (DdCBE), by a team at the Broad Institute.{{cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2248168-the-powerhouses-inside-cells-have-been-gene-edited-for-the-first-time/|title=The powerhouses inside cells have been gene-edited for the first time |date=8 July 2020|access-date=12 July 2020|work=New Scientist}}{{cite journal |last1=Mok |first1=Beverly Y. |last2=de Moraes |first2=Marcos H. |last3=Zeng |first3=Jun |last4=Bosch |first4=Dustin E. |last5=Kotrys |first5=Anna V. |last6=Raguram |first6=Aditya |last7=Hsu |first7=FoSheng |last8=Radey |first8=Matthew C. |last9=Peterson |first9=S. Brook |last10=Mootha |first10=Vamsi K. |last11=Mougous |first11=Joseph D. |last12=Liu |first12=David R. |title=A bacterial cytidine deaminase toxin enables CRISPR-free mitochondrial base editing |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7817 |pages=631–637 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2477-4 |pmid=32641830 |pmc=7381381 |bibcode=2020Natur.583..631M |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) announces that it assesses a 20% chance that global warming compared to pre-industrial levels will exceed 1.5 °C in at least one year within the five years of 2020–2024. 1.5 °C is often considered to be a key threshold of global warming and nations have agreed to attempt limiting contemporary climate change to it under the Paris Agreement.{{cite news |last1=Woodyatt |first1=Amy |title=Global temperatures could exceed crucial 1.5 C target in the next five years |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/09/world/global-temperatures-wmo-climate-intl-scli/index.html |access-date=15 August 2020 |work=CNN}}{{cite web |title=New climate predictions assess global temperatures in coming five years |url=https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/new-climate-predictions-assess-global-temperatures-coming-five-years |website=World Meteorological Organization |access-date=15 August 2020 |language=en |date=8 July 2020}}
A team of researchers report that they succeeded in using a genetically-altered variant of R. sulfidophilum to produce spidroins, the main proteins in spider silk.{{cite news |title=Spider silk made by photosynthetic bacteria |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-spider-silk-photosynthetic-bacteria.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Foong |first1=Choon Pin |last2=Higuchi-Takeuchi |first2=Mieko |last3=Malay |first3=Ali D. |last4=Oktaviani |first4=Nur Alia |last5=Thagun |first5=Chonprakun |last6=Numata |first6=Keiji |title=A marine photosynthetic microbial cell factory as a platform for spider silk production |journal=Communications Biology |publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC |volume=3 |issue=1 |date=2020-07-08 |issn=2399-3642 |doi=10.1038/s42003-020-1099-6 |page=357 |pmid=32641733 |pmc=7343832 }}
Scientists assess that the geoengineering technique of enhanced rock weathering – spreading finely crushed basalt on fields – has potential use for carbon dioxide removal by nations, identifying costs, opportunities and engineering challenges.{{cite news |title=Applying rock dust to croplands could absorb up to 2 billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-croplands-absorb-billion-tonnes-co2.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal|last1=Beerling|first1=David J.|last2=Kantzas|first2=Euripides P.|last3=Lomas|first3=Mark R.|last4=Wade|first4=Peter|last5=Eufrasio|first5=Rafael M.|last6=Renforth|first6=Phil|last7=Sarkar|first7=Binoy|last8=Andrews|first8=M. Grace|last9=James|first9=Rachael H.|last10=Pearce|first10=Christopher R.|last11=Mercure|first11=Jean-Francois|date=July 2020|title=Potential for large-scale CO 2 removal via enhanced rock weathering with croplands|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2448-9|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=583|issue=7815|pages=242–248|bibcode=2020Natur.583..242B|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2448-9|issn=1476-4687|pmid=32641817|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716021952/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2448-9|archive-date=16 July 2020|access-date=16 August 2020|via=|last19=Janssens|last15=Khanna|last12=Pollitt|first12=Hector|last13=Holden|first13=Philip B.|s2cid=220417075|last14=Edwards|first14=Neil R.|last16=Koh|first19=Ivan A.|first16=Lenny|last17=Quegan|first17=Shaun|last18=Pidgeon|first18=Nick F.|first21=Steven A.|last21=Banwart|first20=James|last20=Hansen|first15=Madhu|hdl=10871/122894|hdl-access=free}} [http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/163140/ Alt URL]
Scientist report the development of a mobile robot chemist and demonstrate that it can assist in experimental searches. According to the scientists their strategy was automating the researcher rather than the instruments – freeing up time for the human researchers to think creatively – and could identify photocatalyst mixtures for hydrogen production from water that were six times more active than initial formulations.{{cite news |title=Researchers build robot scientist that has already discovered a new catalyst |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-robot-scientist-catalyst.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Burger |first1=Benjamin |last2=Maffettone |first2=Phillip M. |last3=Gusev |first3=Vladimir V. |last4=Aitchison |first4=Catherine M. |last5=Bai |first5=Yang |last6=Wang |first6=Xiaoyan |last7=Li |first7=Xiaobo |last8=Alston |first8=Ben M. |last9=Li |first9=Buyi |last10=Clowes |first10=Rob |last11=Rankin |first11=Nicola |last12=Harris |first12=Brandon |last13=Sprick |first13=Reiner Sebastian |last14=Cooper |first14=Andrew I. |title=A mobile robotic chemist |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7815 |pages=237–241 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2442-2 |pmid=32641813 |bibcode=2020Natur.583..237B |s2cid=220420261 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2442-2 |access-date=16 August 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
9 July – The World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognises that COVID-19 can be transmitted indoors by droplets in the air. People in crowded settings with poor ventilation run the risk of being infected, according to the updated scientific advice.{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/506587-who-reverses-says-covid-19-may-be-airborne-indoors|title=WHO reverses, says COVID-19 can be airborne indoors |date=9 July 2020|access-date=10 July 2020|work=The Hill}}{{cite news|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions|title=Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions |date=9 July 2020|access-date=10 July 2020|work=WHO}}

File:Thermal state of the Moon at age 100 Ma.jpg slightly later than thought (4.425 ±0.025 bya) and that it hosted an ocean of magma for much longer than previously thought (~200 My). Image: the thermal state of the Moon at age 100 My (from the study)]]

10 July
Astronomers announce the discovery of the South Pole Wall, a massive cosmic structure formed by a giant wall of galaxies (a galaxy filament) that extends across at least 700 million light-years of space.{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |title=Beyond the Milky Way, a Galactic Wall - Astronomers have discovered a vast assemblage of galaxies hidden behind our own, in the "zone of avoidance." |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/science/astronomy-galaxies-attractor-universe.html |date=10 July 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=10 July 2020 }}{{cite news |author=Pomerede, D. |display-authors=et al. |title=The South Pole Wall |date=January 2020 |work=Harvard University |pages=453.01 |bibcode=2020AAS...23545301P }}{{cite news |last=Mann |first=Adam |title=Astronomers discover South Pole Wall, a gigantic structure stretching 1.4 billion light-years across |url=https://www.livescience.com/south-pole-wall-discovered-in-space.html |date=10 July 2020 |work=Live Science |access-date=10 July 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Pomarède, Daniel |display-authors=et al. |title=Cosmicflows-3: The South Pole Wall |date=10 July 2020 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |volume=897 |number=2 |page=133 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/ab9952 |arxiv=2007.04414 |bibcode=2020ApJ...897..133P |s2cid=220425419 |doi-access=free }}
Scientists report that phytoplankton primary production in the Arctic Ocean increased by 57% between 1998 and 2018 due to higher concentrations, suggesting the ocean may be able to support higher trophic level production and additional carbon fixation in the future.{{cite news |title=A 'regime shift' is happening in the Arctic Ocean, scientists say |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-regime-shift-arctic-ocean-scientists.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Lewis |first1=K. M. |last2=Dijken |first2=G. L. van |last3=Arrigo |first3=K. R. |title=Changes in phytoplankton concentration now drive increased Arctic Ocean primary production |journal=Science |date=10 July 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6500 |pages=198–202 |doi=10.1126/science.aay8380 |pmid=32647002 |s2cid=220433818 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay8380 |access-date=16 August 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}
Scientists report that the Moon formed about 85 million years later than thought (4.425 ±0.025 bya) and that it hosted an ocean of magma for longer than previously thought (~200 million years).{{cite news |date=13 July 2020 |title=Researchers find younger age for Earth's moon |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-younger-age-earth-moon.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |last=Lennon |first=Annie |date=13 July 2020 |title=Earth's Moon Had Magma Ocean for 200 Million Years |url=https://www.labroots.com/trending/space/18124/earth-s-moon-magma-ocean-200-million |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=LabRoots}}{{cite journal |last1=Maurice |first1=M. |last2=Tosi |first2=N. |last3=Schwinger |first3=S. |last4=Breuer |first4=D. |last5=Kleine |first5=T. |title=A long-lived magma ocean on a young Moon |journal=Science Advances |date=10 July 2020 |volume=6 |issue=28 |pages=eaba8949 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aba8949 |pmid=32695879 |pmc=7351470 |bibcode= 2020SciA....6.8949M|s2cid=220478630 |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}

File:Water sanitation and desalination using SWSA sheets.webp.]]

13 July – Researchers report the development of a reusable aluminium surface for efficient solar-based water sanitation to below the WHO and EPA standards for drinkable water.{{cite news |title=New solar material could clean drinking water |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-solar-material.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Subhash C. |last2=ElKabbash |first2=Mohamed |last3=Li |first3=Zilong |last4=Li |first4=Xiaohan |last5=Regmi |first5=Bhabesh |last6=Madsen |first6=Matthew |last7=Jalil |first7=Sohail A. |last8=Zhan |first8=Zhibing |last9=Zhang |first9=Jihua |author10-link=Chunlei Guo|last10=Guo |first10=Chunlei |title=Solar-trackable super-wicking black metal panel for photothermal water sanitation |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=13 July 2020 |volume=3 |issue=11 |pages=938–946 |doi=10.1038/s41893-020-0566-x |s2cid=220505911 |language=en |issn=2398-9629|doi-access=free }}
14 July – Scientists report the first complete and gap-less assembly of a human X chromosome.{{cite news |title=Scientists achieve first complete assembly of human X chromosome |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-human-chromosome.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Miga |first1=Karen H. |author-link1=Karen Miga |last2=Koren |first2=Sergey |last3=Rhie |first3=Arang |last4=Vollger |first4=Mitchell R. |last5=Gershman |first5=Ariel |last6=Bzikadze |first6=Andrey |last7=Brooks |first7=Shelise |last8=Howe |first8=Edmund |last9=Porubsky |first9=David |last10=Logsdon |first10=Glennis A. |last11=Schneider |first11=Valerie A. |last12=Potapova |first12=Tamara |last13=Wood |first13=Jonathan |last14=Chow |first14=William |last15=Armstrong |first15=Joel |last16=Fredrickson |first16=Jeanne |last17=Pak |first17=Evgenia |last18=Tigyi |first18=Kristof |last19=Kremitzki |first19=Milinn |last20=Markovic |first20=Christopher |last21=Maduro |first21=Valerie |last22=Dutra |first22=Amalia |last23=Bouffard |first23=Gerard G. |last24=Chang |first24=Alexander M. |last25=Hansen |first25=Nancy F. |last26=Wilfert |first26=Amy B. |last27=Thibaud-Nissen |first27=Françoise |last28=Schmitt |first28=Anthony D. |last29=Belton |first29=Jon-Matthew |last30=Selvaraj |first30=Siddarth |last31=Dennis |first31=Megan Y. |last32=Soto |first32=Daniela C. |last33=Sahasrabudhe |first33=Ruta |last34=Kaya |first34=Gulhan |last35=Quick |first35=Josh |last36=Loman |first36=Nicholas J. |last37=Holmes |first37=Nadine |last38=Loose |first38=Matthew |last39=Surti |first39=Urvashi |last40=Risques |first40=Rosa ana |last41=Lindsay |first41=Tina A. Graves |last42=Fulton |first42=Robert |last43=Hall |first43=Ira |last44=Paten |first44=Benedict |last45=Howe |first45=Kerstin |last46=Timp |first46=Winston |last47=Young |first47=Alice |last48=Mullikin |first48=James C. |last49=Pevzner |first49=Pavel A. |last50=Gerton |first50=Jennifer L. |last51=Sullivan |first51=Beth A. |last52=Eichler |first52=Evan E. |last53=Phillippy |first53=Adam M. |title=Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a complete human X chromosome |journal=Nature |date=14 July 2020 |volume=585 |issue=7823 |pages=79–84 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2547-7 |pmid=32663838 |pmc=7484160 |bibcode=2020Natur.585...79M |s2cid=220516572 |url=|language=en |issn=1476-4687}}

File:Global Methane Budget 2017.jpg researchers summarise and analyse new estimates of the global methane budget and provide data and insights on sources and sinks for the geographical regions and economic sectors where the rising anthropogenic methane emissions have changed the most over recent decades.]]

15 July
Researchers report the discovery of chemolithoautotrophic bacterial culture that feeds on the metal manganese after performing unrelated experiments and named its bacterial species Candidatus Manganitrophus noduliformans and Ramlibacter lithotrophicus.{{cite news |title=Bacteria with a metal diet discovered in dirty glassware |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-bacteria-metal-diet-dirty-glassware.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Woodyatt |first1=Amy |title=Bacteria that eats metal accidentally discovered by scientists |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/16/world/metal-eating-bacteria-intl-scli-scn/index.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=Hang |last2=Leadbetter |first2=Jared R. |title=Bacterial chemolithoautotrophy via manganese oxidation |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7816 |pages=453–458 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2468-5 |pmid=32669693 |pmc=7802741 |bibcode=2020Natur.583..453Y |s2cid=220541911 |url=|language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
In two studies researchers of the Global Carbon Project summarise and analyse new estimates of the global methane budget and provide data and insights on sources and sinks for the geographical regions and economic sectors where the rising anthropogenic methane emissions have changed the most over recent decades. According to the studies, global methane emissions for the 2008 to 2017 decade increased by almost 10 percent compared to the previous decade.{{cite news |title=Global methane emissions soar to record high |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-global-methane-emissions-soar-high.html |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Methane Emissions Continue to Rise |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146978/methane-emissions-continue-to-rise |access-date=19 August 2020 |work=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |date=14 July 2020 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=R B |last2=Saunois |first2=M |last3=Bousquet |first3=P |last4=Canadell |first4=J G |last5=Poulter |first5=B |last6=Stavert |first6=A R |last7=Bergamaschi |first7=P |last8=Niwa |first8=Y |last9=Segers |first9=A |last10=Tsuruta |first10=A |title=Increasing anthropogenic methane emissions arise equally from agricultural and fossil fuel sources |journal=Environmental Research Letters |date=14 July 2020 |volume=15 |issue=7 |pages=071002 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/ab9ed2 |bibcode=2020ERL....15g1002J |language=en |issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |title=The Global Methane Budget 2000–2017 |journal=Earth System Science Data |date=15 July 2020 |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=1561–1623 |doi=10.5194/essd-12-1561-2020 |url=https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/1561/2020/ |access-date=19 August 2020 |language=English |issn=1866-3508|last1=Saunois |first1=Marielle |last2=Stavert |first2=Ann R. |last3=Poulter |first3=Ben |last4=Bousquet |first4=Philippe |last5=Canadell |first5=Josep G. |last6=Jackson |first6=Robert B. |last7=Raymond |first7=Peter A. |last8=Dlugokencky |first8=Edward J. |last9=Houweling |first9=Sander |last10=Patra |first10=Prabir K. |last11=Ciais |first11=Philippe |last12=Arora |first12=Vivek K. |last13=Bastviken |first13=David |last14=Bergamaschi |first14=Peter |last15=Blake |first15=Donald R. |last16=Brailsford |first16=Gordon |last17=Bruhwiler |first17=Lori |last18=Carlson |first18=Kimberly M. |last19=Carrol |first19=Mark |last20=Castaldi |first20=Simona |last21=Chandra |first21=Naveen |last22=Crevoisier |first22=Cyril |last23=Crill |first23=Patrick M. |last24=Covey |first24=Kristofer |last25=Curry |first25=Charles L. |last26=Etiope |first26=Giuseppe |last27=Frankenberg |first27=Christian |last28=Gedney |first28=Nicola |last29=Hegglin |first29=Michaela I. |last30=Höglund-Isaksson |first30=Lena |bibcode=2020ESSD...12.1561S |display-authors=29 |doi-access=free |hdl=1721.1/124698 |hdl-access=free }}

File:Healthspan, parental lifespan, and longevity are highly genetically correlated.webp on 1.75 m people with known lifespans overall, identify 10 genomic loci which appear to intrinsically influence healthspan, lifespan, and longevity and identify haem metabolism as a promising candidate for further research within the field.]]

16 July – Scientists report to have identified 10 genomic loci which appear to intrinsically influence healthspan, lifespan, and longevity – of which half have not been reported previously at genome-wide significance and most being associated with cardiovascular disease – as well as haem metabolism as a promising candidate for further research within the field. Their study using public biological data on 1.75 m people with known lifespans overall, suggests that haem metabolism may play a role in human ageing and that high levels of iron in the blood likely reduce, and genes involved in metabolising iron likely increase healthy years of life in humans.{{cite news |title=Blood iron levels could be key to slowing ageing, gene study shows |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-blood-iron-key-ageing-gene.html |access-date=18 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Timmers |first1=Paul R. H. J. |last2=Wilson |first2=James F. |last3=Joshi |first3=Peter K. |last4=Deelen |first4=Joris |title=Multivariate genomic scan implicates novel loci and haem metabolism in human ageing |journal=Nature Communications |date=16 July 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=3570 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-17312-3 |pmid=32678081 |pmc=7366647 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.3570T |language=en |issn=2041-1723}}
17 July – Scientists report that yeast cells of the same genetic material and within the same environment age in two distinct ways, describe a biomolecular mechanism that can determine which process dominates during aging and genetically engineer a novel aging route with substantially extended lifespan.{{cite news |title=Researchers discover 2 paths of aging and new insights on promoting healthspan |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-paths-aging-insights-healthspan.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=A programmable fate decision landscape underlies single-cell aging in yeast |journal=Science |doi=10.1126/science.aax9552 |bibcode=2020Sci...369..325L |last1=Li |first1=Yang |last2=Jiang |first2=Yanfei |last3=Paxman |first3=Julie |last4=O'Laughlin |first4=Richard |last5=Klepin |first5=Stephen |last6=Zhu |first6=Yuelian |last7=Pillus |first7=Lorraine |last8=Tsimring |first8=Lev S. |last9=Hasty |first9=Jeff |last10=Hao |first10=Nan |year=2020 |volume=369 |issue=6501 |pages=325–329 |pmid=32675375 |pmc=7437498 }}
19 July
The Emirates Mars Mission by the UAE is successfully launched, carrying the Hope probe to Mars, with a scheduled arrival date of February 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53394737|title=Hope probe: UAE launches historic first mission to Mars |date=19 July 2020|access-date=20 July 2020|work=BBC News}}
After a 20-year-long survey, astrophysicists of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey publish the largest, most detailed 3D map of the universe so far, fill a gap of 11 billion years in its expansion history, and provide data which supports the theory of a flat geometry of the universe and confirms that different regions seem to be expanding at different speeds.{{cite news |title=Largest-ever 3D map of the universe released by scientists |url=https://news.sky.com/story/largest-ever-3d-map-of-the-universe-released-by-scientists-12033047 |access-date=18 August 2020 |work=Sky News |language=en}}{{cite web |title=No need to Mind the Gap: Astrophysicists fill in 11 billion years of our universe's expansion history |url=https://www.sdss.org/press-releases/no-need-to-mind-the-gap/ |publisher=SDSS |access-date=18 August 2020}}

File:First ever image of a multi-planet system around a Sun-like star.tifs orbiting a sunlike star – TYC 8998-760-1.]]

File:Early succession of the Cinder Cones methane seep.jpg in Antarctica.]]

22 July
Astronomers publish a photo, for the first time, of multiple exoplanets orbiting a Sunlike star, particularly the star TYC 8998-760-1{{Broken anchor|date=2025-05-11|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=List of largest exoplanets#The List|reason= The anchor (The List) has been deleted.|diff_id=1001948881}}.{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Mike |title=Multiplanet system around sunlike star photographed for 1st time ever - The two newly imaged planets are huge — 14 and 6 times more massive than Jupiter. |url=https://www.space.com/multiplanet-system-sun-like-star-first-photo.html |date=22 July 2020 |work=Space.com |access-date=22 July 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Bohn, Alexander |display-authors=et al. |title=Two Directly Imaged, Wide-orbit Giant Planets around the Young, Solar Analog TYC 8998-760-1 |date=22 July 2020 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal Letters |volume=898 |number=1 |pages=L16 |doi=10.3847/2041-8213/aba27e |arxiv=2007.10991 |bibcode=2020ApJ...898L..16B |s2cid=220686536 |url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/104509/1/Bohn_2020_ApJL_898_L16.pdf |doi-access=free }}
Archaeologists report the earliest known evidence of humans in the Americas, dating back 33,000 years, twice the previously oldest known settlement of the continent.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53486868|title=Earliest evidence for humans in the Americas |date=22 July 2020|access-date=22 July 2020|work=BBC News}}{{cite journal |last1=Ardelean |first1=Ciprian F. |last2=Becerra-Valdivia |first2=Lorena |last3=Pedersen |first3=Mikkel Winther |last4=Schwenninger |first4=Jean-Luc |last5=Oviatt |first5=Charles G. |last6=Macías-Quintero |first6=Juan I. |last7=Arroyo-Cabrales |first7=Joaquin |last8=Sikora |first8=Martin |last9=Ocampo-Díaz |first9=Yam Zul E. |last10=Rubio-Cisneros |first10=Igor I. |last11=Watling |first11=Jennifer G. |last12=de Medeiros |first12=Vanda B. |last13=De Oliveira |first13=Paulo E. |last14=Barba-Pingarón |first14=Luis |last15=Ortiz-Butrón |first15=Agustín |last16=Blancas-Vázquez |first16=Jorge |last17=Rivera-González |first17=Irán |last18=Solís-Rosales |first18=Corina |last19=Rodríguez-Ceja |first19=María |last20=Gandy |first20=Devlin A. |last21=Navarro-Gutierrez |first21=Zamara |last22=De La Rosa-Díaz |first22=Jesús J. |last23=Huerta-Arellano |first23=Vladimir |last24=Marroquín-Fernández |first24=Marco B. |last25=Martínez-Riojas |first25=L. Martin |last26=López-Jiménez |first26=Alejandro |last27=Higham |first27=Thomas |last28=Willerslev |first28=Eske |title=Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum |journal=Nature |date=August 2020 |volume=584 |issue=7819 |pages=87–92 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2509-0 |pmid=32699412 |bibcode=2020Natur.584...87A |s2cid=220697089 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2509-0 |access-date=18 August 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Scientists confirm the first detected active leak of sea-bed methane in Antarctica and report that "the rate of microbial succession may have an unrealized impact on greenhouse gas emission from marine methane reservoirs".{{cite news |last1=Carrington |first1=Damian |title=First active leak of sea-bed methane discovered in Antarctica |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/22/first-active-leak-of-sea-bed-methane-discovered-in-antarctica |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=21 July 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Thurber |first1=Andrew R. |last2=Seabrook |first2=Sarah |last3=Welsh |first3=Rory M. |title=Riddles in the cold: Antarctic endemism and microbial succession impact methane cycling in the Southern Ocean |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |date=29 July 2020 |volume=287 |issue=1931 |pages=20201134 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2020.1134 |pmid=32693727 |pmc=7423672 }}
Researchers report the development of a technique to produce a degradable version of the tough thermoset plastic pDCPD which may also be applicable to other plastics, that aren't part of the ca. 75% of plastics that are recyclable.{{cite news |title=Chemists make tough plastics recyclable |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chemists-tough-plastics-recyclable.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Shieh |first1=Peyton |last2=Zhang |first2=Wenxu |last3=Husted |first3=Keith E. L. |last4=Kristufek |first4=Samantha L. |last5=Xiong |first5=Boya |last6=Lundberg |first6=David J. |last7=Lem |first7=Jet |last8=Veysset |first8=David |last9=Sun |first9=Yuchen |last10=Nelson |first10=Keith A. |last11=Plata |first11=Desiree L. |last12=Johnson |first12=Jeremiah A. |title=Cleavable comonomers enable degradable, recyclable thermoset plastics |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7817 |pages=542–547 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2495-2 |pmid=32699399 |pmc=7384294 |bibcode=2020Natur.583..542S |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Scientists report results of a survey of 371 reefs in 58 nations estimating the conservation status of reef sharks globally. No sharks have been observed on almost 20% of the surveyed reefs and shark depletion was strongly associated with both socio-economic conditions and conservation measures.{{cite news |title=Sharks almost gone from many reefs |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-sharks-reefs.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7818 |pages=801–806 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2519-y |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2519-y |access-date=17 August 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|last1=MacNeil |first1=M. Aaron |last2=Chapman |first2=Demian D. |last3=Heupel |first3=Michelle |last4=Simpfendorfer |first4=Colin A. |last5=Heithaus |first5=Michael |last6=Meekan |first6=Mark |last7=Harvey |first7=Euan |last8=Goetze |first8=Jordan |last9=Kiszka |first9=Jeremy |last10=Bond |first10=Mark E. |last11=Currey-Randall |first11=Leanne M. |last12=Speed |first12=Conrad W. |last13=Sherman |first13=C. Samantha |last14=Rees |first14=Matthew J. |last15=Udyawer |first15=Vinay |last16=Flowers |first16=Kathryn I. |last17=Clementi |first17=Gina |last18=Valentin-Albanese |first18=Jasmine |last19=Gorham |first19=Taylor |last20=Adam |first20=M. Shiham |last21=Ali |first21=Khadeeja |last22=Pina-Amargós |first22=Fabián |last23=Angulo-Valdés |first23=Jorge A. |last24=Asher |first24=Jacob |last25=Barcia |first25=Laura García |last26=Beaufort |first26=Océane |last27=Benjamin |first27=Cecilie |last28=Bernard |first28=Anthony T. F. |last29=Berumen |first29=Michael L. |last30=Bierwagen |first30=Stacy |pmid=32699418 |bibcode=2020Natur.583..801M |hdl=10754/664495 |s2cid=220696105 |display-authors=29 |hdl-access=free }} Sharks are considered to be a vital part of the ocean ecosystem.
A paper on a "hummingbird-sized dinosaur" conserved in amber published on March 11th is retracted after reviewers agreed with assessments – of which one was uploaded to a preprint server on March 18 – claiming a misclassification of the fossil, believed to be a lizard instead of a dinosaur.{{cite news |title=Paper describing hummingbird-sized dinosaur retracted |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-paper-hummingbird-sized-dinosaur-retracted.html |access-date=18 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Xing |first1=Lida |last2=O’Connor |first2=Jingmai K. |last3=Schmitz |first3=Lars |last4=Chiappe |first4=Luis M. |last5=McKellar |first5=Ryan C. |last6=Yi |first6=Qiru |last7=Li |first7=Gang |title=Retraction Note: Hummingbird-sized dinosaur from the Cretaceous period of Myanmar |journal=Nature |date=22 July 2020 |volume=584 |issue=7822 |page=652 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2553-9 |pmid=32699407 |bibcode=2020Natur.584..652X |s2cid=220715846 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free }}
23 July
China successfully launches Tianwen-1, its first rover mission to Mars, with a planned surface landing date of 23 April 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53504797|title=China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover rockets away from Earth |date=23 July 2020|access-date=23 July 2020|work=BBC News}}
Astronomers report the observation of a "hard tidal disruption event candidate" associated with ASASSN-20hx, located near the nucleus of galaxy NGC 6297, and noted that the observation represented one of the "very few tidal disruption events with hard powerlaw X-ray spectra".{{cite news |last=Lin |first=Dacheng |title=ATel #13895: ASASSN-20hx is a Hard Tidal Disruption Event Candidate |url=http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=13895 |date=25 July 2020 |work=The Astronomer's Telegram |access-date=25 July 2020 }}{{cite news |author=Hinkle, J.T. |display-authors=et al. |title=Atel #13893: Classification of ASASSN-20hx as a Tidal Disruption Event Candidate |url=http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=13893 |date=24 July 2020 |work=The Astronomer's Telegram |access-date=24 July 2020 }}
Lancaster University researcher Mike Ryder describes the nature and rise of the "robot prosumer", derived from modern-day technology and related participatory culture, that, in turn, was substantially predicted earlier by science fiction writers.{{cite news |author=Lancaster University |title=Sci-fi foretold social media, Uber and Augmented Reality, offers insights into the future - Science fiction authors can help predict future consumer patterns. |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/lu-sfs072420.php |date=24 July 2020 |work=EurekAlert! |access-date=26 July 2020 }}{{cite thesis |last=Ryder |first=Mike |title=Citizen robots:biopolitics, the computer, and the Vietnam period |url=https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/141870/ |date=26 July 2020 |journal=Lancaster University |publisher=Lancaster University |access-date=26 July 2020 |type=phd }}{{cite journal |last=Ryder |first=M.J. |title=Lessons from science fiction: Frederik Pohl and the robot prosumer |date=23 July 2020 |journal=Journal of Consumer Culture |volume=22 |pages=246–263 |doi=10.1177/1469540520944228 |url=https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/138821/1/FINAL_Frederik_Pohl_and_the_robot_prosumer.pdf |doi-access=free }}
24 July – Scientists report the development of an AI-based process using genome databases for evolutionary algorithm-based designing novel proteins. They used deep learning to identify design-rules.{{cite news |title=Machine learning reveals recipe for building artificial proteins |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-machine-reveals-recipe-artificial-proteins.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=An evolution-based model for designing chorismatemutase enzymes |journal=Science |doi=10.1126/science.aba3304 |bibcode=2020Sci...369..440R |last1=Russ |first1=William P. |last2=Figliuzzi |first2=Matteo |last3=Stocker |first3=Christian |last4=Barrat-Charlaix |first4=Pierre |last5=Socolich |first5=Michael |last6=Kast |first6=Peter |last7=Hilvert |first7=Donald |last8=Monasson |first8=Remi |last9=Cocco |first9=Simona |last10=Weigt |first10=Martin |last11=Ranganathan |first11=Rama |year=2020 |volume=369 |issue=6502 |pages=440–445 |pmid=32703877 |s2cid=220714458 }}
27 July – A new AI algorithm by the University of Pittsburgh achieves the highest accuracy to date in identifying prostate cancer, with 98% sensitivity and 97% specificity.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/uop-aii072420.php|title= Artificial intelligence identifies prostate cancer with near-perfect accuracy |date=27 July 2020|access-date=29 July 2020|work=EurekAlert!}}{{cite journal|last1=Pantanowitz|first1=Liron|last2=Quiroga-Garza|first2=Gabriela M.|last3=Bien|first3=Lilach|last4=Heled|first4=Ronen|last5=Laifenfeld|first5=Daphna|last6=Linhart|first6=Chaim|last7=Sandbank|first7=Judith|last8=Albrecht Shach|first8=Anat|last9=Shalev|first9=Varda|author-link9=Varda Shalev|last10=Vecsler|first10=Manuela|last11=Michelow|first11=Pamela|date=1 August 2020|title=An artificial intelligence algorithm for prostate cancer diagnosis in whole slide images of core needle biopsies: a blinded clinical validation and deployment study|journal=The Lancet Digital Health|language=en|volume=2|issue=8|pages=e407–e416|doi=10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30159-X|issn=2589-7500|pmid=33328045|doi-access=free|last12=Hazelhurst|first12=Scott|last13=Dhir|first13=Rajiv}}

File:13C and 15N incorporation in representative microbial cells.webps report that aerobic microorganisms (mainly), in "quasi-suspended animation", were found in organically-poor sediments, up to 101.5 million years old, {{convert|68.9|m|ft|abbr=off}} below the seafloor in the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) ("the deadest spot in the ocean"), and could be the longest-living life forms ever found.]]

28 July
Marine biologists report that aerobic microorganisms (mainly), in "quasi-suspended animation", were found in organically-poor sediments, up to 101.5 million years old, {{convert|68.9|m|ft|abbr=off}} below the seafloor in the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) ("the deadest spot in the ocean"), and could be the longest-living life forms ever found.{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Katherine J. |title=These Microbes May Have Survived 100 Million Years Beneath the Seafloor - Rescued from their cold, cramped and nutrient-poor homes, the bacteria awoke in the lab and grew. |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/science/microbes-100-million-years-old.html |date=28 July 2020 |access-date=31 July 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Morono, Yuki |display-authors=et al. |title=Aerobic microbial life persists in oxic marine sediment as old as 101.5 million years |date=28 July 2020 |journal=Nature Communications |volume=11 |number=3626 |page=3626 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-17330-1 |pmid=32724059 |pmc=7387439 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.3626M }}
Assembly of the ITER experimental fusion reactor officially begins in France, with a scheduled completion date of 2025.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/28/worlds-largest-nuclear-fusion-project-under-assembly-in-france|title=World's largest nuclear fusion project begins assembly in France |date=28 July 2020|access-date=28 July 2020|work=The Guardian}}

File:Locations of papers in a map of science and locations of the key papers for Nobel prizes.tif clusters in only a few scientific fields.]]

29 July
Scientists of the NA62 experiment at CERN claim to have presented first evidence of a highly rare process – a decay of a charged kaon – predicted in the Standard Model which may help identifying possible deviations from the model.{{cite news |title=NA62 experiment at CERN reports first evidence for ultra-rare process that could lead to new physics |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cern-evidence-ultra-rare-physics.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}
Scientists report that they have transformed the abundant diamagnetic material known as "fool's gold" and pyrite into a ferromagnetic one by inducing voltage, which may lead to techniques with potential applications for devices such as magnetic data storage ones.{{cite news |title='Fool's gold' may be valuable after all |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-gold-valuable.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Walter |first1=Jeff |last2=Voigt |first2=Bryan |last3=Day-Roberts |first3=Ezra |last4=Heltemes |first4=Kei |last5=Fernandes |first5=Rafael M. |last6=Birol |first6=Turan |last7=Leighton |first7=Chris |title=Voltage-induced ferromagnetism in a diamagnet |journal=Science Advances |date=1 July 2020 |volume=6 |issue=31 |pages=eabb7721 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abb7721 |pmid=32832693 |pmc=7439324 |bibcode= 2020SciA....6.7721W|s2cid=220938415 |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
Scientists report that work honored by the Nobel Prize clusters in only a few scientific fields with only 36/71 having received at least one Nobel Prize of the 114/849 domains science could be divided into according to their DC2 and DC3 classification systems. Five of the 114 domains were shown to make up over half of the Nobel Prizes awarded 1995–2017 (particle physics [14%], cell biology [12.1%], atomic physics [10.9%], neuroscience [10.1%], molecular chemistry [5.3%]).{{cite news |title=Nobel prize-winning work is concentrated in minority of scientific fields |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-nobel-prize-winning-minority-scientific-fields.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Ioannidis |first1=John P. A. |last2=Cristea |first2=Ioana-Alina |last3=Boyack |first3=Kevin W. |title=Work honored by Nobel prizes clusters heavily in a few scientific fields |journal=PLOS ONE |date=29 July 2020 |volume=15 |issue=7 |pages=e0234612 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0234612 |pmid=32726312 |pmc=7390258 |bibcode=2020PLoSO..1534612I |language=en |issn=1932-6203|doi-access=free }}
Scientists report that geochemical data shows that the origin of 50 of the 52 sarsen megaliths used to construct Stonehenge is most likely West Woods, Wiltshire, 25 km north of Stonehenge.{{cite news |title=Mystery solved: Scientists trace source of Stonehenge boulders |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-mystery-stonehenge-iconic-boulders.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Nash |first1=David J. |last2=Ciborowski |first2=T. Jake R. |last3=Ullyott |first3=J. Stewart |last4=Pearson |first4=Mike Parker |last5=Darvill |first5=Timothy |last6=Greaney |first6=Susan |last7=Maniatis |first7=Georgios |last8=Whitaker |first8=Katy A. |title=Origins of the sarsen megaliths at Stonehenge |journal=Science Advances |date=1 July 2020 |volume=6 |issue=31 |pages=eabc0133 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abc0133 |pmid=32832694 |pmc=7439454 |bibcode= 2020SciA....6..133N|s2cid=220937543 |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
30 July – NASA successfully launches its Mars 2020 rover mission to search for signs of ancient life and collect samples for return to Earth. The mission includes technology demonstrations to prepare for future human missions.{{cite web |title=NASA, ULA Launch Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission to Red Planet |url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-ula-launch-mars-2020-perseverance-rover-mission-to-red-planet |website=NASA|date=30 July 2020 |access-date=30 July 2020}}
31 July
Two ice caps in Nunavut, Canada have disappeared completely, confirming predictions of a study published in 2017 that they would melt completely within five years.{{cite news |title=Canadian ice caps disappear, confirming 2017 scientific prediction |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-canadian-ice-caps-scientific.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}
A study suggests a volcanic cause for the Younger Dryas geochemical anomalies in addition to providing further evidence against the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis.{{cite news |title=Texas cave sediment upends meteorite explanation for global cooling |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-texas-cave-sediment-upends-meteorite.html |access-date=18 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=N. |last2=Brandon |first2=A. D. |last3=Forman |first3=S. L. |last4=Waters |first4=M. R. |last5=Befus |first5=K. S. |title=Volcanic origin for Younger Dryas geochemical anomalies ca. 12,900 cal B.P. |journal=Science Advances |date=1 July 2020 |volume=6 |issue=31 |pages=eaax8587 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aax8587 |pmid=32789166 |pmc=7399481 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.8587S |language=en |issn=2375-2548}}

=August=

File:MODIS (2020-08-01).jpg reports that satellite data shows that the number of fires in the Amazon increased by 28% to ~6,800 fires in July compared to the ~5,300 wildfires in July 2019. (Image acquired by MODIS on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 1, 2020.){{cite web |title=A New Tool for Tracking Amazon Fires |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147075/a-new-tool-for-tracking-amazon-fires |website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |access-date=14 September 2020 |language=en |date=19 August 2020}}]]

1 August – Brazil's National Institute for Space Research reports that satellite data shows that the number of fires in the Amazon increased by 28% to ~6,800 fires in July compared to the ~5,300 wildfires in July 2019. This indicates a, potentially worsened, repeat of 2019's accelerated destruction of one of the world's largest protectable buffers against global warming.{{cite news |title=Fires in Brazil's Amazon rainforest surge in July, worst in recent days |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment/fires-in-brazils-amazon-rainforest-surge-in-july-worst-in-recent-days-idUSKBN24X3SW |access-date=9 September 2020 |work=Reuters |date=7 August 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Brazilian Amazon protected areas 'in flames' as land-grabbers invade |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/brazilian-amazon-protected-areas-in-flames-as-land-grabbers-invade/ |access-date=9 September 2020 |work=Mongabay Environmental News |date=7 August 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Pedroso |first1=Rodrigo |last2=Reverdosa |first2=Marcia |title=Bolsonaro says reports of Amazon fires are a 'lie.' Evidence says otherwise |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/19/americas/brazil-amazon-fires-bolsonaro-intl/index.html |access-date=9 September 2020 |work=CNN}}
2 August – Scientists report a newly discovered vulnerability in SARS-CoV-2's spike protein – a positively charged cleavage site near its binding site, which they demonstrate could be exploited by negatively charged molecule that bind to it and thereby inhibit the virus from bonding strongly to the host cell.{{cite news |title=Scientists discover new vulnerability in coronavirus |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/scientists-discover-new-vulnerability-in-coronavirus-6614191.htm |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=cnbctv18.com}}{{cite news |title=Research exposes new vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2 |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-exposes-vulnerability-sars-cov-.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Qiao |first1=Baofu |last2=Olvera de la Cruz |first2=Monica |title=Enhanced Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein to Receptor by Distal Polybasic Cleavage Sites |journal=ACS Nano |date=25 August 2020 |volume=14 |issue=8 |pages=10616–10623 |doi=10.1021/acsnano.0c04798 |pmid=32806067 |pmc=7409923 |s2cid=221008555 |issn=1936-0851}}
3 August – Scientists report that valley networks in the southern highlands of Mars may have been formed mostly under glaciers, not free-flowing rivers of water, indicating that early Mars was colder than thought and that extensive glaciation likely occurred in its past.{{cite news |title=Early Mars was covered in ice sheets, not flowing rivers: study |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-early-mars-ice-sheets-rivers.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Crane |first1=Leah |title=Ancient valleys on Mars may have been carved by glaciers |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2250398-ancient-valleys-on-mars-may-have-been-carved-by-glaciers/ |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite journal |last1=Grau Galofre |first1=Anna |last2=Jellinek |first2=A. Mark |last3=Osinski |first3=Gordon R. |title=Valley formation on early Mars by subglacial and fluvial erosion |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=3 August 2020 |volume=13 |issue=10 |pages=663–668 |doi=10.1038/s41561-020-0618-x |bibcode=2020NatGe..13..663G |s2cid=220939044 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-0618-x |access-date=6 September 2020 |language=en |issn=1752-0908}}
4 August
Physicists working on the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider announce new results indicating that the Higgs boson decays into two muons as expected.{{cite news|url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-cern-indications-rare-higgs-boson.html|title=CERN experiments announce first indications of a rare Higgs boson process|date=4 August 2020|access-date=5 August 2020|work=Phys.org}}
Astronomers report that self-annihilating dark matter (DM) is not the explanation for the Galactic Center GeV excess (GCE) in the center of the Milky Way galaxy after all, stating: "there is no significant excess in the [GCE] that may be attributed to DM annihilation".{{cite news |last=Starr |first=Michelle |title=There's a Strange Glow in The Centre of Our Galaxy, And It's Not What We Thought It Was |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/a-strange-glow-in-the-galactic-centre-is-not-the-annihilation-of-dark-matter |date=28 August 2020 |work=ScienceAlert.com |access-date=28 August 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Abazajian, Kevork N. |display-authors=et al |title=Strong constraints on thermal relic dark matter from Fermi-LAT observations of the Galactic Center |journal=Physical Review D |volume=102 |issue=43012 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.102.043012 |date=4 August 2020 |page=043012 |arxiv=2003.10416 |bibcode=2020PhRvD.102d3012A |s2cid=214611884 }}
5 August
The British Antarctic Survey reports that emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica are nearly 20% more numerous than previously thought, with new discoveries made using satellite mapping technology.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/05/throng-of-new-penguin-colonies-in-antarctica-spotted-from-space|title=Throng of new penguin colonies in Antarctica spotted from space|date=5 August 2020|access-date=5 August 2020|work=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/scientists-discover-new-penguin-colonies-from-space/|title=Scientists discover new penguin colonies from space|date=5 August 2020|access-date=5 August 2020|work=British Antarctic Survey}}
New Guinea is determined to be the world's most floristically diverse island with well over 13,000 confirmed species of vascular plants recorded thus far, surpassing that of Madagascar.{{cite news|last1=Weston|first1=Phoebe|date=5 August 2020|title=New Guinea has greatest plant diversity of any island in the world, study reveals|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/05/new-guinea-has-greatest-plant-diversity-of-any-island-in-the-world-study-reveals|access-date=13 September 2020}}{{Cite journal|last1=Cámara-Leret|first1=Rodrigo|last2=Frodin|first2=David G.|last3=Adema|first3=Frits|last4=Anderson|first4=Christiane|last5=Appelhans|first5=Marc S.|last6=Argent|first6=George|last7=Arias Guerrero|first7=Susana|last8=Ashton|first8=Peter|last9=Baker|first9=William J.|last10=Barfod|first10=Anders S.|last11=Barrington|first11=David|date=August 2020|title=New Guinea has the world's richest island flora|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2549-5|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=584|issue=7822|pages=579–583|bibcode=2020Natur.584..579C|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2549-5|issn=1476-4687|pmid=32760001|s2cid=220980697}}File:Bulbophyllum callichroma Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 886 (1913). (49815491913).jpg is the most diverse plant genus in New Guinea with 658 native species, 91% of them endemic.]]
6 August
The Canadian Ice Service reports that the Milne Ice Shelf, the last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic, has collapsed after losing more than 40% of its area in just two days.{{cite news |last1=Warburton |first1=Moira |title=Canada's last fully intact Arctic ice shelf collapses |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-canada-idUSKCN2523JH |access-date=11 September 2020 |work=Reuters |date=6 August 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news|url=https://www.arctictoday.com/canadas-last-fully-intact-arctic-ice-shelf-collapses/|title=Canada's last fully intact Arctic ice shelf collapses|date=7 August 2020|access-date=9 August 2020|work=Arctic Today}}
Scientists report the creation of the brightest fluorescent solid optical materials so far by enabling the transfer of properties of highly fluorescent dyes via spatial and electronic isolation of the dyes by mixing cationic dyes with anion-binding cyanostar macrocycles. According to a co-author these materials may have applications in areas such as solar energy harvesting, bioimaging, and lasers.{{cite news |title=Chemists create the brightest-ever fluorescent materials |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-chemists-brightest-ever-fluorescent-materials.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Scientists create the brightest fluorescent materials in existence |url=https://newatlas.com/materials/brightest-fluorescent-material-existence/ |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=New Atlas |date=7 August 2020}}{{cite news |title=Scientists create 'brightest known materials in existence' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/brightest-material-ever-fluorescent-light-a9657221.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=www.independent.co.uk |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Benson |first1=Christopher R. |last2=Kacenauskaite |first2=Laura |last3=VanDenburgh |first3=Katherine L. |last4=Zhao |first4=Wei |last5=Qiao |first5=Bo |last6=Sadhukhan |first6=Tumpa |last7=Pink |first7=Maren |last8=Chen |first8=Junsheng |last9=Borgi |first9=Sina |last10=Chen |first10=Chun-Hsing |last11=Davis |first11=Brad J. |last12=Simon |first12=Yoan C. |last13=Raghavachari |first13=Krishnan |last14=Laursen |first14=Bo W. |last15=Flood |first15=Amar H. |title=Plug-and-Play Optical Materials from Fluorescent Dyes and Macrocycles |journal=Chem |date=6 August 2020 |volume=6 |issue=8 |pages=1978–1997 |doi=10.1016/j.chempr.2020.06.029 |language=English |issn=2451-9294|doi-access=free }}
Scientists present an extension to an algorithm to infer local genetic relationships published in October 2019 and report that 3% of the Neanderthal genome was introgressed from ancient humans ~200-300kya and predict that 1% of the Denisovan genome was introgressed from an unknown highly diverged, archaic hominin ancestor of which 15% were introgressed into modern humans alive today.{{cite news |title=DNA from an ancient, unidentified ancestor was passed down to humans living today |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-dna-ancient-unidentified-ancestor-humans.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Hubisz |first1=Melissa J. |last2=Williams |first2=Amy L. |last3=Siepel |first3=Adam |title=Mapping gene flow between ancient hominins through demography-aware inference of the ancestral recombination graph |journal=PLOS Genetics |date=6 August 2020 |volume=16 |issue=8 |pages=e1008895 |doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1008895 |pmid=32760067 |pmc=7410169 |language=en |issn=1553-7404 |doi-access=free }}
Scientists report the discovery of the oldest monkey fossils outside of Africa; particularly, of Mesopithecus pentelicus, about 6.4 million years old, in Yuhane Province, China.{{cite journal |author=Jablonski, Nina G. |display-authors=et al.|title=Mesopithecus pentelicus from Zhaotong, China, the easternmost representative of a widespread Miocene cercopithecoid species |date=6 August 2020 |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |volume=145 |page=102851|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102851 |pmid=32771770|doi-access=free }}
7 August
A study concludes that the direct effect of the response to the pandemic on global warming will likely be negligible, with an estimated cooling of around 0.01 ±0.005 °C by 2030 and that a well-designed economic recovery could avoid future warming of 0.3 °C by 2050. The study indicates that systemic change for "decarbonization" of humanity's economic structures is required for a substantial impact on global warming.{{cite news |title=Lockdown emissions fall will have 'no effect' on climate |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-lockdown-emissions-fall-effect-climate.html |access-date=31 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Forster |first1=Piers M. |last2=Forster |first2=Harriet I. |last3=Evans |first3=Mat J. |last4=Gidden |first4=Matthew J. |last5=Jones |first5=Chris D. |last6=Keller |first6=Christoph A. |last7=Lamboll |first7=Robin D. |last8=Quéré |first8=Corinne Le|author9-link=Joeri Rogelj |last9=Rogelj |first9=Joeri |last10=Rosen |first10=Deborah |last11=Schleussner |first11=Carl-Friedrich |last12=Richardson |first12=Thomas B. |last13=Smith |first13=Christopher J. |last14=Turnock |first14=Steven T. |title=Current and future global climate impacts resulting from COVID-19 |journal=Nature Climate Change |date=7 August 2020 |volume=10 |issue=10 |pages=913–919 |doi=10.1038/s41558-020-0883-0 |bibcode=2020NatCC..10..913F |s2cid=221019148 |language=en |issn=1758-6798|doi-access=free }}
Russia's Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin announces that he wishes for the agency to explore Venus and to bring back surface materials and that they are building a reusable rocket.{{cite news |title=Russia wants to build its own reusable rocket, Roscosmos chief says |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/russia-roscosmos-reusable-rocket/ |access-date=14 September 2020 |work=www.digitaltrends.com}}{{cite news |title=Russia wants to return to Venus, build reusable rocket |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-russia-venus-reusable-rocket.html |access-date=14 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}} On 15 September he told reporters that "projects of Venus missions are included in the united government program of Russia’s space exploration for 2021-2030" and that they include Venera-D.{{cite news |title=Russia plans to send mission to Venus |url=https://tass.com/science/1201053 |access-date=16 September 2020 |work=TASS}}
8 August – NASA announces it will change unofficial and potentially contentious names used by the scientific community for distant cosmic objects and systems including references to NGC 2392 as "the Eskimo Nebula" and NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 as the "Siamese Twins Galaxy".{{cite web |last1=Helmore |first1=Edward |title=Nasa to change 'harmful' and insensitive' planet and galaxy nicknames |url=https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-change-harmful-discriminatory-planet-190127265.html |website=news.yahoo.com |date=8 August 2020 |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=August 9, 2020}}

File:PIA19547-Ceres-DwarfPlanet-Dawn-RC3-AnimationFrame25-20150504.jpg Ceres is confirmed to be a water-rich body.]]

10 August
The dwarf planet Ceres is confirmed to be a water-rich body, containing a deep reservoir of brine, based on analysis of data from the Dawn mission. The "bright spots" in Occator crater are the result of salty water rising to the surface from below.{{cite web |last1=McCartney |first1=Gretchen |last2=JHautaluoma |first2=Grey |last3=Johnson |first3=Alana |title=Mystery Solved: Bright Areas on Ceres Come From Salty Water Below |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7722 |date=10 August 2020 |work=NASA |access-date=10 August 2020 }}{{cite news |last=McCartney |first=Gretchen |title=Mystery solved: Bright areas on Ceres come from salty water below |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-mystery-bright-areas-ceres-salty.html |date=11 August 2020 |work=Phys.org |access-date=11 August 2020 }}
Scientists report that bi-directional connections, or added appropriate feedback connections, can accelerate and improve communication between and in modular neural networks of the brain's cerebral cortex and lower the threshold for their successful communication.{{cite news |title=Neuroscientists demonstrate how to improve communication between different regions of the brain |url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-neuroscientists-regions-brain.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=medicalxpress.com |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Rezaei |first1=Hedyeh |last2=Aertsen |first2=Ad |last3=Kumar |first3=Arvind |last4=Valizadeh |first4=Alireza |title=Facilitating the propagation of spiking activity in feedforward networks by including feedback |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |date=10 August 2020 |volume=16 |issue=8 |pages=e1008033 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008033 |pmid=32776924 |pmc=7444537 |bibcode=2020PLSCB..16E8033R |s2cid=221100528 |language=en |issn=1553-7358 |doi-access=free }}
11 August
COVID-19 pandemic: Russia's President Vladimir Putin announces that Russia commits the first approval of a COVID-19 vaccine "Gam-COVID-Vac". This is a controversial step due to widely perceived lack of sufficient testing of the vaccine.{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Putin says vaccine has been approved for use|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53735718|access-date=11 August 2020 |agency=BBC News |date=11 August 2020}} In November high efficacy in phase III interim results was reported.{{cite news |last1=Sagdiev |first1=Rinat |last2=Ivanova |first2=Polina |title=RPT-EXCLUSIVE-Russia focuses on freeze-dried vaccine doses as transport fix |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-russia-vaccine-transp/rpt-exclusive-russia-focuses-on-freeze-dried-vaccine-doses-as-transport-fix-idUSL1N2I30ML |access-date=31 December 2020 |work=Reuters |date=17 November 2020 |language=en}}
Astronomers announce the discovery of S4714, a star orbiting the black hole at the center of the Milky Way at up to 8% the speed of light.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/fastest-ever-star-discovered-orbiting-milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole/|title=Fastest-ever star discovered orbiting Milky Way's supermassive black hole|date=11 August 2020}}{{cite journal|title=S62 and S4711: Indications of a Population of Faint Fast-moving Stars inside the S2 Orbit—S4711 on a 7.6 yr Orbit around Sgr A*|date=11 August 2020|doi=10.3847/1538-4357/ab9c1c|last1=Peißker|first1=Florian|last2=Eckart|first2=Andreas|last3=Zajaček|first3=Michal|last4=Ali|first4=Basel|last5=Parsa|first5=Marzieh|journal=The Astrophysical Journal|volume=899|issue=1|page=50|arxiv=2008.04764|bibcode=2020ApJ...899...50P|s2cid=221095771 |doi-access=free }}
12 August
The latest State of the Climate report finds that 2010 to 2019 was the hottest decade on record globally, with an increase of 0.39 °C (0.7 °F) above the long-term average, and 2019 either the second or third warmest year on record.{{cite news |title=Last decade was Earth's hottest on record as climate crisis accelerates|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/12/hottest-decade-climate-crisis-2019|access-date=12 August 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=12 August 2020}}{{cite news |title=State of the Climate|url=https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/publications/bulletin-of-the-american-meteorological-society-bams/state-of-the-climate/|access-date=12 August 2020 |work=American Meteorological Society |date=12 August 2020}}
Scientists report that bacteria that feed on air discovered 2017 in Antarctica are likely not limited to Antarctica after discovering the two genes previously linked to their "atmospheric chemosynthesis" in soil of two other similar cold desert sites, which provides further information on this carbon sink and further strengthens the extremophile evidence that supports the potential existence of microbial life on alien planets.{{cite news |title=Microbes living on air a global phenomenon |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-microbes-air-global-phenomenon.html |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Bacteria that "eat" only air found in cold deserts around the world |url=https://newatlas.com/biology/air-eating-bacteria-antarctica-artic/ |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=New Atlas |date=19 August 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Ray |first1=Angelique E. |last2=Zhang |first2=Eden |last3=Terauds |first3=Aleks |last4=Ji |first4=Mukan |last5=Kong |first5=Weidong |last6=Ferrari |first6=Belinda C. |title=Soil Microbiomes With the Genetic Capacity for Atmospheric Chemosynthesis Are Widespread Across the Poles and Are Associated With Moisture, Carbon, and Nitrogen Limitation |journal=Frontiers in Microbiology |date=2020 |volume=11 |page=1936 |doi=10.3389/fmicb.2020.01936 |pmid=32903524 |pmc=7437527 |s2cid=221105556 |language=English |issn=1664-302X|doi-access=free }}

File:Mean regional trends in ice thickness and front position.webp is shown to have passed the point of no return, based on 40 years of satellite data. The switch to a dynamic state of sustained mass loss resulted from widespread retreat in 2000–2005.]]

13 August
Scientists at the University of Southern California report the "likely" order of initial symptoms of the COVID-19 disease: "fever, cough, muscle pain, and then nausea, and/or vomiting, and diarrhea".{{cite news |author=University of Southern California |title=USC scientists identify the order of COVID-19's symptoms - The scientists at USC Michelson Center note that knowing the order of symptoms for the coronavirus will help doctors with diagnosis and treatment, and may even help patients decide to seek care or quarantine |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/uosc-usi081320.php |date=13 August 2020 |work=EurekAlert! |access-date=17 August 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Larsen, Joseph R. |display-authors=et al. |title=Modeling the Onset of Symptoms of COVID-19 |date=13 August 2020 |journal=Frontiers in Public Health |volume=8 |page=473 |doi=10.3389/fpubh.2020.00473 |pmid=32903584 |pmc=7438535 |s2cid=221105179 |doi-access=free }}
Unexpected dimming of Betelgeuse is explained by NASA as a "traumatic outburst", caused by an immense amount of hot material ejected into space, forming a dust cloud that blocked starlight.{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |title=This Star Looked Like It Would Explode. Maybe It Just Sneezed - The mysterious dimming of the red supergiant Betelgeuse is the result of a stellar exhalation, astronomers say. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/science/betelgeuse-star-supernova.html |date=14 August 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=15 August 2020 }}{{cite news |title=Hubble Finds That Betelgeuse's Mysterious Dimming Is Due to a Traumatic Outburst|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/hubble-finds-that-betelgeuses-mysterious-dimming-is-due-to-a-traumatic-outburst|date=13 August 2020|access-date=14 August 2020 |work=NASA }}{{cite journal |author=Dupree, Adrea K. |display-authors=et al |title=Spatially Resolved Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of the Great Dimming of Betelgeuse |date=13 August 2020 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |volume=899 |number=1 |page=68 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/aba516 |arxiv=2008.04945 |bibcode=2020ApJ...899...68D |s2cid=221103735 |doi-access=free }} On 30 August 2020, astronomers reported the detection of a second dust cloud emitted from Betelgeuse, and associated with a secondary minimum on 3 August in luminosity of the star.{{cite news |author=Sigismondi, Costantino |display-authors=et al. |title=ATel #13982: Second dust cloud on Betelgeuse |url=http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=13982 |date=30 August 2020 |work=The Astronomer's Telegram |access-date=31 August 2020 }}
Universal coherence protection is reported to have been achieved in a solid-state spin qubit, a modification that allows quantum systems to stay operational (or "coherent") for 10,000 times longer than before.{{cite news |title=UChicago scientists discover way to make quantum states last 10,000 times longer|url=https://www.anl.gov/article/uchicago-scientists-discover-way-to-make-quantum-states-last-10000-times-longer|date=13 August 2020|access-date=14 August 2020 |work=Argonne National Laboratory}}{{cite journal | last1=Miao | first1=Kevin C. | last2=Blanton | first2=Joseph P. | last3=Anderson | first3=Christopher P. | last4=Bourassa | first4=Alexandre | last5=Crook | first5=Alexander L. | last6=Wolfowicz | first6=Gary | last7=Abe | first7=Hiroshi | last8=Ohshima | first8=Takeshi | last9=Awschalom | first9=David D. | title=Universal coherence protection in a solid-state spin qubit | journal=Science | date=2020-05-12 | volume=369 | issue=6510 | pages=1493–1497 | doi=10.1126/science.abc5186 | pmid=32792463 | arxiv=2005.06082v1 | bibcode=2020Sci...369.1493M | s2cid=218613907 }}
July 2020 is tied as the second-warmest July on record, with a record low Arctic sea ice extent for the month, in a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.{{cite news |title=Assessing the Global Climate in July 2020|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202007|date=13 August 2020|access-date=14 August 2020 |work=NOAA}}
Melting of the Greenland ice sheet is shown to have passed the point of no return, based on 40 years of satellite data, by scientists at Ohio State University. The switch to a dynamic state of sustained mass loss resulted from widespread retreat in 2000–2005.{{cite news |title= Warming Greenland ice sheet passes point of no return |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/osu-wgi081320.php|date=13 August 2020|access-date=15 August 2020 |work=EurekAlert!}}{{cite news |title=Warming Greenland ice sheet passes point of no return|url=https://news.osu.edu/warming-greenland-ice-sheet-passes-point-of-no-return/|date=13 August 2020|access-date=15 August 2020 |work=Ohio State University}}{{cite journal |last1=King |first1=Michalea D. |last2=Howat |first2=Ian M. |last3=Candela |first3=Salvatore G. |last4=Noh |first4=Myoung J. |last5=Jeong |first5=Seongsu |last6=Noël |first6=Brice P. Y. |last7=van den Broeke |first7=Michiel R. |last8=Wouters |first8=Bert |last9=Negrete |first9=Adelaide |title=Dynamic ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet driven by sustained glacier retreat |journal=Communications Earth & Environment |date=13 August 2020 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1038/s43247-020-0001-2 |bibcode=2020ComEE...1....1K |s2cid=221129437 |language=en |issn=2662-4435|doi-access=free }}
14 August – Scientists report the discovery of the oldest grass bedding from at least 200,000 years ago, much older than the oldest previously known bedding. They speculate that insect-repellent plants and ash layers, sometimes due to burned older grass beddings, found beneath the bedding have been used for a dirt-free, insulated base and to keep away arthropods.{{cite news |title=200,000 years ago, humans preferred to sleep in beds |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-years-humans-beds.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=The oldest known grass beds from 200,000 years ago included insect repellents |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/oldest-grass-beds-insect-repellent |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=Science News |date=13 August 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Wadley |first1=Lyn |last2=Esteban |first2=Irene |last3=Peña |first3=Paloma de la |last4=Wojcieszak |first4=Marine |last5=Stratford |first5=Dominic |last6=Lennox |first6=Sandra |last7=d’Errico |first7=Francesco |last8=Rosso |first8=Daniela Eugenia |last9=Orange |first9=François |last10=Backwell |first10=Lucinda |last11=Sievers |first11=Christine |title=Fire and grass-bedding construction 200 thousand years ago at Border Cave, South Africa |journal=Science |date=14 August 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6505 |pages=863–866 |doi=10.1126/science.abc7239 |pmid=32792402 |bibcode=2020Sci...369..863W |s2cid=221113832 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abc7239 |access-date=6 September 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}
16 August – Astronomers report the detection of asteroid 2020 QG, a small Earth-crossing near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group that passed the Earth about {{convert|2950|km|mi}} away, the closest known asteroid to pass the Earth that did not impact the planet.{{cite web |last = Clavin |first=Whitney |title=ZTF Finds Closest Known Asteroid to Fly By Earth |url= https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ztf-finds-closest-known-asteroid-fly-earth |work=Caltech |date=18 August 2020 |access-date=19 August 2020}}{{cite web |title=MPEC 2020-Q51 : 2020 QG |url=https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K20/K20Q51.html |website=www.minorplanetcenter.net |access-date=11 September 2020}}
17 August
Astronomers report that the interstellar object ʻOumuamua (1I/2017 U1) is not likely to be composed of frozen hydrogen which had been proposed earlier. The compositional nature of the object continues to be unknown.{{cite news |author=Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |title=Scientists determine 'Oumuamua isn't made from molecular hydrogen ice after all |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-scientists-oumuamua-isnt-molecular-hydrogen.html |date=17 August 2020 |work=Phys.org |access-date=17 August 2020 }}{{cite journal |last1=Hoang |first1=Thiem |last2=Loeb |first2=Abraham |title=Destruction of Molecular Hydrogen Ice and Implications for 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua) |date=17 August 2020 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal Letters |volume=899 |number=2 |pages=L23 |doi=10.3847/2041-8213/abab0c |arxiv=2006.08088 |bibcode=2020ApJ...899L..23H |s2cid=219687520 |doi-access=free }} Nonetheless, the possibility that the interstellar object may be alien technology has not been ruled out, although such an explanation is reported to be a "long shot" by "most scientists".{{cite news |last=Letzer |first=Ran |title=Interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua could still be alien technology, new study hints - Aliens? Or a chunk of solid hydrogen? Which idea makes less sense? |url=https://www.livescience.com/oumuamua-interstellar-hydrogen-or-aliens.html |date=19 August 2020 |work=Live Science |access-date=21 August 2020 }}
Physicists present a study involving interpretations of quantum mechanics that is related to the Schrödinger's cat and Wigner's friend paradoxes, and results in conclusions that challenge seemingly established assumptions about reality and go beyond Bell's theorem.{{cite news |last=Merali |first=Zeeya |title=This Twist on Schrödinger's Cat Paradox Has Major Implications for Quantum Theory - A laboratory demonstration of the classic "Wigner's friend" thought experiment could overturn cherished assumptions about reality |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-twist-on-schroedingers-cat-paradox-has-major-implications-for-quantum-theory/ |date=17 August 2020 |work=Scientific American |access-date=17 August 2020 }}{{cite news |last=Musser |first=George |title=Quantum paradox points to shaky foundations of reality |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/quantum-paradox-points-shaky-foundations-reality |date=17 August 2020 |work=Science Magazine |access-date=17 August 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Bong, Kok-Wei |display-authors=et al. |title=A strong no-go theorem on the Wigner's friend paradox |date=17 August 2020 |journal=Nature Physics |volume=27 |issue=12 |pages=1199–1205 |doi=10.1038/s41567-020-0990-x|arxiv=1907.05607 |bibcode=2020NatPh..16.1199B |s2cid=216604536 |doi-access=free }}
18 August
Scientists report that bird skull evolution decelerated compared with the evolution of their dinosaur predecessors after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, rather than accelerating as often believed to have caused the cranial shape diversity of modern birds.{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Kate |title=How Birds Evolved Their Incredible Diversity |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-birds-evolved-their-incredible-diversity/ |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Felice |first1=Ryan N. |last2=Watanabe |first2=Akinobu |last3=Cuff |first3=Andrew R. |last4=Hanson |first4=Michael |last5=Bhullar |first5=Bhart-Anjan S. |last6=Rayfield |first6=Emily R. |last7=Witmer |first7=Lawrence M. |last8=Norell |first8=Mark A. |last9=Goswami |first9=Anjali |title=Decelerated dinosaur skull evolution with the origin of birds |journal=PLOS Biology |date=18 August 2020 |volume=18 |issue=8 |pages=e3000801 |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000801 |pmid=32810126 |pmc=7437466 |language=en |issn=1545-7885 |doi-access=free }}
Scientists report the achievement of a milestone in the development of laser-plasma accelerators and demonstrate their longest stable operation of 30 hours. These particle accelerators are far smaller than conventional ones, may have technological applications and may provide a way to energies beyond the LHC.{{cite news |title=World record: Plasma accelerator operates right around the clock |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-world-plasma-clock.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Rekord: Längster Lauf eines Plasmabeschleunigers |url=https://www.scinexx.de/news/technik/rekord-laengster-lauf-eines-plasmabeschleunigers/ |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=scinexx {{!}} Das Wissensmagazin |date=21 August 2020 |language=de-DE}}{{cite news |title=Important Milestone Reached on the Road to Future Particle Accelerators |url=https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=54456 |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=AZoM.com |date=20 August 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Plasma accelerators could overcome size limitations of Large Hadron Collider |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-07-plasma-size-limitations-large-hadron.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Maier |first1=Andreas R. |last2=Delbos |first2=Niels M. |last3=Eichner |first3=Timo |last4=Hübner |first4=Lars |last5=Jalas |first5=Sören |last6=Jeppe |first6=Laurids |last7=Jolly |first7=Spencer W. |last8=Kirchen |first8=Manuel |last9=Leroux |first9=Vincent |last10=Messner |first10=Philipp |last11=Schnepp |first11=Matthias |last12=Trunk |first12=Maximilian |last13=Walker |first13=Paul A. |last14=Werle |first14=Christian |last15=Winkler |first15=Paul |title=Decoding Sources of Energy Variability in a Laser-Plasma Accelerator |journal=Physical Review X |date=18 August 2020 |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=031039 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevX.10.031039 |bibcode=2020PhRvX..10c1039M |doi-access=free }}

19 August
An analysis indicates that sustainable seafood could increase by 36–74% by 2050 compared to current yields and that whether or not these production potentials are realized sustainably depends on factors such as policy reforms, technological innovation and the extent of future shifts in demand.{{cite news |title=Food from the sea: Sustainably managed fisheries and the future |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-food-sea-sustainably-fisheries-future.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Costello |first1=Christopher |last2=Cao |first2=Ling |last3=Gelcich |first3=Stefan |last4=Cisneros-Mata |first4=Miguel Á |last5=Free |first5=Christopher M. |last6=Froehlich |first6=Halley E. |last7=Golden |first7=Christopher D. |last8=Ishimura |first8=Gakushi |last9=Maier |first9=Jason |last10=Macadam-Somer |first10=Ilan |last11=Mangin |first11=Tracey |last12=Melnychuk |first12=Michael C. |last13=Miyahara |first13=Masanori |last14=de Moor |first14=Carryn L. |last15=Naylor |first15=Rosamond |last16=Nøstbakken |first16=Linda |last17=Ojea |first17=Elena |last18=O’Reilly |first18=Erin |last19=Parma |first19=Ana M. |last20=Plantinga |first20=Andrew J. |last21=Thilsted |first21=Shakuntala H. |last22=Lubchenco |first22=Jane |title=The future of food from the sea |journal=Nature |date=19 August 2020 |volume=588 |issue=7836 |pages=95–100 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2616-y |pmid=32814903 |bibcode=2020Natur.588...95C |s2cid=221179212 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free |hdl=11093/1616 |hdl-access=free }}
Researchers report that widespread declines in Pacific salmon size resulted in substantial losses to ecosystems and people, which they estimate, and are associated with factors that include climate change and competition with growing numbers of wild and hatchery salmon.{{cite news |title=Alaska's salmon are getting smaller, affecting people and ecosystems |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-alaska-salmon-smaller-affecting-people.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Oke |first1=K. B. |last2=Cunningham |first2=C. J. |last3=Westley |first3=P. a. H. |last4=Baskett |first4=M. L. |last5=Carlson |first5=S. M. |last6=Clark |first6=J. |last7=Hendry |first7=A. P. |last8=Karatayev |first8=V. A. |last9=Kendall |first9=N. W. |last10=Kibele |first10=J. |last11=Kindsvater |first11=H. K. |last12=Kobayashi |first12=K. M. |last13=Lewis |first13=B. |last14=Munch |first14=S. |last15=Reynolds |first15=J. D. |last16=Vick |first16=G. K. |last17=Palkovacs |first17=E. P. |title=Recent declines in salmon body size impact ecosystems and fisheries |journal=Nature Communications |date=19 August 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=4155 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-17726-z |pmid=32814776 |pmc=7438488 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.4155O |language=en |issn=2041-1723}}
Researchers provide explanations for variations in the rate of global mean sea-level rise since 1900 and report that dam building in the 20th century offset factors that would have led to a higher rate during the 1970s, implying that no additional processes are required to explain the observed major variations.{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Matt |title=Dams played key role in limiting sea level rise |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53836018 |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=BBC News |date=19 August 2020}}{{cite news |title=20th century dam building found to have offset sea level rise |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-20th-century-offset-sea.html |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Frederikse |first1=Thomas |last2=Landerer |first2=Felix |last3=Caron |first3=Lambert |last4=Adhikari |first4=Surendra |last5=Parkes |first5=David |last6=Humphrey |first6=Vincent W. |last7=Dangendorf |first7=Sönke |last8=Hogarth |first8=Peter |last9=Zanna |first9=Laure |last10=Cheng |first10=Lijing |last11=Wu |first11=Yun-Hao |title=The causes of sea-level rise since 1900 |journal=Nature |date=August 2020 |volume=584 |issue=7821 |pages=393–397 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2591-3 |pmid=32814886 |bibcode=2020EGUGA..22.7907F |s2cid=221182575 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2591-3 |access-date=8 September 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}

File:Mass changes of the Greenland Ice Sheet between 2002 and 2019.webp lost a record amount of ice during 2019.]]

20 August – Scientists report that the Greenland ice sheet lost a record amount of 532 billion metric tons of ice during 2019, surpassing the old record of 464 billion metric tons in 2012 and returning to high melt rates, and provide explanations for the reduced ice loss in 2017 and 2018.{{cite news |title=Record melt: Greenland lost 586 billion tons of ice in 2019 |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-greenland-lost-billion-tons-ice.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Sasgen |first1=Ingo |last2=Wouters |first2=Bert |last3=Gardner |first3=Alex S. |last4=King |first4=Michalea D. |last5=Tedesco |first5=Marco |last6=Landerer |first6=Felix W. |last7=Dahle |first7=Christoph |last8=Save |first8=Himanshu |last9=Fettweis |first9=Xavier |title=Return to rapid ice loss in Greenland and record loss in 2019 detected by the GRACE-FO satellites |journal=Communications Earth & Environment |date=20 August 2020 |volume=1 |issue=1 |page=8 |doi=10.1038/s43247-020-0010-1 |bibcode=2020ComEE...1....8S |s2cid=221200001 |language=en |issn=2662-4435|doi-access=free }}
21 August – Scientists, via genomic analysis, identify a large number of mammals that can potentially be infected by SARS-CoV-2 and therefore could possibly become intermediate hosts for the virus.{{cite news |title=Genomic analysis reveals many animal species may be vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection |url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-genomic-analysis-reveals-animal-species.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=medicalxpress.com |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Reindeer, dolphins most at risk for COVID-19, study finds. What about other animals? |url=https://www.macon.com/news/coronavirus/article245313350.html |access-date=6 September 2020 |work=The Telegraph}}{{cite journal |last1=Damas |first1=Joana |last2=Hughes |first2=Graham M. |last3=Keough |first3=Kathleen C. |last4=Painter |first4=Corrie A. |last5=Persky |first5=Nicole S. |last6=Corbo |first6=Marco |last7=Hiller |first7=Michael |last8=Koepfli |first8=Klaus-Peter |last9=Pfenning |first9=Andreas R. |last10=Zhao |first10=Huabin |last11=Genereux |first11=Diane P. |last12=Swofford |first12=Ross |last13=Pollard |first13=Katherine S. |last14=Ryder |first14=Oliver A. |last15=Nweeia |first15=Martin T. |last16=Lindblad-Toh |first16=Kerstin |last17=Teeling |first17=Emma C. |last18=Karlsson |first18=Elinor K. |last19=Lewin |first19=Harris A. |author-link17=Emma Teeling |title=Broad host range of SARS-CoV-2 predicted by comparative and structural analysis of ACE2 in vertebrates |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=21 August 2020 |volume=117 |issue=36 |pages=22311–22322 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2010146117 |pmid=32826334 |pmc=7486773 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11722311D |s2cid=221238496 |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}
24 August
A study finds that almost 300 million people live on tropical forest restoration opportunity land in the Global South, constituting a large share of low-income countries' populations, and argues for prioritized inclusion of "local communities" in forest restoration projects.{{cite news |title=Global forest restoration and the importance of empowering local communities |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-global-forest-importance-empowering-local.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=300 million world over can have their forests restored: study |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/300-million-world-over-can-have-their-forests-restored-study/article32440958.ece |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=25 August 2020 |language=en-IN}}{{cite journal |last1=Erbaugh |first1=J. T. |last2=Pradhan |first2=N. |last3=Adams |first3=J. |last4=Oldekop |first4=J. A. |last5=Agrawal |first5=A. |last6=Brockington |first6=D. |last7=Pritchard |first7=R. |last8=Chhatre |first8=A. |title=Global forest restoration and the importance of prioritizing local communities |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |date=24 August 2020 |volume=4 |issue=11 |pages=1472–1476 |doi=10.1038/s41559-020-01282-2 |pmid=32839542 |s2cid=221285189 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-01282-2 |access-date=5 September 2020 |language=en |issn=2397-334X}}
Researchers assess potential global soil erosion rates by water due to projected climate- and land use-change for multiple SSP-RCP scenarios, indicating that global soil erosion by water may increase 30-66% between 2015 and 2070 and that the greatest increases will occur in areas with tropical climates, which could inform strategies for soil conservation.{{cite news |title=Climate change and land use are accelerating soil erosion by water |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-climate-soil-erosion.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Bodenerosion: Klimawandel und Landnutzung lässt Ackerflächen verschwinden |url=https://www.rnd.de/wissen/bodenerosion-klimawandel-und-landnutzung-lasst-ackerflachen-verschwinden-LTXUVL7XZZHPZCQCZFPV3RQQK4.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=www.rnd.de |language=de-DE}}{{cite journal |last1=Borrelli |first1=Pasquale |last2=Robinson |first2=David A. |last3=Panagos |first3=Panos |last4=Lugato |first4=Emanuele |last5=Yang |first5=Jae E. |last6=Alewell |first6=Christine |last7=Wuepper |first7=David |last8=Montanarella |first8=Luca |last9=Ballabio |first9=Cristiano |title=Land use and climate change impacts on global soil erosion by water (2015-2070) |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=20 August 2020 |volume=117 |issue=36 |pages=21994–22001 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2001403117 |pmid=32839306 |pmc=7486701 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11721994B |s2cid=221305830 |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}
25 August
Astronomers report a significant unexpected increase in density in the space beyond the Solar System as detected by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes. According to the researchers, this implies that "the density gradient is a large-scale feature of the VLISM (very local interstellar medium) in the general direction of the heliospheric nose".{{cite news |last=Starr |first=Michelle |title=Voyager Spacecraft Detect an Increase in The Density of Space Outside The Solar System |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/for-some-reason-the-density-of-space-is-higher-just-outside-the-solar-system |date=19 October 2020 |work=ScienceAlert |access-date=19 October 2020 }}{{cite journal |last1=Kurth |first1=W.S. |last2=Gurnett |first2=D.A. |title=Observations of a Radial Density Gradient in the Very Local Interstellar Medium by Voyager 2 |date=25 August 2020 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal Letters |volume=900 |number=1 |pages=L1 |doi=10.3847/2041-8213/abae58 |bibcode=2020ApJ...900L...1K |s2cid=225312823 |doi-access=free }}
The National Science Foundation's NOIRLab and the American Astronomical Society release a report from the SATCON1 workshop, which concludes that the effects of large satellite constellations such as Starlink satellites can severely impact some astronomical research efforts and lists six ways to mitigate harm to astronomy.{{cite news |last1=Zhang |first1=Emily |title=SpaceX's Dark Satellites Are Still Too Bright for Astronomers |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/spacexs-dark-satellites-are-still-too-bright-for-astronomers/ |access-date=16 September 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Report Offers Roadmap to Mitigate Effects of Large Satellite Constellations on Astronomy {{!}} American Astronomical Society |url=https://aas.org/press/report-offers-roadmap-mitigate-effects-large-satellite-constellations-astronomy |access-date=16 September 2020 |work=aas.org}}
26 August
Scientists report that bacteria from Earth, particularly Deinococcus radiodurans, were found to survive for three years in outer space, based on studies on the International Space Station. These findings support the notion of panspermia.{{cite news |last=Strickland |first=Ashley |title=Bacteria from Earth can survive in space and could endure the trip to Mars, according to new study |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/world/earth-mars-bacteria-space-scn/index.html |date=26 August 2020 |work=CNN News |access-date=26 August 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Kawaguchi, Yuko |display-authors=et al. |title=DNA Damage and Survival Time Course of Deinococcal Cell Pellets During 3 Years of Exposure to Outer Space |date=26 August 2020 |journal=Frontiers in Microbiology |volume=11 |page=2050 |doi=10.3389/fmicb.2020.02050 |pmid=32983036 |pmc=7479814 |s2cid=221300151 |doi-access=free }}
Scientists report that ionizing radiation from environmental radioactive materials and cosmic rays may substantially limit the coherence times of qubits if they aren't shielded adequately.{{cite news |title=Quantum computers may be destroyed by high-energy particles from space |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2252933-quantum-computers-may-be-destroyed-by-high-energy-particles-from-space/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite news |title=Cosmic rays may soon stymie quantum computing |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-cosmic-rays-stymie-quantum.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Vepsäläinen |first1=Antti P. |last2=Karamlou |first2=Amir H. |last3=Orrell |first3=John L. |last4=Dogra |first4=Akshunna S. |last5=Loer |first5=Ben |last6=Vasconcelos |first6=Francisca |last7=Kim |first7=David K. |last8=Melville |first8=Alexander J. |last9=Niedzielski |first9=Bethany M. |last10=Yoder |first10=Jonilyn L. |last11=Gustavsson |first11=Simon |last12=Formaggio |first12=Joseph A. |last13=VanDevender |first13=Brent A. |last14=Oliver |first14=William D. |title=Impact of ionizing radiation on superconducting qubit coherence |journal=Nature |date=August 2020 |volume=584 |issue=7822 |pages=551–556 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2619-8 |pmid=32848227 |arxiv=2001.09190 |bibcode=2020Natur.584..551V |s2cid=210920566 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2619-8 |access-date=7 September 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Scientists report that the average global temperature of the last ice age, or Last Glacial Maximum, was ~6.1 °C cooler than today and that the equilibrium climate sensitivity was 3.4 °C, consistent with the established consensus range of 2–4.5 °C.{{cite news |title=How cold was the ice age? Researchers now know |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-cold-ice-age.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Tierney |first1=Jessica E. |last2=Zhu |first2=Jiang |last3=King |first3=Jonathan |last4=Malevich |first4=Steven B. |last5=Hakim |first5=Gregory J. |last6=Poulsen |first6=Christopher J. |title=Glacial cooling and climate sensitivity revisited |journal=Nature |date=August 2020 |volume=584 |issue=7822 |pages=569–573 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2617-x |pmid=32848226 |bibcode=2020Natur.584..569T |s2cid=221346116 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2617-x |access-date=7 September 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
27 August
Researchers report that sufficient water to fill the oceans may have always been on the Earth since the planet's formation.{{cite news |author=Washington University in St. Louis |title=Meteorite study suggests Earth may have been wet since it formed - Enstatite chondrite meteorites, once considered 'dry,' contain enough water to fill the oceans -- and then some |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/wuis-mss082620.php |date=27 August 2020 |work=EurekAlert! |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-date=30 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030083120/https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/wuis-mss082620.php |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |author=American Association for the Advancement of Science |title=Unexpected abundance of hydrogen in meteorites reveals the origin of Earth's water |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/aaft-uao082420.php |date=27 August 2020 |work=EurekAlert! |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028083307/https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/aaft-uao082420.php |url-status=dead }}{{cite journal |author=Piani, Laurette |title=Earth's water may have been inherited from material similar to enstatite chondrite meteorites |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aba1948 |date=28 August 2020 |journal=Science |volume=369 |issue=6507 |pages=1110–1113 |doi=10.1126/science.aba1948 |pmid=32855337 |bibcode=2020Sci...369.1110P |s2cid=221342529 |access-date=28 August 2020 }}
Scientists report evidence of the hibernation-like state torpor in Lystrosaurus living ~250 Mya in Antarctica – the oldest evidence of a hibernation-like state in a vertebrate animal.{{cite news |title=Fossil evidence of 'hibernation-like' state in 250-million-year-old Antarctic animal |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-fossil-evidence-hibernation-like-state-million-year-old.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Fossil suggests animals have been hibernating for 250 million years |url=https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2020/08/27/Fossil-suggests-animals-have-been-hibernating-for-250-million-years/8421598530111/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=UPI |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Whitney |first1=Megan R. |last2=Sidor |first2=Christian A. |title=Evidence of torpor in the tusks of Lystrosaurus from the Early Triassic of Antarctica |journal=Communications Biology |date=27 August 2020 |volume=3 |issue=1 |page=471 |doi=10.1038/s42003-020-01207-6 |pmid=32855434 |pmc=7453012 |language=en |issn=2399-3642}}
28 August
Elon Musk reveals a model of the prototype brain–computer interface chip, implanted in pigs, that his company Neuralink has been working on.{{cite news |title=Neuralink: Elon Musk unveils pig with chip in its brain |work=BBC News |date=29 August 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53956683 |access-date=29 August 2020}}{{cite web |title=Elon Musk trots out pigs in demo of Neuralink brain implants |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/28/21406143/elon-musk-neuralink-ai-pigs-demo-brain-computer-interface |website=The Verge |date=28 August 2020 |access-date=29 August 2020}}
Scientists describe a way cells – in particular cells of a slime mold and mouse pancreatic cancer–derived cells – are able to navigate efficiently through a body and identify the best routes through complex mazes: generating gradients after breaking down diffused chemoattractants which enable them to sense upcoming maze junctions before reaching them, including around corners.{{cite news |last1=Willingham |first1=Emily |title=Cells Solve an English Hedge Maze with the Same Skills They Use to Traverse the Body |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cells-solve-an-english-hedge-maze-with-the-same-skills-they-use-to-traverse-the-body/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite news |title=How cells can find their way through the human body |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-cells-human-body.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Tweedy |first1=Luke |last2=Thomason |first2=Peter A. |last3=Paschke |first3=Peggy I. |last4=Martin |first4=Kirsty |last5=Machesky |first5=Laura M. |last6=Zagnoni |first6=Michele |last7=Insall |first7=Robert H. |title=Seeing around corners: Cells solve mazes and respond at a distance using attractant breakdown |journal=Science |date=28 August 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6507 |pages=eaay9792 |doi=10.1126/science.aay9792 |pmid=32855311 |s2cid=221342551 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay9792 |access-date=7 September 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}
Quantum engineers working for Google report the largest chemical simulation on a quantum computer – a Hartree–Fock approximation with Sycamore paired with a classical computer that analyzed results to provide new parameters for the 12-qubit system.{{cite news |title=Google conducts largest chemical simulation on a quantum computer to date |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-google-largest-chemical-simulation-quantum.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Neil |title=Google's Quantum Computer Achieves Chemistry Milestone |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/googles-quantum-computer-achieves-chemistry-milestone/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=Hartree–Fock on a superconducting qubit quantum computer |journal=Science |date=28 August 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6507 |pages=1084–1089 |doi=10.1126/science.abb9811 |pmid=32855334 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb9811 |access-date=7 September 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075|author=((Google AI Quantum Collaborators)) |arxiv=2004.04174 |bibcode=2020Sci...369.1084. |s2cid=215548188 }}
31 August
Scientists report that New Guinea singing dogs, known for their characteristic vocalization, are not extinct in the wild as was previously commonly believed after analyzing blood samples of specimens found in highlands of New Guinea.{{cite news |title=Discovery of an ancient dog species may teach us about human vocalization |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-discovery-ancient-dog-species-human.html |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Gorman |first1=James |title=Singing Dogs Re-emerge From Extinction for Another Tune |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/science/singing-dog-new-guinea.html |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=31 August 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Surbakti |first1=Suriani |last2=Parker |first2=Heidi G. |last3=McIntyre |first3=James K. |last4=Maury |first4=Hendra K. |last5=Cairns |first5=Kylie M. |last6=Selvig |first6=Meagan |last7=Pangau-Adam |first7=Margaretha |last8=Safonpo |first8=Apolo |last9=Numberi |first9=Leonardo |last10=Runtuboi |first10=Dirk Y. P. |last11=Davis |first11=Brian W. |last12=Ostrander |first12=Elaine A. |title=New Guinea highland wild dogs are the original New Guinea singing dogs |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=27 August 2020 |volume=117 |issue=39 |pages=24369–24376 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2007242117 |pmid=32868416 |pmc=7533868 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11724369S |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}
Scientists report that observed ice-sheet losses in Greenland and Antarctica track worst-case scenarios of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report's sea-level rise projections.{{cite news |title=Sea level rise from ice sheets track worst-case climate change scenario |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-08-sea-ice-sheets-track-worst-case.html |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Earth's ice sheets tracking worst-case climate scenarios |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/09/01/world/science-health-world/ice-sheets-worst-case-climate-scenarios/ |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=The Japan Times |date=1 September 2020}}{{cite news |title=Ice sheet melt on track with 'worst-case climate scenario' |url=https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Space_for_our_climate/Ice_sheet_melt_on_track_with_worst-case_climate_scenario |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=www.esa.int |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Slater |first1=Thomas |last2=Hogg |first2=Anna E. |last3=Mottram |first3=Ruth |author-link3=Ruth Mottram |date=31 August 2020 |title=Ice-sheet losses track high-end sea-level rise projections |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0893-y |journal=Nature Climate Change |language=en |volume=10 |issue=10 |pages=879–881 |bibcode=2020NatCC..10..879S |doi=10.1038/s41558-020-0893-y |issn=1758-6798 |access-date=8 September 2020 |s2cid=221381924}}

=September=

File:Foto de Venera 9.png in Venus' atmosphere, which is known to be a strong predictor for the presence of microbial life. (This image is the first received photo sent from the surface of another planet, Venus).{{cite web |title=Venera 9's landing site |url=https://www.planetary.org/space-images/20120907_venera_9_panorama_stryk |website=The Planetary Society |access-date=16 September 2020 |language=en}}]]

1 September
A new infrared spectroscopy method capable of 80 million spectra per second, nearly 100 times faster than previous techniques, is reported.{{cite news|url=https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/press/z0508_00128.html|title=Giant leap for molecular measurements |date=1 September 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|work=University of Tokyo}}{{cite journal |last1=Kawai |first1=Akira |last2=Hashimoto |first2=Kazuki |last3=Dougakiuchi |first3=Tatsuo |last4=Badarla |first4=Venkata Ramaiah |last5=Imamura |first5=Takayuki |last6=Edamura |first6=Tadataka |last7=Ideguchi |first7=Takuro |title=Time-stretch infrared spectroscopy |journal=Communications Physics |date=1 September 2020 |volume=3 |issue=1 |page=152 |doi=10.1038/s42005-020-00420-3 |arxiv=1912.03857 |bibcode=2020CmPhy...3..152K |s2cid=208910876 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-020-00420-3 |access-date=16 October 2020 |language=en |issn=2399-3650}}

A study supports the theory, formalised in 2019,{{cite news |title=Are black holes made of dark energy? |url=https://phys.org/news/2019-09-black-holes-dark-energy.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}} that generic objects of dark energy (GEODEs) formed by stellar collapse of very large, early stars could be the sources of dark energy and are spread throughout the intergalactic medium.{{cite news |title=Researchers predict location of novel candidate for mysterious dark energy |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-candidate-mysterious-dark-energy.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Croker |first1=K. S. |last2=Runburg |first2=J. |last3=Farrah |first3=D. |title=Implications of Symmetry and Pressure in Friedmann Cosmology. III. Point Sources of Dark Energy that Tend toward Uniformity |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=1 September 2020 |volume=900 |issue=1 |pages=57 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/abad2f |bibcode=2020ApJ...900...57C |issn=1538-4357|doi-access=free }}
After visualizing droplet dispersal for face shields and masks with exhalation valves scientists report that these two types of face coverings can be ineffective against COVID-19 spread and recommend alternatives to minimize viral spread.{{cite news |title=Face shields, masks with valves ineffective against COVID-19 spread: study |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-shields-masks-valves-ineffective-covid-.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Verma |first1=Siddhartha |last2=Dhanak |first2=Manhar |last3=Frankenfield |first3=John |title=Visualizing droplet dispersal for face shields and masks with exhalation valves |journal=Physics of Fluids |date=1 September 2020 |volume=32 |issue=9 |pages=091701 |doi=10.1063/5.0022968 |pmid=32952381 |pmc=7497716 |arxiv=2008.00125 |bibcode=2020PhFl...32i1701V |issn=1070-6631}}

Researchers report that mining for renewable energy production will increase threats to biodiversity and publish a map of areas that contain needed materials as well as estimations of their overlaps with "Key Biodiversity Areas", "Remaining Wilderness" and "Protected Areas". The authors assess that careful strategic planning is needed.{{cite news |title=Mining needed for renewable energy 'could harm biodiversity' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/01/mining-needed-for-renewable-energy-could-harm-biodiversity |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=1 September 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Mining for renewable energy could be another threat to the environment |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-renewable-energy-threat-environment.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Sonter |first1=Laura J. |last2=Dade |first2=Marie C. |last3=Watson |first3=James E. M. |last4=Valenta |first4=Rick K. |title=Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity |journal=Nature Communications |date=1 September 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=4174 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-17928-5 |pmid=32873789 |pmc=7463236 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.4174S |url=|language=en |issn=2041-1723}}
2 September
The largest known black hole merger, detected in May 2019, is confirmed, which also provides the first clear evidence of an intermediate-mass black hole. The resulting object, producing a gravitational wave called GW190521, is estimated at 142 solar masses.{{cite news|url=https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20200902|title=A "bang" in LIGO and Virgo detectors signals most massive gravitational-wave source yet |date=2 September 2020|access-date=2 September 2020|work=LIGO}}{{cite news |last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |title=These Black Holes Shouldn't Exist, but There They Are - On the far side of the universe, a collision of dark giants sheds light on an invisible process of cosmic growth. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/science/black-hole-astronomy-physics.html |date=3 September 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=4 September 2020 }}
Researchers in China demonstrate how microplastic pollution contaminates the soil and harms the abundance of common species, such as microarthropods and nematodes, as well as disrupting carbon and nutrient cycling.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/02/microplastic-pollution-devastating-soil-species-study-finds|title=Microplastic pollution devastating soil species, study finds|date=2 September 2020|access-date=2 September 2020|work=The Guardian}}{{cite journal |last1=Lin |first1=Dunmei |last2=Yang |first2=Guangrong |last3=Dou |first3=Pengpeng |last4=Qian |first4=Shenhua |last5=Zhao |first5=Liang |last6=Yang |first6=Yongchuan |last7=Fanin |first7=Nicolas |title=Microplastics negatively affect soil fauna but stimulate microbial activity: insights from a field-based microplastic addition experiment |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |date=9 September 2020 |volume=287 |issue=1934 |pages=20201268 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2020.1268 |pmid=32873207 |pmc=7542786 |url=}}
Researchers present an eight-user city-scale quantum communication network using already deployed fibres without active switching or trusted nodes.{{cite news |title=Multi-user communication network paves the way towards the quantum internet |url=https://physicsworld.com/a/multi-user-communication-network-paves-the-way-towards-the-quantum-internet/ |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=Physics World |date=8 September 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Joshi |first1=Siddarth Koduru |last2=Aktas |first2=Djeylan |last3=Wengerowsky |first3=Sören |last4=Lončarić |first4=Martin |last5=Neumann |first5=Sebastian Philipp |last6=Liu |first6=Bo |last7=Scheidl |first7=Thomas |last8=Lorenzo |first8=Guillermo Currás |last9=Samec |first9=Željko |last10=Kling |first10=Laurent |last11=Qiu |first11=Alex |last12=Razavi |first12=Mohsen |last13=Stipčević |first13=Mario |last14=Rarity |first14=John G. |last15=Ursin |first15=Rupert |title=A trusted node–free eight-user metropolitan quantum communication network |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=36 |pages=eaba0959 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aba0959|arxiv=1907.08229 |pmid=32917585 |pmc=7467697 |bibcode=2020SciA....6..959J |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
Scientists report that asphalt currently is a significant and largely overlooked source of air pollution in urban areas, especially during hot and sunny periods.{{cite news |title=Asphalt adds to air pollution, especially on hot, sunny days |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-asphalt-air-pollution-hot-sunny.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Khare |first1=Peeyush |last2=Machesky |first2=Jo |last3=Soto |first3=Ricardo |last4=He |first4=Megan |last5=Presto |first5=Albert A. |last6=Gentner |first6=Drew R. |title=Asphalt-related emissions are a major missing nontraditional source of secondary organic aerosol precursors |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=36 |pages=eabb9785 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abb9785 |pmid=32917599 |pmc=7467703 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.9785K |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
3 September
A study highlights the importance of old bulls in African savannah elephants and, according to the study, raises concerns over the removal of old bulls as currently occurring in both legal trophy hunting and illegal poaching.{{cite news |title=Old males vital to elephant societies |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-males-vital-elephant-societies.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Allen |first1=Connie R. B. |last2=Brent |first2=Lauren J. N. |last3=Motsentwa |first3=Thatayaone |last4=Weiss |first4=Michael N. |last5=Croft |first5=Darren P. |title=Importance of old bulls: leaders and followers in collective movements of all-male groups in African savannah elephants ( Loxodonta africana ) |journal=Scientific Reports |date=3 September 2020 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=13996 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-70682-y |pmid=32883968 |pmc=7471917 |bibcode=2020NatSR..1013996A |url=|language=en |issn=2045-2322}}
Scientists announce new experimental evidence for the existence of anyons.{{cite news |last1=Tally |first1=Steve |title=New evidence that the quantum world is even stranger than we thought |quote=One characteristic difference between fermions and bosons is how the particles act when they are looped, or braided, around each other. Fermions respond in one straightforward way, and bosons in another expected and straightforward way. Anyons respond as if they have a fractional charge, and even more interestingly, create a nontrivial phase change as they braid around one another. This can give the anyons a type of "memory" of their interaction.|url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-evidence-quantum-world-stranger-thought.html |publisher=Phys.org |date=September 4, 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Nakamura |first1=J. |last2=Liang |first2=S. |last3=Gardner |first3=G. C. |last4=Manfra |first4=M. J. |title=Direct observation of anyonic braiding statistics |journal=Nature Physics |date=September 2020 |volume=16 |issue=9 |pages=931–936 |doi=10.1038/s41567-020-1019-1 |bibcode=2020NatPh..16..931N |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-1019-1 |access-date=8 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1745-2481|arxiv=2006.14115 |s2cid=220055512 }}

Scientists report finding "176 Open Access journals that, through lack of comprehensive and open archives, vanished from the Web between 2000-2019, spanning all major research disciplines and geographic regions of the world" and that in 2019 only about a third of the 14,068 DOAJ-indexed journals ensured the long-term preservation of their content themselves, with many papers not getting archived by initiatives such as the Internet Archive.{{cite news |last1=Brainard |first1=Jeffrey |title=Dozens of scientific journals have vanished from the internet, and no one preserved them |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/dozens-scientific-journals-have-vanished-internet-and-no-one-preserved-them |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=Science {{!}} AAAS |date=8 September 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Kwon |first1=Diana |title=More than 100 scientific journals have disappeared from the Internet |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02610-z |access-date=11 October 2020 |journal=Nature |date=10 September 2020 |language=en |doi=10.1038/d41586-020-02610-z}}{{cite journal |last1=Laakso |first1=Mikael |last2=Matthias |first2=Lisa |last3=Jahn |first3=Najko |title=Open is not forever: A study of vanished open access journals |journal=Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology |year=2021 |volume=72 |issue=9 |pages=1099–1112 |doi=10.1002/ASI.24460 |arxiv=2008.11933 |s2cid=221340749 }}
4 September
Scientists publish a map of terrestrial areas where some level of protection or sustainable management as a "Global Safety Net" could achieve various climate and conservation goals.{{cite news |title=Protecting half the planet could help solve climate change and save species |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/protecting-half-planet-climate-change-save-species |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=Science News |date=4 September 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Dinerstein |first1=E. |last2=Joshi |first2=A. R. |last3=Vynne |first3=C. |last4=Lee |first4=A. T. L. |last5=Pharand-Deschênes |first5=F. |last6=França |first6=M. |last7=Fernando |first7=S. |last8=Birch |first8=T. |last9=Burkart |first9=K. |last10=Asner |first10=G. P. |last11=Olson |first11=D. |title=A "Global Safety Net" to reverse biodiversity loss and stabilize Earth's climate |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=36 |pages=eabb2824 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abb2824 |pmid=32917614 |pmc=7473742 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.2824D |s2cid=221637220 |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}

Scientists report that their results indicate that ocean carbon uptake has been underestimated in most ocean models,{{cite news |title=Ocean carbon uptake widely underestimated |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-ocean-carbon-uptake-widely-underestimated.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Watson |first1=Andrew J. |last2=Schuster |first2=Ute |last3=Shutler |first3=Jamie D. |last4=Holding |first4=Thomas |last5=Ashton |first5=Ian G. C. |last6=Landschützer |first6=Peter |last7=Woolf |first7=David K. |last8=Goddijn-Murphy |first8=Lonneke |title=Revised estimates of ocean-atmosphere CO 2 flux are consistent with ocean carbon inventory |journal=Nature Communications |date=4 September 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=4422 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-18203-3 |pmid=32887875 |pmc=7474059 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.4422W |url=|language=en |issn=2041-1723}} which may be beneficial in terms of climate change mitigation but problematic in terms of ocean acidification.
After investigating how mammalian extinction rates have changed over the past 126,000 years, scientists report that mainly (about 96% prediction accuracy) human population size and/or specific human activities, not climate change, cause global mammal extinctions and predict a near future "rate escalation of unprecedented magnitude".{{cite news |title=Humans, not climate, have driven rapidly rising mammal extinction rate |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-humans-climate-driven-rapidly-mammal.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Andermann |first1=Tobias |last2=Faurby |first2=Søren |last3=Turvey |first3=Samuel T. |last4=Antonelli |first4=Alexandre |last5=Silvestro |first5=Daniele |title=The past and future human impact on mammalian diversity |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=36 |pages=eabb2313 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abb2313 |pmid=32917612 |pmc=7473673 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.2313A |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}

Scientists report the discovery of a nanobody from alpacas, Ty1, with the capacity to block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells in vitro due to targeting its receptor binding domain, blocking it from binding with ACE2.{{cite news |title=Researchers identify nanobody that may prevent COVID-19 infection |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-nanobody-covid-infection.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Hanke |first1=Leo |last2=Vidakovics Perez |first2=Laura |last3=Sheward |first3=Daniel J. |last4=Das |first4=Hrishikesh |last5=Schulte |first5=Tim |last6=Moliner-Morro |first6=Ainhoa |last7=Corcoran |first7=Martin |last8=Achour |first8=Adnane |last9=Karlsson Hedestam |first9=Gunilla B. |last10=Hällberg |first10=B. Martin |last11=Murrell |first11=Ben |last12=McInerney |first12=Gerald M. |title=An alpaca nanobody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by blocking receptor interaction |journal=Nature Communications |date=4 September 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=4420 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-18174-5 |pmid=32887876 |pmc=7473855 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.4420H |url=|language=en |issn=2041-1723}}
7 September
Scientists report that a low-frequency radio emissions SETI survey of the Vela region, known to include at least 10 million stars, did not discover any active signalling of extraterrestrial intelligence. It has been described as the deepest and broadest such search at low frequencies to date.{{cite news |title=Australian telescope finds no signs of alien technology in 10 million star systems |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-australian-telescope-alien-technology-million.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Tremblay |first1=C. D. |last2=Tingay |first2=S. J. |title=A SETI survey of the Vela region using the Murchison Widefield Array: Orders of magnitude expansion in search space |journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia |date=7 September 2020 |volume=37 |pages=e035 |doi=10.1017/pasa.2020.27 |arxiv=2009.03267 |bibcode=2020PASA...37...35T |s2cid=221516487 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/publications-of-the-astronomical-society-of-australia/article/seti-survey-of-the-vela-region-using-the-murchison-widefield-array-orders-of-magnitude-expansion-in-search-space/C175371A2383A6A03FC038D50C4D4B16 |access-date=8 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1323-3580}}
A scientific review by German and Luxembourgian NGOs shows that electromagnetic radiation – such as mobile phone and Wi-Fi radiation – likely has a negative impact on, declining, insects, with 72 of 83 analyzed studies finding an effect.{{cite news |title=Mobile phone radiation may be killing insects: German study |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-mobile-insects-german.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=Biological effects of electromagnetic fields on insects |url=https://www.diagnose-funk.org/download.php?field=filename&id=473&class=DownloadItem |access-date=9 October 2020}}
Researchers report the magnitudes of climate change mitigation effects of shifting global food production and consumption to plant-based diets which are mainly composed of foods that require only a small fraction of the land and CO₂ emissions required for meat and dairy. They conclude that such changes could offset CO₂ emissions equal to the past 9 to 16 years of fossil fuel emissions in nations, they grouped into 4 types, and provide a map of regional opportunities.{{cite news |title=Changing what we eat could offset years of climate-warming emissions, new analysis finds |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-offset-years-climate-warming-emissions-analysis.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Hayek |first1=Matthew N. |last2=Harwatt |first2=Helen |last3=Ripple |first3=William J. |last4=Mueller |first4=Nathaniel D. |title=The carbon opportunity cost of animal-sourced food production on land |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=7 September 2020 |volume=4 |pages=21–24 |doi=10.1038/s41893-020-00603-4 |s2cid=221522148 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-00603-4 |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |issn=2398-9629}}
8 September
Scientists in northern India report the discovery of the fossil molar tooth of a new extinct species, and oldest known ancestor of gibbons, named Kapi ramnagarensis, that lived about 13 million years ago. This reportedly closes a major gap in the hominoid fossil record and shows that gibbons migrated to Asia at least five million years earlier than thought previously.{{cite news |last=Bower |first=Bruce |title=A stray molar is the oldest known fossil from an ancient gibbon - Ancestors of these small-bodied apes were in India roughly 13 million years ago, a study suggests |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-primates-apes-gibbon-tooth |date=8 September 2020 |work=Science News |access-date=8 September 2020 }}{{cite news |title=New fossil ape is discovered in India |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-fossil-ape-india.html |access-date=16 September 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |author=Gilbert, Christopher C. |display-authors=et al. |title=New Middle Miocene Ape (Primates: Hylobatidae) from Ramnagar, India fills major gaps in the hominoid fossil record |date=9 September 2020 |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B |volume=287 |issue=1934 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2020.1655 |pmid=32900315 |pmc=7542791 |s2cid=221538516 }}
Scientists report that suppressing activin type 2 receptors-signalling proteins myostatin and activin A via activin A/myostatin inhibitor ACVR2B – tested preliminarily in humans in the form of ACE-031 in the 2010s{{cite web |title=Quest - Article - UPDATE: ACE-031 Clinical Trials in Duchenne MD |url=https://www.mda.org/quest/article/update-ace-031-clinical-trials-duchenne-md |website=Muscular Dystrophy Association |access-date=16 October 2020 |language=en |date=6 January 2016}}{{cite journal |last1=Attie |first1=Kenneth M. |last2=Borgstein |first2=Niels G. |last3=Yang |first3=Yijun |last4=Condon |first4=Carolyn H. |last5=Wilson |first5=Dawn M. |last6=Pearsall |first6=Amelia E. |last7=Kumar |first7=Ravi |last8=Willins |first8=Debbie A. |last9=Seehra |first9=Jas S. |last10=Sherman |first10=Matthew L. |title=A single ascending-dose study of muscle regulator ace-031 in healthy volunteers |journal=Muscle & Nerve |date=2013 |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=416–423 |doi=10.1002/mus.23539 |pmid=23169607 |s2cid=19956237 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mus.23539 |access-date=16 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1097-4598}} – can protect against both muscle and bone loss in mice. The mice were sent to the International Space Station and could largely maintain their muscle weights – about twice those of wild type due to genetic engineering for targeted deletion of the myostatin gene – under microgravity.{{cite news |title='Mighty mice' stay musclebound in space, boon for astronauts |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-mighty-mice-musclebound-space-boon.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Se-Jin |last2=Lehar |first2=Adam |last3=Meir |first3=Jessica U. |last4=Koch |first4=Christina |last5=Morgan |first5=Andrew |last6=Warren |first6=Lara E. |last7=Rydzik |first7=Renata |last8=Youngstrom |first8=Daniel W. |last9=Chandok |first9=Harshpreet |last10=George |first10=Joshy |last11=Gogain |first11=Joseph |last12=Michaud |first12=Michael |last13=Stoklasek |first13=Thomas A. |last14=Liu |first14=Yewei |last15=Germain-Lee |first15=Emily L. |title=Targeting myostatin/activin A protects against skeletal muscle and bone loss during spaceflight |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=22 September 2020 |volume=117 |issue=38 |pages=23942–23951 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2014716117 |pmid=32900939 |pmc=7519220 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11723942L |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}

Scientists report the oldest Neanderthal specimen in Central-Eastern Europe, found in the Stajnia Cave. A ~80,000 years old tooth dated via mtDNA shows that at a time of environmental changes Neanderthals most related to those of Northern Caucasus moved farther from their southern home areas than previously known.{{cite news |title=The oldest Neanderthal DNA of Central-Eastern Europe |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-oldest-neanderthal-dna-central-eastern-europe.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Picin |first1=Andrea |last2=Hajdinjak |first2=Mateja |last3=Nowaczewska |first3=Wioletta |last4=Benazzi |first4=Stefano |last5=Urbanowski |first5=Mikołaj |last6=Marciszak |first6=Adrian |last7=Fewlass |first7=Helen |last8=Socha |first8=Paweł |last9=Stefaniak |first9=Krzysztof |last10=Żarski |first10=Marcin |last11=Wiśniewski |first11=Andrzej |last12=Hublin |first12=Jean-Jacques |last13=Nadachowski |first13=Adam |last14=Talamo |first14=Sahra |title=New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland) |journal=Scientific Reports |date=8 September 2020 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=14778 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-71504-x |pmid=32901061 |pmc=7479612 |bibcode=2020NatSR..1014778P |s2cid=221573104 |url=|language=en |issn=2045-2322}}
The European Environment Agency reports that environmental factors such as air pollution and heatwaves contributed to around 13% of all human deaths in EU countries in 2012 (~630,000).{{cite news |last1=Abnett |first1=Kate |title=One in eight deaths in Europe linked to pollution, environment, EU says |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-health-environment/one-in-eight-deaths-in-europe-linked-to-pollution-environment-eu-says-idUSKBN25Z1L8 |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=Reuters |date=8 September 2020 |language=en}}
9 September
The WMO publishes a high-level brief compilation of the latest climate science information from the WMO, GCP, UNESCO-IOC, IPCC, UNEP and the Met Office. The report, which is not published under an open license, is subdivided into 7 chapters which each have a list of key messages.{{cite news |title=UN report: Covid crisis does little to slow climate change |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54074733 |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=BBC News |date=9 September 2020}}{{cite web |title=United in Science 2020 |url=https://public-old.wmo.int/en/resources/united_in_science |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215221742/https://public-old.wmo.int/en/resources/united_in_science |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 December 2023 |website=World Meteorological Organization |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |date=19 September 2019}}
Scientists explain a mechanism by which C. elegans learns and inherits pathogenic avoidance after exposure to a single non-coding RNA of a bacterial pathogen.{{cite news |title=Researchers discover how worms pass knowledge of a pathogen to offspring |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-worms-knowledge-pathogen-offspring.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Kaletsky |first1=Rachel |last2=Moore |first2=Rebecca S. |last3=Vrla |first3=Geoffrey D. |last4=Parsons |first4=Lance R. |last5=Gitai |first5=Zemer |last6=Murphy |first6=Coleen T. |title=C. elegans interprets bacterial non-coding RNAs to learn pathogenic avoidance |journal=Nature |date=9 September 2020 |volume=586 |issue=7829 |pages=445–451 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2699-5 | pmc=8547118 |pmid=32908307 |bibcode=2020Natur.586..445K |s2cid=221626129 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
10 September
Scientists show that "immediate efforts, consistent with the broader sustainability agenda but of unprecedented ambition and coordination, could enable the provision of food for the growing human population while reversing the global terrestrial biodiversity trends caused by habitat conversion" and recommend measures such as addressing drivers of land-use change, and for increasing the extent of land under conservation management and shares of plant-based diets.{{cite news |title=Bending the curve of biodiversity loss |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-biodiversity-loss.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Leclère |first1=David |last2=Obersteiner |first2=Michael |last3=Barrett |first3=Mike |last4=Butchart |first4=Stuart H. M. |last5=Chaudhary |first5=Abhishek |last6=De Palma |first6=Adriana |last7=DeClerck |first7=Fabrice A. J. |last8=Di Marco |first8=Moreno |last9=Doelman |first9=Jonathan C. |last10=Dürauer |first10=Martina |last11=Freeman |first11=Robin |last12=Harfoot |first12=Michael |last13=Hasegawa |first13=Tomoko |last14=Hellweg |first14=Stefanie |last15=Hilbers |first15=Jelle P. |last16=Hill |first16=Samantha L. L. |last17=Humpenöder |first17=Florian |last18=Jennings |first18=Nancy |last19=Krisztin |first19=Tamás |last20=Mace |first20=Georgina M. |last21=Ohashi |first21=Haruka |last22=Popp |first22=Alexander |last23=Purvis |first23=Andy |last24=Schipper |first24=Aafke M. |last25=Tabeau |first25=Andrzej |last26=Valin |first26=Hugo |last27=van Meijl |first27=Hans |last28=van Zeist |first28=Willem-Jan |last29=Visconti |first29=Piero |last30=Alkemade |first30=Rob |last31=Almond |first31=Rosamunde |last32=Bunting |first32=Gill |last33=Burgess |first33=Neil D. |last34=Cornell |first34=Sarah E. |last35=Di Fulvio |first35=Fulvio |last36=Ferrier |first36=Simon |last37=Fritz |first37=Steffen |last38=Fujimori |first38=Shinichiro |last39=Grooten |first39=Monique |last40=Harwood |first40=Thomas |last41=Havlík |first41=Petr |last42=Herrero |first42=Mario |last43=Hoskins |first43=Andrew J. |last44=Jung |first44=Martin |last45=Kram |first45=Tom |last46=Lotze-Campen |first46=Hermann |last47=Matsui |first47=Tetsuya |last48=Meyer |first48=Carsten |last49=Nel |first49=Deon |last50=Newbold |first50=Tim |last51=Schmidt-Traub |first51=Guido |last52=Stehfest |first52=Elke |last53=Strassburg |first53=Bernardo B. N. |last54=van Vuuren |first54=Detlef P. |last55=Ware |first55=Chris |last56=Watson |first56=James E. M. |last57=Wu |first57=Wenchao |last58=Young |first58=Lucy |title=Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy |journal=Nature |date=September 2020 |volume=585 |issue=7826 |pages=551–556 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2705-y |pmid=32908312 |bibcode=2020Natur.585..551L |hdl=1874/408907 |s2cid=221624255 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2705-y |access-date=8 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|hdl-access=free }}
The latest report of the Living Planet Index (LPI) finds that, based on more than 4,000 tracked vertebrate species' population sizes, vertebrates have declined by 68% between 1970 and 2016, with increasing deforestation and agricultural expansion being key drivers and the largest decline of 94% in the LPI occurring in the tropical subregions of the Americas.{{cite news |title=World wildlife plummets more than two-thirds in 50 years: index |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-world-wildlife-plummets-two-thirds-years.html |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Living Planet Report 2020 |url=https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/4783129/LPR/PDFs/ENGLISH-FULL.pdf |access-date=12 October 2020}}
11 September
Scientists publish a continuous, high-fidelity record of variations in Earth's climate during the past 66 million years and identify four climate states, separated by transitions that include changing greenhouse gas levels and polar ice sheets volumes.{{cite news |title=High-fidelity record of Earth's climate history puts current changes in context |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-high-fidelity-earth-climate-history-current.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Westerhold |first1=Thomas |last2=Marwan |first2=Norbert |last3=Drury |first3=Anna Joy |last4=Liebrand |first4=Diederik |last5=Agnini |first5=Claudia |last6=Anagnostou |first6=Eleni |last7=Barnet |first7=James S. K. |last8=Bohaty |first8=Steven M. |last9=Vleeschouwer |first9=David De |last10=Florindo |first10=Fabio |last11=Frederichs |first11=Thomas |last12=Hodell |first12=David A. |last13=Holbourn |first13=Ann E. |last14=Kroon |first14=Dick |last15=Lauretano |first15=Vittoria |last16=Littler |first16=Kate |last17=Lourens |first17=Lucas J. |last18=Lyle |first18=Mitchell |last19=Pälike |first19=Heiko |last20=Röhl |first20=Ursula |last21=Tian |first21=Jun |last22=Wilkens |first22=Roy H. |last23=Wilson |first23=Paul A. |last24=Zachos |first24=James C. |title=An astronomically dated record of Earth's climate and its predictability over the last 66 million years |journal=Science |date=11 September 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6509 |pages=1383–1387 |doi=10.1126/science.aba6853 |pmid=32913105 |bibcode=2020Sci...369.1383W |hdl=11577/3351324 |s2cid=221593388 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aba6853 |access-date=8 October 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075|hdl-access=free }}
Scientists report that results of cold dark matter simulations – probability of strong gravitational lensing events due to dark-matter distributions in 11 galaxy clusters – based on current theories are substantially inconsistent with observational data.{{cite news |title=New Hubble data suggests there is an ingredient missing from current dark matter theories |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-hubble-ingredient-current-dark-theories.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Meneghetti |first1=Massimo |last2=Davoli |first2=Guido |last3=Bergamini |first3=Pietro |last4=Rosati |first4=Piero |last5=Natarajan |first5=Priyamvada |last6=Giocoli |first6=Carlo |last7=Caminha |first7=Gabriel B. |last8=Metcalf |first8=R. Benton |last9=Rasia |first9=Elena |last10=Borgani |first10=Stefano |last11=Calura |first11=Francesco |last12=Grillo |first12=Claudio |last13=Mercurio |first13=Amata |last14=Vanzella |first14=Eros |title=An excess of small-scale gravitational lenses observed in galaxy clusters |journal=Science |date=11 September 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6509 |pages=1347–1351 |doi=10.1126/science.aax5164 |pmid=32913099 |arxiv=2009.04471 |bibcode=2020Sci...369.1347M |s2cid=221586404 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aax5164 |access-date=11 October 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}
INPE reports that 1,359 km² of the Brazilian Amazon have burned off in August, which may put the effectiveness of the contemporary response against the deforestation – such as considerations of economic interventions and the current military operation – into question.{{cite news |title=New worry over August deforestation in Brazilian Amazon |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-august-deforestation-brazilian-amazon.html |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}} On 13 September preliminary data based on satellite images, indicate that 1.5 million hectares have burned in the Pantanal region since the start of August, surpassing the previous fire season record from 2005.{{cite news |title=Battle on to save Brazil's tropical wetlands from flames |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-brazil-tropical-wetlands-flames.html |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}} On September 15 it was reported that 23,500 km² – ~12% of the Pantanal – have burned off in 2020.{{cite news |title=Desperate race against fires in world's biggest tropical wetlands |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-desperate-world-biggest-tropical-wetlands.html |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}} The 6,087 km² of lost rainforest in 2020 as of early September – ~95% of the period in 2019 – is about the size of Palestine.
14 September
The Royal Astronomical Society announces the detection of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere, which, in the discovered concentration, is known to be a strong predictor for the presence of microbial life.{{cite news |last1=Stirone |first1=Shannon |last2=Chang |first2=Kenneth |last3=Overbye |first3=Dennis |title=Life on Venus? Astronomers See a Signal in Its Clouds - The detection of a gas in the planet's atmosphere could turn scientists' gaze to a planet long overlooked in the search for extraterrestrial life. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/science/venus-life-clouds.html |date=14 September 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=14 September 2020 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54133538|title=Is there life floating in the clouds of Venus?|date=14 September 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|work=BBC News}}{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IIj3e5BFp0|title=Phosphine on Venus - Lead scientist Jane Greaves explains the discovery|date=14 September 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|work=YouTube/RAS}}{{cite journal |author=Greaves, Jane S. |display-authors=et al. |title=Phosphine gas in the cloud decks of Venus |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1174-4 |date=14 September 2020 |journal=Nature Astronomy |volume=5 |issue=7 |pages=655–664 |doi=10.1038/s41550-020-1174-4 |arxiv=2009.06593 |bibcode=2021NatAs...5..655G |s2cid=221655755 |access-date=14 September 2020 }} Researchers suggest that the gas, if indeed present on the planet, could have possibly resulted from to date unexplained abiotic chemical, atmospheric or geologic processes or constitute a biosignature.
The first proof-of-concept exploit for the Windows Server vulnerability called Zerologon ({{CVE|2020-1472}}) for which a patch exists since August is published.{{cite news |last1=Cimpanu |first1=Catalin |title=Microsoft says it detected active attacks leveraging Zerologon vulnerability |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-says-it-detected-active-attacks-leveraging-zerologon-vulnerability/ |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=ZDNet |language=en}} Some federal agencies using the software have been ordered to install the patch.{{cite web |last1=Constantin |first1=Lucian |title=What is Zerologon? And why to patch this Windows Server flaw now |url=https://www.csoonline.com/article/3576193/what-is-zerologon-why-you-should-patch-this-critical-windows-server-flaw-now.html |website=CSO Online |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |date=23 September 2020}} The exploit was later used in the 2020 United States federal government data breach.
15 September
For the first time in its 175-year history, Scientific American endorses a presidential candidate, Joe Biden.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientific-american-endorses-joe-biden/|title=Scientific American Endorses Joe Biden|magazine=Scientific American|date=September 5, 2020|access-date=2020-09-15}}
Analysis from NASA and NOAA confirms that solar cycle 25 has begun and confirms the start of the solar cycle to be December 2019, the time of a solar minimum. Solar cycle 24 lasted an average length of 11 years.{{cite news |title=Solar cycle 25 is here. NASA, NOAA scientists explain what that means |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-solar-nasa-noaa-scientists.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=US Department of Commerce |first1=NOAA |title=Hello Solar Cycle 25 |url=https://www.weather.gov/news/201509-solar-cycle |website=www.weather.gov |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=EN-US}}

File:Messier51_sRGB.jpg located in the Whirlpool Galaxy.]]

16 September
Astronomers report the discovery, for the first time, of a massive Jupiter-sized planet in close orbit around a white dwarf. The latter object, WD 1856+534, is the left-over remnant of an earlier much larger Sun-like star.{{cite journal |author=Vanderburg, Andrew |display-authors=et al. |title=A giant planet candidate transiting a white dwarf |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2713-y |date=16 September 2020 |journal=Nature |volume=585 |issue=7825 |pages=363–367 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2713-y |pmid=32939071 |arxiv=2009.07282 |bibcode=2020Natur.585..363V |hdl=1721.1/129733 |s2cid=221738865 |access-date=17 September 2020 }}{{cite news |last1=Chou |first1=felicia |last2=Andreoli |first2=Claire |last3=Cofield |first3=Calia |title=NASA Missions Spy First Possible Planet Hugging a Stellar Cinder |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7746 |date=16 September 2020 |work=NASA |access-date=17 September 2020 }}
A genetic analysis of more than 400 skeletons buried as Vikings provides a clearer picture of the Viking Age in Europe and Viking ancestry, showing i.a. that local people of Scotland were buried as Vikings and may have taken on Viking identities, that the contemporary United Kingdom's population has up to 6% Viking DNA and that "many Viking Age individuals — both within and outside Scandinavia — have high levels of non-Scandinavian ancestry".{{cite news |title=World's largest DNA sequencing of Viking skeletons reveals they weren't all Scandinavian |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-world-largest-dna-sequencing-viking.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Margaryan |first1=Ashot |last2=Lawson |first2=Daniel J. |last3=Sikora |first3=Martin |last4=Racimo |first4=Fernando |last5=Rasmussen |first5=Simon |last6=Moltke |first6=Ida |last7=Cassidy |first7=Lara M. |last8=Jørsboe |first8=Emil |last9=Ingason |first9=Andrés |last10=Pedersen |first10=Mikkel W. |display-authors=etal |title=Population genomics of the Viking world |journal=Nature |date=September 2020 |volume=585 |issue=7825 |pages=390–396 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2688-8 |pmid=32939067 |bibcode=2020Natur.585..390M |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2688-8 |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|hdl=10852/83989 |s2cid=221769227 |hdl-access=free }}

Scientists identify a major extinction event 233 Mya, during the Carnian Pluvial Episode, and report that it triggered radiations of many key groups that dominate modern ecosystems as well as dinosaurs.{{cite news |title=Discovery of a new mass extinction |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-discovery-mass-extinction.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Corso |first1=Jacopo Dal |last2=Bernardi |first2=Massimo |last3=Sun |first3=Yadong |last4=Song |first4=Haijun |last5=Seyfullah |first5=Leyla J. |last6=Preto |first6=Nereo |last7=Gianolla |first7=Piero |last8=Ruffell |first8=Alastair |last9=Kustatscher |first9=Evelyn |last10=Roghi |first10=Guido |last11=Merico |first11=Agostino |last12=Hohn |first12=Sönke |last13=Schmidt |first13=Alexander R. |last14=Marzoli |first14=Andrea |last15=Newton |first15=Robert J. |last16=Wignall |first16=Paul B. |last17=Benton |first17=Michael J. |title=Extinction and dawn of the modern world in the Carnian (Late Triassic) |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=38 |pages=eaba0099 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aba0099 |pmid=32938682 |pmc=7494334 |bibcode=2020SciA....6...99D |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
18 September

Astronomers identify 24 superhabitable planet – planets better suited for life than Earth – contenders, from among more than 4000 confirmed exoplanets at present, based on astrophysical parameters, as well as the natural history of known life forms on the Earth.{{cite news |title=Scientists discover 24 'superhabitable' planets with conditions that are better for life than Earth |url=https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-discover-24-superhabitable-planets-with-conditions-that-are-better-for-life-than-earth-12091801 |work=Sky News |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Schulze-Makuch |first1=Dirk |last2=Heller |first2=Rene |last3=Guinan |first3=Edward |title=In Search for a Planet Better than Earth: Top Contenders for a Superhabitable World |url= |date=18 September 2020 |journal=Astrobiology |volume=20 |issue=12 |pages=1394–1404 |doi=10.1089/ast.2019.2161 |pmid=32955925 |pmc=7757576 |bibcode=2020AsBio..20.1394S }}
Astronomers report evidence, for the first time, of an extragalactic planet, M51-ULS-1b, an exoplanet outside the Milky Way Galaxy which was detected by eclipsing a bright X-ray source (XRS) in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51a).{{cite news |last=Crane |first=Leah |title=Astronomers may have found the first planet in another galaxy |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2255431-astronomers-may-have-found-the-first-planet-in-another-galaxy/ |date=23 September 2020 |work=New Scientist |access-date=25 September 2020 }}{{cite arXiv|author=Di Stafano, R. |display-authors=et al. |title=M51-ULS-1b: The First Candidate for a Planet in an External Galaxy |eprint=2009.08987v1 |date=18 September 2020|class=astro-ph.HE }}
Researchers report the development of two active guide RNA-only elements that, according to their study, may enable halting or deleting gene drives introduced into populations in the wild with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The paper's senior author cautions that the two neutralizing systems they demonstrated in cage trials "should not be used with a false sense of security for field-implemented gene drives".{{cite news |title=Biologists create new genetic systems to neutralize gene drives |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-biologists-genetic-neutralize-gene.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Xu |first1=Xiang-Ru Shannon |last2=Bulger |first2=Emily A. |last3=Gantz |first3=Valentino M. |last4=Klanseck |first4=Carissa |last5=Heimler |first5=Stephanie R. |last6=Auradkar |first6=Ankush |last7=Bennett |first7=Jared B. |last8=Miller |first8=Lauren Ashley |last9=Leahy |first9=Sarah |last10=Juste |first10=Sara Sanz |last11=Buchman |first11=Anna |last12=Akbari |first12=Omar S. |last13=Marshall |first13=John M. |last14=Bier |first14=Ethan |title=Active Genetic Neutralizing Elements for Halting or Deleting Gene Drives |journal=Molecular Cell |date=18 September 2020 |volume=80 |issue=2 |pages=246–262.e4 |doi=10.1016/j.molcel.2020.09.003 |pmid=32949493 |s2cid=221806864 |language=en |issn=1097-2765|doi-access=free |pmc=10962758 }}
Media reports of what may be the first publicly confirmed case of a, civilian, fatality as a nearly direct consequence of a cyberattack, after ransomware disrupted a hospital in Germany.{{cite web |title=Prosecutors open homicide case after hacker attack on German hospital |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-cyber/prosecutors-open-homicide-case-after-hacker-attack-on-german-hospital-idUKKBN269283 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928003524/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-cyber/prosecutors-open-homicide-case-after-hacker-attack-on-german-hospital-idUKKBN269283 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2020 |website=Reuters |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |date=18 September 2020}}
Scientists report the likely oldest securely dated evidence for Homo sapiens in the Arabian Peninsula – ~120,000 year-old footprints of two or three human individuals visiting a lake.{{cite news |title=Oldest footprints in Saudi Arabia reveal intriguing step in early human migration |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/ancient-footprints-give-detailed-peek-into-early-humans-migration-from-africa/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923074912/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/ancient-footprints-give-detailed-peek-into-early-humans-migration-from-africa/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 September 2020 |access-date=9 October 2020}}{{cite news |title=Human footprints dating back 120,000 years found in Saudi Arabia |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-ancient-footprints-saudi-arabia-humans.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Stewart |first1=Mathew |last2=Clark-Wilson |first2=Richard |last3=Breeze |first3=Paul S. |last4=Janulis |first4=Klint |last5=Candy |first5=Ian |last6=Armitage |first6=Simon J. |last7=Ryves |first7=David B. |last8=Louys |first8=Julien |last9=Duval |first9=Mathieu |last10=Price |first10=Gilbert J. |last11=Cuthbertson |first11=Patrick |last12=Bernal |first12=Marco A. |last13=Drake |first13=Nick A. |last14=Alsharekh |first14=Abdullah M. |last15=Zahrani |first15=Badr |last16=Al-Omari |first16=Abdulaziz |last17=Roberts |first17=Patrick |last18=Groucutt |first18=Huw S. |last19=Petraglia |first19=Michael D. |title=Human footprints provide snapshot of last interglacial ecology in the Arabian interior |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=38 |pages=eaba8940 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aba8940 |pmid=32948582 |pmc=7500939 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.8940S |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
21 September
Evidence is presented of solid-state water in the interstellar medium, and particularly, of water ice mixed with silicate grains in cosmic dust grains.{{cite journal |author=Potpov, Alexey |display-authors=et al. |title=Dust/ice mixing in cold regions and solid-state water in the diffuse interstellar medium |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-01214-x |date=21 September 2020 |journal=Nature Astronomy |volume=5 |pages=78–85 |doi=10.1038/s41550-020-01214-x |arxiv=2008.10951 |bibcode=2021NatAs...5...78P |s2cid=221292937 |access-date=26 September 2020 }}
Researchers report the achievement of quantum entanglement between the motion of a millimetre-sized mechanical oscillator and a disparate distant spin system of a cloud of atoms.{{cite news |title=Quantum entanglement realized between distant large objects |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-quantum-entanglement-distant-large.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=Rodrigo A. |last2=Parniak |first2=Michał |last3=Østfeldt |first3=Christoffer |last4=Møller |first4=Christoffer B. |last5=Bærentsen |first5=Christian |last6=Tsaturyan |first6=Yeghishe |last7=Schliesser |first7=Albert |last8=Appel |first8=Jürgen |last9=Zeuthen |first9=Emil |last10=Polzik |first10=Eugene S. |title=Entanglement between distant macroscopic mechanical and spin systems |journal=Nature Physics |date=21 September 2020 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=228–233 |doi=10.1038/s41567-020-1031-5 |arxiv=2003.11310 |s2cid=214641162 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-1031-5 |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1745-2481}}
22 September – Researchers report that over half of endangered species' proposed recovery plan budgets are allocated to research and monitoring (R&M), that species with higher proportions of such budgets have poorer recovery outcomes and provide recommendations for ensuring that "conservation programs emphasize action or [R&M] that directly informs action".{{cite news |title=Researchers find half of budgets for species conservation is used for monitoring, not protecting |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-species.html |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Buxton |first1=Rachel T. |last2=Avery-Gomm |first2=Stephanie |last3=Lin |first3=Hsein-Yung |last4=Smith |first4=Paul A. |last5=Cooke |first5=Steven J. |last6=Bennett |first6=Joseph R. |title=Half of resources in threatened species conservation plans are allocated to research and monitoring |journal=Nature Communications |date=22 September 2020 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=4668 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-18486-6 |pmid=32963244 |pmc=7508813 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.4668B |url=|language=en |issn=2041-1723}}
23 September
Scientists report the re-classification of fossils to a new species they call Gnathomortis stadtmani, a very large sea-faring lizard that lived about 80 million years ago.{{cite news |title=Giant lizard dubbed 'Jaws of Death' terrorized Cretaceous seas |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/25/world/jaws-death-predator-intl-scli-scn/index.html |access-date=23 October 2020 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last=Lively |first=Joshua r. |title=Redescription and phylogenetic assessment of 'Prognathodon' stadtmani: implications for Globidensini monophyly and character homology in Mosasaurinae |date=23 September 2020 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=e1784183 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2020.1784183 |bibcode=2020JVPal..40E4183L |s2cid=224904711 |doi-access=free }}{{importance inline|date=October 2020}}
Scientists publish new findings and data about the supermassive black hole M87*, including a video of the black hole based on data not sufficient for images, using statistical modeling about changes in its appearance in 2009–2017, showing variations of its orientation and a wobbling ring – constituting the "first glimpse of the dynamical structure of the accretion flow so close to the black hole's event horizon".{{cite news |title=New analysis of black hole reveals a wobbling shadow |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-analysis-black-hole-reveals-shadow.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Wielgus |first1=Maciek |last2=Akiyama |first2=Kazunori |last3=Blackburn |first3=Lindy |last4=Chan |first4=Chi-kwan |last5=Dexter |first5=Jason |last6=Doeleman |first6=Sheperd S. |last7=Fish |first7=Vincent L. |last8=Issaoun |first8=Sara |last9=Johnson |first9=Michael D. |last10=Krichbaum |first10=Thomas P. |display-authors=et al. |title=Monitoring the Morphology of M87* in 2009–2017 with the Event Horizon Telescope |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=23 September 2020 |volume=901 |issue=1 |pages=67 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/abac0d |arxiv=2009.11842 |bibcode=2020ApJ...901...67W |s2cid=221879259 |language=en |issn=1538-4357 |doi-access=free }}
24 September – Researchers report that 13.7% of blood samples from 987 individuals with severe COVID-19 contained "auto-antibodies" against the patients' own type I interferons.{{cite news |last1=Wallis |first1=Claudia |title=One in Seven Dire COVID Cases May Result from a Faulty Immune Response |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/one-in-seven-dire-covid-cases-may-result-from-a-faulty-immune-response/ |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Bastard |first1=Paul |last2=Rosen |first2=Lindsey B. |last3=Zhang |first3=Qian |last4=Michailidis |first4=Eleftherios |last5=Hoffmann |first5=Hans-Heinrich |last6=Zhang |first6=Yu |last7=Dorgham |first7=Karim |last8=Philippot |first8=Quentin |last9=Rosain |first9=Jérémie |last10=Béziat |first10=Vivien |display-authors=et al. |title=Auto-antibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19 |journal=Science |date=24 September 2020 |volume=370 |issue=6515 |pages=eabd4585 |doi=10.1126/science.abd4585 |pmid=32972996 |pmc=7857397 |s2cid=221914095 |language=en |issn=0036-8075|doi-access=free }}
25 September
Chemists describe, for the first time, possible chemical pathways from nonliving prebiotic chemicals to complex biochemicals that could give rise to living organisms, based on a new, freely available, computer program named ALLCHEMY.{{cite news |last=Starr |first=Michelle |title=A New Chemical 'Tree of The Origins of Life' Reveals Our Possible Molecular Evolution |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-chemical-tree-of-the-origins-of-life-reveals-our-possible-chemical-evolution |date=3 October 2020 |work=ScienceAlert |access-date=3 October 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Wolos, Agnieszka |display-authors=et al. |title=Synthetic connectivity, emergence, and self-regeneration in the network of prebiotic chemistry |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaw1955 |date=25 September 2020 |journal=Science |volume=369 |issue=6511 |pages=eaaw1955 |doi=10.1126/science.aaw1955 |pmid=32973002 |s2cid=221882090 |access-date=3 October 2020 }}
Scientists report the first ever measurements, made via China's Chang'e 4 lander, of the radiation exposure – a known risk to astronauts – on the lunar surface.{{cite news |title=New measurements show moon has hazardous radiation levels |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-moon.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Shenyi |last2=Wimmer-Schweingruber |first2=Robert F. |last3=Yu |first3=Jia |last4=Wang |first4=Chi |last5=Fu |first5=Qiang |last6=Zou |first6=Yongliao |last7=Sun |first7=Yueqiang |last8=Wang |first8=Chunqin |last9=Hou |first9=Donghui |last10=Böttcher |first10=Stephan I. |last11=Burmeister |first11=Sönke |last12=Seimetz |first12=Lars |last13=Schuster |first13=Björn |last14=Knierim |first14=Violetta |last15=Shen |first15=Guohong |last16=Yuan |first16=Bin |last17=Lohf |first17=Henning |last18=Guo |first18=Jingnan |last19=Xu |first19=Zigong |last20=Forstner |first20=Johan L. Freiherr von |last21=Kulkarni |first21=Shrinivasrao R. |last22=Xu |first22=Haitao |last23=Xue |first23=Changbin |last24=Li |first24=Jun |last25=Zhang |first25=Zhe |last26=Zhang |first26=He |last27=Berger |first27=Thomas |last28=Matthiä |first28=Daniel |last29=Hellweg |first29=Christine E. |last30=Hou |first30=Xufeng |last31=Cao |first31=Jinbin |last32=Chang |first32=Zhen |last33=Zhang |first33=Binquan |last34=Chen |first34=Yuesong |last35=Geng |first35=Hao |last36=Quan |first36=Zida |title=First measurements of the radiation dose on the lunar surface |journal=Science Advances |date=1 September 2020 |volume=6 |issue=39 |pages=eaaz1334 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aaz1334 |pmid=32978156 |pmc=7518862 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.1334Z |url=|language=en |issn=2375-2548}}
Scientists report that carrion crows show a neuronal response that correlates with their perception of a stimulus, which they argue to be an empirical marker of (avian/corvid) sensory consciousness – the conscious perception of sensory input – in the crows which do not have a cerebral cortex.{{cite news |title=Researchers show conscious processes in birds' brains for the first time |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-conscious-birds-brains.html |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Nieder |first1=Andreas |last2=Wagener |first2=Lysann |last3=Rinnert |first3=Paul |title=A neural correlate of sensory consciousness in a corvid bird |journal=Science |date=25 September 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6511 |pages=1626–1629 |doi=10.1126/science.abb1447 |pmid=32973028 |bibcode=2020Sci...369.1626N |s2cid=221881862 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb1447 |access-date=9 October 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}} A related study, published on the same day, shows that the birds' pallium's neuroarchitecture is reminiscent of the mammalian cortex.{{cite news |last1=Stetka |first1=Bret |title=Bird Brains Are Far More Humanlike Than Once Thought |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird-brains-are-far-more-humanlike-than-once-thought/ |access-date=23 October 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Stacho |first1=Martin |last2=Herold |first2=Christina |last3=Rook |first3=Noemi |last4=Wagner |first4=Hermann |last5=Axer |first5=Markus |last6=Amunts |first6=Katrin |last7=Güntürkün |first7=Onur |title=A cortex-like canonical circuit in the avian forebrain |journal=Science |date=25 September 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6511 |pages=eabc5534 |doi=10.1126/science.abc5534 |pmid=32973004 |s2cid=221882087 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abc5534 |access-date=16 October 2020 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}
Scientists report with a preprint that reanalysis of LMNS in-situ-based data of around 1980 supports the presence of phosphine on Venus, reported on 14 September. Their data-analysis found a phosphorus signal that fits to phosphine in data gathered with the probe the NASA spacecraft "Pioneer" dropped down to Venus to measure the chemistry of its clouds.{{cite news |last1=O'Callaghan |first1=Jonathan |title=A NASA Probe May Have Found Signs of Life on Venus 40 Years Ago |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-nasa-probe-may-have-found-signs-of-life-on-venus-40-years-ago/ |access-date=10 November 2020 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite journal|last1=Mogul |first1=Rakesh |last2=Limaye |first2=Sanjay S. |last3=Way |first3=M. J. |last4=Cordova |first4=Jr |title=Venus' Mass Spectra Show Signs of Disequilibria in the Middle Clouds |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |year=2021 |volume=48 |issue=7 |pages=e91327 |doi=10.1029/2020GL091327 |pmid=34219837 |pmc=8244101 |arxiv=2009.12758 |bibcode=2021GeoRL..4891327M |s2cid=232362186 }}

28 September
Scientists confirm the existence of several large saltwater lakes under the ice in the south polar region of the planet Mars. According to one of the researchers, "We identified the same body of water [as suggested earlier in a preliminary initial detection], but we also found three other bodies of water around the main one ... It’s a complex system."{{cite journal |last=O'Callaghan |first=Jonathan |title=Water on Mars: discovery of three buried lakes intrigues scientists - Researchers have detected a group of lakes hidden under the red planet's icy surface. |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02751-1 |date=28 September 2020 |journal=Nature |doi=10.1038/d41586-020-02751-1 |pmid=32989309 |s2cid=222155190 |access-date=29 September 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Lauro, Sebastian Emanuel |display-authors=et al. |title=Multiple subglacial water bodies below the south pole of Mars unveiled by new MARSIS data |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1200-6 |date=28 September 2020 |journal=Nature Astronomy |volume=5 |pages=63–70 |doi=10.1038/s41550-020-1200-6 |arxiv=2010.00870 |bibcode=2021NatAs...5...63L |s2cid=222125007 |access-date=29 September 2020 }}
Scientists warn that an "international effort is needed to manage a changing fire regime in the vulnerable Arctic", reporting that satellite data shows how the Arctic fire regime is changing.{{cite news |title=The Arctic is burning in a whole new way |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-arctic.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=McCarty |first1=Jessica L. |last2=Smith |first2=Thomas E. L. |last3=Turetsky |first3=Merritt R. |title=Arctic fires re-emerging |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=October 2020 |volume=13 |issue=10 |pages=658–660 |doi=10.1038/s41561-020-00645-5 |bibcode=2020NatGe..13..658M |s2cid=221985747 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-00645-5 |access-date=11 October 2020 |language=en |issn=1752-0908}} On 3 September EU institutions reported that, according to satellite data, the Arctic fires already far surpassed the total of CO₂ emissions for the 2019 season.{{cite news |title=Record CO2 emissions for Arctic wildfires: EU |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-co2-emissions-arctic-wildfires-eu.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}
Biotechnologists report the genetically engineered refinement and mechanical description of synergistic enzymes – PETase, first discovered in 2016, and MHETase of Ideonella sakaiensis – for faster depolymerization of PET as well as of PEF, which may be useful for depollution, recycling and upcycling of mixed plastics.{{cite news |last1=Carrington |first1=Damian |title=New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/28/new-super-enzyme-eats-plastic-bottles-six-times-faster |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=28 September 2020}}{{cite news |title=Plastic-eating enzyme 'cocktail' heralds new hope for plastic waste |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-09-plastic-eating-enzyme-cocktail-heralds-plastic.html |access-date=12 October 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Knott |first1=Brandon C. |last2=Erickson |first2=Erika |last3=Allen |first3=Mark D. |last4=Gado |first4=Japheth E. |last5=Graham |first5=Rosie |last6=Kearns |first6=Fiona L. |last7=Pardo |first7=Isabel |last8=Topuzlu |first8=Ece |last9=Anderson |first9=Jared J. |last10=Austin |first10=Harry P. |last11=Dominick |first11=Graham |last12=Johnson |first12=Christopher W. |last13=Rorrer |first13=Nicholas A. |last14=Szostkiewicz |first14=Caralyn J. |last15=Copié |first15=Valérie |last16=Payne |first16=Christina M. |last17=Woodcock |first17=H. Lee |last18=Donohoe |first18=Bryon S. |last19=Beckham |first19=Gregg T. |last20=McGeehan |first20=John E. |title=Characterization and engineering of a two-enzyme system for plastics depolymerization |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=24 September 2020 |volume=117 |issue=41 |pages=25476–25485 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2006753117 |pmid=32989159 |pmc=7568301 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11725476K |s2cid=222167166 |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}
29 September
Astronomers using microlensing techniques report the detection, for the first time, of an earth-mass rogue planet (named OGLE-2016-BLG-1928) unbounded by any star, and free floating in the Milky Way galaxy.{{cite news |last=Gough |first=Evan |title=A Rogue Earth-Mass Planet Has Been Discovered Freely Floating in the Milky Way Without a Star |url=https://www.universetoday.com/148097/a-rogue-earth-mass-planet-has-been-discovered-freely-floating-in-the-milky-way-without-a-star/ |date=1 October 2020 |work=Universe Today |access-date=2 October 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Mroz, Przemek|display-authors=et al.|title=A terrestrial-mass rogue planet candidate detected in the shortest-timescale microlensing event |journal=The Astrophysical Journal|arxiv=2009.12377v1 |date=29 September 2020|volume=903|issue=1|pages=L11|doi=10.3847/2041-8213/abbfad|bibcode=2020ApJ...903L..11M|s2cid=221971000 |doi-access=free }}{{cite news |last=Redd |first=Nola Taylor |title=Rogue Rocky Planet Found Adrift in the Milky Way - The diminutive world and others like it could help astronomers probe the mysteries of planet formation |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rogue-rocky-planet-found-adrift-in-the-milky-way/

|date=19 October 2020 |work=Scientific American |access-date=19 October 2020 }}

Scientists report that they expect construction of the experimental SPARC experimental fusion reactor to begin in 2021 and take four years to complete, and, with seven studies, that it is "very likely" to work.{{cite news |last1=Fountain |first1=Henry |title=Compact Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is 'Very Likely to Work,' Studies Suggest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/climate/nuclear-fusion-reactor.html |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=29 September 2020}}{{cite web |title=Status of the SPARC Physics Basis |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-plasma-physics/collections/status-of-the-sparc-physics-basis |website=Cambridge Core |access-date=8 October 2020 |language=en}}
Researchers report the discovery of the Patient Zero genome of the Covid-19 virus based on data analysis.{{cite news |last=Caspermeyer |first=Joseph |title=COVID-19 Patient Zero: Data Analysis Identifies the "Mother" of All SARS-CoV-2 Genomes |url=https://scitechdaily.com/covid-19-patient-zero-data-analysis-identifies-the-mother-of-all-sars-cov-2-genomes/ |date=7 November 2020 |work=SciTechDaily |access-date=7 November 2020 }}{{cite journal |author=Kumar, Sudhir |title=An evolutionary portrait of the progenitor SARS-CoV-2 and its dominant offshoots in COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.24.311845v2 |date=29 September 2020 |journal=bioRxiv |doi=10.1101/2020.09.24.311845 |pmid=32995781 |pmc=7523107 |access-date=7 November 2020 }}
30 September
Scientists reaffirm that the first-ever found feather fossil from a dinosaur, about 150 million years old and discovered in 1861, belonged to Archaeopteryx lithographica.{{cite news |last=Joel |first=L:ucas |title=First Fossil Feather Ever Found Belonged to This Dinosaur - To settle a lengthy debate, a team of paleontologists says the specimen unearthed in the 19th century was shed by an archaeopteryx. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/science/dinosaur-feather-fossil-archaeopteryx.html |date=30 September 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=30 September 2020 }}{{cite journal |last1=Carney |first1=R.M. |last2=Tischlinger |first2=H. |last3=Shawkey |first3=M.D. |title=Evidence corroborates identity of isolated fossil feather as a wing covert of Archaeopteryx |year=2020 |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=15593 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-65336-y|pmid=32999314 |pmc=7528088 |bibcode=2020NatSR..1015593C }}
A new graphene-based bolometer with a claimed 100,000 times higher sensitivity than previous instruments is demonstrated.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/uarl-sw1100120.php|title=Sensor with 100,000 times higher sensitivity could bolster thermal imaging |date=1 October 2020|access-date=4 October 2020|work=EurekAlert!}}{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Gil-Ho |last2=Efetov |first2=Dmitri K. |last3=Jung |first3=Woochan |last4=Ranzani |first4=Leonardo |last5=Walsh |first5=Evan D. |last6=Ohki |first6=Thomas A. |last7=Taniguchi |first7=Takashi |last8=Watanabe |first8=Kenji |last9=Kim |first9=Philip |last10=Englund |first10=Dirk |last11=Fong |first11=Kin Chung |title=Graphene-based Josephson junction microwave bolometer |journal=Nature |date=October 2020 |volume=586 |issue=7827 |pages=42–46 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2752-4 |pmid=32999482 |arxiv=1909.05413 |bibcode=2020Natur.586...42L |hdl=1721.1/129674 |s2cid=202565642 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2752-4 |access-date=8 November 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}

Deaths

July 1{{Snd}} Ray Matheny, American anthropologist (b. 1925)
July 2
Ángela Jeria, Chilean archeologist (b. 1926)
Xu Qifeng, Chinese engineer (b. 1936)
Willem van Zwet, Dutch mathematician (b. 1934)
July 3{{Snd}} Erika Taube, German ethnologist (b. 1933)
July 5{{Snd}} Horace Barlow, British neuroscientist (b. 1921)
July 6
Ronald Graham, American mathematician (b. 1935)
Deborah Zamble, Canadian chemist (b. 1971)
July 7
Millicent S. Ficken, American ornithologist (b. 1933)
Juan Rosai, American pathologist (b. 1940)
Henk Tennekes, American toxicologist (b. 1950)
July 8
Norman Allinger, American chemist (b. 1928)
Flossie Wong-Staal, Chinese and American virologist and molecular biologist (b. 1946)
July 9{{Snd}} Tong Binggang, Chinese physicist (b. 1927)
July 10
Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty, Indian and American microbiologist (b. 1938)
Michael M. Richter, German mathematician and computer scientist (b. 1938)
July 11{{Snd}} Lim Boo Liat, Malaysian zoologist (b. 1926)
July 14
Tim Clark, British physician (b. 1935)
Caesar Korolenko, Russian psychiatrist (b. 1933)
Alex McCool, American manager of the Space Shuttle Projects Office at NASA (b. 1923)
July 13
Grant Imahara, American electrical engineer (b. 1970)
Zeng Yi, Chinese virologist (b. 1929)
July 15{{Snd}} George Simon, Guyanese archeologist (b. 1947)
July 17
Angela von Nowakonski, Brazilian physician and medical researcher (b. 1953)
C. S. Seshadri, Indian mathematician (b. 1932)
Ron Tauranac, British and Australian engineer (b. 1925)
July 21{{Snd}} Li Jijun, Chinese geographer and geomorphologist (b. 1933)
July 23
Masakazu Konishi, Japanese neurobiologist (b. 1933)
Jacqueline Noonan, American pediatric cardiologist (b. 1928)
Ward Plummer, American physicist (b. 1940)
Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Italian microbiologist (b. 1956)
July 24{{Snd}} Zheng Shouren, Chinese engineer (b. 1940)
July 26
R. Stephen Berry, American physical chemist (b. 1931)
Roger Williams, British hepatologist (b. 1931)
Bill English, American computer engineer and co-developer of the computer mouse (b. 1929)
August 1
Frank Barnaby, British nuclear physicist (b. 1927)
Rosemary Radley-Smith, British paediatric cardiologist (b. 1939)
August 2{{Snd}} Gregory Areshian, Armenian and American archeologist (b. 1949)
August 4
Frances Allen, American computer scientist, first woman to win the Turing Award (b. 1932)
Irene D. Long, American physician (b. 1950)
Jan Strelau, Polish psychologist (b. 1931)
August 6{{Snd}} Louis Meznarie, French engineer (b. 1930)
August 7
Lungile Pepeta, South African paediatric cardiologist (b. 1974)
Edward Bruner, American anthropologist (b. 1924)
August 8
Dóra S. Bjarnason, Icelandic sociologist (b. 1947)
Bert Laeyendecker, Dutch sociologist (b. 1930)
Konrad Steffen, Swiss glaciologist (b. 1952)
August 9{{Snd}} Calaway H. Dodson, American botanist (b. 1928)
August 11{{Snd}} Russell Kirsch, American computer scientist and inventor of the first digital image scanner (b. 1929)
August 12{{Snd}} Robert Williams, American psychologist (b. 1930)
August 13
Peter Stuart Excell, British engineer (b. 1948)
Bernd Fischer, German mathematician (b. 1936)
August 14{{Snd}} Kenneth Kunen, American mathematician (b. 1943)
August 16
Nina McClelland, American chemist (b. 1929)
Jean-Michel Savéant, French chemist (b. 1933)
August 17{{Snd}} Richard M. White, American electrical engineer (b. 1930)
August 18{{Snd}} Han Woerdman, Dutch physicist (b. 1942)
August 19{{Snd}} Borys Paton, Ukrainian scientist (b. 1918)
August 20{{Snd}} Herbert Tabor, American biochemist (b. 1918)
August 23{{Snd}} Neil Douglas, British physician (b. 1949)
August 25
Erik Allardt, Finnish sociologist (b. 1925)
Rebeca Guber, Argentine mathematician and computer scientist (b.1926)
Arnold Spielberg, American electrical engineer (b. 1917)
August 26{{Snd}} Gerald Carr, American astronaut and aeronautical engineer (b. 1932)
August 28{{Snd}} Seymour I. Schwartz, American surgeon (b. 1928)
September 1{{Snd}} James Jackson, American psychologist (b. 1944)
September 2{{Snd}} David Graeber, American anthropologist (b. 1961)
September 6
George Carr Frison, American archeologist (b. 1924)
Vaughan Jones, New Zealand mathematician (b. 1952)
Takashi Sugimura, Japanese biochemist (b. 1926)
September 7
Patricia Thiel, American chemist and materials scientist (b. 1953)
Chen Dingchang, Chinese aerospace engineer (b. 1937)
September 8
Jean-Léon Beauvois, French psychologist (b. 1943)
James Greeno, American psychologist (b. 1935)
Sally Engle Merry, American anthropologist (b. 1944)
Jane Soons, New Zealand geomorphologist (b. 1931)
Yvette Taborin, French archeologist (b. 1929)
September 11{{Snd}} H. Jay Melosh, American geophysicist (b. 1947)
September 13
Jean Garrabé, French psychiatrist (b. 1931)
Didier Lapeyronnie, French sociologist (b. 1956)
September 14{{Snd}} Robert Chabbal, French physician (b. 1927)
September 15{{Snd}} Mario Torelli, Italian archeologist (b. 1937)
September 16{{Snd}} William Henry Danforth, American physician (b. 1926)
September 17{{Snd}} Robert W. Gore, American engineer and inventor of waterproof fabrics (b. 1937)
September 19{{Snd}} Georgina Mace, British ecologist (b. 1953)
September 20
Dan Olweus, Swedish and Norwegen psychologist (b. 1931)
Marian Packham, Canadian biochemist (b. 1927)
Richard Turner-Warwick, British urologist (b. 1925)
September 21{{Snd}} Arthur Ashkin, American physicist (b. 1922)
September 22
Mary Gergen, American psychologist (b. 1938)
Sergey Khoruzhiy, Russian physicist (b. 1941)
Li Dongying, Chinese metallurgist (b. 1920)
September 23
Charles Stuart Bowyer, American astronomer (b. 1934)
François Diederich, Luxembourgish chemist (b. 1952)
Renée Fox, American sociologist (b. 1928)
Toomas Frey, Estonian ecologist (b. 1937)
September 24
Sekhar Basu, Indian nuclear scientist (b. 1952)
Zhang Xinshi, Chinese ecologist (b. 1934)
September 26{{Snd}} Dai Yuanben, Chinese physicist (b. 1928)
September 27
John D. Barrow, British cosmologist, theoretical physicist, and mathematician (b. 1952)
Tjalling Waterbolk, Dutch archeologist (b. 1924)
September 28{{Snd}} Robert Adair, American physicist (b. 1924)
September 30{{Snd}} Scott Lilienfeld, American psychologist (b. 1960)

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline|2020 in science}}
[https://imgur.com/a/ArwoJAK Science Summary 2020], monthly images for entries of this list

Category:2020-related lists

Category:Science timelines by year