Science News Roundup: U.S. scientists turn virus into melody to aid research; Scientists observe celestial smash-up around nearby star and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Coronavirus the musical:

U.S. scientists turn virus into melody to aid research

From tinkling harmonies as the virus disarms cells to clashing and stormy as it replicates, U.S. scientists have translated the novel coronavirus' spiked protein structure to music in an effort to better understand the pathogen. Professor Markus Buehler at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his team used artificial intelligence to transform a model of the protein structure of SARS-CoV-2, as the virus is formally called, into interwoven melodies in a classical musical composition.

Burping bags and dancing raisins: Tricks for teaching science during a pandemic

Texas science teacher Avri DiPietro has a secret weapon in her tool kit to help keep her students engaged now that the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to stay home indefinitely. It's a home experiment known as "the burping bag." The assignment calls for her sixth graders to combine vinegar and baking soda in a plastic bag, either in their kitchens or backyards. If all goes as planned, burps and belches will ring out across the small southeastern Texas town where DiPietro teaches, as the acidic vinegar meets the sodium bicarbonate, releasing gas from the bag.

Scientists observe celestial smash-up around nearby star

Scientists have observed what appears to be the aftermath of a violent collision between two planetary building blocks orbiting a large and luminous star, a glimpse of the type of carnage that may have been commonplace early in our solar system's history. The apparent crash between two icy bodies each about 125 miles (200 km) wide occurred around a star called Fomalhaut, located a relatively close 25 light-years from Earth, that is about twice the mass and 17 times the luminosity of the sun, the researchers said. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).