Forecasting forest health using models to predict tree canopy height

Tree height is an important indicator of a forest's maturity and overall health. Forest restoration projects rely on tree height as a predictor and measurement of success, but forecasting a forest's future tree height based on observations alone is almost impossible. Too many fac … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Opinion: COP28 president is wrong—science clearly shows fossil fuels must go (and fast)

According to the president of COP28, the latest round of UN climate negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, there is "no science" indicating that phasing out fossil fuels is necessary to restrict global heating to 1.5°C. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

The silver bullet that wasn't: Glyphosate's declining weed control over 25 years

It has been a quarter century since corn and soybeans were engineered to withstand the withering mists of the herbicide glyphosate. Initially heralded as a "silver bullet" for weed control, the modified crops and their herbicide companion were quickly and widely adopted across co … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Picking up good vibrations: The surprising physics of the didgeridoo

Australia's most iconic sound is almost certainly the didgeridoo. The long wooden tube-shaped instrument is famous for its unique droning music and has played a significant role in Australian Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Despite the instrument's simple design, the p … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

AI tool could increase the number of people exiting homelessness, reduce racial bias in services: Report

USC researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool they recommend as one of several measures that would help homeless service agencies control for potential biases and ensure that applicants have a fair chance at getting housing. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Dunes and native plants to sprout next year on a California's harbor beach

A relatively low-budget project has received a $57,000 state grant to restore sand dunes and native plants next year to spots along Oceanside's North Strand and Harbor Beach. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Digital goods generate more than $2.5 trillion in consumer welfare a year, research finds

Digital goods are products or services that can only be purchased, transferred, and delivered online (e.g., e-books, downloadable music, online games). Such goods can generate significant benefits for consumers, but because most of them are free, the benefits are largely unmeasur … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

NASA engineers push limits of physics to focus light

A pair of precision-orbiting small satellites will attempt to capture the first views ever of small-scale features near the surface of the sun that scientists believe drive the heating and acceleration of solar wind. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Incarcerated women punished at higher rates for minor infractions than men, study shows

A study from The University of Texas at El Paso reveals a gender disparity in prison infractions that disproportionately affects women. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Recent advances in built-in electric-field-assisted photocatalytic dry reforming of methane

Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the two main greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Dry reforming of methane (DRM) technology can simultaneously utilize two greenhouse gases to produce hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), meaning DRM is one of the ideal strateg … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Linguistics study claims that languages are louder in the tropics

Languages are a key factor in human societies. They connect people, serve as a vehicle to pass on knowledge and ideas, but they also distinguish between different groups of people. Languages can therefore tell us a lot about the societies that use them. As languages are constantl … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Study finds plant nurseries are exacerbating the climate-driven spread of 80% of invasive species

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published a pair of papers that, together, provide the most detailed maps to date of how 144 common invasive plants species will react to 2° Celsius of climate change in the eastern U.S., as well as the role that gar … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Much effort, little prey: Poor foraging success drives bats away from cities

While some wildlife species thrive well in cities, it's harder for large, insectivorous bat species to find enough food. To get their fill, city-dwelling common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) have to hunt longer than their rural counterparts and yet they catch fewer insects. While r … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Unlocking a climate puzzle: Study reveals hidden physics in quasi-linear temperature-radiation link

Curious about what drives Earth's climate sensitivity? A recent study in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences explores the complex links transforming the relationship between surface temperature and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from quartic to quasi-linear. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Method for containing toxins from mine waste could protect drinking water, prevent cancer

Imagine an abandoned mine site, surrounded by dead trees and dotted with dark, red ponds with no signs of aquatic life. This is the result of mine waste left in the environment that gets weathered by water and air. With exposure to the elements over time, the waste produces toxic … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

SPAGINS: A novel approach to predicting nuclear fragmentation in gamma-induced spallation

In a study published in Nuclear Science and Techniques, researchers from Henan Normal University report a significant advancement in nuclear physics. The study showcases the effectiveness of the SPAGINS model, a novel approach to accurately predicting fragment production in gamma … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

A deep-learning framework for drug–drug interactions and drug–target interactions prediction

Exploring the biomedical interactions for chemical compounds and protein targets is crucial for drug discovery. Determining these drug–drug interactions (DDI) and drug–target interactions (DTI) not only reveals the potential synergistic effects of drug combinations and improves d … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

NASA's interstellar mapping probe prepares for a 2025 launch

Engineers at NASA have completed an important milestone in developing the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft. It's now moving from development and design to the assembly, testing, and integration phase, targeting a launch in late Spring 2025. After laun … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

The future of urban mobility in emerging economies

Urbanization presents major challenges not only for industrialized nations, but also for emerging countries, particularly when it comes to their future transport infrastructure. The "Emerging Urban Mobility" study carried out by Fraunhofer IAO looks at the demand for mobility and … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Identifying the fish species present in a river based on traces of their DNA

As they swim around, fish leave DNA fragments behind them, for example via their skin or their excrements. Once collected and analyzed, these indicators allow scientists to determine all the species present in the environment. What's more, the method is precise, simpler and less … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Bacteria's mucus maneuvers: Study reveals how snot facilitates infection

Sniffles, snorts and blows of runny noses are the hallmarks of cold and flu season—and that increase in mucus is exactly what bacteria use to mount a coordinated attack on the immune system, according to a new study from researchers at Penn State. The team found that the thicker … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Study: German youth show weaker performance in math, reading and science compared to 2018

Young people in Germany are less proficient in mathematics, reading and science as compared to 2018. This is revealed in a PISA study. About one-third of the 15-year-olds tested achieved only a very low level of proficiency in at least one of the three subjects. The results confi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

'Friendly' hyenas are more likely to form mobs, research shows

After more than 35 years of surveillance, Michigan State University researchers are exposing some of the secret workings of mobs. To be clear, these mobs are made up of spotted hyenas. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

From a fossil to an animal skin: Authentic objects vs replicas in museum education programs

Educators in European science museums sometimes think rather differently about the definition of an "authentic" object. They think carefully about how they present those objects to teach visitors something or make them curious. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Chinese scientists reveal novel mechanism of angiosperm self-incompatibility

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a widespread intraspecific reproductive barrier in flowering plants, a system for rejecting self-pollen to prevent seed set after self-pollination. In Solanaceae, Plantaginaceae, Rosaceae, and Rutaceae, the SI system is controlled by a single polymorp … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Narratives clash in the war taking place on social media

In April 2022 a video was uploaded to YouTube in which an elderly woman greets Ukrainian soldiers waving the Soviet flag. One of the soldiers takes the flag from her and treads on it. The woman says in Russian: "My parents died for that flag, and now you're stepping on it." The v … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

How 'angry feminist claims' have the power to inform and mobilize voters

Kimberly Killen was an undergraduate at Wellesley College, which counts Hillary Rodham Clinton as an alumna, during the 2008 presidential election—in which Clinton was an early candidate. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Workplace culture is preventing men from taking paternity leave

In many countries, even those with paternity leave enshrined in law, workplace culture and gendered roles in childcare remain stubbornly regressive. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Revolutionizing biorefineries: Advancing toward sustainable third-generation technologies in CO₂ utilization

The evolution of biorefineries, shifting from sugar-based and biomass feedstocks to third-generation (3G) technologies, marks significant progress toward sustainable development. 3G biorefineries use microbial cell factories or enzymatic systems to convert one-carbon (C1) sources … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Europa clipper could help discover if Jupiter's moon is habitable

Since 1979, when the Voyager probes flew past Jupiter and its system of moons, scientists have speculated about the possibility of life within Europa. Based on planetary modeling, Europa is believed to be differentiated between a rocky and metallic core, an icy crust and mantle, … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Replacing bone saws with smart lasers

Using lasers rather than scalpels and saws has many benefits in surgery. Yet they are only used in isolated cases. But that could be about to change: laser systems are getting smarter and better all the time, as a research team from the University of Basel demonstrates. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Three decades of data in Bangladesh show elevated risk of infant mortality in flood-prone areas

A new study from researchers at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UC San Francisco estimates 152,753 excess infant deaths were attributable to living in flood-prone areas in Bangladesh over the past 30 years. Additionally, across the study period, children bo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Implementing a basic income means overcoming myths about the 'undeserving poor'

Newfoundland and Labrador recently announced plans to introduce a basic income for people aged 60-64 receiving social assistance. It is slated to roll out in April 2024 and will match existing federal seniors' benefits. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Will wide binaries be the end of MOND?

It's a fact that many of us have churned out during public engagement events that at least 50% of all stars are part of binary star systems. Some of them are simply stunning to look at; others present headaches with complex orbits in multiple star systems. Now, it seems wide bina … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

The short-term rain forecast system is broken. Can AI do a better job of predicting deadly floods?

The floods that killed 20 people in Waverly, Tennessee, and the surrounding area came with little warning. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Red sprites are best seen from space

Planet Earth is full of some truly awe-inspiring spectacles, but few are as intriguing as sprites, which are officially known as a transient luminous event (TLE) and consist of large-scale electric discharges that shoot upward while occurring above the cloud tops in the Earth's m … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Will Japanese encephalitis return this summer? What about other diseases mosquitoes spread?

The last two summers have been swarming with mosquitoes thanks to near constant rain and flooding brought on by La Niña. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Essay emphasizes need for antiblackness framework to reduce inequality in school discipline

According to an essay published in Educational Researcher, a decade of colorblind school discipline policy reforms have not disproportionally benefited Black students who remain the most often disciplined in schools and miss valuable classroom learning time. Given that fact, the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Study suggests existence of a universal, nonverbal communication system

Recent research conducted at Georgia State University shows that native language affects how people convey information from a young age and hints at the presence of a universal system of communication. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Rats are more human than you think—and they certainly like being around us

Rats have a somewhat unfortunate tendency to enjoy living where people live. That's how a biologist tried to explain people's hatred for the rodents in a television news feature about rats gnawing electrical cables in parked cars in the southern Swedish town of Malmö. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Study links political civility to the productivity of state legislatures

Bill Schreckhise and Eric Button, professors of political science at the University of Arkansas, recently published a study with three co-authors showing that the extent to which state legislators behave in a civil manner among themselves is related to how effective they are at p … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Increasing frozen food temperature by 3°C could enhance global food chain sustainability, say experts

Research involving Cranfield University's Dr. Natalia Falagan is proposing a measure to significantly reduce carbon emissions across the frozen food industry. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Why regional differences in global warming are critical

Tiny fossils in marine sediments verify that climate models provide accurate calculations of average ocean temperatures during the last glacial maximum around 20,000 years ago, but that the spatial distribution of simulated temperatures is too uniform and thus only partially vali … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Building boom boosts malaria-carrying, invasive mosquito in Ethiopia, evidence shows

A malaria-carrying mosquito that thrives in urban environments is moving into Africa where a construction boom may be one factor helping the newcomer feel at home. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

What does Australian-grown coffee taste like, and how does it compare? Research describes its unique 'terroir'

Australians love their coffee, and many can barely live without it. According to Statista, we consumed an average of about 2kg of coffee per person in 2022. Yet it's estimated less than 1% of this coffee is grown in Australia. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Artificial intelligence plus your cell phone means better maps of earth

In 2019, the GLOBE Land Cover project began asking volunteers to help map planet Earth by taking photos of their surroundings facing multiple directions, including north, south, east and west. Now, a new paper published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation an … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Image: Hubble views a double cluster of glowing galaxies

This Hubble image features a massive cluster of brightly glowing galaxies, first identified as Abell 3192. Like all galaxy clusters, this one is suffused with hot gas that emits powerful X-rays, and it is enveloped in a halo of invisible dark matter. All this unseen material—not … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

What happens after net zero? The impacts could play out for decades, with poorest countries still feeling the heat

Humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases have caused rapid global warming at a rate unprecedented in at least the past 2,000 years. Rapid global warming has been accompanied by increases in the frequency and intensity of heat extremes over most land regions in the past 70 years. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago