Faith communities are rallying to check climate change—their size and influence counts

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 80% of the global population are motivated by faith or spirituality. Faced with the triple planetary crises of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, what role can faith communities play in saving … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

How big UK builders have remained profitable without meeting housing supply targets

We must "bulldoze through" the planning system to "get Britain building again". So said Sir Keir Starmer at the Labour party's last annual conference. He argued it's time to "fight the blockers" and build the 1.5 million homes that he thinks Britain needs. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Museum classifies Roman emperor as trans—but modern labels oversimplify ancient gender identities

Elagabalus ruled as Roman emperor for just four years before being murdered in AD 222. He was still a teenager when he died. Despite his short reign, Elagabalus is counted among the most infamous of Roman emperors, often listed alongside Caligula and Nero. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Slash-and-burn agriculture can increase forest biodiversity

The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by many Indigenous societies across the world can actually have a positive impact on forests, according to a new study done in Belize. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Research team describes the composition of asteroid Phaethon

Asteroid Phaethon, which is five kilometers in diameter, has been puzzling researchers for a long time. A comet-like tail is visible for a few days when the asteroid passes closest to the sun during its orbit. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Q&A: Fighting climate despair—what to do to make a difference

Individual action may seem like a drop in the bucket when it comes to tackling climate change. The scale of the problem is so immense that a poll reported that more than half of young people in 10 surveyed countries, including the U.S., feel helpless, believing humanity is doomed … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Natural disaster risk modeling is a reliable, affordable way to estimate expected riverine flood damage: Study

In recent months, rivers overflowing their banks have caused property damage and loss of life in France, Italy, Mexico, and South Africa, underscoring the increasing perils of climate change. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Bolstered by buoys: Predicting El Niño

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—the climate phenomenon comprising the warm El Niño, cool La Niña, and neutral climate phases—occurs on a cycle that lasts 2–7 years. When it forms, ENSO drives irregular weather that can spark wildfires, cause drought or flooding, and disru … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Writing instructors are less afraid of students cheating with ChatGPT than you might think

When ChatGPT launched a year ago, headlines flooded the internet about fears of student cheating. A pair of essays in The Atlantic decried "the end of high-school English" and the death of the college essay." NPR informed readers that "everybody is cheating." | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

After a pandemic pause, Detroit restarts water shut-offs—part of a nationwide trend as costs rise

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Detroit residents got a break from water shut-offs. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

COP28: Inside the United Arab Emirates, the oil giant hosting 2023 climate change summit

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the world's seventh largest oil producer, will host the 28th UN climate change summit (COP28) in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. Presiding over the conference will be the chief executive of the UAE state-owned oil company Adnoc, Sultan al-Ja … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Newly discovered megafossil flora reported from northern Vietnam

Vietnam is known worldwide for its high plant species diversity and endemism. However, the evolutionary history of Vietnam's exceptional plant biodiversity remains poorly understood. Due to the paucity of Neogene plant fossils, it remains unclear how the vegetation of northern Vi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Sustainable food production and consumption: Exploring the transition to alternative proteins

Animal agriculture is responsible for considerable environmental burden, and a key contributor to climate change. Meat alternatives are increasingly understood as potential solutions to decreasing this burden by enabling a shift away from conventional models of production and con … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Is graphene the best heat conductor? Researchers investigate with four-phonon scattering

Graphene, a material which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms, has been celebrated by many as the "next big thing" in material science. But according to Purdue University researchers, its thermal properties may not be as revolutionary as previously thought. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Vectorial adaptive optics: Correcting both polarization and phase

Adaptive optics (AO) is a technique used for real-time correction of phase aberrations by employing feedback to adjust the optical system. Polarization aberrations represent another significant type of distortion that can impact optical systems. Various factors, such as stressed … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Harnessing cutting-edge tech for cleaner nuclear energy: Breakthrough in iodine capture

In a study published in the journal Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, researchers from Sichuan University have unveiled significant insights into the structure–performance relationships of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Their study not only sheds light on the co … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

A new way to see the activity inside a living cell

Living cells are bombarded with many kinds of incoming molecular signal that influence their behavior. Being able to measure those signals and how cells respond to them through downstream molecular signaling networks could help scientists learn much more about how cells work, inc … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Scientists track rapid retreat of Antarctic glacier

Scientists are warning that apparently stable glaciers in the Antarctic can "switch very rapidly" and lose large quantities of ice as a result of warmer oceans. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Scientists harness flower 'super power' to pave the way for new drug treatments

Scientists at the University of Bath have used nature as inspiration in developing a new tool that will help researchers develop new pharmaceutical treatments in a cleaner, greener, and less expensive way. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Biomimetic crystallization for long-pursued –COOH-functionalized gold nanocluster with near-infrared phosphorescence

Recently, Professor Di Sun's group at Shandong University extended the salting-out method (commonly used to crystallize biological macromolecules, proteins, and DNA) to crystallize –COOH-functionalized AuNCs and obtained high-quality single crystals of three novel –COOH-functiona … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

A gamma-ray pulsar milestone inspires innovative astrophysics and applications

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in conjunction with the international Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration, announce the discovery of nearly 300 gamma ray pulsars in the publication of their Third Catalog of Gamma Ray Pulsars. This milestone comes 15 years after the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

The secret life of an electromagnon: Research takes a step toward ultrafast control of magnetism with light

Scientists have revealed how lattice vibrations and spins talk to each other in a hybrid excitation known as an electromagnon. To achieve this, they used a unique combination of experiments at the X-ray free electron laser SwissFEL. Understanding this fundamental process at the a … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Reprogramming tissue mechanically to promote wound healing

Researchers at PSI and ETH Zurich have taken connective tissue cells that have been mechanically reprogrammed to resemble stem cells and transplanted them into damaged skin. In their laboratory experiment, they were able to show that this can promote wound healing. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Astronomers find 'tilted' planets even in pristine solar systems

Scientists have long puzzled over why all of the planets in Earth's solar system have slightly slanted orbits around the sun. But a new, Yale-led study suggests this phenomenon may not be so unusual after all. Even in "pristine" solar systems, planets exhibit a bit of a tilt. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Investigating and fine-tuning the properties of 'magic' graphene

Recent advances in the development of devices made of 2D materials are paving the way for new technological capabilities, especially in the field of quantum technology. So far, however, little research has been carried out into energy losses in strongly interacting systems. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Girls less likely to be diagnosed with special educational needs—new research

The point when a child with special educational needs (SEN) is diagnosed is an important moment in their lives. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Bidding adieu to sticky ice, but with a grain of salt

As Americans gear up for winter, many will face one of their toughest foes: ice. From delaying flights to making roads slippery, ice accumulation on surfaces wreaks havoc in many ways. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Québec's hardwood trees could move north. Here's how that could affect the boreal forest landscape

In Québec, there are two distinct types of forest: the northern temperate forest in the south, and the boreal forest in the north. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Nano-sized cell particles are promising intervention tool in treating infectious diseases, says study

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of being prepared with drug interventions to contain viral outbreaks that can otherwise have devastating consequences. In preparing for the next pandemic—or Disease X, there is an urgent need for versatile platform technologies th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Cell fate choice during adult regeneration is highly disorganized, study finds

A team of scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and MIT has spatially mapped the choices stem cells make during tissue regeneration in flatworms, revealing an unexpected finding: Rather than being organized into homogeneous neighborhoods—where one group of … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Physicists discover molecule-like structure of nuclear ground state

Scientists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), along with their collaborators, have recently discovered a molecular-type structure in the ground state of atomic nuclei. The study was published in Physical Review Letters. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Research unveils nickel-based catalysts with remarkable economic feasibility

In a development set to transform the chemical industry on a global scale, Professor Chang Ho Yoo in the Department of Chemistry at UNIST has successfully developed a highly efficient and stable carbonylation catalytic reaction using nickel catalysts. This achievement, published … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

How can we evaluate the quality of global water models?

A new international study has tested the extent to which global water models agree with one another and with observational data. Using a new evaluation approach, the research team, which includes IIASA researchers, can show in which climate regions the models agree and where they … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Thirty years of data show persistent organic pollutants remain a threat to marine biodiversity

A team of zoologists, environmental scientists, marine biologists and life scientists affiliated with several institutions in Ireland and the U.K. has found that despite international bans, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to be both widespread and pervasive in the e … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

New study reveals how pollution affects clouds and climate

A recent study reveals the profound impact of pollution on cloud behavioוr. This newfound understanding illuminates the intricate ways in which pollution alters our climate. Such research marks a significant advance in comprehending the influence of pollution on our weather and b … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Exotic atomic nucleus sheds light on the world of quarks

Experiments at CERN and the Accelerator Laboratory in Jyväskylä, Finland, have revealed that the radius of an exotic nucleus of aluminum, 26mAl, is much larger than previously thought. The result, described in a paper just published in Physical Review Letters, sheds light on the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

X-rays reveal unexpected protein function in plants

A team of scientists from Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have revealed an unexpected function of a transport protein and its role in plant regulatory mechanisms. Their research, published in The Plant Cell earlier this … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

New method for identifying bacteria more easily

Far too many antibiotics are used around the world. As a result, bacteria are becoming resistant to these drugs. Curing bacterial diseases is becoming more difficult than before because antibiotics are perhaps our foremost weapons in the fight against them. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Living in a +50°C world: Cooling must be considered critical infrastructure, says new report

Experts from the University of Birmingham are calling for global cooling and cold chain to be considered as critical infrastructure as the planet continues to heat. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

LHCb: Correlations show nuances of the particle birth process

High-energy ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider are capable of producing a quark-gluon plasma. But are heavy atomic nuclei really necessary for its formation? And above all: how are secondary particles later born from this plasma? Further clues in the search for answers t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Early humans in the Paleolithic Age: More than just game on the menu

In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (SHEP) at the University of Tübingen show that early humans of the Middle Paleolithic had a more varied diet than previously assumed. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Researchers develop coating process for fabrics that kills or inhibits growth of pathogens

Countless times a day, patients, visitors and medical staff in hospitals touch surfaces of all kinds. Door handles, railings or elevator buttons can serve as transport vehicles for pathogens such as hospital germs or viruses. Smooth surfaces are comparatively easy to clean after … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Researchers uncover battery-like functions of mitochondria using super-resolution microscopes

Using new super-resolution microscopes, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Pennsylvania have for the first time observed electrical charge and discharge functions inside mitochondria isolated from cells. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Compact accelerator technology achieves major energy milestone

Particle accelerators hold great potential for semiconductor applications, medical imaging and therapy, and research in materials, energy and medicine. But conventional accelerators require plenty of elbow room—kilometers—making them expensive and limiting their presence to a han … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

New protocluster of massive quiescent galaxies discovered

An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new protocluster of massive quiescent galaxies at a redshift of approximately 4.0. This is the first detection of a protocluster of this type at such a high redshift. The finding was detailed in a paper published Nov … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Researchers triple carbon nanotube yield for LEDs, solar cells, flexible and transparent electronics

Skoltech scientists have found a way to improve the most widely used technology for producing single-walled carbon nanotube films—a promising material for solar cells, LEDs, flexible and transparent electronics, smart textiles, medical imaging, toxic gas detectors, filtration sys … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Boosting PET recycling with higher standards for laboratory experiments

Many enzymes promise to break down plastic. But what works in the lab often fails on a large scale. Now a new study by Gert Weber, HZB, Uwe Bornscheuer, University of Greifswald, and Alain Marty, Chief Scientific Officer of Carbios, shows how raising the bar for laboratory experi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago

Clonal fish: Same genes, same environment, different fitness levels

According to current knowledge, individuality is determined by either differences in genome or in the apparent environmental conditions. However, studies show, the paradigm of twin research is currently crumbling. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 year ago