Scientists seek miracle pill to stop methane cow burps

A scientist guides a long tube into the mouth and down to the stomach of Thing 1, a two-month-old calf that is part of a research project aiming to prevent cows from burping methane, a potent greenhouse gas. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Main points of the $300 billion climate deal

The deal reached at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan ramps up the money that wealthy historic emitters will provide to help poorer nations transition to cleaner energy and adapt to global warming. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

The dark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say

Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Time is running out for a treaty to end plastic pollution—here's why it matters

On March 2, 2022, delegates to the UN environment assembly adopted an ambitious resolution to develop the text of a new treaty by the end of 2024 to end plastic pollution. With 24 days of formal negotiation between almost 200 countries completed, spread over meetings in Peru, Fra … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Sustainable method can electrosynthesize important chemical for synthetic rubber production

Chemists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a sustainable method to electrosynthesize 1,3-butadiene, a feedstock used for synthetic rubber production, from acetylene. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

New maps show high-risk zones for whale-ship collisions—vessel speed limits and rerouting can reduce the toll

Imagine you are a blue whale swimming up the California coast, as you do every spring. You are searching for krill in the Santa Barbara Channel, a zone that teems with fish, kelp forests, seagrass beds and other undersea life, but also vibrates with noise from ship traffic. Sudde … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Opinion: The peer review system no longer works to guarantee academic rigor—a different approach is needed

Peer review is a central feature of academic work. It's the process through which research ends up published in an academic journal: independent experts scrutinize the work of another researcher in order to recommend if it should be accepted by a publisher and if and how it shoul … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Healthy elbow room: Social distancing in Neolithic mega-settlements

The term "social distancing" spread out across the public vocabulary in recent years as people around the world changed habits to combat the COVID pandemic. New research led by UT Professor Alex Bentley, however, reveals the practice of organized elbow room could date back approx … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

First successful test of wild minke whales reveals they have ultrasonic hearing

A team of marine biologists from Norway, the U.S. and Denmark has conducted the first hearing test of a live baleen whale. For their study published in the journal Science, the group corralled a pair of wild minke whales and recorded their brain waves. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Extending classical black hole inequalities into the quantum realm

A recent study in Physical Review Letters explores quantum effects on black hole thermodynamics and geometry, focusing on extending two classical inequalities into the quantum regime. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Saturday Citations: Sweaty, remarkable humans; ocean level rise projections; closeup of a star in another galaxy

Since we last spoke, researchers at the University of Birmingham have defined the precise shape of a single photon (spoiler: roundish). Economists worry that Trump's grandiose deportation plans could lead to a recession. And astronomers report that the Milky Way may not be truly … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Developing nations slam 'paltry' $300 bn climate deal

The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands

An archaeologist from the University of New Hampshire and her team have collected data which indicates the presence of a large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facility. Discovered in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS), the largest inland wetland in Belize, the team date … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

'e-Drive': New gene drive reverses insecticide resistance in pests... then disappears

Insecticides have been used for centuries to counteract widespread pest damage to valuable food crops. Eventually, over time, beetles, moths, flies and other insects develop genetic mutations that render the insecticide chemicals ineffective. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Natural substance from edible cyanobacterium could combat skin aging by enhancing collagen

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, have existed for billions of years, adapting to a diverse range of environments. Their remarkable ability to photosynthesize and make their own food, as well as their adaptability across a variety of habitats, make them a subject of focus for t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Exploring the impact of offshore wind on whale deaths

In the winter of 2022–2023, nearly a dozen whales died off the coast of New Jersey, near the sites of several proposed wind farms. Their deaths prompted concern that related survey work being conducted in the area somehow contributed to their deaths. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

On the trail of an 18th-century master forger: New evidence discovered

A document held in Göttingen University's Faculty of Humanities has been revealed as an 18th century forgery. The document purports to be from 1266, but mentions a church in Pisa that was not built until later. This discovery is the result of research by Dr. Boris Gübele, histori … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Peaches spread across North America through Indigenous networks, radiocarbon dating and document analysis show

Spanish explorers may have brought the first peach pits to North America, but Indigenous communities helped the ubiquitous summer fruit really take root, according to a study led by a researcher at Penn State. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Scientists transform blood into regenerative materials, paving the way for personalized, 3D-printed implants

Scientists have created a new 'biocooperative' material based on blood, which has been shown to successfully repair bones, paving the way for personalized regenerative blood products that could be used as effective therapies to treat injury and disease. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Worm species thought to have disappeared has been appearing in photos of pygmy seahorses all along

A small team of marine scientists from the University of the Ryukyus, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation, has found that a worm species thought to be missing since 1957 has been appearing in photographs taken by citi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Dinosaur skeleton fetches 6 million euros in Paris sale

The skeleton of a 22-meter-long dinosaur (70 feet) fetched six million euros ($6.4 million) Saturday, AFP learned from auction houses Collin du Bocage and Barbarossa. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Super Typhoon Man-yi batters Philippines' most populous island

Super Typhoon Man-yi slammed into the Philippines' most populous island on Sunday, with the national weather service warning of flooding, landslides and huge waves as the storm sweeps across the archipelago nation. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

California researchers discover mysterious, gelatinous new sea slug

More than two decades after spotting a mysterious, gelatinous, bioluminescent creature swimming in the deep sea, California researchers this week announced that it is a new species of sea slug. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

US flood governance drives social inequity, and maybe the next housing market crash

A recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment looked at the current US National Flood Insurance Program, and how, without drastic changes, another housing crash could be on the horizon. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Selenoproteins open new strategies for treating certain cancers in children

Selenoproteins are crucial for several biological functions, including the breakdown of harmful substances, immune system support, and regulating metabolic processes. However, in specific contexts, these proteins can be misused and shield cancer cells from death. One such protein … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

A new way to detect daisy worlds

The daisy world model describes a hypothetical planet that self-regulates, maintaining a delicate balance involving its biogeochemical cycles, climate, and feedback loops that keep it habitable. It's associated with the Gaia Hypothesis developed by James Lovelock. How can we dete … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Extreme heat weakens land's power to absorb carbon, analysis finds

A new European Space Agency-backed study shows that the extreme heat waves of 2023, which fueled huge wildfires and severe droughts, also undermined the land's capacity to soak up atmospheric carbon. This diminished carbon uptake drove atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to new hig … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Study links relative brain volume to temperament in diverse dog breeds

Researchers from the University of Montpellier, the University of Zurich, Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, and other institutions have found that breed function and behavior correlate with relative endocranial volume (REV) in domestic dogs. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Saturday Citations: Cold dark matter takes a hit; a new paradigm for biology; those fracking earthquakes

This week, researchers formulated a new method to calculate the probability of generating intelligent life in the universe. Investigations of a meteorite that originated on Mars revealed that it once interacted with liquid water. And an analysis of fossilized teeth suggests that … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Methylmercury: How microbes create the most toxic form of mercury

Mercury is extraordinarily toxic, but it becomes especially dangerous when transformed into methylmercury—a form so harmful that just a few billionths of a gram can cause severe and lasting neurological damage to a developing fetus. Unfortunately, methylmercury often makes its wa … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

'Jekyll and Hyde' leaders do lasting damage, new study shows

There's only one thing worse than an abusive boss—and that's a boss who thinks they can make up for their bad behavior by turning on the charm the following day. That's the key finding from a new study from researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology, which shows that employee … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Philippines warns of 'potentially catastrophic' Super Typhoon Man-yi

A super typhoon sweeping towards the Philippines on Saturday was intensifying and could have a "potentially catastrophic" impact, the state weather forecaster warned, with millions of people at risk from storm surges. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Study challenges assumptions about how tuberculosis bacteria grow

The rod-shaped tuberculosis (TB) bacterium, which the World Health Organization has once again ranked as the top infectious disease killer globally, is the first single-celled organism ever observed to maintain a consistent growth rate throughout its life cycle. These findings, r … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Big Bang: Trump and Musk could redefine US space strategy

Should NASA return to the moon, or go straight to Mars? Maintain its focus on climate science, or pivot away? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Pakistani province declares health emergency due to smog and locks down two cities

A Pakistani province declared a health emergency Friday due to smog and imposed a shutdown in two major cities. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Award-winning dataset aids in earthquake liquefaction research

No one knows exactly when or where an earthquake will strike. But computer simulations are helping scientists and engineers improve predictions for liquefaction—a sometimes deadly earthquake effect where the soil loses its stiffness, thus toppling buildings and more. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Compound metalens achieves distortion-free imaging with wide field of view

In a recent study, researchers have developed a compound metalens that enables distortion-free imaging. The study, published in Engineering, presents a novel approach to on-demand distortion engineering using compound metalenses. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Scientists gain new insights into how mass is distributed in hadrons

Scientists can determine the mass of subatomic particles that are built from quarks by looking at the particles' energy and momentum in four-dimensional spacetime. One of the quantities that encode this information, called the trace anomaly, is linked to the fact that physical ob … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Cross-species transplantation: Generation of rat offspring from ovarian oocytes in mice

The idea of maturing oocytes in the ovary to produce offspring has been implemented in various ways. One such method, ovarian transplantation, is a relatively simple procedure for obtaining eggs, compared to in vitro culture of ovaries and follicles. However, it is still difficul … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Metalenses harness AI for high-resolution, full-color imaging for compact optical systems

Modern imaging systems, such as those used in smartphones, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) devices, are constantly evolving to become more compact, efficient, and high-performing. Traditional optical systems rely on bulky glass lenses, which have limitations like … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Simple table salt enhances new adhesive polymer technology

Adhesives are everywhere, from the tape used in households to the bonding materials in vehicles and electronics. The search for stronger, more adaptable adhesives is ongoing and may come down to adding a dash of salt to two special polymer ingredients known as polyzwitterions, or … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Scientists propose drug-free method to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century. More than 1 million people died from drug-resistant infections each year from 1990 to 2021, a recent study reported, with new projections surging to nearly 2 … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Study uncovers role of tissue viscoelasticity in cell response

To the casual eye, a memory foam mattress would appear to have no relationship to the behavior of cells and tissues. But an innovative study carried out at the Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) in Madrid shows that viscoelasticity—the capacity of a material to be … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Study uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania

Some of the first human beings to arrive in Tasmania, over 41,000 years ago, used fire to shape and manage the landscape, about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Antarctic bacteria show promise as biocontrol agents for combating banana wilt

A recent study conducted by scientists at ESPOL has unveiled the biotechnological potential of microorganisms from Antarctica. In this remote continent, where life thrives under extreme conditions, researchers isolated 77 microbial strains from 162 cultures, identifying 49 specie … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Researchers note unequal conditions for young people at UN climate summits

Today, young people from all over the world can participate in major UN climate conferences. But inequality and bureaucracy make this impossible for many. This is the conclusion of a study carried out at Linköping University, Sweden. According to one of the researchers behind the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

The new ecolinguistics: A vision for the future of language learning

An article published in Frontiers of Digital Education advocates for a transformative approach to language learning by introducing a new ecolinguistics framework that emphasizes the dynamic interplay between language, technology, and embodied engagement. The work is titled "The N … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago

Gen Z workers: Values matter, and so does financial security

Despite appearances and tongue-wagging from older observers, it turns out that Gen Z is much more eager to work hard for both social good and long-term financial security than some might think, according to new research from the Ateneo de Manila University. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 1 month ago