Chilean researchers call for transformative change to tackle climate action

Addressing climate change has become a central issue in Chile's public policy. As part of that debate, Dr. Maisa Rojas, researcher in Atmospheric Physics, who currently serves as Chilean Minister for Environment and Marco Billi of the Center for Climate and Resilience Research, U … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

A new system can help global food systems adapt to climate change

One critical outcome of COP28 was a declaration, signed by more than 150 heads of state, to support food systems in adapting to climate change. Until recently, the issue of sustainable food systems had never risen very high on the COP agenda, which had been largely focused on the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Research team develops optical technique for simultaneously producing and shaping gigahertz burst pulses

The generation and manipulation of high-repetition pulses hold great promise across various applications, including high-speed photography, laser processing, and acoustic wave generation. Gigahertz (GHz) burst pulses, with intervals ranging from ~0.01 to ~10 nanoseconds, are part … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Researchers: Planting pine or native forest for carbon capture isn't the only choice—New Zealand can have best of both

New Zealand's per-capita contribution to carbon emissions is very high by international comparison. But so too is its potential to mitigate climate change by planting forests to quickly sequester large amounts of carbon. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Researchers discover crucial step in creating blood stem cells

A microbial sensor that helps identify and fight bacterial infections also plays a key role in the development of blood stem cells, providing a valuable new insight in the effort to create patient-derived blood stem cells that could eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

High mitochondrial temperature is maintained in cells subjected to metabolic stress, study shows

Mitochondria in human and mammalian cells are maintained at around 52 ºC, significantly warmer than the cell's external environment. A new study shows that even under external metabolic stresses, mitochondrial metabolism is remodeled to maintain this high temperature. The finding … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Filming the microscopic flow of hydrogen atoms in a metal

A group of researchers has created a simple and inexpensive means to visualize the atomic state of hydrogen. Details of their breakthrough are published in the journal Acta Materialia. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Fresh research for fresh air: Harnessing microbes for removing indoor pollutants

Researchers in Chile have designed an indoor air purification prototype which uses microorganisms to capture and degrade pollutants, with efficiencies above 90%. In the study, published in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, the scientists demonstrated that the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Selling time, function rather than a product may not always be sustainable

In the current business-to-business (B2B) landscape, servicizing products—a leasing model that often includes remanufacturing—rather than selling them, marks a shift toward a new model of consumption that focuses on sustainability. However, a Penn State Smeal College of Business … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Do dog 'talking buttons' actually work? Does my dog understand me? Here's what the science says

Is your dog bothered by something but you can't work out what? Do you wish they could tell you? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Florida Keys city to replace sewage wells following research findings

The Marathon City Council says it will end the use of shallow sewage wells, a move that could drastically reduce the pervasive pharmaceutical contamination in local fish populations uncovered by FIU scientists. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Can we decode the language of our primate cousins?

A UNIGE team shows that the human brain is capable of identifying the vocalizations of certain primate species, if they are close to us and if the frequencies used are also close to our own. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

NASA's GUSTO prepares to map space between the stars

On a vast ice sheet in Antarctica, scientists and engineers are preparing a NASA experiment called GUSTO to explore the universe on a balloon. GUSTO will launch from the Ross Ice Shelf, near the U.S. National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station research base, no earlier than Dec … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Shining a light on NASA's deep space demo

NASA's Psyche mission launched on 13 October 2023 on a journey to explore what could be the exposed metallic core of an ancient planet. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Image: Ice flows on Mars

On Aug. 18, 2023, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured ridged lines carved onto Mars' landscape by the gradual movement of ice. While surface ice deposits are mostly limited to Mars' polar caps, these patterns appear in many non-polar Martian regions. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Iceland volcano eruption calms as lava flow eases

An Icelandic volcano that erupted and spewed lava into the sky overnight near a power plant was less active Tuesday, after weeks of intense seismic activity southwest of Reykjavik. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Will the eruption of the volcano in Iceland affect flights and how serious is it?

Scientists anticipated the eruption of a volcano in southwestern Iceland for weeks, so when it happened on Monday night, it was no surprise. The region had been active for more than two years and thousands of small earthquakes rattled the area in recent weeks. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Blue Origin returns to space after yearlong hiatus

Blue Origin launched its first rocket in more than a year on Tuesday, reviving the US company's fortunes with a successful return to space following an uncrewed crash in 2022. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Canada's agricultural policies need to better serve local farmers and communities, says researcher

Canada's current agricultural production model is unsustainable and in desperate need of reform. A range of issues plague the current system, including corporate consolidation, farmland concentration in the hands of non-farmers and foreign buyers, pollution and animal welfare iss … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Mysterious fruit found to be the oldest known fossils of the Frankincense and Myrrh family

Early in the 1970s, a paleontologist working on the outskirts of an Indian village found small, bead-like fossils embedded in the gray chert dotting the surrounding fields. The site was notorious for turning up plant fossils that were difficult to identify, including the fruit of … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

After seeing the struggle of Palestinians in Gaza, TikTok users are learning about Islam

The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is playing out on screens like never before. Through social media, millions are witnessing the violence that has killed thousands since Oct. 7. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Online shoppers more likely to click ads with curvy designs and spend more money, says study

As you shop online, you may be drawn to digital ads with curvy designs without even realizing it. According to a new study from the University of South Florida, consumers click on curvy call-to-action buttons, such as "Shop Now" or "Add to Cart," at a significantly higher rate th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Paratethys: The largest lake the Earth has ever seen

For the first time ever, research led by one of Utrecht University's earth scientists—Dr. Dan Palcu—has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. His fascinating research shows the immense proportions of the largest lake the Earth has ever seen: the Paratethys. Guinne … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Is it OK to let my kids watch the same show over and over again?

"Are you sure you want Frozen again? You've already seen it 20 times!" | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Scientists discover how to degrade and reform thermoset polymers without loss of function

A team of UK scientists has got a step closer to making several different types of plastic much easier to recycle using a method that could be applied to a whole range of difficult-to-recycle polymers, including rubbers, gels, and adhesives. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Victorian Britain had its own anti-vaxxers—and they helped bring down a government

As the 1906 UK general election results rolled in, it became clear that the Conservative party, after 11 years in power, had suffered one of the most disastrous defeats in its history. Of 402 Conservative MPs, 251 lost their seats, including their candidate for prime minister, de … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

2023's extreme storms, heat and wildfires broke records—a scientist explains how global warming fuels climate disasters

The year 2023 was marked by extraordinary heat, wildfires and weather disasters. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Mapping the relations between Manhattan Project scientists using network science

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret program that culminated in the development of the first atomic bombs during World War 2. This covert and controversial research endeavor involved many gifted and reputable scientists, including physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Will gutted safeguards doom social media—and the election—in 2024?

Sometimes it seems like one year in the world of social media is the equivalent of five years everywhere else. Conversations, information, and controversies all move faster, and the state of play is constantly changing. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

How writing 'made us human'—an 'emotional history' from ancient Iraq to the present day

Evidence suggests that writing was invented in southern Iraq sometime before 3000BC. But what happened next? Anyone interested in this question will find How Writing Made Us Human by Walter Stephens both an enjoyable and stimulating read. It offers what it calls an "emotional his … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Why do some men commit domestic violence? Trauma and social isolation may play a role

Support for survivors of domestic violence is important, but to end domestic violence once and for all, society needs to understand the people who perpetrate it and how to intervene successfully. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Wild 'super pigs' from Canada could become a new front in the war on feral hogs

They go by many names—pigs, hogs, swine, razorbacks—but whatever you call them, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most damaging invasive species in North America. They cause millions of dollars in crop damage yearly and harbor dozens of pathogens that threaten humans and pets … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

How active are the microorganisms in your yogurt? Chemists create a new tool to study probiotic activity

Humans have been fermenting food and drinks—everything from kimchi and yogurt to beer and kombucha—for more than 13,000 years. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

From laggard to leader? Why Australia must phase out fossil fuel exports, starting now

For years large fossil fuel producers—including Australia—have expanded fossil fuel production while maintaining rhetorically that the world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But global emissions are overwhelmingly caused by the extraction, transport and burning of fossil … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Grenfell should have been a wake-up call—but the UK still doesn't take fire safety seriously

In March 2023, a fire in Tower Hamlets, east London, claimed the life of Mizanur Rahman, a 41-year-old father-of-two from Bangladesh. Five fire engines and 35 firefighters attended the call to the two-bedroom flat in Maddocks House, on the Tarling West housing estate, in the earl … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

How government payments to the vulnerable can multiply to create economic growth for everyone

The economic fallout of COVID-19 left people around the world facing a significant threat to their livelihood. As governments scrambled to mitigate the pandemic's impact on their populations, many decided to use direct payments to support vulnerable citizens. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Scientists discover novel way to attack the trypanosome parasite through its ribosome

Trypanosome is a single-celled parasite that takes an extensive human and economic toll due to its involvement in causing sleeping sickness in humans and a similar disease in cattle. The parasite, found mainly in rural areas of Africa, is transmitted to humans or cattle by the ts … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Europe's earliest cities relied on fertilizer and plant protein, isotope analysis shows

Nutrition in Trypillia mega-sites is currently the focus of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1266 at Kiel University (CAU). In the forest steppe northwest of the Black Sea—today the territory of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine—mega-sites of the Trypillia societies emer … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Snowflake accelerations mysteriously follow a predictable pattern

A winter wonderland calls to mind piles of fluffy, glistening snow. But to reach the ground, snowflakes are swept into the turbulent atmosphere, swirling through the air instead of plummeting directly to the ground. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Vervet monkeys follow different social 'norms' and respond to 'peer pressure,' new long-term study shows

People living in different communities follow different social customs or norms. In some places, for instance, it might be standard practice to greet each person you see on the street, while in others that simply isn't done. In some cases, such differences may even vary from one … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Study uncovers major hidden human-driven bird extinctions

Humans have wiped out around 1,400 bird species—twice as many as previously thought—with major implications for the ongoing biodiversity crisis, a new study has found. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Machine learning sifts through vast data from X-ray diffraction techniques to find new materials

Scientists from the University of Rochester say deep learning can supercharge a technique that is already the gold standard for characterizing new materials. In an npj Computational Materials paper, the interdisciplinary team describes models they developed to better leverage the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Viral enhancement of nanomaterial cancer sensor improves early detection

Researchers from SUTD have developed an advanced system of breast cancer cell detection with improved speed and sensitivity, using a viral mechanism to enhance the tool's sensing accuracy. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Anthropologist's mapping project shows how Peru transformed after colonization

Parker VanValkenburgh has dedicated more than a decade of research to understanding how colonialism impacted Peru's Indigenous people in the 16th century. That time marked a turning point in the region: Spanish forces conquered the Inca Empire, initiating a period of social viole … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Recent volcanism on Mars reveals a planet more active than previously thought

A vast, flat, "featureless" plain on Mars surprised researchers by revealing a much more tumultuous geologic past than expected, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Arizona. Enormous amounts of lava have erupted from numerous fissures as recently as 1 mil … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Study shows how vertebrates shape the North Sea seafloor

The world's oceans are a vast habitat for countless creatures that settle, spawn, dig or feed on the seafloor. They also influence the shape of the ocean floor. How exactly this takes place has scarcely been investigated. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

A microfluidic magnetic detection system for tumor-derived exosome analysis

In a study published on 7 November 2023 in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering, researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shanghai Tech University, have developed an innovative microfluidic magnetic … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago

Better fossil dating could help to clear up human evolution

Timing is crucial when it comes to understanding the origins of humanity. Developing better dating techniques to discover the ages of key fossils will help scientists to discover how Homo sapiens and our relatives evolved. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 11 months ago