Video game rivals Microsoft and Sony team up in cloud

Longtime video game console rivals Microsoft and Sony on Thursday announced an alliance to improve their platforms for streaming entertainment from the internet cloud. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Could better tests help reverse the rise of drug-resistant infections?

A growing number of infections—such as pneumonia, gonorrhea and tuberculosis—are becoming harder to treat, as bacteria evolve defenses against antibiotics faster than we can develop new drugs to replace them. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Dog DNA find could aid quest to help breeds breathe more easily

Scientists have discovered a DNA mutation linked to breathing problems in popular dog breeds. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How host-cell enzymes combat the coronavirus

Host-cell enzymes called PARP12 and PARP14 are important for inhibiting mutant forms of a coronavirus, according to a study published May 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa, Anthony Fehr of the University of Kansas, and colle … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

When science and politics collide: Support for enhancing FDA independence

Earlier this year, twin papers authored by seven former Food and Drug Administration commissioners, published by Health Affairs and the Aspen Institute on the same day, suggested that the FDA should become an independent agency. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists find new type of cell that helps tadpoles' tails regenerate

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have uncovered a specialised population of skin cells that coordinate tail regeneration in frogs. These 'Regeneration-Organizing Cells' help to explain one of the great mysteries of nature and may offer clues about how this ability might … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Designing biological movement on the nanometer scale

Synthetic proteins have been created that move in response to their environment in predictable and tunable ways. These motile molecules were designed from scratch on computers, then produced inside living cells. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Electric car switch on for health benefits

Could the health benefits and reduced costs to healthcare systems be enough to justify subsidizing charging infrastructure to allow society to switch from the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles faster than current trends predict? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Malnourished fruit flies preserve genital size to ensure reproductive success

In most animals, body size shrinks when food becomes scarce, but some parts are protected from shrinkage. In humans without enough food, the body becomes small, but the size of the head stays the same, hinting at biological mechanisms that act to preserve the all-important brain. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study reports breakthrough to measure plant improvements to help farmers boost production

An international team is using advanced tools to develop crops that give farmers more options for sustainably producing more food on less land. To do this, thousands of plant prototypes must be carefully analyzed to figure out which genetic tweaks work best. Today, in a special i … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Wikipedia 'doing very well financially': co-founder

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said Thursday that the free online encyclopedia is in good financial shape, although increasing mobile phone use may cut into future donations. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New study reveals that some over reported stress after 2016 election to support political party

In a new study, researchers found that many Democrats may have over reported mental stress after the 2016 election. By comparing personal online searches made by Democrats, Republicans and Spanish-Speaking Latinos with public surveys, their study claims those not directly targete … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Video: How do plants communicate with each other?

Spring is in the air! It's time to mow the lawn and breathe in the smell of freshly cut grass. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Chemists ID possible addiction-free pain reliever

An estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer from substance abuse disorders related to opioid use for pain relief, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This causes an economic burden of more than $78 billion per year in health care and addiction treatment costs, as wel … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Precursors of a catastrophic collapse

On the morning of the 13th of March 1888, the inhabitants of the Finschhafen trading post on the east coast of New Guinea were awakened by a dull rumbling sound. An eyewitness later reported that the water in the port had receded at the same time. A short time later, several two- … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Galaxy blazes with new stars born from close encounter

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a new look at the spectacular irregular galaxy NGC 4485, which has been warped and wound by its larger galactic neighbour. The gravity of the second galaxy has disrupted the ordered collection of stars, gas and dust, giving rise to an … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A simplified method to categorize olive oil

Olive oil classification is currently very costly and slow. In order to categorize oil into extra virgin (EVOO), virgin (VOO) and lampante olive oil (LOO), an offical method is used, consisting of a physicochemical analysis and a sensory analysis in the end. This last part is bas … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Algal blooms in Lake Erie's central basin could produce neurotoxins

Harmful algal blooms pose a unique toxic threat in Lake Erie's central basin, new research has found. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers shed new light on atomic 'wave function'

Physicists have demonstrated a new way to obtain the essential details that describe an isolated quantum system, such as a gas of atoms, through direct observation. The new method gives information about the likelihood of finding atoms at specific locations in the system with unp … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

These four values lessen the power of transformational leadership

Transformational leadership is considered one of the most effective ways to motivate and inspire employees. However, new research finds cultural values significantly limit its effectiveness. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Bio-inspired material targets oceans' uranium stores for sustainable nuclear energy

Scientists have demonstrated a new bio-inspired material for an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to recovering uranium from seawater. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The global invasion routes of the red swamp crayfish

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) researchers have reconstructed the invasion routes followed by the red swamp crayfish during its human-driven expansion based on the analysis of a mitochondrial gene (COI), which was sequenced from 1,412 crayfishes from 122 populations acr … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Shedding light on the key determinants of global land use projections

Land use is at the core of various sustainable development goals. An international research group consisting of researchers from several institutions including PBL Netherlands, IIASA, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, endeavored to disentangle the key determi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A new iron-based superconductor stabilized by inter-block charger transfer

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Political disinformation campaigns not as threatening as you think

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

24 percent of West Antarctic ice is now unstable: study

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Balancing the beam: Thermomechanical micromachine detects terahertz radiation

Radiation from many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum has been harnessed for extremely beneficial uses, in fields as diverse as medicine, imaging and photography, and astronomy. However, the terahertz (THz) region of the spectrum, situated between microwaves and infrared ligh … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

NTSB: Autopilot was in use before Tesla hit semitrailer

A Tesla Model S involved in a fatal crash with a semitrailer in Florida March 1 was operating on the company's semi-autonomous Autopilot system, federal investigators have determined. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Early exposure to banking influences life-long financial health

Growing up in a community with or without banks or financial institutions has a long-term effect on how you build and manage credit, according to a new Iowa State University study. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Drexel-developed safety climate scale helps fire departments reach safety goals

A new safety scale, that effectively measures the safety climate of a fire department, has been developed by researchers from Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health, according to a paper published today in the journal Safety Science. The tool helps fire departments gauge their … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

People recycle more when they know what recyclable waste becomes

Researchers from Penn State University and Boston College published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing, which finds that helping consumers think about how recyclables become new products inspires consumers to recycle more. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New data on underwater volcanoes in Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have successfully obtained images of the structure of two of the most important submarine volcanoes in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica. The study was part of the 2018-19 Spanish Antarctic Expedition, which has just been completed. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Bedbugs evolved more than 100 million years ago—and walked the earth with T. rex

Bedbugs—some of the most unwanted human bed-mates—have been parasitic companions with other species aside from humans for more than 100 million years, walking the earth at the same time as dinosaurs. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study uncovers key step in cell protein production

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered how genes create proteins in research which could aid the development of treatments for human diseases. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How plants are working hard for the planet

As the planet warms, plants are working to slow the effect of human-caused climate change—and research published today in Trends in Plant Science has assessed how plants are responding to increasing carbon dioxide (CO2). | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cryptocurrencies are finally going mainstream – the battle is on to bring them under global control

The 21st-century revolutionaries who have dominated cryptocurrencies are having to move over. Mainstream financial institutions are adopting these assets and the blockchain technology that enables them, in what is perhaps the most profound development since the birth of cryptocur … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Why parents should think twice about tracking apps for their kids

The use of self-tracking and personal surveillance technologies has grown considerably over the last decade. There are now apps to monitor people's movement, health, mindfulness, sleep, eating habits and even sexual activity. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How to overcome a fear of maths

It's fair to say maths is not everyone's favourite subject. In fact, for many people, the feelings of tension and anxiety that arise when trying to solve a mathematical problem can be all consuming. This is known as maths anxiety – and this feeling of being a failure at maths can … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Wandering Earth: Rocket scientist explains how we could move our planet

In the Chinese science fiction film The Wandering Earth, recently released on Netflix, humanity attempts to change the Earth's orbit using enormous thrusters in order to escape the expanding sun – and prevent a collision with Jupiter. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Miro2 is a Parkin receptor for selective removal of damaged mitochondria

Mitophagy plays a central role in the mitochondrial quality control system, and defective mitophagy is linked to a variety of human diseases. At present, how the damaged mitochondria are selectively recognized and removed to ensure the accuracy of mitophagic clearance remains unc … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Mapping the global distribution of phytoplankton

Researchers at ETH have charted the distribution of phytoplankton in the world's oceans for the first time and investigated the environmental factors that explain this distribution. They concluded that plankton diversity is only partially congruent with previous theories of biodi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Homeless people aren't just sitting around – they actively strive to improve their lives

When I first met Daniel in front of Shoreditch High Street station in London, I didn't know how exhausting begging was. He was constantly moving, often through cold and rain. He addressed random passers-by all day long, mostly facing ignorance from their side if not verbal and ph … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Evolution in the gut

Evolution and dietary habits interact and determine the composition of bacteria in the digestive tract. Many microorganisms in the intestine seem to have developed in sync with their host animals over millions of years. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New research reveals what was on the menu for medieval peasants

Scientists from the University of Bristol have uncovered, for the first time, definitive evidence that determines what types of food medieval peasants ate and how they managed their animals. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Have you got the right personality for Facebook?

How do personality traits affect one's use of the online social networking site, Facebook? That is the question researchers from Greece hope to answer in a paper in the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising. The team surveyed 367 university students and anal … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Dutch probe China's Huawei for possible spying: report

Dutch intelligence services are investigating Huawei for possibly spying for the Chinese government by leaving a "back door" to data of customers of major telecoms firms, a report said Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How to break our bad online security habits – with a flashing cyber nudge

The number of cyber attacks is estimated to have risen by 67% over the last fivee years, with the majority of these data breaches being traced back to human error. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New power supply unit lets electrical devices live longer

From the charging unit for smartphones to the power supply of the laptop or washing machine to LED lights or charging stations of electric cars – switching power supplies are omnipresent in electrical devices. They convert the alternating current from the house line into the dire … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago