A global map to understand changing forests

An international collaboration of hundreds of scientists—led in part by the Forest Advanced Computing and Artificial Intelligence (FACAI) Laboratory in Purdue's Department of Forestry and Natural Resources—has developed the world's first global map of tree symbioses. The map is k … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Monitoring Earth's shifting land

The monitoring of land subsidence is of vital importance for low-lying countries, but also areas which are prone to peculiar ground instability. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Reprogrammable satellite takes shape

The payload and platform of the first European satellite that can be completely reprogrammed after launch have been successfully joined together. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Map reveals that lynching extended far beyond the deep South

An interactive map of lynchings that occurred in the United States from 1883 to 1941 reveals not just the extent of mob violence, but also underscores how the roles of economy, topography and law enforcement infrastructure paved the way for these brutal, violent outbursts, accord … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

3-D Earth in the making

A thorough understanding of the 'solid Earth' system is essential for deciphering the links between processes occurring deep inside Earth and those occurring nearer the surface that lead to seismic activity such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the rise of mountains and the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New Zealand's South Island imaged by Proba-V

The snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps stretch more than 500 km northeast to southwest across New Zealand's South Island, imaged here in the southern hemisphere's autumn by ESA's Proba-V minisatellite—now into its sixth year in orbit. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Self-repairing batteries: engineers develop a way to create high-capacity long-life batteries

Engineers at the University of Tokyo continually pioneer new ways to improve battery technology. Professor Atsuo Yamada and his team recently developed a material that can significantly extend the life of batteries and afford them higher capacities, as well. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Activation of gene promoters: Scientists discover basis of regulatory specificity

IMP scientists from the lab of Alexander Stark show why certain activators—enhancers or cofactor proteins—activate specific promoters. The findings, which are now reported in the journal Nature, could have implications for gene therapies. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Major questions concerning the role of microscopic life and our future

"Microbiology of global change" refers to the research area that explores microbial responses to global warming, natural resource depletion and environmental pollution, as well as feedback mechanisms and functions in climate change. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists develop ultrasensitive organic phototransistors based on novel hybrid-layered architecture

Organic phototransistors (OPTs) are widely used in environmental/health monitoring, quantum communication, chemical/biomedical sensing, remote control, surveillance, and image sensors since they are lightweight, low-cost, highly efficient and environmentally friendly. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

NASA's GRACE: What researchers have learned from water in motion

When you hear news about ice loss from Greenland or Antarctica, an aquifer in California that is getting depleted, or a new explanation for a wobble in Earth's rotation, you might not realize that all these findings may rely on data from one single mission: the U.S.-German Gravit … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

NASA's MRO completes 60,000 trips around Mars

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

'How tall is the tower in Paris?' How vector search knows you're asking about the Eiffel Tower

Only a few years ago, web search was simple. Users typed a few words and waded through pages of results. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Japan tests next-generation Shinkansen bullet train

A prototype of Japan's next-generation Shinkansen bullet train, set to be the fastest train on wheels when it enters service, reached speeds of 320 kilometres (198 miles) per hour on a test run Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

UN chief concerned nuclear 'coffin' leaking in Pacific

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised concerns Thursday that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into the Pacific. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Breakthrough technique for studying gene expression takes root in plants

An open-source RNA analysis platform has been successfully used on plant cells for the first time—a breakthrough that could herald a new era of fundamental research and bolster efforts to engineer more efficient food and biofuel crop plants. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Huawei hit by US export controls, potential import ban

In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

From mother to daughter, Tunisia potters pass on ancestral know-how

With bucket and spade in hand, Sabiha Ayari from Sejnane in northern Tunisia is among the women keeping alive an ancient tradition of creating pottery with all-natural materials. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

'More than human': Wonders of AI on show in London

Managing the health of the planet, fighting discrimination or boosting innovation in the arts; the fields in which Artificial Intelligence can help humans are countless, and an ambitious London exhibition aims to prove it. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Schools turn to technology to reduce toll during shootings

Efforts to combat the intractable problem of school shootings are starting to shift from preventing the violence to reducing the number of victims through technology that speeds up law enforcement's response and quickly alerts teachers and students to danger. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Can sound protect eagles from wind turbine collisions?

Every year, bald and golden eagles are killed when they inadvertently fly into wind turbine blades. One possible way to prevent these deaths is to chase the birds away with acoustic signals—sound. To determine what types of sounds are most effective in deterring the birds, resear … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

From Earth's deep mantle, scientists find a new way volcanoes form

Far below Bermuda's pink sand beaches and turquoise tides, geoscientists have discovered the first direct evidence that material from deep within Earth's mantle transition zone—a layer rich in water, crystals and melted rock—can percolate to the surface to form volcanoes. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New study shows climate change, maternal care, parasitic infection all connected in South American fur seals

South American fur seal pups with high levels of hookworm infection spend more time in the water, but that's not necessarily a good thing, report Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of Georgia. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Transfer of EU powers leads to silent erosion of UK pesticide regulation

New analysis by the UK Trade Policy Observatory is warning that what should have been the technical formality of transferring EU powers into national law when the UK leaves the European Union, could instead open the gates for the widespread use of outlawed carcinogenic pesticides … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How climate change will affect the rural northeast: Expect three weeks of heat

While extreme cold and snow often make headlines in the Northeast, by 2060, there will be far more record heat. Imagine the most sweltering day of the year. By 2060, you will experience that type of hot day for approximately three weeks of the year, assuming we don't substantiall … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

As bumblebee diets narrow, ours could too

There has been a lot of buzz about honeybees' failing health because they pollinate our produce. Less well known is how critical bumblebees are for some of our favorite foods. And their numbers are also rapidly declining. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia

Beijing has broadened its block of online encyclopedia Wikipedia to include all language editions, an internet censorship research group reported just weeks ahead of China's most politically explosive anniversary. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

FAA chief defends handling of Boeing Max safety approval

The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that Boeing should have done more to explain an automated flight-control system on its 737 Max aircraft before two deadly crashes, but he defended his agency's safety certification of the plane and its decision … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Flying cars mooted for Paris' public transport network

European aerospace giant Airbus and Paris underground operator RATP will study the viability of adding flying vehicles to the city's urban transport network, the companies said Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ann moving over Australia's Cape York Peninsula

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the Southern Pacific Ocean and captured a visible image of the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Ann moving over Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. Despite the storm weakening below tropical cyclone status, warnings remain active for strong w … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cellular rivalry promotes healthy skin development

Not all cells are destined for greatness. Deemed unfit to serve in the body, some are killed off during early development through a process called cell competition. This phenomenon has previously been documented in flies and is now turning out to occur in mammals as well. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How loud is too loud when it comes to sports whistles?

How loud is too loud when it comes to whistle tweets? Referees and others using whistles on the job need a simple way to determine whether it's harmful to their hearing, so a group of researchers set out to put it to the test and to provide some clarity and damage risk criteria f … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Video: Fly over Mount Sharp on Mars

Ever wanted to visit Mars? A new animated video shows what it would be like to soar over Mount Sharp, which NASA's Curiosity rover has been climbing since 2014. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Captive chimpanzees spontaneously use tools to excavate underground food

Chimpanzees in captivity can successfully work out how to use tools to excavate underground food, even if they've never been presented with an underground food scenario before, according to a study published May 15, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Alba Motes-Rodrigo a … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study finds scientific reproducibility does not equate to scientific truth

Reproducible scientific results are not always true and true scientific results are not always reproducible, according to a mathematical model produced by University of Idaho researchers. Their study, which simulates the search for that scientific truth, will be published Wednesd … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Ancient fish ponds in the Bolivian savanna supported human settlement

A network of fish ponds supported a permanent human settlement in the seasonal drylands of Bolivia more than one thousand years ago, according to a new study published May 15, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Gabriela Prestes-Carneiro of Federal University of Western P … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Neanderthals and modern humans diverged at least 800,000 years ago

Neanderthals and modern humans diverged at least 800,000 years ago, substantially earlier than indicated by most DNA-based estimates, according to new research by a UCL academic. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Do you trust politicians? Depends on how you define trust

There's more to trust than credence and faith, especially as it comes to politics. Research from Michigan State University and North Carolina State University presents new evidence to suggest that there are more layers to political trust than the public—and politicians themselves … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Calling attention to gender bias dramatically changes course evaluations

With growing evidence of gender bias on student course evaluations, a new intervention developed by Iowa State University researchers may help reduce bias against women instructors. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Young adults distressed by labels of narcissism, entitlement

Young adults both believe and react negatively to messages that members of their age group are more entitled and narcissistic than other living generations, suggests new research presented by Joshua Grubbs of Bowling Green State University, Ohio, and colleagues in the open access … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers map symbiotic relationships between trees and microbes worldwide

In and around the tangled roots of the forest floor, fungi and bacteria grow with trees, exchanging nutrients for carbon in a vast, global marketplace. A new effort to map the most abundant of these symbiotic relationships—involving more than 1.1 million forest sites and 28,000 t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Energy-free superfast computing invented by scientists using light pulses

Superfast data processing using light pulses instead of electricity has been created by scientists. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How egg cells choose their best powerhouses to pass on

Developing egg cells conduct tests to select the healthiest of their energy-making machines to be passed to the next generation. A new study in fruit flies, published online May 15 in Nature, shows how the testing is done. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

China's Chang'E 4 mission discovers new 'secrets' from the far side of the moon

A lunar lander named for the Chinese goddess of the moon may have lessened the mystery of the far side of the moon. The fourth Chang'E probe (CE-4) was the first mission to land on the far side of the moon, and it has collected new evidence from the largest crater in the solar s … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Planetary scientists unravel mystery of Egyptian desert glass

A Curtin University researcher has solved a nearly 100-year-old riddle by discovering that glass found in the Egyptian desert was created by a meteorite impact, rather than atmospheric airburst, in findings that have implications for understanding the threat posed by asteroids. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Tech giants vow to step up fight against online extremism

Major tech firms on Wednesday pledged to pursue a range of new measures aimed at stamping out violent extremist content on the internet, amid growing pressure from governments in the wake of the massacres at two New Zealand mosques in March. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

What artificial intelligence can teach us about proteins

Proteins are vital parts of all living organisms and perform essential tasks in our bodies. They build and repair tissues, supply components of the immune and hormone systems, regulate metabolism, and transmit signals. Researchers in Berlin and Heidelberg have now developed an in … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Iceland volcano eruption in 1783-84 did not spawn extreme heat wave

An enormous volcanic eruption on Iceland in 1783-84 did not cause an extreme summer heat wave in Europe. But, as Benjamin Franklin speculated, the eruption triggered an unusually cold winter, according to a Rutgers-led study. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago