'The Big Bang Theory' takes math notes from Carl Pomerance

A prime number theory equation by mathematics professor emeritus Carl Pomerance turned up on The Big Bang Theory, where it was scrawled on a white board in the background of the hit sitcom about a group of friends and roommates who are scientists, many of them physicists at the C … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How to destroy an asteroid without nuking each other first

In the event of an asteroid heading to Earth and likely to cause catastrophic damage, an Armageddon-style nuclear explosion may well be our best line of defence. But would doing so lead the way to potential space-based nuclear apocalypse instead? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Avengers: Endgame exploits time travel and quantum mechanics as it tries to restore the universe

At the end of Avengers: Infinity War half the people (including heroes and villains) in the universe were gone in the snap of a finger from Thanos (Josh Brolin). | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study uncovers new materials interactions that could improve data storage

A new study provides insight into multiferroic materials, which could have substantive implications in fields such as data storage. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Copepods: The unsung heroes of the ocean

We all know the amazing job that bees and birds, as pollinators, do for the planet. But have you heard about the humble copepod? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Songbird-body changes that allow migration may have human health implications

Songbirds that pack on as much as 50 percent of their body weight before migrating and that sleep very little, exhibit altered immune system and tissue-repair function during the journey, which may hold implications for human health, according to Penn State researchers. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Developing a model critical in creating better devices

Water is everywhere. Understanding how it behaves at an intersection with another material and how it affects the performance of that material is helpful when trying to develop better products and devices. An undergraduate researcher at Virginia Tech is leading the way. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Video: How to get rid of that skunk smell?

Skunks are nocturnal animals that prefer to keep to themselves. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Gestures and visual animations reveal cognitive origins of linguistic meaning

Gestures and visual animations can help reveal the cognitive origins of meaning, indicating that our minds can assign a linguistic structure to new informational content "on the fly"—even if it is not linguistic in nature. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers transmit data via a semiconductor laser, opening the door to ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi

You've never heard Dean Martin like this. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Chemical engineers replicate feed, fight and flight responses in catalytic chemical reactions

Collaboration and competition are basic instincts among biological species, from the simplest single-celled organisms to reptiles, fish and primates, as well as humans. This dynamic behavior—the result of millions of years of evolution—is difficult to replicate in synthetic syste … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Pole-to-pole study of ocean life identifies nearly 200,000 marine viruses

An international team has conducted the first-ever global survey of the ecological diversity of viruses in the oceans during expeditions aboard a single sailboat, the Tara. They identified nearly 200,000 marine viral species, which vastly exceeds the 15,000 known from prior ocean … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

What makes mosquitoes avoid DEET? An answer in their legs

Many of us slather ourselves in DEET each summer in hopes of avoiding mosquito bites, and it generally works rather well. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on April 25th have made the surprising discovery that part of the reason for DEET's success can be f … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Extracting something from nothing: A bright glow from empty space

Particles travelling through empty space can emit bright flashes of gamma rays by interacting with the quantum vacuum, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Strathclyde. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Irish regulator investigates Facebook over exposed passwords

Ireland's privacy regulator says it is investigating Facebook over the social media giant's recent revelation that it had left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Place-based management can protect coral reefs in a changing climate

Researchers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) and the State of Hawai'i Department of Health have developed and applied a new technology in Hawai'i that identifies where coral reef ecosystems and associated fisheries are vulnerable to human activities and where to … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study reveals massive ecological and economic impacts of woody weed invasion in Ethiopia

CABI scientists have revealed the massive ecological and economic impacts that the invasive alien tree Prosopis juliflora has had across the Afar Region of north eastern Ethiopia. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Forest fires blight Europe amid drought fears

Weather experts warn of drought in Europe over its summer as firefighters tackled forest fires on Thursday, and farmers fretted over wilting crops and a repeat of 2018's arid conditions. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Microsoft tops trillion-dollar mark for first time

Microsoft hit the trillion-dollar value mark Thursday for the first time, becoming the third technology giant to reach the symbolic milestone. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Liquid crystals in nanopores produce a surprisingly large negative pressure

Negative pressure governs not only the Universe or the quantum vacuum. This phenomenon, although of a different nature, appears also in liquid crystals confined in nanopores. At the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow, a method has been presen … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Engineers make injectable tissues a reality

A simple injection that can help regrow damaged tissue has long been the dream of physicians and patients alike. A new study from researchers at UBC Okanagan moves that dream closer to reality with a device that makes encapsulating cells much faster, cheaper and more effective. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Using DNA templates to harness the sun's energy

As the world struggles to meet the increasing demand for energy, coupled with the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere from deforestation and the use of fossil fuels, photosynthesis in nature simply cannot keep up with the carbon cycle. But what if we could help the natural car … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New Hubble measurements confirm universe is expanding faster than expected

New measurements from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm that the Universe is expanding about 9% faster than expected based on its trajectory seen shortly after the big bang, astronomers say. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New ultra metal-poor star discovered

An international team of astronomers has detected a new ultra metal-poor star with the lowest ever measured abundance of iron. Designated SMSS J160540.18−144323.1, the newly found object is the most iron-deficient star for which iron has been detected. The finding is presented in … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Reindeer adapt to climate change by eating seaweed

The bodies of Svalbard reindeer are extremely well adapted to their arctic home at 79 degrees N latitude. As the northernmost reindeer population on the planet, they are thick and round, which makes it easier for them to tolerate the cold. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New lens system for brighter, sharper diffraction images

To design and improve energy storage materials, smart devices, and many more technologies, researchers need to understand their hidden structure and chemistry. Advanced research techniques, such as ultra-fast electron diffraction imaging can reveal that information. Now, a group … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

US manufacturer 3M says to cut 2,000 jobs on slowing demand

US industrial products manufacturer 3M announced Thursday it will cut 2,000 jobs worldwide, citing weakness in key markets that led to a drop in first-quarter sales. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Astronomers find quasars are not nailed to the sky

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Characterisation of the structure of a member of the L-Amino acid Transporter (LAT) family

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study shows the potential of carbon nanotubes to cool electronic circuits

The use of solid-state refrigerators to cool appliances and electronic devices is a possible technological application for a theoretical study conducted at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo State, Brazil. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cooling with light

ETH researchers have cooled a nanoparticle to a record low temperature, thanks to a sophisticated experimental set-up that uses scattered laser light for cooling. Until now, no one has ever cooled a nanoparticle to such low temperatures in a photon cage. Dominik Windey and René … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Long live Nemo! New animal model in aging research?

The colorful Clownfish lives longer than 20 years in the aquarium. Researchers of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy, in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena, Germany, have investigated the genetics behind the longevity of clownfish. By sequenc … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Online retailer tactics and impulse buying: Consumers welcome tools to avoid it

"Only 2 left this price!" "Popular item!" "80 people are looking at this right now!" | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The Momo Challenge: A digital ghost story

Andy Phippen, Professor of Social Responsibility in IT, at the University of Plymouth, and Emma Bond, Professor of Socio-Technical Research, at the University of Suffolk, have worked together to analyse the 'hysteria' that surrounded the Momo Challenge, earlier this year. Here, t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

During abrupt warming, lobsters in acidic water have reduced heart function, fewer infection-fighting cells

Ocean acidification and warming may be an unhealthy combination for lobsters, say University of Maine scientists. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Renewable energy mandates reduce carbon dioxide emissions—but at a cost

As states take the lead in confronting climate change, their flagship policy is a program that requires that a certain percentage of the state's electricity come from renewable sources. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Northeastern students design and build devices to help improve the lives of individuals with disabilities

Kevin Leiser starts with his eyes closed and his back to the target. As he turns and raises the compound bow, he keeps his eyes shut, listening to the beeping in his headphones. He adjusts his aim until the beeps merge into a solid tone that comes through evenly in both ears. He … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Housing costs dampen residents' satisfaction with life in Los Angeles

The rising cost of housing continues to be the single biggest factor undermining residents' satisfaction with life in Los Angeles County, according to the fourth annual Quality of Life Index. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

China's efforts to reduce air pollution in major cities found to increase pollution in nearby areas

A team of researchers with members affiliated with institutions in China, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, the U.S. and Austria has found that efforts by the Chinese government to reduce air pollution in its major cities have resulted in higher air pollution levels in nearby area … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

AI-generated profiles? Airbnb users prefer a human touch

In an online marketplace like Airbnb, host profiles can mean the difference between a booked room and a vacant one. Too peppy, too long, too many exclamation points? Language is critical in a user's search for trust and authenticity, crucial factors in any online exchange. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers study radioactive material behavior—without the radioactivity

There's much to learn about what happens when fission is occurring inside nuclear fuel. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are providing some new insights into that process—without exposing themselves to the challenge or dangers of working with radioactiv … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

GOP's 2017 tax plan came down hardest on California, researchers say

When the Republican Party rammed through tax changes in 2017, it wasn't a surprise that the rich got richer. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Turtle study shows gender lifespan differences likely due to aggressive tendencies

A team of researchers with members from Taiwan, the U.S., China and the U.K. has found evidence that suggests the reason females of most species live longer than males is because of male aggressive tendencies. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group de … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cat problem can only be solved by owners

Conserving wildlife is not very different from improving public health. They both involve (sometimes nasty) debates between people with different opinions and values. In health, some most value the enjoyment they get from smoking or unprotected sex, while others value stopping th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Image: Testing satellite marker designs

Akin to landing lights for aircraft, ESA is developing infrared and phosphorescent markers for satellites, to help future space servicing vehicles rendezvous and dock with their targets. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Nanosized container with photoswitches releases cargo upon irradiation

Researchers at Tokyo Tech have developed a nanosized container bearing photoswitches that takes up hydrophobic compounds of various size and shape in water and subsequently releases them quantitatively by non-invasive light stimulus. The installed switches allow reusing of the co … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Japan creates first artificial crater on asteroid

Japanese scientists have succeeded in creating what they called the first-ever artificial crater on an asteroid, a step towards shedding light on how the solar system evolved, the country's space agency said Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Comcast sheds cable customers but adds internet subscribers

Comcast kept shedding cable customers and adding home internet customers in its most recent quarter. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago