Water walking—the new mode of rock skipping

Researchers at Utah State University's Splash Lab discovered a new mode of water surface skipping termed "water walking". | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Carbon dioxide from Silicon Valley affects the chemistry of Monterey Bay

MBARI researchers recently measured high concentrations of carbon dioxide in air blowing out to sea from cities and agricultural areas, including Silicon Valley. In a new paper in PLOS ONE, they calculate that this previously undocumented process could increase the amount of carb … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New sensor detects rare metals used in smartphones

A more efficient and cost-effective way to detect lanthanides, the rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies, could be possible with a new protein-based sensor that changes its fluorescence when it binds to these metals. A team of researchers from Penn State de … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Controlling instabilities gives closer look at chemistry from hypersonic vehicles

While studying the chemical reactions that occur in the flow of gases around a vehicle moving at hypersonic speeds, researchers at the University of Illinois used a less-is-more method to gain greater understanding of the role of chemical reactions in modifying unsteady flows tha … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists create international database of women scientists

A database of women scientists that was created a year ago by a team led by a CU School of Medicine postdoctoral fellow has grown to list more than 7,500 women and is featured in an article published today in PLOS Biology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

'Marsquake': first tremor detected on Red Planet

Scientists said Tuesday they might have detected the first known seismic tremor on Mars in a discovery that could shed light on the ancient origins of Earth's neighbour. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The buzz about bumble bees isn't good

While many scientists are focused on the decline of honey bees, relatively few study bumble bees. The good news is that a new study provides an estimate on bumble bee population and distributions across Michigan in the past century. The bad news is that these results are dramatic … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New diagnostic tool developed for global menace Xylella fastidiosa increases specificity

The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is notable for having a wide host range, with the ability to infect more than 300 plants. X. fastidiosa has a long history of causing serious harm to crops and trees in the Americas, with especially damaging repercussions on grapevine and citrus. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New study compiles Gulf of Maine seasonal wildlife timing shifts

Many researchers and amateur naturalists keep track of dates for the first robin of spring, the first peepers or ice-out on ponds, and such records can offer decades of data on the timing of plant and animal life cycle events known as phenology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

NASA catches formation of Tropical Cyclone Kenneth near Aldabra

Visible satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed the formation of Tropical Storm Kenneth in the Southern Indian Ocean. Kenneth formed north of Madagascar and east of the Aldabra Atoll. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Meet B. fragilis, a bacterium that moves into your gut and evolves to make itself at home

MIT researchers have analyzed population genomics and metagenomics to investigate the microbiome evolution of Bacteroides fragilis, one of the most prevalent bacteria found in humans' large intestines. In a paper published April 23 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, the authors … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists find auroral 'speed bumps' are more complicated

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire Space Science Center find that "speed bumps" in space, which can slow down satellites orbiting closer to Earth, are more complex than originally thought. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Endangered rays may have unknown birthing zone in Mexican waters

The discovery of dozens of pregnant giant devil rays accidentally caught in fishing nets in a village along Mexico's northern Gulf of California could mean the endangered species has a previously unknown birthing zone in nearby waters, a new Duke University study suggests. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New studies highlight challenge of meeting Paris Agreement climate goals

New research highlights the "incredible challenge" of reaching the Paris Agreement without intense action and details the extreme temperatures parts of the planet will suffer if countries fail to reduce emissions. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Simple sea anemones not so simple after all

The tube-dwelling anemone is an ancient sea creature that resembles a prehistoric flower. The animals live slow, long and predictable lifestyles and look fairly similar from species to species. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Google self-driving unit Waymo picks Detroit factory site

Google's self-driving car spinoff Waymo says it will reopen an axle plant in Detroit to convert conventional vehicles so they can drive autonomously. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

France, Japan back Renault-Nissan alliance despite Ghosn case

French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday pledged their backing for the alliance of car giants Renault and Nissan, despite the strains caused by the arrest of the alliance's former boss Carlos Ghosn. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study: Why unique finches keep their heads of many colors

There appears to be an underlying selection mechanism at work among Gouldian Finches—a mechanism that allows this species to produce and maintain individuals with red heads, black heads, and yellow heads. Research by scientists from the the University of Sheffield in the United K … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers create artificial mother-of-pearl using bacteria

The strongest synthetic materials are often those that intentionally mimic nature. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists create largest collection of coral reef maps ever made

A study from scientists at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science offers a new way to accurately map coral reefs using a combination of Earth-orbiting satellites and field observations. T … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New dispersion method to effectively kill biofilm bacteria could improve wound care

Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have developed a method to treat bacterial infections which could result in better wound care. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Soft tissue makes coral tougher in the face of climate change

Climate change and ocean warming threaten coral reefs and disrupt the harmonious relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae, a process known as "coral bleaching." However, a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa and the California … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Future millimeter wave networks set to deliver the best features of high and low frequencies

Future high-speed communication networks based on millimeter-wave (30-300GHz) technology will be more robust and efficient in delivering extremely high speed, high quality video, and multimedia content and services thanks to the results of a ground-breaking research project. The … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A step toward determining which car crashes cause traumatic brain injury—and which don't

Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths related to traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 34, according to a 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Atomic beams shoot straighter via cascading silicon peashooters

To a non-physicist, an "atomic beam collimator" may sound like a phaser firing mystical particles. That might not be the worst metaphor to introduce a technology that researchers have now miniaturized, making it more likely to someday land in handheld devices. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Uganda Airlines gets first planes in revival bid

The first two planes purchased in a bid to relaunch Uganda Airlines were delivered on Tuesday, nearly two decades after the East African country's national carrier collapsed. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

One million species risk extinction due to humans: Draft UN report

Up to one million species face extinction due to human influence, according to a draft UN report obtained by AFP that painstakingly catalogues how humanity has undermined the natural resources upon which its very survival depends. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Logged native forests mostly end up in landfill, not in buildings and furniture

Victoria has some of the most carbon-dense native forests in the world. Advocates for logging these forests often argue that wood products in buildings and furniture become long-term storage for carbon. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Want to keep CEO pay down? Perhaps don't use a compensation consultant

Companies that use compensation consultants end up paying more for their CEOs, according to a new study that peers into the 'black box' of CEO pay at a time when boards are under pressure to justify high payments. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

An ecological tale of two scavengers

Two species of vulture—the turkey vulture and the black vulture—are able to coexist because their respective traits reduce the need for them to compete for nutritional resources, according to a study by University of Georgia researchers. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

What washing machines can teach us about the cost of tariffs

Recent trade wars between the United States and other countries have raised the question: Who pays the price when countries raise tariffs or impose other import duties? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Electron-phonon instability in graphene revealed by global and local noise probes

Understanding nonequilibrium phenomena to effectively control it is an outstanding challenge in science and engineering. In a recent study, Trond. I. Andersen and colleagues at the departments of physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering in the USA, Japan and Canada u … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Shakespeare: research blows away stereotypes and reveals teenagers actually love the Bard

When you think of inner-city teenagers, what springs to mind? For many, it's hoodies, video games – and probably hating Shakespeare. But my research proves that this stereotype is far from the truth. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Protecting small farms in Mozambique from drought

During the months that Jonathan Malacarne spent traveling from village to village in rural Mozambique, the weather could be dry and dusty or soaking wet from heavy rain. Either way, people from the community would walk and ride bikes from miles away to meet under the shade of a t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Fortune favours the bold: Can behaviour explain why some animal species become invasive?

A new study has found that adaptability is the key to invasive species succeeding in non-native environments. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Strongly agree: The number of response options matter when using a Likert Scale

You've probably seen a Likert Scale even if you don't know the ubiquitous measurement tool by name. In its traditional form, a researcher presents a statement followed by five response options of varying intensity and attitude. For instance, "I'm pleased with the reliability of … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

X-ray observations reveal insights into the nature of the pulsar wind nebula 3C 58

Analysis of the new data from X-ray observations using NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft and archival data from the agency's Chandra X-ray space observatory, has yielded more insights into the nature of a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) named 3C 58. Results of the analysis, presented in a paper … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

US expands probe into air bag failures to 12.3M vehicles

U.S. auto safety regulators have expanded an investigation into malfunctioning air bag controls to include 12.3 million vehicles because the bags may not inflate in a crash. The problem could be responsible for as many as eight deaths. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Students develop acoustic device to detect whales near offshore wind farm

A group of six ocean engineering students at the University of Rhode Island has developed an acoustic device that successfully detects the sounds made by whales and other marine mammals in the vicinity of the Block Island Wind Farm. The invention was created for the students' sen … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Heterogeneous catalyst goes enzymatic

What if there were no tunnels in the Swiss Alps? Anyone trying to travel through them would have to go up and down hills and zigzag around the ranges. A lot more energy and time is saved by passing through a tunnel than climbing a mountain. This is similar to how catalysts work: … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers describe the mechanism of a protein upon infection of the 'Fasciola hepatica'

Fasciola hepatica is a parasite that causes on average 3.2 million in losses in the agricultural sector every year worldwide. It is a two-centimeter-long worm at adult size that mainly affects ruminants by means of water or raw vegetables that act as vehicles of infection. Moveov … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

CLASP-2: Investigating the magnetic solar chromosphere

Four years ago, an international team (USA, Japan and Europe) carried out an unprecedented suborbital space experiment called CLASP-1, motivated by theoretical investigations carried out at the IAC by Javier Trujillo Bueno and his research group. After the outstanding success of … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Semiconductor scientists discover effect that was thought impossible

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Biochemists discover an enzyme to stop cell death

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Wet and dry tropical forests show opposite pathways in forest recovery

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists explore the unknown behaviour of gold nanoparticles with neutrons

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers find naturally occurring photocurrents in inorganic mineral systems

A team of researchers with members affiliated with several institutions in China, one in Canada and one in the U.S. has found evidence of naturally occurring photocurrents in inorganic mineral systems. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study opens a new route to achieving invisibility without using metamaterials

A pair of researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) describes a way of making a submicron-sized cylinder disappear without using any specialized coating. Their findings could enable invisibility of natural materials at optical frequency and eventually lead to a si … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago