Rurality, social identity is driving polarization in Iowa

As the race for the 2020 presidential election ramps up, so too will questions about voter attitudes in states that switched from blue to red in 2016. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Semiconductor firm to buy, expand upstate NY chip plant

An Arizona-based semiconductor supplier will purchase GlobalFoundries' computer chip manufacturing plant in the Hudson Valley, adding 150 new jobs and preserving hundreds of others as part of a $720 million expansion plan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Neonics hinder bees' ability to fend off deadly mites, study reveals

A University of Guelph study is the first to uncover the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides on honey bees' ability to groom and rid themselves of deadly mites. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Why responsible sourcing of DRC minerals has major weak spots

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is rich in minerals such as coltan, tantalum, tin and gold. All are coveted for their widespread use in modern technologies, like semiconductors for cars and mobile phones. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How artificial intelligence systems could threaten democracy

U.S. technology giant Microsoft has teamed up with a Chinese military university to develop artificial intelligence systems that could potentially enhance government surveillance and censorship capabilities. Two U.S. senators publicly condemned the partnership, but what the Natio … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

SpaceX suffers serious setback with crew capsule accident

SpaceX has suffered a serious setback in its effort to launch NASA astronauts into orbit this year. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

From coal to gas: How the shift can help stabilize climate change

A transition from coal-based energy to cleaner-burning gas has long been viewed as a staple of many climate action plans, despite concerns over leakage and possible harmful emissions. A recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change finds that not only is such a shif … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Geomagnetic jerks finally reproduced and explained

The Earth's magnetic field experiences unpredictable, rapid, and intense anomalies that are known as geomagnetic jerks. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon had remained a mystery until the recent discovery of a CNRS researcher. Working with a colleague in Denmark, they created … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Human influence on climate change is traced back to the 19th century

Climate change poses a serious challenge to the human society and it is generally believed that humans are themselves to blame. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that, with high confidence, human activities are responsible for the continuing rise of glob … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New technique produces longer-lasting lithium batteries

The grand challenge to improve energy storage and increase battery life, while ensuring safe operation, is becoming evermore critical as we become increasingly reliant on this energy source for everything from portable devices to electric vehicles. A Columbia Engineering team led … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Reducing energy required to convert CO2 waste into valuable resources

Surplus industrial carbon dioxide creates an opportunity to convert waste into a valuable commodity. Excess CO2 can be a feedstock for chemicals typically derived from fossil fuels, but the process is energy-intensive and expensive. University of Illinois chemical engineers have … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers outline how humans reduce uncertainty in social situations

Do my friends find me funny? Am I making a good impression during this job interview? For most, such questions and concerns are a routine part of life. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Sand tiger sharks return to shipwrecks off N.C. coast

Photos taken months, and in some cases years, apart by scuba divers show female sand tiger sharks returning to the same shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast, a new study co-led by scientists at Duke University reveals. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Island lizards are expert sunbathers, and researchers find it's slowing their evolution

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Better labor practices could improve archaeological output

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Was the restaurant really that bad—or was it just the rain?

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Theory meets application: Machine learning techniques for geothermal exploration

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Mixing grass varieties may reduce insect infestations in lawns

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Those home-delivered meal kits are greener than you thought, new study concludes

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

How does wildlife fare after fires?

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Rewriting the textbook on fossil fuels: New technologies help unravel nature's methane recipes

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

The stone faces and human problems on Easter Island

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Five dead as buildings collapse in Philippine quake: Official

Five people were killed when at least two buildings collapsed near Manila after a powerful earthquake set skyscrapers swaying and drove terrified locals into the street. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Repelling charges prevent Cooper pairs from 'island hopping' in insulating state

Superconductors are able to conduct electricity with zero resistance thanks to Cooper pairs, electron duos that team up and skate through a material unimpeded. In 2007, Brown University researchers made the surprising discovery that Cooper pairs can also exist in insulating mater … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Catalyst renders nerve agents harmless

A team of scientists including researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has studied a catalyst that decomposes nerve agents, eliminating their harmful and lethal effects. The research was published Friday, April 19, in the Journal of Phy … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Will Netflix eventually monetize its user data?

Even in the wake of a recent mixed earning report and volatile stock prices, Netflix remains the media success story of the decade. The company, whose user base has grown rapidly, now boasts almost 150 million global subscribers. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Toshiba's breakthrough algorithm realizes world's fastest, largest-scale combinatorial optimization

Toshiba Corporation has realized a major breakthrough in combinatorial optimization—the selection of the best solutions from among an enormous number of combinatorial patterns—with the development of an algorithm that delivers the world's fastest and largest-scale performance, an … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Thousands protest China-backed mega-dam in Myanmar

Thousands of people in northern Myanmar took to the streets on Monday to protest against the proposed reinstatement of a Chinese-backed mega-dam they say will cause huge environmental damage and bring little benefit to the country. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

'You're unallocated!' and other BS companies use to obscure reality

Corporate America has invented many ways to avoid letting the public know it's laying people off – or telling employees themselves "You're fired." | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Light-based computer hardware that can compete with silicon

A team of researchers at NTT Corporation has developed a way to use light-based computer hardware that allows it to to compete with silicon. In their paper published in the journal Nature Photonics, the group describes their research, the devices they created and how well they wo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Slime mold absorbs substances to memorize them

In 2016, CNRS scientists demonstrated that the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, a single-cell organism without a nervous system, could learn to no longer fear a harmless but aversive substance and could transmit this knowledge to a fellow slime mold. In a new study, a team from … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers make synthetic polymers inside of living cells

A team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh has demonstrated that it is possible to create synthetic polymers inside of living cells. In their paper published in the journal Nature Chemistry, the group describes how they pulled off this feat and suggest their work opens … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Modified 'white graphene' for eco-friendly energy

Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), together with colleagues from the United States and Germany, have found a way to obtain inexpensive catalysts from hexagonal boron nitride or "white graphene." The technology can be used in the production of environmentally frie … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Artificial receptor distinguishes between male and female hormones

Chemists at Tokyo Tech's Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science have designed and developed a capsule-shaped synthetic receptor that can distinguish between male and female steroid hormones. Namely, the receptor displays unusually high binding affinity toward androgenic male h … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Five things to consider before you hire a tutor for your child

Private tutoring is a growing business, with people spending hundreds of billions of dollars. But is it worth it? And how does a person pick among all the options? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study shows the difference between classical flows and superfluid helium in 3-D counter-flow

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the University of Rome, CNRS and the University of Helsinki have recently carried out a study investigating the difference between 3-D anisotropic turbulence in classical fluids and that in superfluids, such as helium. Their findi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

From 2-D to 1-D: atomically quasi '1-D' wires using a carbon nanotube template

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used carbon nanotube templates to produce nanowires of transition metal monochalcogenide (TMM), which are only 3 atoms wide in diameter. These are 50 times longer than previous attempts and can be studied in isolation, preservin … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists identify a novel target for corn straw utilization

Plant cell walls, as repositories of fixed carbon, are an important source of biomass, which is mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. However, the complex lignin structure makes it a rather inefficient biomass source. Thorough understanding of lignin biosynthes … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Marine Skin dives deeper for better monitoring

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

What happens when a big business tries to take over and rename a neighborhood

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

How 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' inspired the cathedral's 19th-century revival

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

DNA managed like climbing rope to avoid knots

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Building a printing press for new quantum materials

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Minecraft can increase problem solving, collaboration and learning—yes, at school

A video game like Minecraft in schools might trouble some parents. As a Canada research chair in technologies and education, my hope is both parents and educators take the time to learn about how using Minecraft at school could be beneficial. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Extinction Rebellion: disruption and arrests can bring social change

Extinction Rebellion burst onto everybody's screens with disruptions and mass arrests across the UK and around the world, in protest against government inaction on climate change. Radical disruptions have been at the heart of Extinction Rebellion's activism since it was founded i … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Smart cities: The promises and failures of utopian technological planning

Technology and innovation transform the ways that we interact with governments, purchase products and manage our health and lives. This turmoil affects cities, where the accelerating digitalization of our economy has opened the door for more technologies. It has also created the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

USC prof devises 'smart' building materials that move themselves with no motor

As a licensed architect concerned about the environment, Doris Sung became fed up catering to clients wanting steel and glass buildings with no regard to how such designs draw boatloads of energy, exacerbating global climate change. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study: Paternity leave for disadvantaged father results in strong family relationships

Enabling disadvantaged fathers to take time off from work via paternity leave may help these men become more engaged parents and improve relationships with mothers, says a new study from Ball State University. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago