A possible explanation for one of Saturn's moons having an underground ocean

A pair of researchers, one with the University of Maryland the other with Southwest Research Institute, has found what they believe is a plausible explanation for the existence of the ocean beneath the surface of one of Saturn's moons. In their paper published in the journal Natu … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Two-armed 3-D printing

Twin robotic arms work together as part of a project to construct what will be the largest, most complex object ever 3-D printed in titanium: a test version of the 3-m diameter 'optic bench' at the heart of ESA's Athena X-ray observatory. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How understanding animal behavior can support wildlife conservation

Researchers from EPFL and the University of Zurich have developed a model that uses data from sensors worn by meerkats to gain a more detailed picture of how animals behave in the wild. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers pinpoint origin of photons in mysterious gamma-ray bursts

Scientists from the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research and collaborators have used simulations to show that the photons emitted by long gamma-ray bursts, among the most energetic events to take place in the universe, originate in the photosphere—the visible portion of the "rel … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Why we shouldn't ban 'tiny vehicles'

E-scooter mania is sweeping cities around the world. Fun, accessible and cheap to rent, shared electric scooters are one of the biggest technology stories this year. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Injecting flies with snail venom could help us discover molecules for developing new drugs

Flies could provide a fast and cheap way to screen animal venom on a large scale for chemicals that can be used in drugs. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A microlaser emitting helical light

Researchers recently demonstrated the realization of an integrated microlaser based on a novel design that emits light in chiral modes, thus producing corkscrews of light. An object is said to be chiral if it can be distinguished from its mirror image. Due to their helical shape, … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The transpolar drift is faltering—sea ice is now melting before it can leave the nursery

The dramatic loss of ice in the Arctic is influencing sea-ice transport across the Arctic Ocean. As experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research report in a new study, today only 20 percent of the sea ice that forms in the shallow Russ … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Radical steps toward clean encapsulation

A polymer with changeable properties and broad applications has been developed at A*STAR. The polymer changes between core-shell nanoparticles, self-assembled agglomerations, and degraded fragments, depending on environmental conditions. It may find applications in personal care … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers advance in the development of 'papaya sugarcane'

When the papaya (Carica papaya) is ripening, its cell walls separate, making the tissue softer and more digestible. The cell contents become accessible and the sucrose in the fruit is more easily extracted. Sugarcane roots have recently been found to undergo a similar process. Th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

High throughput method to produce and screen engineered antimicrobial lanthipeptides

Nature provides lots of antimicrobials. However, given the rapid increase of antimicrobial resistance, there is a need for the development of synthetic antibiotics. Lantibiotics are an interesting option. Molecular biologists from the University of Groningen and their colleagues … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Sun, moon and sea as part of a 'seismic probe'

Looking inside the Earth requires a signal that can penetrate rocks, minerals and other opaque material. Seismic waves represent such a signal. By recording them with a seismometer, researchers can draw conclusions from the recorded data about the state of the subsurface through … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Exotic signaling mechanism in pathogens

The unicellular parasite that causes sleeping sickness differs from other eukaryotes in the mode of regulation of an essential cellular signaling pathway. This provides a promising point of attack for drug development. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

In shape memory alloys, the right combination of crystal grains can achieve high strength and still retain memory

A*STAR researchers have shown, through a supercomputer simulation, that high strength and shape memory can be realized at the same time by combining crystal grains of different sizes, a feat previously thought impossible. This finding demonstrates the potential of advanced simula … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists discover how RNA poII maintains accurate transcription with super computer

The message of life is encoded in our genomic DNA through transcription of messenger RNAs and translation of proteins to perform cellular functions. To ensure accurate transcription—a process that transcribes genomic DNA into messenger RNA by adding nucleotides one by one like le … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Keeping genetic engineering localized

Genetic engineering tools that spread genes within a target species have the potential to humanely control harmful pests as well as eradicate parasitic diseases such as malaria. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Zooming in on an inner-cell DNA repair shop

Inside every cell in your body are molecular machines that help package, read, and repair DNA. These protein assemblies are essential to survival, yet we know little about how they function because, until recently, it was impossible to accurately describe their structure. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Congestion-busting infrastructure plays catch-up on long-neglected needs

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

More than a carbon copy: OCO-3 on the space station

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Racial bias associated with disparities in disciplinary action across U.S. schools

Studies have shown that black students are subjected to higher disciplinary rates than whites, resulting in a number of negative life outcomes, including involvement in the criminal justice system. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Edmunds examines costly side effect of safety tech: repairs

Vehicle safety technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Today's cars can watch your blind spot, help keep you in your lane, automatically hit the brakes in an emergency, and more. But while the technology helps prevent accidents, there is a potential side effect: increased … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Transparent wood can store and release heat

Wood may seem more at home in log cabins than modern architecture, but a specially treated type of timber could be tomorrow's trendy building material. Today, scientists report a new kind of transparent wood that not only transmits light, but also absorbs and releases heat, poten … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Nanomaterials give plants 'super' abilities

Science-fiction writers have long envisioned human¬-machine hybrids that wield extraordinary powers. However, "super plants" with integrated nanomaterials may be much closer to reality than cyborgs. Today, scientists report the development of plants that can make nanomaterials ca … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Making lead pipes safe

Lead leaching from pipes into the water supply is a serious public health concern. And if water sources or treatment regimens are changed, the new chemistry can cause water distribution systems that were previously safe to begin releasing toxic lead, as the crisis in Flint, Michi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New article details evidence around 23 legal levers to promote health equity in housing

A new article published in the Northeastern University Law Review outlines 23 legal mechanisms that may impact health equity in housing in the United States, and reviews the evidence base evaluating each lever. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Children in South Asia hardest hit by air pollution, says study

Air pollution will shorten the life expectancy of children born today by an average of 20 months and will have the greatest impact in south Asia, according to a study published Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Canada failing in climate change fight: watchdog

Canada is doing too little to combat climate change, a parliamentary report warned Tuesday, a day after government scientists warned the country was warming at twice the global rate. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Team harnesses spin of electrons to power tech devices

Building on the Air Force's need to develop tech devices that require minimal charging in the field, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is using principles in quantum science and engineering to build a graphene-based logic device. This new technology will improve the e … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Does live tweeting while watching TV distract from the ads?

Researchers from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and at Goizueta Business School at Emory University published new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science which reveals that advertisers can see a boost in online shopping when television viewers multi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Manure application changes with winter crop can cut nitrogen loss, boost profits

Dairy farmers in the Northeast can improve water quality and boost the profitability of their operations by changing the timing and method of applying manure to their fields in the fall, along with planting rye as a cover crop between corn crops—or by double-cropping rye and corn … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements, hypothyroidism could lower risk of T-zone lymphoma in dogs

Dogs that receive omega-3 fatty acid supplements or have hypothyroidism may be less likely to develop T-zone lymphoma (TZL). Those are two findings from Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at Colorado State University, who studied associations of environment and health hi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

More than seed plants, moss has had dynamic evolution

In a Nature Communications paper published today, an international research team including UConn's Bernard Goffinet used DNA-sequencing technology to reconstruct the family tree of mosses, which go back at least 400 million years. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Brightly-colored fairy wrens not attacked by predators more than their dull counterparts

In "Conspicuous Plumage Does Not Increase Predation Risk: A Continent-Wide Test Using Model Songbirds," published in the American Naturalist, Kristal E. Cain examines the factors that drive the predation levels of Australia's fairy wrens. After measuring attack rates on both cons … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers detect minute levels of disease with a nanotechnology-enhanced biochip

The difficulty in spotting minute amounts of disease circulating in the bloodstream has proven a stumbling block in the detection and treatment of cancers that advance stealthily with few symptoms. With a novel electrochemical biosensing device that identifies the tiniest signals … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The complicated future of offshore wind power in the US

Over the past decade, wind power production in the U.S. has tripled, becoming the largest source of renewable energy in the country, the American Wind Energy Association has reported. There are more than 56,800 wind turbines in 41 states and territories, generating more than 6 pe … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New protein for gene editing may improve disease treatment, sustainable manufacturing

Gene editing has been a much sought after and controversial technology. Last month, part of the World Health Organization called for an international registry to track all research into editing the human genome. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Doing more with less in the study of plant chemical defense

Plants can't run away to avoid being eaten, so instead they employ a variety of chemical defenses to keep herbivores at bay. Understanding plant chemical defenses is critical for keeping crops healthy, and for answering a variety of more academic questions about ecology and evolu … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Programmable 'Legos' of DNA and protein building blocks create novel 3-D cages

The central goal of nanotechnology is the manipulation of materials on an atomic or molecular scale, especially to build microscopic devices or structures. Three-dimensional cages are one of the most important targets, both for their simplicity and their application as drug carri … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Fungal mating: Next weapon against corn aflatoxin?

It's not fun when a fungus contaminates crops. Safe native fungi, however, show promise in the fight against toxic fungal contamination. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Berlin-born polar bear cub named after football club Hertha

Berlin's latest zoo celebrity, a fluffy polar bear cub, has been named "Hertha" after the capital's football club, it was announced Tuesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Bleaching hits world's southernmost coral reef: scientists

The world's southernmost coral reef has been hit by bleaching this summer, Australian scientists said Wednesday, as they warned rising sea temperatures from climate change were affecting even the most isolated ecosystems. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Canada gives nod to farm for genetically-modified salmon

Canada's first commercial farm for genetically-modified salmon received environmental approval on Tuesday—the final hurdle in a decades-long push to bring the fast-growing fish to market, amid strong opposition. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Strong quake hits Alaska's remote Aleutians

A strong earthquake has struck a remote section of Alaska's western Aleutian Islands, but seismologists say it didn't generate a tsunami. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Google to require benefits, minimum wage for contractors

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Pentagon refuses Boeing tanker deliveries over quality issues

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Reality TV: Camera-toting sharks hunt seals in kelp forests

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Ethiopian 737 pilots followed Boeing guidelines before crash: WSJ

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Google, McClatchy collaborating on local news experiment

Google and the McClatchy publishing company say they will work together on an experiment launching three digital-only outlets to provide local news in U.S. communities that are currently news "deserts." | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago