Study shows no long-term removal of Neandertal DNA from Europeans

A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has found evidence that suggests there has been no long-term removal of Neandertal DNA from modern Europeans. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group des … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Transparency and privacy: Empowering people through blockchain

Blockchain has already proven its huge influence on the financial world with its first application in the form of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. It might not be long before its impact is felt everywhere. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The global race for groundwater speeds up to feed agriculture's growing needs

Water is becoming a scarce resource in many parts of the world. Water tables have been falling in many regions for decades, particularly in areas with intensive agriculture. Wells are going dry and there are few long-term solutions available —a common stopgap has been to drill d … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists identify two new species of fungi in retreating Arctic glacier

Two new species of fungi have made an appearance in a rapidly melting glacier on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic, just west of Greenland. A collaborative team of researchers from Japan's National Institute of Polar Research, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies in … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New research shows significant decline of glaciers in Western North America

Alpine glaciers have existed in North America for thousands of years. They represent important, frozen reservoirs for rivers – providing cool, plentiful water during hot, dry summers or during times of prolonged drought. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scorecarding the dictators: How rating countries' behavior can change it

Using data to rate countries doesn't just help us understand their behavior, it actually changes it. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The Darling River is simply not supposed to dry out, even in drought

The deaths of a million of fish in the lower Darling River system over the past few weeks should come as no surprise. Quite apart from specific warnings given to the NSW government by their own specialists in 2013, scientists have been warning of devastation since the 1990s. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

We're in the era of overtourism but there is a more sustainable way forward

If you live in a tourist destination, you might dread the holiday invasion. Likewise, disgruntled tourists complain about crowded and polluted beaches, national parks or attractions. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Thirty five degree days make blackouts more likely, but new power stations won't help

Summer is here with a vengeance. On hot days it's very likely something in the power system will break and cause someone to lose power. And the weather bureau expects this summer to be hotter and drier than average – so your chances of losing power will be higher than normal. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New quantum structures in super-chilled helium may mirror early days of universe

For the first time, researchers have documented the long-predicted occurrence of 'walls bound by strings' in superfluid helium-3. The existence of such an object, originally foreseen by cosmology theorists, may help explaining how the universe cooled down after the Big Bang. With … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Dry-cured ham bones—a source of heart-healthy peptides?

Drinking bone broth is a recent diet fad that proponents claim fights inflammation, eases joint pain and promotes gut health. Simmering animal bones in water releases collagen and other proteins into the broth that may have health benefits, although more research is needed to val … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Facebook to tighten political ad rules for 2019 elections

Facebook said Tuesday it will tighten rules for political ads in countries with elections scheduled in the first half of the year, building on transparency efforts already underway in the United States, Britain and Brazil after a series of scandals. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Tanzania forest to be protected as a result of major scientific discoveries

The United Republic of Tanzania has announced it will protect a globally unique forest ecosystem in East Africa, following research that demonstrated it is under threat from illegal activities including tree-cutting for charcoal and the poaching of elephants and other animals. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How we're designing musical instruments with the help of disabled musicians and VR

Most new digital technologies tend to be designed with an able-bodied user in mind. The first desktop computers required fine motor skills to navigate software menus using a mouse, and mobile phones need users to press buttons, swipe screens, and so on. To use such technology a p … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New environmental sensing and monitoring system tested and evaluated

On the edge of Virginia Tech's campus, on a stretch of farmland that few students ever visit, small boxes are whirling through the season's change to winter, collecting and transmitting data that will make it easier for scientists to monitor and collect data across landscapes. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Affordable Clean Energy rule may lead to more air pollution and carbon emissions, study says

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters and co-authored by Charles T. Driscoll, University Professor of Environmental Systems and Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, predicts that the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

On the road to liveable cities

By the end of November, the city of Trento, one of the Lighthouse Cities of the EU-funded project STARDUST, had its first Stakeholder Workshop at the Palazzo Thun. Main actors of the city in the field of Logistics discussed with other local key figures on the different scenarios … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Bioconstruction: Beyond hempcrete

One of the common beliefs about bio-construction is that it is only for rich people. According to Mike Lawrence, Professor at the BRE CICM (Centre for Innovative Construction Materials), University of Bath, UK, this is a myth: "If you compare like with like, so if you compare a b … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Identifying 'friends' in an objective manner: A new method for extracting the backbone of networked social interactions

In recent years, behavioral patterns of social creatures, such as humans, cattle, ants, etc., have been discovered by using wearable sensors called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices (Figs. 1). | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Novel viral identification method developed

Currently, influenza typing in clinical practice is performed using an immunochromatography method based on antigen-antibody interaction. This method enables simple diagnosis of infectious diseases. However, it also has a problem in that a single molecular recognition element (MR … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A comprehensive metabolic map for production of bio-based chemicals

A KAIST research team completed a metabolic map that charts all available strategies and pathways of chemical reactions that lead to the production of various industrial bio-based chemicals. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Research advancing biological control of invasive plant species

Academics from Royal Holloway, University of London in collaboration with The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience (CABI) and the University of Reading are the first in Europe to study the ecological effects of a rust fungus on the invasive plant species, Himalayan Balsam, in th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The pace at which the world's permafrost soils are warming

Global warming is causing increasing damage in the world's permafrost regions. As the new global comparative study conducted by the international permafrost network GTN-P shows, in all regions with permafrost soils the temperature of the frozen ground at a depth of more than 10 m … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

11,500-year-old animal bones in Jordan suggest early dogs helped humans hunt

Around 11,500 years ago, in what is now northeast Jordan, people began to live with dogs and may also have used them for hunting, according to a new study by archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen and University College London. They suggest that the introduction of dogs … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How Candida albicans exploits lack of oxygen to cause disease

Scientists from Umeå university have shown that the yeast Candida albicans can modulate and adapt to low oxygen levels in different body niches to cause infection and to harm the host. Studying adaption to hypoxic or anoxic niches is particularly fruitful for characterizing the p … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Physicists discover new effect in the interaction of plasmas with solids

Plasmas—hot gases consisting of chaotically-moving electrons, ions, atoms and molecules—comprise the interiors of stars, but scientists can create them artificially using special equipment in the laboratory. If a plasma comes in contact with a solid, such as the wall of the lab e … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Power stations driven by light

Green plants, algae and some bacteria use sunlight to convert energy. The pigments in chlorophyll absorb electromagnetic radiation, which induces chemical reactions in electrons. These reactions take place in the nucleus of complex protein structures, referred to by experts as ph … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Machine learning could reduce testing, improve treatment for intensive care patients

Doctors in intensive care units face a continual dilemma: Every blood test they order could yield critical information, but also adds costs and risks for patients. To address this challenge, researchers from Princeton University are developing a computational approach to help cli … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A current affair: the movement of ocean waters around Australia

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Velcro for human cells

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Experiments detect entropy production in mesoscopic quantum systems

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Mechanism helps explain the ear's exquisite sensitivity

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Western-led team may unlock rocky secrets of Mars

Humankind may be able to reach further back into the history of its nearest planetary neighbour, unlocking the secrets to the evolution, climate, and habitability of Mars, thanks to the efforts of a Western-led team tapped to improve NASA's rover technology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Sewers could help clean the atmosphere

Sewage treatment—an unglamorous backbone of urban living—could offer a cost-effective way to combat climate change by flushing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Avoiding fossil fuel 'lock-in' could limit global temperature rise

Research suggests there would be a 64 percent chance of limiting the increase in global average temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, if fossil fuel infrastructure was phased out immediately. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cybersecurity system evolves as it watches and learns from would-be hackers

For hackers, the United States energy grid is a treasure trove of classified information with vast potential for profit and mayhem. To be effective, the power grid's protection system has to be a bit like a hacker: highly intelligent, agile and able to learn rapidly. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study finds students learning Cherokee writing developed previously unknown, 'idiosyncratic' style

Cherokee is spoken as a first language by fewer than 5,000 people, yet in recent years it has experienced a remarkable revival as a second language. But what happens when entire generations may have learned to speak the language but not read or write it? Research from the Univers … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The apps that can tell you if you're buying sustainably

What does sustainable shopping look like? From environmental impact to workers' rights, the term can cover so many aspects that buying sustainably can be a daunting task. But a new app that helps people select supermarket products by ethical preferences and an online database tha … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

'Zebra' tribal bodypaint cuts fly bites 10-fold: study

Traditional white-striped bodypainting practiced by indigenous communities mimics zebra stripes to reduce the number of potentially harmful horsefly bites a person receives by up to 10-fold, according to new research published Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Australian towns among hottest spots on Earth as heatwave sizzles

Australian towns were among the hottest places on Earth this week as a severe heatwave hit the continent's southeast, with forecasters warning of more record-breaking temperatures before the weekend. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Aussie businesses complain Google sending outback tourists off the map

Tourism operators in Australia's vast outback say wild inaccuracies in Google Maps are making remote hot spots appear out of reach, deterring people from visiting the region. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New retail tools aim to solve e-commerce profit dilemma

Conventional wisdom in the Amazon era holds that the lowest price wins the battle of the retailers, leading many to just about give away items to make a sale. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Intel vet takes wheel of self-driving car startup Zoox

Intel vet Aicha Evans will lead self-driving car startup Zoox from next month, becoming a rare high-profile black chief executive in a Silicon Valley. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Vietnam's newest airline Bamboo takes first flight

Vietnam's newest commercial carrier Bamboo Airways took flight Wednesday, officially entering Southeast Asia's crowded aviation sector where it will face stiff competition from established players. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

At Detroit auto show, the future of cars is... in the future

The Detroit auto show kicked off this week with glitzy, high-production value debuts of mostly sports cars, giant trucks and SUVs—new versions of age-old themes. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

YouTube clarifies rules on pranks as risky memes rage

YouTube on Tuesday clarified rules against posting videos of dangerous pranks, as risky "challenges" prompt people to video themselves doing things like biting into laundry soap or driving blindfolded. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

'Junk' science? For some crabs at least, size does matter

Size does matter, at least when it comes to some hermit crabs, who appear to have evolved longer penises so they can stay in their shells to protect their homes during sex. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

US gambling operators have 90 days to comply with new rules

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@phys.org | 5 years ago