Nonprofit groups join industry in self-driving campaign

Advocacy groups representing the elderly and the blind joined automotive and tech firms Monday to launch an educational campaign to explain the benefits of self-driving cars. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Amazon emerges as most valuable US firm amid market turmoil

Amazon has eclipsed Microsoft as the most valuable publicly traded company in the U.S. as a see-sawing stock market continues to reshuffle corporate America's pecking order. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Fossil of prehistoric deer found in Argentina

The well-preserved fossil of a prehistoric deer has been discovered just to the north of Buenos Aires, the La Matanza University revealed on Monday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cuban crickets, not weapon, heard by ill US diplomats: study

A noise heard by US diplomats in Cuba who suffered mysterious brain injuries came not from technological weapons but local crickets, a new study suggests. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

CES 2019: Buzz remains as autonomous cars take back seat

The CES 2019 gadget show is revving up in Las Vegas. Here are the latest findings and observations from Associated Press reporters on the ground as technology's biggest trade event gets underway. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

LG flexes roll-up TV as screens start to bend

LG on Monday unveiled a roll-up television screen as a trend of bendable displays began taking shape at a consumer electronics extravaganza in Las Vegas. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Socio-economic study looks at boosting Panama Canal reliability

A recently completed research project led by University of Wyoming researchers allowed novel socio-economic analysis aimed at finding out if ecological infrastructure investments are feasible in various scenarios to improve reliability of the Panama Canal. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A little squid sheds light on evolution with bacteria

Bacteria, which are vital for the health of all animals, also played a major role in the evolution of animals and their tissues. In an effort to understand just how animals co-evolved with bacteria over time, researchers have turned to the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolope … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists reveal for first time the exact process by which chaotic systems synchronize

Synchronization, in which two different systems oscillate in an identical way, underlies numerous collective phenomena observed in nature, providing an example for emergent behaviors ranging from the acoustic unison of cricket choruses to the behavior of the human brain. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Evolution used same genetic formula to turn animals monogamous

Why are some animals committed to their mates and others are not? According to a new study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin that looked at 10 species of vertebrates, evolution used a kind of universal formula for turning non-monogamous species into monogamo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Satellite images reveal global poverty

How far have nations come in achieving the U.N.'s sustainable development goals? It can be difficult to make a global assessment of poverty and poor economic conditions, but with an eye in the sky, researchers are able to provide a good hint of the living conditions of population … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

A century and half of reconstructed ocean warming offers clues for the future

Over the past century, increased greenhouse gas emissions have given rise to an excess of energy in the Earth system. More than 90% of this excess energy has been absorbed by the ocean, leading to increased ocean temperatures and associated sea level rise, while moderating surfac … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Insect biological control shields tropical forests

Though often perceived as an environmentally-risky practice, biological control of invasive species can restore crop yields, ease land pressure and contribute to forest conservation. This paper illustrates the positive impacts of biological control using the cassava mealybug Phen … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Can artificial intelligence tell a polar bear from a can opener?

How smart is the form of artificial intelligence known as deep learning computer networks, and how closely do these machines mimic the human brain? They have improved greatly in recent years, but still have a long way to go, a team of UCLA cognitive psychologists reports in the j … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Hubble takes gigantic image of the Triangulum Galaxy

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the most detailed image yet of a close neighbour of the Milky Way—the Triangulum Galaxy, a spiral galaxy located at a distance of only three million light-years. This panoramic survey of the third-largest galaxy in our Local Group … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Yeast makes ethanol to prevent metabolic overload

Why do some yeast cells produce ethanol? Scientists have wondered about this apparent waste of resources for decades. Now, University of Groningen scientists think they have a solution: yeast cells produce ethanol as a 'safety valve' to prevent overload when their metabolic opera … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists identify new fuel-delivery route for cells

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a previously unknown route for cellular fuel delivery, a finding that could shed light on the process of aging and the chronic diseases that often accompany it. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Female penguins are getting stranded along the South American coast

Every year, thousands of Magellanic penguins are stranded along the South American coast—from northern Argentina to southern Brazil—1,000 kilometers away from their breeding ground in northern Patagonia. Now researchers reporting in Current Biology on January 7 have new evidence … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers discover new bat-borne virus related to Ebola

Researchers from Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School, in collaboration with scientists in China, have identified and characterised a new genus of filovirus from a Rousettus bat in China. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Microbiology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Science races against tick-borne virus

Two groundbreaking discoveries by USC researchers could lead to medications and a vaccine to treat or prevent a hemorrhagic fever transmitted by a new tick species before it spreads across the United States. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Quantum scientists demonstrate world-first 3-D atomic-scale quantum chip architecture

UNSW researchers at the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) have shown for the first time that they can build atomic precision qubits in a 3-D device—another major step towards a universal quantum computer. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Should researchers engineer a spicy tomato?

The chili pepper, from an evolutionary perspective, is the tomato's long-lost spitfire cousin. They split off from a common ancestor 19 million years ago but still share some of the same DNA. While the tomato plant went on to have a fleshy, nutrient-rich fruit yielding bountiful … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Climate model uncertainties ripe to be squeezed

The latest climate models and observations offer unprecedented opportunities to reduce the remaining uncertainties in future climate change, according to a paper published in Nature Climate Change by a team of 29 international authors. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers make important discovery for 'smart' films and encapsulation

A study from the University of Notre Dame has found that the properties of a material commonly used to create conductive or protective films and encapsulate drug compounds—and the conditions in which this material will disassemble to release that medication—may be different than … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New research to explore how skill influences result of animal fights

The role of skill in determining the outcome of animal contests is to be explored in new research by the University of Plymouth. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

CES 2019: It's all about the games (and AI)

The CES 2019 gadget show is revving up in Las Vegas. Here are the latest findings and observations from Associated Press reporters on the ground as technology's biggest trade event gets underway. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study explains why thousands of Detroit residents rejected city's tree planting efforts

Trees are a hallmark of vibrant neighborhoods. So why did nearly one-quarter of eligible residents in Detroit, Michigan, turn down free street trees? That's the mystery University of Vermont researcher Christine Carmichael solves in one of the first studies to explore opposition … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Disruptive technology to predict faults on train tracks and in stations

Train delays could be a thing of the past, thanks to a system that predicts when part of a train track, signaling equipment or other devices at a station are likely to fail. It does this by using thousands of sensors and 3-D modeling that taps into big data. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Stock options worth more for women, senior managers, study finds

A novel new way of determining the value of employee stock options has yielded some surprising insights: Options granted to woman and senior managers are worth more because they hold them longer. And options that vest annually rather than monthly are worth more for the same reaso … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

CubeSats joining Hera mission to asteroid system

When ESA's planned Hera mission journeys to its target binary asteroid system, it will not be alone. The spacecraft will carry two tiny CubeSats for deployment around – and eventual landing on – the Didymos asteroids. Each companion spacecraft will be small enough to fit inside a … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Image: Multi-wavelength view of a supernova remnant

New Year's Eve may be past, but we are not done with fireworks just yet. This image, which includes data from ESA's Herschel Space Observatory, shows the remnants of an explosion – not of the colourful type ignited during celebrations, but of the stellar kind. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Would you vote for a Democrat who behaves like a Republican?

Imagine you are a fairly mainstream Republican voter and are considering Republican candidate Luis Vasquez. He says he wants to raise taxes on the wealthy and believes government should do more to prevent discrimination against racial minorities. Would you still vote for him? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

3-D scans of bat skulls help natural history museums open up dark corners of their collections

Picture a natural history museum. What comes to mind? Childhood memories of dinosaur skeletons and dioramas? Or maybe you still visit to see planetarium shows or an IMAX feature? You may be surprised to hear that behind these public-facing exhibits lies a priceless treasure trove … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Powerful X-ray beams unlock secrets of nanoscale crystal formation

High-energy X-ray beams and a clever experimental setup allowed researchers to watch a high-pressure, high-temperature chemical reaction to determine for the first time what controls formation of two different nanoscale crystalline structures in the metal cobalt. The technique al … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Drones caused havoc at Gatwick, so why are governments still spending billions on tanks and aircraft carriers?

The disruption caused by reports of drones flying over Gatwick airport in December 2018 was a magnificent illustration of the uselessness of the UK's big-ticket defence spending. The United Kingdom is not short of high-end military kit. Apart from its nuclear deterrent (which may … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Rovibrational quantum state resolution of the C60 fullerene

A central objective of chemical and molecular physics is to understand molecules as quantum mechanical systems. The complex internal dynamics of such systems evolve across wide energy and time scales, exhibited by a variety of electronic, vibrational, rotational and spin degrees … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Neutrinos become less and less mysterious

The authors of a study published in Physical Review D have shown that coherent neutrino scattering with nuclei provides a novel way to measure the neutrino charge radii. This interaction was theoretically predicted more than 40 years ago, but the difficulty of measuring the very … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Why South Africa will find it hard to break free from its vicious teaching cycle

Half of all South African pupils who attended school for five years can't do basic calculations. This is according to a 2015 TIMMS report on mathematics achievements among Grade 5 learners in South Africa. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Breakthrough study uncovers origin of plant sperm

A large international team of researchers has uncovered the origin of an ancient genetic mechanism needed for plant fertility. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

3-D-printed guns may be more dangerous to their users than targets

Despite fears that guns made with 3-D printers will let criminals and terrorists easily make untraceable, undetectable plastic weapons at home, my own experience with 3-D manufacturing quality control suggests that, at least for now, 3-D-printed firearms may pose as much, or mayb … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers develop novel maps to help protect crucial Arctic ecosystems

A team of researchers lead by the University of Manitoba has finally mapped some of the best places to eat in the North American Arctic. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Why we want to build a machine that can predict a person's attractiveness

It is an age-old question – what makes someone attractive? We often say things like "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" but while this romantic notion may bring comfort to those dealt a poor hand in life, it also gives the impression that the foundations of attractiveness are … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How do carrier proteins transport ADP and ATP in and out of mitochondria?

Scientists at the MRC-MBU in Cambridge, U.K., have discovered how a key transport protein, called the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier, transports adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the chemical fuel of the cell. This process is vital to keep us alive, every second of our lives, for all … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Jair Bolsonaro can be stopped from trashing the Amazon – here's how

The inauguration of Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has triggered fears that rates of deforestation in the Amazon will increase. There are indeed good reasons for concern about Bolsonaro's administration. But several factors, both domestic and transnational, could constra … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Three new open clusters discovered in the Milky Way

Using data from ESA's Gaia satellite, Brazilian astronomers have detected three new open clusters in the Milky Way. The clusters, designated UFMG 1, UFMG 2 and UFMG 3, were found in the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy. The discovery is reported in a paper published December 27 on t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

What is really eating Apple – and why Steve Jobs would not be doing a lot better

Apple has started the new year by disappointing investors with its first profit warning in 17 years. The company said that poor sales of its latest range of iPhones has helped to weaken its first financial quarter (September to December 2018). Apple now expects revenues of US$84 … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Sowing seeds for snapper habitat

In an Australian first, recreational fishers will have a crack at restoring the lost seagrass meadows of Cockburn Sound. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Using big databases to find superconductors of the future

Japanese researchers have found an approach to more quickly and successfully identify superconducting materials. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago