The next great leap forward? Combining robots with the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is a popular vision of objects with internet connections sending information back and forth to make our lives easier and more comfortable. It's emerging in our homes, through everything from voice-controlled speakers to smart temperature sensors. To improve … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How to best predict chemical reactions of contaminants in water

Turning on the faucet and not getting clean water, or any water at all, is a global issue. Cleaning wastewater could help make more water available. In delving into the nuances of wastewater purification, scientists often use computational chemistry approaches. Which is best? Res … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Networking goes quantum

A scientist involved in expanding quantum communication to a network of users, is continuing his work at the University of Bristol. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Two-micron fill tubes fill two needs

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) and General Atomics engineers have created an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) fuel capsule with a two-micron-diameter fill tube—and along the way, found a solution to a "Bay Bridge"-like dilemma that coul … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The long dry: global water supplies are shrinking

A global study has found a paradox: our water supplies are shrinking at the same time as climate change is generating more intense rain. And the culprit is the drying of soils, say researchers, pointing to a world where drought-like conditions will become the new normal, especial … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

It's in the genes – there may be hope for pikas hit by climate change, researchers find

As the climate changes, animals that can only survive in certain temperature ranges are being forced to relocate or perish. Pikas – small, arguably adorable mountain mammals that look like a cross between a rabbit and a gerbil – are the poster child of climate indicator species d … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Beyond social networks: How cultural beliefs really spread

When Amir Goldberg had his first child a decade ago, he was bewildered to learn that some of his colleagues at Princeton University, where he was a doctoral student, weren't planning to vaccinate their offspring. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Image: Space chips etched in silicon

Multiple integrated circuits destined to serve as the brains of Europe's future space missions are etched together onto single pieces of silicon. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study reveals striking decline of Vermont's bumble bees

A new study examining 100 years of bumble bee records reveals that almost half of Vermont's species, which are vital pollinators, have either vanished or are in serious decline. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Pushing lithium ion batteries to the next performance level

Conventional lithium ion batteries, such as those widely used in smartphones and notebooks, have reached performance limits. Materials chemist Freddy Kleitz from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Vienna and international scientists have developed a new nanostructured … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Biologists shed new light on the diversity of natural selection

For nearly 100 years, biologists have argued about how exactly natural selection can possibly work. If nature selects the individuals with the best genes, then why aren't all organisms the same? What maintains the genetic variation that natural selection acts upon, the genetic va … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists develop a cellulose biosensor material for advanced tissue engineering

I.M. Sechenov of First Moscow State Medical University teamed up with Irish colleagues to develop a new imaging approach for tissue engineering. The team produced hybrid biosensor scaffold materials based on cellulose matrices labeled with pH- and calcium-sensitive fluorescent pr … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists study genes misidentified as 'non-protein coding'

The human genome contains regions that "code" for proteins, which means they have instructions to make protein molecules with specific functions in the body. But Yale researchers have discovered several protein-coding genes that were misidentified as non-protein-coding, and one i … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The world's first culturally sensitive robots for elderly care

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

New climate model to be built from the ground up

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Microscopic devices that control vibrations could allow smaller mobile devices

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists automate electrolyte composition analysis for aluminium production

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Mini-detectors for the gigantic? Bose-Einstein condensates are currently not able to detect gravitational waves

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Development of world's first vertical gallium oxide transistor through ion implantation doping

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Pollen dispersal in traditional processing of buckwheat

Interpreting the source and significance of crop pollen in archaeological sites has always been a key issue in environmental and agricultural archaeology. The research team of Dr. Shang Xue from the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology of the University of Chinese Academy o … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Light-induced modification of a carboxylic acid with an aminocyclopropenone

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Journal of Organic Chemistry that carboxylic acids, functional groups contained in biomolecules, drugs and materials, can be readily modified by light-induced organic reactions using an aminocyclopropenone. This discovery opens up … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

High-efficiency discovery drives low-power computing

Challenge any modern human to go a day without a phone or computer, and you'd be hard pressed to get any takers. Our collective obsession with all things electronic is driving a dramatic daily drain on the world's power. In fact, according to studies from the Semiconductor Resear … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Photos from Japan space rovers show rocky asteroid surface

Japan's space agency says more than 200 photos taken by two small rovers on an asteroid show no signs of a smooth area for the planned touchdown of a spacecraft early next year. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

EU court rejects 'excessively high' diesel emissions limits

An EU court on Thursday rejected the "excessively high" diesel emissions limits Brussels set just after the scandal in which German carmaker Volkswagen cheated on emissions tests. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Apple announces plan to build $1 billion campus in Texas

Apple will build a $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas, and establish smaller new locations in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City, California, the company said Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Local conditions shape plant communities

The local environment plays a key role in determining what kinds of plants grow there, according to a new study that could change how threatened species are managed. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Japan plans tighter regulation of tech giants

Japan is planning to tighten regulation of tech giants like Google and Facebook after an expert panel called for better oversight on competition and privacy, an official said Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

At least $9bn in insurance claims from California fires

Insurance claims from the recent devastating California wildfires that killed at least 89 people and destroyed 19,000 homes and businesses have reached at least $9 billion, the state's insurance commissioner said Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Siemens wins Canada train contract over Bombardier

German manufacturer Siemens saw off Canadian rival Bombardier to clinch a Can$989 million contract to produce 32 trains, Canada's state-subsidized passenger rail company announced Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

States cite climate worries in push to stop US coal sales

Four states that say burning coal will hurt their residents as it makes climate change worse are trying to stop the Trump administration from selling vast reserves of the fuel that are beneath public lands. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists identify 66 alien species that pose greatest threat to European biodiversity

Scientists have identified 66 alien plant and animal species, not yet established in the European Union, that pose the greatest potential threat to biodiversity and ecosystems in the region. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Researchers design technology that sees nerve cells fire

Researchers at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, have created a noninvasive technology that detects when nerve cells fire based on changes in shape. The method could be used to observe nerve activity in light-accessible parts of the body, such as the eye, which would al … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Barely scratching the surface: A new way to make robust membranes

Argonne researchers have demonstrated a new technique's viability for membranes. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New device could help answer fundamental questions about quantum physics

Researchers have developed a new device that can measure and control a nanoparticle trapped in a laser beam with unprecedented sensitivity. The new technology could help scientists study a macroscopic particle's motion with subatomic resolution, a scale governed by the rules of q … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

3-D-printed reconstructions provide clues to ancient site

Part of the ancient archaeological site of Tiwanaku, Bolivia, believed by Incans to be where the world was created has been reconstructed using 3-D printed models of fragments of an ancient building. The results are presented in a study published in the open access journal Herita … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Tencent Music shares rise on first trading day

Shares in Chinese streaming music giant Tencent Music Entertainment are up 7 percent to $13.90 in afternoon trading Thursday, their first day of trade | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Virgin Galactic aims to reach space soon with tourism rocket

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is gearing up to finally send its tourism rocket ship to the edge of space. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Gaming firm settles VR lawsuit with Facebook-owned Oculus

ZeniMax Media on Wednesday said it struck a deal with Facebook-owned Oculus to settle a lawsuit over the video game giant's virtual reality technology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Fishery length, angler effort: How they relate

A new study suggests reducing the number of fishing days in a season doesn't reduce catch as much as some would predict. The publication, Compression and relaxation of fishing effort in response to changes in length of fishing season for red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

How deep learning is bringing automatic cloud detection to new heights

Kids lying on their backs in a grassy field might scan the clouds for images—perhaps a fluffy bunny here and a fiery dragon over there. Often, atmospheric scientists do the opposite—they search data images for the clouds as part of their research to understand Earth systems. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cardinals living in adjacent deserts are sharply distinct in genetics and song

New research suggests that populations of the Northern Cardinal —one of the most ubiquitous backyard birds in the United States— are undergoing speciation in two adjacent deserts. This study, which analyzed genetics and vocal behavior, gives clues about the early steps in bird sp … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Big picture look at climate change impact on US agriculture: Midwest at risk

A new Cornell University-led study shows that Midwest agriculture is increasingly vulnerable to climate change because of the region's reliance on growing rain-fed crops. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Crashes increase when speed limits dip far below engineering recommendation

Speed limits set only five miles per hour below engineering recommendations produce a statistically significant decrease in total, fatal and injury crashes, and property-damage-only crashes, according to a group of Penn State researchers. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Helping the anti-parasitic medicine go down

Scientists have developed a new way to deliver anti-parasitic medicines more efficiently. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The epoch of planet formation, times twenty

Astronomers have cataloged nearly 4,000 exoplanets in orbit around distant stars. Though the discovery of these newfound worlds has taught us much, there is still a great deal we do not know about the birth of planets and the precise cosmic recipes that spawn the wide array of pl … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

First-ever look at complete skeleton of Thylacoleo, Australia's extinct 'marsupial lion'

Thyalacoleo carnifex, the "marsupial lion" of Pleistocene Australia, was an adept hunter that got around with the help of a strong tail, according to a study released December 12, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Roderick T. Wells of Flinders University and Aaron B. Ca … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Tiny tech tracks hummingbirds at urban feeders

Beep" is not a sound you expect to hear coming from a hummingbird feeder. Yet "beeps" abounded during a study led by the University of California, Davis to monitor hummingbirds around urban feeders and help answer questions about their behavior and health. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Indian ocean may be more disruptive to tropical climate than previously believed

The Indian Ocean played a far greater role in driving climate change during the last ice age than previously believed and may disrupt climate again in the future. That's according to a new study from The University of Texas at Austin, the findings of which could rewrite establish … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago