An emergency brake for the climate: EU advisory board recommends 90%–95% reduction in emissions by 2040

To limit global warming to 1.5°, the EU's Science Advisory Board on Climate Change recommends that Europe reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90%–95% by 2040 compared to 1990. Fossil fuels should be phased out as quickly as possible. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

When newspapers close, nonprofit executive salaries go up. Way up

Local newspapers are key to keeping residents informed about civic affairs, and the threat of negative media coverage keeps nonprofit leadership salaries in check, according to new University at Buffalo School of Management research. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

The regulation of air pollution that crosses state borders

As many of us were reminded last summer when forest fires in Canada turned New York City's air to the color orange, air pollution is transported by the wind. Fortunately, here in the United States, the Commerce Clause of the Constitution gives the federal government the authority … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Strong solar flare erupts from sun

The sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 4:55 p.m. EST, on Dec. 31, 2023. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Male southern elephant seals are picky eaters, study suggests

As one of the top predators roaming Antarctica, the sizeable southern elephant seal has its fair selection of the menu. But it turns out they don't just want to eat anything and everything. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Scientists reveal the inner workings of an essential protein trafficking complex

Like mail carriers who manage to deliver their parcels through snow, rain, heat and gloom, a critical group of mammalian proteins helps cells function properly even under less-than-ideal conditions. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Japan's latest earthquake could've been much worse, but the country spends money to 'keep people safe'

On the first day of 2024, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Japan, killing at least 57 people and destroying thousands of homes. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Scotland's climate changing faster than predicted

Scotland's climate is changing faster than scientists predicted, with increasing likelihood of more frequent and more extreme weather events, according to new analysis by The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

When you sit down to build a sandcastle, take a look around you: The beach is already sculpting

Arenicola, or lugworms, make some of the most beautiful structures on the beach. Little piles of wet sand are cast in a swirl from their rear end as part of their feeding cycle. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

One's trash is another's treasure: How landfills support Andean condors

The largest landfill in Chile, Loma Los Colorados, hosts the largest known aggregation of Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) at a single site. That's according to a new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research, which highlights several insights from their 17-year-long study … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Women from low socio-economic backgrounds see themselves as less talented, finds study

Women from low socio-economic backgrounds consider themselves to be less talented than all other groups—even if they show the same performance levels. This misconception contributes to the pronounced disadvantage in domains such as STEM subjects, where talent is seen as an import … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

First dive survey of Lake Tahoe's lakebed finds high amounts of plastic and other litter

Plastic litter is a growing problem around the world, and new research shows that the bottom of Lake Tahoe is no exception. In one of the first studies to utilize scuba divers to collect litter from a lakebed, 673 plastic items were counted from just a small fraction of the lake. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange external tank begins final journey

At long last, the final journey of the last space shuttle ever built, Endeavour, and its giant orange external tank are expected to begin this month—the capstone to a historic journey to an ambitious museum exhibit in Los Angeles. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Sweden sees coldest weather in 25 years

Sweden on Wednesday recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north as a cold snap hit the Nordics. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Chicken whisperers: Humans crack the clucking code

A University of Queensland-led study has found humans can tell if chickens are excited or displeased, just by the sound of their clucks. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Sierra Nevada snowpack at lowest level in 10 years: What it means for California's water supply

California's statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack—the source of nearly one-third of the state's water supply—is at its lowest level in a decade, a major turnaround from last year when huge storms ended a three-year drought and buried ski resorts in massive amounts of snow. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Evolution is not as random as previously thought, finds new study

A new study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease, and climate change. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Re-calibrating the sail plan for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders in ocean sciences

In Hawaiʻi and across much of Oceania, Pacific Islanders celebrate the connections between their islands and the ocean that surrounds them. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Monetized evaluation of landscape resources of national parks based on the willingness to pay for market project

In China, national parks represent the country's most unique natural landscapes. Scientific evaluation of landscape resources is significant for preserving the authenticity and integrity of national parks. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Privatized moon landings: Two US missions set to open a new era of commercial lunar exploration

Two commercial spacecraft are scheduled to launch to the moon early in 2024 under a NASA initiative called the Commercial Lunar Payload Service CLPS. This program is intended to kickstart a commercial transportation service that can deliver NASA experiments and other payloads to … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Following mega swell and storms, clean up in Southern California underway

The big swells and high tides that battered the region for days have eased—but the aftermath and clean up since have kept crews busy along the coast. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Dating someone with a different mother tongue? Learning each other's language will enrich your relationship

Are you in a relationship with someone who grew up speaking a different language to you? Perhaps you're dating, and wondering about your long-term future. You're far from alone. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

The meat and dairy industry is not 'climate neutral,' despite some eye-catching claims

Imagine a house is on fire, and someone is actively pouring gas on the fire. They then pour a little less gas and want credit for doing so, despite still feeding the fire. Perhaps they claim they are now "fire neutral." | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

How effective is fear as a teaching tool? How and what do we learn when we are scared?

Many of us remember vividly being yelled at or feeling threatened by a family member, a teacher, or a boss. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Are catnip and treats like it safe for cats? Here's how they affect their minds and moods

Cats kept indoors can live a good life when they get access to a variety of positive experiences. Examples include performing natural behaviors, feeling safe at home and using their full sensory capabilities, including their sense of smell. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Language-related misunderstanding at work: What it is, why it occurs and what organizations can do about it

Language is the foundation of human interaction. It plays a central role in facilitating effective communication by allowing people to express their thoughts, share essential information and establish connections with one another. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

How big data transforms the insurance sector

In 2022, the insurance industry made a whopping USD 6 trillion globally—more than the entire economy of big countries like Japan and Germany. A recent study, published in The Journal of Finance and Data Science, looked at how technology, especially big data, is shaking things up … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Research shows advisability of replanting conifer forests sooner rather than later after wildfires

Warmer and drier climate conditions in western U.S. forests are making it less likely that trees can regenerate after wildfires. Scientists at The University of New Mexico are experimenting and learning about reforestation and the challenges presented by environmental factors in … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Magnetic fields in the cosmos: Dark matter could help us discover their origin

The mini-halos of dark matter scattered throughout the cosmos could function as highly sensitive probes of primordial magnetic fields. This is what emerges from a theoretical study conducted by SISSA and published in Physical Review Letters. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

On-demand conformation of an artificial cytoskeleton

Peptide nanotubes are tubular-shaped structures formed by the controlled stacking of cyclic peptide components. These hollow biomaterials show inner and outer faces, allowing control over their properties. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

How cells accurately assemble complex machinery

Proteins are the workhorses of the cell, carrying out functions to keep everything running smoothly. Some proteins work on their own, but in other cases many proteins assemble together to create a complex machine. These proteins are able to do more working cooperatively than they … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Cracking the secrets of virus 'uncoating' may help fight infections

Influenza and other viruses pack their genetic material into a protein shell, which must be disassembled for the viruses to efficiently replicate. But how viruses "uncoat" their genes remains largely unknown. Now, Friedrich Miescher Institute researchers have identified crucial f … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Microbial awakening restructures high-latitude food webs as permafrost thaws

Alaska is on the front lines of climate change, experiencing some of the fastest rates of warming of any place in the world. And when temperatures rise in the state's interior—a vast high-latitude region spanning 113 million acres—permafrost there not only thaws, releasing signif … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Non-toxic quantum dots pave the way towards CMOS shortwave infrared image sensors for consumer electronics

Invisible to our eyes, shortwave infrared (SWIR) light can enable unprecedented reliability, function and performance in high-volume, computer vision first applications in service robotics, automotive and consumer electronics markets. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Early primates likely lived in pairs, research suggests

Primate social organization is more flexible than previously assumed. According to a new study led by University of Zurich, the first primates probably lived in pairs, while only around 15% of individuals were solitary. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

A novel avenue for engineering 2D MXene family via precious metals atomic layer deposition techniques

A team of researchers, led by Professor Soo-Hyun Kim in the Graduate School of Semiconductors Materials and Devices Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST has made significant progress in precisely controlling precious metals (Ru, Ir, Pt, Pd) … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Research finds climate-dependent dispersal limitation plays an important role in mountain soil microbiome

Microbial communities are highly diverse, yet the mechanisms underlying microbial community assembly are not well understood. In 1967, Daniel Janzen hypothesized that low climatic variability along elevational gradients results in greater constraints on animal migration and plant … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Iron snow ebb and flow may cause magnetic fields to come and go

Just as snow crystals form in the upper atmosphere, then fall to lower, warmer elevations and melt, scientists believe a phenomenon called iron snow happens in the molten iron cores of some planetary bodies. Cooling near the core-mantle boundary creates crystals of iron, which me … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Storm Henk causes flooding and travel disruption in UK

Hundreds of flood warnings were in place in the UK on Wednesday, after strong winds and rain lashed large parts of the country, hitting travel and cutting power. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Researchers release initial dataset for protist genomes project

Protists, single-celled eukaryotic organisms encompassing unicellular algae and protozoans, inhabit aquatic environments. Functioning as primary producers and oxygen generators, they play crucial roles in the carbon cycle and serve as vital sources of human nutrition, bioenergy, … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Single-emitter super-resolved imaging of radiative decay rate enhancement in dielectric gap nanoantennas

In an era where understanding and manipulating light at the nanoscale is increasingly crucial, a paper in Light: Science & Applications reveals a significant leap forward. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

The use of deep learning for phase recovery

Light, as an electromagnetic field, has two essential components: amplitude and phase. However, optical detectors, usually relying on photon-to-electron conversion (such as charge-coupled device sensors and the human eye), cannot capture the phase of the light field because of th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Greener and feasible production: Enzymatic methods for mono- and diacylglycerol synthesis in the food industry

MAGs, predominantly in 1(3)-MAG form, and DAGs, with 1,3-DAGs as the more stable isomer, are crucial in food, cosmetic, and other industries. While MAGs are vital emulsifiers, comprising 75% of global production, DAGs are known as functional cooking oils that can reduce body fat … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Developments in dual-atom catalysts make renewable energy sources more efficient

The rapidly developing field of green energy constantly seeks improvements, and recent advances in dual-atom catalysts hold the potential to revolutionize energy conversion technologies. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Study demonstrates potency of synthetic antibiotic against serious chronic infections

A new synthetic antibiotic developed by University of Liverpool researchers is shown to be more effective than established drugs against "superbugs" such as MRSA, a new study shows. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Globular cluster VVV CL002 is falling down to the galactic center, study finds

Using the Magellan Clay telescope in Chile, astronomers have performed high-resolution spectroscopic observations of a galactic globular cluster known as VVV CL002. They found that the cluster is falling down to the Milky Way's center. The discovery was reported in a research pap … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

What makes urine yellow? Scientists discover the enzyme responsible

Researchers at the University of Maryland and National Institutes of Health have identified the microbial enzyme responsible for giving urine its yellow hue, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago

Pathogenic bacteria use molecular 'shuttle services' to fill their injection apparatus with the right product

Disease-causing bacteria of the genus Salmonella or Yersinia can use tiny injection apparatuses to inject harmful proteins into host cells, much to the discomfort of the infected person. However, it is not only with a view to controlling disease that researchers are investigating … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 10 months ago