First Chinese record of web-loving bug family Plokiophilidae reported from Xishuangbanna

A new species of the web-loving bug family Plokiophilidae has been reported from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The family Plokiophilidae is a new record for the fauna of China and the first record of the genus Plokiophilo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Novel electrocatalysis system realizes ambient ammonia electrosynthesis

It's commonly known that the electrocatalytic nitrogen (N2) reduction reaction (NRR) can convert N2 and H2O into ammonia (NH3), one of the most essential chemicals in ecological system. With renewable electricity under mild conditions, it's envisaged as a promising strategy to re … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

New Vacuum Solar Telescope reveals acceleration of magnetic reconnection

Magnetic reconnection shows the reconfiguration of magnetic field geometry. It plays an elemental role in the rapid release of magnetic energy and its conversion to other forms of energy in magnetized plasma systems throughout the universe. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Perseverance rover's SuperCam science instrument delivers first results

The first readings from the SuperCam instrument aboard NASA's Perseverance rover have arrived on Earth. SuperCam was developed jointly by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico and a consortium of French research laboratories under the auspices of the Centre Nati … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Massive stars in the early universe may have been progenitors of super-massive black holes

Recent observations have shown that there is a supermassive black hole at the center of each galaxy. However, what is the origin of these supermassive black holes? It is still a mystery today. An international research team led by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan an … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Researchers home in on the age of the Yangtze River

A new study examining sediments from the Yangtze River sheds new light on the formation of one of the world's great waterways. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Plant immunity requires two-step detection of invaders

Plants perceive pathogens and activate immunity using two very different types of receptors. Receptors at the cell surface detect pathogen-derived molecules that accumulate outside plant cells, activating pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). PTI is suppressed by pathogen-derived eff … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Robots learn faster with quantum technology

Artificial intelligence is part of our modern life by enabling machines to learn useful processes such as speech recognition and digital personal assistants. A crucial question for practical applications is how fast such intelligent machines can learn. An experiment at the Univer … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Scientists found new way to synthesize chiral tetraarylmethanes

A group of scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have achieved a catalytic asymmetric synthesis of tetraarylmethanes by chiral phosphoric catalysis. With this process, two libraries of structurally distinct CTAMs were efficiently synthesized wit … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Proteins choreograph the infinitesimal dance of living cells and functional biomaterials

An interdisciplinary research team at Lehigh University has unraveled how functional biomaterials rely upon an interfacial protein layer to transmit signals to living cells concerning their adhesion, proliferation and overall development. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Pandemic crippling nature conservation efforts

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only had devastating effects on humans, it has also heavily impacted efforts to safeguard natural ecosystems and habitats around the globe, conservationists warned Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Indonesia's Sinabung volcano unleashes new burst of hot ash

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra island unleashed an avalanche of searing gas clouds flowing down its slopes during eruption on Thursday. No casualties were reported. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Hawaii's rains, floods cited as examples of climate change

Heavy rains are part of the winter wet season in Hawaiian Islands. But the downpours triggering flooding that destroyed homes and bridges and set off mass evacuations on multiple islands this week are also an example of the more intense rainstorms officials and climate scientists … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Mothers in academia address workplace inequalities

As the coronavirus pandemic's grip on the United States stretched from weeks into months, with huge swaths of the American workforce bound to their homes, studies began trickling out revealing that the impact and burden of quarantine was not equally shared. Women—particularly mot … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Elite philanthropy does little to solve problems caused by rising social inequalities

Giving at scale by the super-wealthy has done little to redistribute wealth from rich to poor, helping perpetuate social inequalities rather than remedying them, while paying considerable dividends to donors in the form of privilege and influence in society and politics, new rese … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Fishers at risk in 'perfect storm'

Stormier weather will increasingly force fishers to choose between their safety and income, researchers say. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Firefly tourism takes flight, sparking wonder and concern

Firefly beetles rank among the world's most charismatic creatures, with luminous courtship displays that have now turned them into a popular attraction for wildlife tourists. In the first comprehensive review of firefly tourism, published in the journal Conservation Science and P … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Elite women may have ruled El Argar 4,000 years ago

Women of the ruling class may have played an important role in the governance of El Argar, a society which flourished in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula between 2200 and 1550 BCE, and which in the last two centuries of its existence, developed into the first state organiza … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

In first, scientists trace fastest solar particles to their roots on the Sun

Zipping through space at close to the speed of light, Solar Energetic Particles, or SEPs, are one of the main challenges for the future of human spaceflight. Clouds of these tiny solar projectiles can make it to Earth—a 93 million mile journey—in under an hour. They can fry sensi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Playing games with quantum interference

As Richard Feynman famously put it, "the double slit experiment is absolutely impossible to explain in any classical way and has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality, it contains the only mystery." | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Accurately editing genes in living cells means grappling with knots in DNA

Gene editing with CRISPR enzymes inside living cells could become more effective and accurate after researchers at The University of Texas at Austin unveiled how inner workings can help or hinder the process. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Bacterial competition in situations of food scarcity prevents survival of mutants

A study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil shows that competition for nutrients and lack of cooperation among bacteria of the species Escherichia coli in the same population and in situations of food scarcity prevent mutants that are better adapted … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Scientists have synthesized a new high-temperature superconductor

An international team led by Artem R. Oganov, a Professor at Skoltech and MISIS, and Dr. Ivan Troyan from the Institute of Crystallography of RAS performed theoretical and experimental research on a new high-temperature superconductor, yttrium hydride (YH6). Their findings were p … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Scientists develop new magnetic nanomaterial for counterfeit money prevention

An international research team led by NUST MISIS has developed a new iron-cobalt-nickel nanocomposite with tunable magnetic properties. The nanocomposite could be used to protect money and securities from counterfeiting. The study was published in Nanomaterials. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Forget the fly swatter: Biologists map genes to fight stable flies

Researchers hope to use an agricultural pest's genetic code against it to prevent billions of dollars in annual losses in the United States. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Deciphering the impacts of small RNA interactions in individual bacterial cells

Bacteria employ many different strategies to regulate gene expression in response to fluctuating, often stressful, conditions in their environments. One type of regulation involves non-coding RNA molecules called small RNAs (sRNAs), which are found in all domains of life. A new s … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

The quest for sustainable leather alternatives

Throughout history, leather has been a popular material for clothes and many other goods. However, the tanning process and use of livestock mean that it has a large environmental footprint, leading consumers and manufacturers alike to seek out alternatives. An article in Chemical … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Scientists discover attacking fungi that show promise against emerald ash borer

Since its introduction, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has become the most devastating invasive forest insect in the United States, killing hundreds of millions of ash trees at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Graphene nanoparticles and their influence on neurons

Effective, specific, with a reversible and non-harmful action: the identikit of the perfect biomaterial seems to correspond to graphene flakes, the subject of a new study carried out by SISSA—International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste, Catalan Institute of Nanoscience a … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Researchers solve more of the mystery of Laos megalithic jars

New research conducted at the UNESCO World Heritage listed 'Plain of Jars' in Laos has established the stone jars were likely placed in their final resting position from as early as 1240 to 660 BCE. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Genetic analysis of ancient massacre reveals instance of indiscriminate killing

Genetic analysis provides clarity and also prompts further questions around an ancient massacre in Potočani, Croatia, in a study published March 10, 2021 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mario Novak from the Institute for Anthropological Research, Croatia, Ron Pinhasi from … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Scythian people weren't just nomadic warriors, but sometimes settled down

Scythian people of ancient Ukraine led more complex lives than commonly assumed, according to a study published March 10, 2021 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Alicia R. Ventresca Miller of the University of Michigan and colleagues. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Suspense in Iceland as dormant volcanic zone shows signs of life

Unusual seismic activity in a volcanic zone near Iceland's capital Reykjavik that has been dormant for almost 800 years has left experts stumped and searching for clues as to whether an eruption is imminent. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

US to unveil Paris climate pact commitments in April

Climate envoy John Kerry confirmed Wednesday the United States would lay out new financing commitments for the Paris Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions ahead of an April 22 summit, the pact's fifth anniversary. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

'Lost' ocean nanoplastic might be getting trapped on coasts

As plastic debris weathers in aquatic environments, it can shed tiny nanoplastics. Although scientists have a good understanding of how these particles form, they still don't have a good grasp of where all the fragments end up. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Sci … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Manure improves soil and microbe community

In the dry air and soil of Texas' Southern High Plains, improving soil health can be tough. We usually think of healthy soil as moist and loose with lots of organic matter. But this can be hard to achieve in this arid area of Texas. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Space sustainability and debris physics: The role of reentries

What goes up, nearly always comes back down. When it comes to the objects we send to space, atmospheric reentries are actually a fundamental tool in minimizing the creation of space debris and ensuring a sustainable future in space. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Major floods increased in temperate climates but decreased elsewhere

Severe river floods are escalating in temperate climates and putting at risk populations, livelihoods and property, according to evidence published today in Geophysical Research Letters by an Oxford-led international team. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Extracting information from ancient teeth

There's a surprising amount of information stored in the hardened plaque, or calculus, between teeth. And if that calculus belongs to the remains of a person who lived in ancient times, the information could reveal new insights about the past. But the tiny samples can be difficul … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Sharing shears: Conserved protein segment activates molecular DNA scissors for DNA repair

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have uncovered mechanisms underlying the activation of the MRN complex—the cell's DNA scissors. Using purified yeast proteins, they demonstrated that phosphorylation of Ctp1, a homolog of a tumor-suppressor protein, plays a … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Red Snapper in the Gulf show signs of stress

Nearly 100 percent of the red snapper sampled in the Gulf of Mexico over a six-year period by University of South Florida (USF) marine scientists showed evidence of liver damage, according to a study reported in Aquatic Toxicology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Face masks are a ticking plastic timebomb

Recent studies estimate that we use an astounding 129 billion face masks globally every month—that is 3 million a minute. Most of them are disposable face masks made from plastic microfibers. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Study offers insights into management of invasive paperbark trees

The paperbark tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) was introduced to the U.S. from Australia in the 1900s. Unfortunately, it went on to become a weedy invader that has dominated natural landscapes across southern Florida, including the fragile wetlands of the Everglades. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

From egg to embryo: How developing zebrafish keep RNA levels in check

Mature egg cells and early embryos do not generate their own RNA molecules—instead, they rely on stored maternal RNAs to synthesize their proteins. As the embryo develops, some of these RNAs become superfluous and need to be degraded. Researchers at the Research Institute of Mole … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

The secret of catalysts that increase fuel cell efficiency

Fuel cells, which are attracting attention as an eco-friendly energy source, obtain electricity and heat simultaneously through the reverse reaction of water electrolysis. Therefore, the catalyst that enhances the reaction efficiency is directly connected to the performance of th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Air pollutant reductions could enhance global warming without greenhouse gas cuts

As countries around the world race to mitigate global warming by limiting carbon dioxide emissions, an unlikely source could be making climate goals harder to achieve without even deeper cuts in greenhouse gas production: reductions in air pollution. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Adaptive microelectronics reshape independently and detect environment for first time

Flexible and adaptive microelectronics is considered an innovation driver for new and more effective biomedical applications. These include, for example, the treatment of damaged nerve bundles, chronic pain, or the control of artificial limbs. For this to work, close contact betw … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago

Bird call app downloaded one million times worldwide—now available for IOS devices

"Great app with a certain addictiveness," writes a user in the Google Play Store about BirdNET. The app was developed by Chemnitz University of Technology and Cornell University (USA) and can identify 3,000 bird species based on their song using an AI algorithm. The app has now b … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 3 years ago