Carbon emission scheme 'succeeding despite low prices'

A European Union (EU) programme aimed at reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has made significant progress despite low prices in carbon markets, according to a study at the Universities of Strathclyde and Pittsburgh. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Mutation reduces energy waste in plants

To this end, the team identified several thousand proteins, determined their respective amounts in mutant and reference lines and combined the findings with measurements of photosynthetic performance. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Communications on 3 April 2 … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Massive generation of metastable bulk nanobubbles in water by external electric fields

Nanobubbles can exist on solid surfaces or in bulk liquids as nanoscopic gaseous domains. The phenomenon has attracted substantial attention due to the long-time (meta)stability and potential for practical applications. In a new report, Mohammad Reza Ghaani and a team of researc … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Where the wild things are: How nature might respond as coronavirus keeps humans indoors

Intriguing things sometimes happen in places deserted by people. Plants creep back, animals return and, slowly, birdsong fills the air. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

New protected area raises hopes for critically endangered monkey

The fortunes of the critically endangered Myanmar snub-nosed monkey have received a boost after its habitat was declared a protected area by the Myanmar government. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Volcanic eruptions during mass extinction produced same amount of CO2 as predicted to be emitted over 21st century

An international team of researchers has found evidence that suggests atmospheric CO2 levels at the end of the Triassic era were nearly the same as those predicted for the 21st century. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes their study … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Mapping the evolution of coastal waters in Metro Vancouver: The Burrard Inlet

What did the Burrard Inlet look like in the past, compared to how it is now? What were the fishing, food source, and maritime resources there and how did this habitat change over time? UBC researchers sought to answer those questions, in a clear and interactive way. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Uganda: 20% decline in economic output without climate action

There is evidence that climate change affects both the quantity and quality of food production, reducing food security, and nutrition intake. In developing countries, where the agricultural sector dominates the economy, the impacts of the changing climate on the agricultural supp … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Tracking the atomic pathways by in-situ liquid cell TEM

Recently, platinum-containing core-shell structures with tunable magnetic and catalytic properties have attracted intensive attentions and offered a wide range of applications. To date, their synthetic routes are mostly based on galvanic replacement, co-reduction, thermal decompo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

A supply chain expert weighs in on the current crisis and maps out a plan for the future

Well before hand sanitizer became impossible to find and store shelves across the country were emptied of toilet paper, Brian Aoaeh, who teaches in NYU Tandon's Department of Technology Management and Innovation, was pointing out problems in our global supply chains. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Are populist leaders a liability during COVID-19?

The rise of populism around the world—such as in the United States, Brazil and Indonesia—has partly contributed to the global failure to adequately respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and has led the world into a recession faster than anticipated. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Goat grazing helps control buckthorn growth

Goat grazing as a means for removing invasive species has become an increasingly popular practice among midwestern landowners. At the same time, there's concern the goats may be spreading the invasive species they're eating through their feces. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Deep-sea animal communities can change dramatically and erratically over time

A 30-year study off the California coast has revealed dramatic fluctuations in deep-sea animal communities. Despite decades of research, scientists are still not sure what drives these changes. These findings are described in a recent paper by former MBARI researcher Linda Kuhnz … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Scientists propose explanation for night sky glow of STEVE

Researchers have just published a theory of what powers the celestial phenomenon known as STEVE, the aurora-like glow amateur sky-watchers brought to scientists' attention in 2016. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

How the world's biggest radio telescope could be used to search for aliens

In 2016, China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope—the largest single-aperture radio telescope in the world—gathered its first light. Since then, the telescope has undergone extensive testing and commissioning and officially went online in Jan of 2020. In all … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

House cleaning on the nanoscale

A team of scientists at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has developed a novel mechanical cleaning method for surfaces on the nanoscale. The technique successfully removes even the tiniest contaminants down to the atomic scale, achieving an unprecedented le … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Rents can and should be reduced or suspended for the coronavirus pandemic

The National Cabinet announced a moratorium on evictions just over a week ago in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As government ministers and commentators have tried to make clear, it's intended only to stop evictions—not rent payments. But the sudden losses of jobs and incomes … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Monkeys, elephants and dogs reclaim India's streets in virus lockdown

Hundreds of monkeys have taken over the streets around India's presidential palace, leading an animal offensive taking advantage of deserted streets as the country remains under a coronavirus lockdown. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

CERN physics lab developing basic COVID-19 ventilator

Physics experts are working at Europe's CERN lab to create a basic ventilator for mild coronavirus sufferers and recovering patients, the facility said on Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Shelf sediments, freshwater runoff from rivers brings more carbon, nutrients to North Pole

A new study by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and their international colleagues found that freshwater runoff from rivers and continental shelf sediments are bringing significant quantities of carbon and trace elements into parts of the Arctic Ocean vi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Are people willing to share risks together within a financial market?

Economic anthropologist Erik Bähre does research on the morality of insurance. In his latest ethnography "Ironies of Solidarity' Bähre explores how the South African insurance market expanded. His book asks questions about boundaries of solidarity; to what extent are people able … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Repurposing straw lets farmers grow more food with less water and fertilizer

A growing population needs more food. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Adulterated argan oil uncovered through new analytical method

Researchers from the Quadram Institute have developed a new way to test the authenticity of argan oil, one of the world's most expensive edible oils. In recent years, it has become sought after as an ingredient in cosmetics and health products, significantly increasing its value. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Consumers react to coronavirus crisis, increasingly move online

Consumers with family obligations, people older than 35, business owners and Democrats were more likely to be extremely concerned about Coronavirus in mid March, just as the U.S. response and news about the virus was ramping up, according to an analysis of consumer survey respons … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Fungi complex active ingredients could have potential for medical applications

Fungi play an important role for mankind. In the soil, they decompose dead organic material, making it accessible to plants as a nutrient. In industrial biotechnological plants, fungi produce vast quantities of chemicals and food every day. In addition, fungi produce very complex … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

A study compares the parietal lobes in Neanderthals and modern humans

The Paleoneurobiology Group of the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), led by Emiliano Bruner, has just published a morphological analysis of the brains of Neanderthals and modern humans in the Journal of Human Evolution, whose results suggest tha … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Tracking microorganisms through the dairy production process

Microorganisms from the environment can enter the dairy supply chain at multiple stages, including production, milk collection, and processing, with potential implications for quality and safety. The ability to track these microorganisms can be greatly enhanced by the use of high … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

After COVID-19: Recalibrating the American educational system

The closure of schools mid-semester and the transition to online learning have forced a great reckoning in American education. As with the health care sector, the education system stands to be profoundly transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Researchers create unique DNA biosensor for early stage disease detection

Disease detection at an early stage is one of the biggest challenges biochemists and materials scientists are trying to meet by combining their expertise at Missouri S&T. The researchers used nanotechnology in biomedical diagnostics—a process called nanodiagnostics—to create a ne … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Ease up on e-learning expectations for kids

You may have seen the Israeli mom's video rant about the intensity of the workload of her four children during online learning: "If we don't die of Corona, we'll die of distance learning!" | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Learning about artificial intelligence: A hub of MIT resources for K-12 students

In light of the recent events surrounding Covid-19, learning for grades K-12 looks very different than it did a month ago. Parents and educators may be feeling overwhelmed about turning their homes into classrooms. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Immune-system cells of fish are ingesting plastic—and then dying

It's become an all-too-common variety of news story: Dead whales whose digestive systems are clogged with plastic. Increasing numbers of seabirds eating plastic, often with dire consequences. Ditto with turtles and fish. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Lockdown can be stressful for pets too – here's how to keep your dog entertained

Many of us have been adjusting to new routines these past few weeks. Working from home comes with positives, like being nearer the biscuits and working in pajamas. But it also has challenges, like communicating with colleagues and keeping the children entertained. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Researchers 3-D-print minerals in order to better predict fracture formation

Cracks are everywhere, and they often mean trouble. In the foundation of your house, in your windshield, in the tectonic plates below your feet. But, surprisingly, scientists don't actually understand them as well as they would like. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Engineer uses metal-oxide nanomaterials deposited on cloth to wipe out microbes

In an effort to make highly sensitive sensors to measure sugar and other vital signs of human health, Iowa State University's Sonal Padalkar figured out how to deposit nanomaterials on cloth and paper. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

No press, no family: Space crew set for launch during pandemic

A three-man space crew finished preparations on Wednesday for a mission to the International Space Station, which is going ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Opinion: Australian courts move to video, but it's hard to get a fair trial remotely

In the past, the courts were ideal breeding grounds for spreading disease. In what became known as the "Black Assize", a deadly fever that swept through prisons and courts in England in 1586, 11 of 12 jurors in one trial died. So did a number of judges and constables. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

From coronavirus to a greener society?

Winston Churchill famously remarked "Never let a good crisis go to waste." It's hard to argue that the coronavirus pandemic is a "good" crisis, but it is certainly monumental. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

The spikes of the crown: Analyzing the proteins coronaviruses use to infect cells

The spike glycoproteins give the coronavirus its name. The molecules protrude from the viral envelope like the spikes of a crown. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt are now analyzing the structure of this protein. They hope to identify potential ta … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

New geoelectric hazard map shows potential vulnerability to high-voltage power grid for two-thirds of the U.S.

The U.S. Geological Survey released a new report on geoelectric hazards for two-thirds of the contiguous U.S., spanning from the northeast to the west coast of the Nation. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Environmental cost of 'fast fashion' is not sustainable

Urgent fundamental changes to 'fast fashion' clothing items which are treated by many as disposable is needed to stem a devastating impact upon the environment according to scientists. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Hidden army: How starfish could build up numbers to attack coral reefs

Research that shows juvenile starfish can lurk harmlessly for more than six years could force a rethink on the crown of thorns culling methods used to protect corals on the Great Barrier Reef. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Simultaneous simulation of gravitation and magnetism of a protoplanetary disk

From a massive disk of gas and dust rotating around the sun, the earth and the other seven planets of our solar system once developed alongside their moons. And the same must have happened, scientists believe, for the thousands of extrasolar planets discovered in recent decades. … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

River-groundwater hot spot for arsenic

Naturally occurring (geogenic) groundwater arsenic contamination is a problem of global significance, with noteworthy occurrences in large parts of the alluvial and deltaic aquifers in South and Southeast Asia. To address this problem tremendous research efforts have been dedicat … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Report: Outbreak triggers drop in climate-changing emissions

Despite mocking the idea of climate change, President Donald Trump will preside over one of the country's sharpest drops in climate-damaging emissions on record, as the economic paralysis from the coronavirus tamps down energy use, according to an Energy Department projection on … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Some flowers have learned to bounce back after injury

Some flowers have a remarkable and previously unknown ability to bounce back after injury, according to a new study. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

Researchers show how forest loss leads to spread of disease

Viruses that jump from animals to people, like the one responsible for COVID-19, will likely become more common as people continue to transform natural habitats into agricultural land, according to a new Stanford study. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago

3-D printing, biology research make the journey back to earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon

On March 9, 2020, a Dragon cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station carrying dozens of scientific experiments as a part of SpaceX's 20th cargo resupply mission. Now, Dragon heads home. On April 7, it is scheduled to undock from station, bringing samples, hardwa … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 4 years ago