# Twtxt is an open, distributed microblogging platform that # uses human-readable text files, common transport protocols, # and free software. # # Learn more about twtxt at https://github.com/buckket/twtxt # # This is an automated Yarn.social feed running feeds v0.1.0@72e53a9 # Learn more about Yarn.social at https://yarn.social # # nick = Phys_org # url = https://feeds.twtxt.net/Phys_org/twtxt.txt # type = rss # source = https://phys.org/rss-feed/ # avatar = # description = # updated_at = 2023-03-25T19:41:21Z # 2022-12-31T05:40:01Z **Skiing in the Alps faces a bleak future thanks to climate change**
Skiing was introduced into the Alps comparatively late in the 1880s, with the first ski-lift being developed in the Swiss resort of Davos in the winter of 1934. The industrial revolution was two centuries old by that point, but the world climate was still largely pre-industrial. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2022-12-alps-bleak-future-climate.html) 2023-01-02T07:13:31Z **Looted ancient sarcophagus returned to Egypt from US**
An ancient wooden sarcophagus that was featured at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences was returned to Egypt after U.S. authorities determined it was looted years ago, Egyptian officials said Monday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-looted-ancient-sarcophagus-egypt.html) 2023-01-02T15:20:51Z **Spain confirms first death from 2021 volcano eruption**
The first death from a months-long volcanic eruption on Spain's La Palma island in 2021 has been confirmed after a court ruled Monday that a man died from inhaling toxic gases from the volcano. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-spain-death-volcano-eruption.html) 2023-01-02T15:20:32Z **Spain sees hottest year on record in 2022**
Spain in 2022 experienced the hottest year since records began, the country's national weather service said Monday, adding that several northern cities were also unseasonably warm on New Year's Day 2023. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-spain-hottest-year.html) 2023-01-03T04:28:18Z **South Korea's lunar orbiter sends photos of Earth, Moon**
South Korea's first-ever lunar orbiter Danuri has sent black-and-white photos of the Moon's surface and Earth, the national space center said Tuesday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-south-korea-lunar-orbiter-photos.html) 2023-01-03T09:30:03Z **COP15 outcome is an imperfect game-changer for saving nature. Here's why Australia did us proud**
Billed as the event that'll determine the fate of the entire living world, the United Nations' COP15 nature summit has wrapped up in Canada with a historic deal, which includes protecting roughly a third of nature by 2030. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-cop15-outcome-imperfect-game-changer-nature.html) 2023-01-03T09:30:03Z **Discovering the 'honeypot': The surprising way restricting immigration can turn out to hurt the working poor**
Politicians around the world tout immigration restrictions as a way to fight wage stagnation and boost the job prospects of low-paid or unemployed locals. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-honeypot-restricting-immigration-poor.html) 2023-01-03T14:45:30Z **Tweets, news offer insights on invasive insect spread**
A new North Carolina State University study shows the potential for using Twitter and online news articles to track the timing and location of invasive insect spread in the United States and around the globe. Researchers say these sources are promising for filling in gaps when official data are not widely available. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-tweets-news-insights-invasive-insect.html) 2023-01-03T14:45:08Z **Playing all the angles: A high-contrast grating structure for direction-tunable lasing**
Lasers find applications across several fields ranging from telecommunications and remote sensing to medicine. There are many ways in which one can generate laser emission, or lasing, from a device or material. Consequently, there are many types of lasers with different principles of operation. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-playing-angles-high-contrast-direction-tunable-lasing.html) 2023-01-03T21:50:01Z **Reef fish must relearn the 'rules of engagement' after coral bleaching**
Mass coral bleaching events are making it harder for some species of reef fish to identify competitors, new research reveals. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-reef-fish-relearn-engagement-coral.html) 2023-01-04T04:20:33Z **Scientists develop a cool new method of refrigeration**
Adding salt to a road before a winter storm changes when ice will form. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have applied this basic concept to develop a new method of heating and cooling. The technique, which they have named "ionocaloric cooling," is described in a paper published Dec. 23 in the journal Science. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-cool-method-refrigeration.html) 2023-01-04T09:30:01Z **Your style of social media use may be connected to your well-being**
Are you a doom scroller or a Twitter addict? Do you pass the time by flicking endlessly through others' posts on social networking sites, or perhaps you use these platforms to share your own content? Psychologists believe our style of social media usage has important effects on our psychological well-being, but we've struggled to measure people's online behavior accurately—until now. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-style-social-media-well-being.html) 2023-01-04T15:50:02Z **Study shows hydroponic systems as a promising method for sustainable saffron production**
Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a geophyte perennial plant from the family Iridaceae with underground soft corms. The stigmas of the saffron flower have been cultivated as a spice for at least 3,500 years. Conventional cultivation processes, such as planting, flower harvesting, and separation of the stigmas, are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The labor costs and low supply contribute to the high c ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-hydroponic-method-sustainable-saffron-production.html) 2023-01-04T15:48:57Z **After hurricanes, Florida neighborhoods see steady housing demand, wealthier residents**
A new peer-reviewed study, which analyzes Florida housing markets battered by hurricanes, finds that affected areas tend to gentrify slightly in the years following a storm: The average income of new buyers increases while long-term demand stays stable. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-hurricanes-florida-neighborhoods-steady-housing.html) 2023-01-04T15:48:50Z **Warmer climate increases Atlantic tropical storms, say cyclone researchers**
A warming climate will increase the number of tropical cyclones and their intensity in the North Atlantic, potentially creating more and stronger hurricanes, according to simulations using a high-resolution, global climate model. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-warmer-climate-atlantic-tropical-storms.html) 2023-01-04T15:47:29Z **California's endangered salmon population plummets amid new threat**
They've been pushed to the brink of extinction by dams, drought, extreme heat and even the flare of wildfires, but now California's endangered winter-run Chinook salmon appear to be facing an entirely new threat—their own ravenous hunger for anchovies. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-california-endangered-salmon-population-plummets.html) 2023-01-04T15:46:01Z **Researchers detect fluoride in water with new simple color change test**
Environmental contaminants like fluoride, lead and pesticides exist all around and even within us. While researchers have simple ways to measure concentrations of such contaminants inside lab environments, levels are much more difficult to test in the field. That's because they require costly specialized equipment. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-fluoride-simple.html) 2023-01-05T04:35:28Z **State of emergency declared in winter storm-battered California**
Damaging winds, excessive rainfall and extremely heavy snow are expected to wallop California and southern Oregon through Thursday as a series of winter storms rip across the western US coast, prompting the Golden State's governor to declare an emergency. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-state-emergency-declared-winter-storm-battered.html) 2023-01-05T09:40:01Z **How to feed your garden birds if you want to attract and support native species**
As vegetation is removed to make way for urban development, wild species experience a dramatic loss of habitat, making it more difficult for city dwellers to interact with wildlife. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-garden-birds-native-species.html) 2023-01-05T15:39:53Z **New parents benefit from participating in family education program, study shows**
The birth of a child is a major life transition, and it can be a stressful time for new parents. Family and relationship education programs are available to help individuals and couples deal with these challenges. But do such programs work as intended? ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-parents-benefit-family.html) 2023-01-05T15:39:47Z **Researchers shed light on how exercise preserves physical fitness during aging**
Proven to protect against a wide array of diseases, exercise may be the most powerful anti-aging intervention known to science. However, while physical activity can improve health during aging, its beneficial effects inevitably decline. The cellular mechanisms underlying the relationship among exercise, fitness and aging remain poorly understood. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-physical-aging.html) 2023-01-05T15:39:34Z **Electrochemistry converts carbon to useful molecules**
A chemistry collaboration has led to a creative way to put carbon dioxide to good—and even healthy—use: by incorporating it, via electrosynthesis, into a series of organic molecules that are vital to pharmaceutical development. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-electrochemistry-carbon-molecules.html) 2023-01-05T15:39:27Z **Telling left from right: Cilia as cellular force sensors during embryogenesis**
Although the human body is externally symmetric across the left-right axis, there are remarkable left-right asymmetries in the shape and positioning of most internal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, and brain. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-left-cilia-cellular-sensors-embryogenesis.html) 2023-01-06T04:31:28Z **Study details impact of prairie dog plague die-off on other species**
When an outbreak of sylvatic plague decimated black-tailed prairie dog numbers in the Thunder Basin National Grassland in 2017, researchers saw an opportunity for a "natural experiment" to explore the impact of the rodents' die-off on the plants and other wildlife in that area of northeast Wyoming. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-impact-prairie-dog-plague-die-off.html) 2023-01-06T10:19:46Z **Students who study abroad are more civically engaged**
After a few months in a different country, you may pick up a new phrase or favorite dish, but can studying abroad change how you participate in society? A recent study published in the Journal of Moral Education found that students who study abroad are more civically engaged than those who don't. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-students-civically-engaged.html) 2023-01-06T10:17:01Z **Nickel nanowires enhance microwave absorption, study finds**
In a study published in Advanced Materials Interfaces, a research team led by Prof. Wang Hui and associate Prof. Sheng Zhigao from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the synthesis of polyvinylpyrrolidone-directed nickel nanowires (PNNWs) via solvothermal method assisted by a high magnetic field, and applied them to enhance microwave absorption. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nickel-nanowires-microwave-absorption.html) 2023-01-06T10:16:01Z **China's Young Thousand Talents program found to be largely successful**
A trio of researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsinghua University and the University of Hong Kong has found that a program launched by the Chinese government in 2010 to recruit and nurture Chinese scientists has been mostly successful. In their paper, published in the journal Science, Dongbo Shi, Weichen Liu and Yanbo Wang describe studying the career paths of Chinese scientists who went through China's Young Thousa ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-china-young-thousand-talents-largely.html) 2023-01-06T15:36:33Z **Brazilian Amazon deforestation up 150% in Bolsonaro's last month**
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rose 150 percent in December from the previous year, according to government figures released Friday, a final bleak report for far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro in his last month in office. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-brazilian-amazon-deforestation-bolsonaro-month.html) 2023-01-07T05:55:38Z **Once in 50,000-year comet may be visible to the naked eye**
A newly discovered comet could be visible to the naked eye as it shoots past Earth and the Sun in the coming weeks for the first time in 50,000 years, astronomers have said. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-year-comet-visible-naked-eye.html) 2023-01-08T06:09:19Z **Sinking land forces hundreds to leave Indian temple town**
Authorities in an Indian Himalayan town have stopped construction activities and started moving hundreds of people to temporary shelters after a temple collapsed and cracks appeared in over 600 houses because of sinking of land, officials said Saturday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-hundreds-indian-temple-town.html) 2023-01-09T04:23:47Z **Dead endangered whale washes up on Mississippi Gulf Coast**
Scientists are examining the corpse of an endangered whale that washed up on a Mississippi Gulf Coast beach. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-dead-endangered-whale-mississippi-gulf.html) 2023-01-09T09:48:09Z **Environmental emissions of pharmaceuticals in global manufacturing supply chains require revised regulations**
EU regulation pertaining to good manufacturing practices and environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals does not adequately consider the environmental emissions of pharmaceuticals in global manufacturing supply chains, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland concludes. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-environmental-emissions-pharmaceuticals-global-chains.html) 2023-01-09T09:47:39Z **Researchers propose a more effective method to predict floods**
More people are vulnerable to the effects of flooding than ever before due to changes in climate, land use, infrastructure and population growth in recent decades. It is, therefore, crucial to accurately predict flood frequency and severity to reduce physical and economic losses. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-effective-method.html) 2023-01-09T09:47:11Z **NSVS 2983201 is a contact binary system, observations find**
Polish astronomers have performed photometric observations of a short-period variable star known as NSVS 2983201. They have found that the object is a contact binary system with a mass ratio of about 0.36. The finding was reported in a paper published December 28 on the arXiv pre-print repository. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nsvs-contact-binary.html) 2023-01-09T15:00:06Z **Forests recovering from logging act as a source of carbon**
A new study finds that tropical forests recovering from logging are sources of carbon for years afterward, contrary to previous assumptions. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-forests-recovering-source-carbon.html) 2023-01-09T15:00:06Z **Climate 'presses' and 'pulses' impact Magellanic penguins—a marine predator—with guidance for conservationists**
Climate change will reshape ecosystems worldwide through two types of climate events: short-term, extreme events—like a heat wave—and long-term changes, like a shift in ocean currents. Ecologists call the short-term events "pulses," and the long-term changes "presses." ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-pulses-impact-magellanic-penguinsa.html) 2023-01-09T15:00:05Z **Urban lizards share genomic markers not found in forest-dwellers**
Lizards living in different cities have parallel genomic markers when compared to neighboring forest lizards, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-urban-lizards-genomic-markers-forest-dwellers.html) 2023-01-09T15:00:04Z **Warming oceans have decimated marine parasites—but that's not a good thing**
More than a century of preserved fish specimens offer a rare glimpse into long-term trends in parasite populations. New research from the University of Washington shows that fish parasites plummeted from 1880 to 2019, a 140-year stretch when Puget Sound—their habitat and the second largest estuary in the mainland U.S.—warmed significantly. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-oceans-decimated-marine-parasitesbut-good.html) 2023-01-10T00:00:01Z **Evidence about gun policies grows and supports laws to reduce violence**
There is now supportive evidence that child-access-prevention laws reduce firearm homicides and self-injuries among youth, and that shall-issue concealed-carry laws and stand-your-ground laws increase levels of firearm violence, according to a new RAND Corporation report. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-evidence-gun-policies-laws-violence.html) 2023-01-10T05:16:05Z **UK space industry mulls setback after satellite launch fails**
British officials and space scientists said Tuesday they were disappointed but not deterred after the first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from the U.K. ended in failure. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uk-space-industry-mulls-setback.html) 2023-01-10T10:45:05Z **Artificial light at night found to cause extensive deaths and disrupt reproduction in desert rodents**
An extensive study at Tel Aviv University's School of Zoology tested the impact of prolonged low-intensity light pollution on two species of desert rodents: the diurnal golden spiny mouse, and the nocturnal common spiny mouse. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-artificial-night-extensive-deaths-disrupt.html) 2023-01-10T15:53:05Z **X-ray light reveals how virus responsible for COVID-19 covers its tracks, eluding the immune system**
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, continues to threaten populations around the world, after killing over 1 million Americans. In recent weeks, XBB.1.5, the most transmissible variant to date, has started to sweep across the country. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-x-ray-reveals-virus-responsible-covid-.html) 2023-01-11T03:00:01Z **Continued record-breaking ocean temperatures seen again in 2022**
Continued record-breaking ocean temperatures with increasing stratification and changes in water salinity patterns give insight into what the future holds amidst a perpetually heating climate. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-record-breaking-ocean-temperatures.html) 2023-01-11T08:42:31Z **Scientists reveal the mechanism of temperature-dependent structure evolution during electrocatalyst formation**
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Liang Haiwei from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) studied the structure evolution of intermetallic compounds, a fuel cell electrocatalyst, under high temperature using in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD). They uncovered the phase-transition-temperatur ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-reveal-mechanism-temperature-dependent-evolution.html) 2023-01-11T08:42:23Z **Protecting biocatalysts from oxygen**
Certain enzymes from bacteria and algae can produce molecular hydrogen from protons and electrons—an energy carrier on which many hopes are riding. All they need for this purpose is light energy. The major obstacle to their use is that they are destroyed by contact with oxygen. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-biocatalysts-oxygen.html) 2023-01-11T08:40:37Z **New model predicts US recessions, slowdowns based on level of financial misreporting in economy**
Researchers at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and the University of Missouri have devised a more accurate model to predict recessions and economic slowdowns, based on the aggregate probability of financial misreporting in the economy. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-recessions-slowdowns-based-financial-misreporting.html) 2023-01-11T13:53:04Z **Chinese workers on Africa's infrastructure projects: The link with host political regimes**
China has rapidly become Africa's most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the continent. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-chinese-workers-africa-infrastructure-link.html) 2023-01-11T13:50:01Z **China: The rise of Gen Z will have massive consequences for business and politics**
As China prepares to celebrate new year on January 22, luxury brands are gearing up for the year of the rabbit with an array of luxury rabbit-themed goods: a £29,000 gold and diamond-encrusted rabbit watch by Dior, perhaps, or an £850 floppy-eared hat from Burberry. Japanese streetwear brand Ambush has reportedly sold out of its £380 pink bunny balaclavas. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-china-gen-massive-consequences-business.html) 2023-01-12T00:00:02Z **Team streamlines DNA collection and analysis for wildlife conservation**
A new DNA-collection approach allows scientists to capture genetic information from wildlife without disturbing the animals or putting their own safety in jeopardy. The protocol, tested on elephant dung, yielded enough DNA to sequence whole genomes not only of the elephants but also of the associated microbes, plants, parasites and other organisms—at a fraction of the cost of current approaches. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-team-dna-analysis-wildlife.html) 2023-01-12T08:43:26Z **Climate change puts brakes on speedy corals**
Scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have found some fast-growing coral species on the Great Barrier Reef slow down their growth rates when exposed to warm water. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-speedy-corals.html) 2023-01-12T08:41:47Z **Falling birth rate not due to less desire to have children**
While some people are concerned about America's falling birth rate, a new study suggests young people don't need to be convinced to have more children. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-falling-birth-due-desire-children.html) 2023-01-12T13:45:07Z **What does climate change mean for extreme waves? In 80% of the world, we don't really know**
Across much of the world's oceans, waves are getting bigger. In the Southern Ocean, where storm-driven swell can propagate halfway across the world to California, the average wave has grown about 20cm in the past 30 years. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-extreme-world-dont.html) 2023-01-12T19:00:01Z **Heat and drought have 'significant influence' on food security and agricultural production, new review argues**
Heat and drought are the utmost limiting abiotic factors that pose a major threat to food security and agricultural production, and are exacerbated by "extreme and rapid" climate change, according to a new paper in CABI Reviews. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-drought-significant-food-agricultural-production.html) 2023-01-12T19:00:01Z **Why chocolate feels so good: It is all down to lubrication**
Scientists have decoded the physical process that takes place in the mouth when a piece of chocolate is eaten, as it changes from a solid into a smooth emulsion that many people find totally irresistible. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-chocolate-good-lubrication.html) 2023-01-13T02:04:33Z **Researchers publish 'wake-up call' to help protect biodiversity in the face of climate change**
When the U.S. government committed last January to conserving 30% of the United States' natural land and water by the year 2030, the decision was embraced by the majority of Americans. A poll found that 80% of voters supported what's known as the "30 by 30 plan" but questions remain about how to decide which pieces of nature should be protected to reach that goal. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-publish-wake-up-biodiversity-climate.html) 2023-01-13T09:18:03Z **Genetically engineered bacterium enables biosynthesis of melanin nanoparticles**
Photothermal therapy (PTT) has attracted considerable attention for the treatment of tumors because it is minimally invasive and has spatiotemporal selectivity. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-genetically-bacterium-enables-biosynthesis-melanin.html) 2023-01-13T14:34:21Z **Olives, the source of "liquid gold," offer more riches to unlock**
Olive oil is a multibillion-euro global business and Manuel Román is determined to create an even bigger market from the sacred ancient fruit. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-olives-source-liquid-gold-riches.html) 2023-01-13T14:32:29Z **Artificial intelligence discovers new nanostructures**
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have successfully demonstrated that autonomous methods can discover new materials. The artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technique led to the discovery of three new nanostructures, including a first-of-its-kind nanoscale "ladder." The research was published today in Science Advances.. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ai-nanostructures.html) 2023-01-14T02:51:10Z **A strong ethnic identity can buffer or bolster the effects of online sexual racism in Black men**
While some scholars believe that a strong ethnic identity mitigates the negative mental health impact of racism for people of color, others suggest it can exacerbate these effects. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-strong-ethnic-identity-buffer-bolster.html) 2023-01-14T09:30:01Z **Nuclear reactor experiment rules out one dark matter hope**
It was an anomaly detected in the storm of a nuclear reactor so puzzling that physicists hoped it would shine a light on dark matter, one of the universe's greatest mysteries. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nuclear-reactor-dark.html) 2023-01-14T15:03:51Z **Egypt unveils ancient royal tomb in Luxor**
Egyptian authorities announced Saturday the discovery of an ancient tomb in Luxor dating back around 3,500 years that archaeologists believe holds the remains of an 18th dynasty royal. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-egypt-unveils-ancient-royal-tomb.html) 2023-01-15T09:20:01Z **Study: Exxon Mobil accurately predicted warming since 1970s**
Exxon Mobil's scientists were remarkably accurate in their predictions about global warming, even as the company made public statements that contradicted its own scientists' conclusions, a new study says. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-exxon-mobil-accurately-1970s.html) 2023-01-16T02:31:04Z **Our toilets can yield excellent alternatives for widespread polluting fertilizers**
To tackle the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution, humanity will need to move to a circular economy, where all resources are recycled. Why not recycle our own body waste too as fertilizer, provided there is no risk that harmful microbes or traces from pharmaceuticals end up in the consumed crops? Most nutrients needed for plant growth occur in human urine and feces. Urine is especially rich i ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-toilets-yield-excellent-alternatives-widespread.html) 2023-01-16T02:29:09Z **Study finds ants aren't altering behavior in rising temperatures**
Researchers at North Carolina State University found in a recent study that ants did not adjust their behavior in response to warming temperatures and persisted in sub-optimal microhabitats even when optimal ones were present. The finding suggests ants may not be able to adjust their behavior in response to warming ecosystems. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ants-behavior-temperatures.html) 2023-01-16T02:27:57Z **Study finds active galactic nuclei are even more powerful than thought**
Powered by supermassive black holes swallowing matter in the centers of galaxies, active galactic nuclei are the most powerful compact steady sources of energy in the universe. The brightest active galactic nuclei have long been known to far outshine the combined light of the billions of stars in their host galaxies. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-galactic-nuclei-powerful-thought.html) 2023-01-16T02:26:00Z **Genetically modified rice could be key to tackling food shortages caused by climate change**
As sea levels rise as a result of climate change, more and more places around the world are struggling with seawater inundation—where salt water from the sea is flooding further inland and destroying crops which can't cope with the increased salinity. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-genetically-rice-key-tackling-food.html) 2023-01-16T09:18:03Z **Next-generation, light-activated nanotech for antibiotic-resistant superbugs**
It's "lights out" for antibiotic-resistant superbugs as next-generation light-activated nanotech proves it can eradicate some of the most notorious and potentially deadly bacteria in the world. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-next-generation-light-activated-nanotech-antibiotic-resistant-superbugs.html) 2023-01-16T14:24:03Z **Are the Clintons actually writing their novels? An expert uses 'stylometry' to analyze Hillary and Bill's writing**
In 2018, former US president Bill Clinton coauthored a novel with James Patterson, the world's bestselling author. "The President is Missing" is a typical Patterson: a page-turner of a thriller, easy to read, with short chapters and large font. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-clintons-novels-expert-stylometry-hillary.html) 2023-01-17T00:00:01Z **Rare fossilized feathers reveal secrets of paleontology hotspot during Cretaceous period**
The site of Jehol Biota in China is famous for stunning fossils which preserve soft tissue—skin, organs, feathers, and fur. These fossils offer rare insights into the evolution of characteristics like flight, but they need careful interpretation to understand what the soft tissue looked and behaved like in life, and how decomposition may have affected it. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-rare-fossilized-feathers-reveal-secrets.html) 2023-01-17T06:46:02Z **Inclusive gender signs connected to positive attitudes toward trans, nonbinary people**
Something as simple as seeing all-gender signs in public places, like restrooms, was linked to adolescents' acceptance of transgender and nonbinary people, a new study has found. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-inclusive-gender-positive-attitudes-trans.html) 2023-01-17T11:56:03Z **Speeding up sugar's conversion into fuel**
University of Queensland researchers have found a way to more efficiently convert sugarcane into a building block of aviation fuel and other products. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sugar-conversion-fuel.html) 2023-01-17T17:30:03Z **Milk consumption increased ancient human body size, finds study**
A new study led by Western biological anthropology professor Jay Stock, suggests that milk consumption in some regions between 7,000 and 2,000 years ago led to an increase in human body mass and stature. This ran counter to trends in body size experienced elsewhere in the world. This size increase is found in regions where there was evolution for higher frequencies of genes that allow humans to produce enzymes to digest milk into adul ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-consumption-ancient-human-body-size.html) 2023-01-18T04:14:02Z **Forest landslides' frequency, size influenced more by road building, logging than heavy rain**
A long-term Pacific Northwest study of landslides, clear-cutting timber and building roads shows that a forest's management history has a greater impact on how often landslides occur and how severe they are compared to how much water is coursing through a watershed. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-forest-landslides-frequency-size-road.html) 2023-01-18T09:20:02Z **An enhanced cooling method for the quantum world**
The quantum nature of objects visible to the naked eye is currently a much-discussed research question. A team led by Innsbruck physicist Gerhard Kirchmair has now demonstrated a new method in the laboratory that could make the quantum properties of macroscopic objects more accessible than before. With the method, the researchers were able to increase the efficiency of an established cooling method by an order of a magnitude. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-cooling-method-quantum-world.html) 2023-01-18T09:16:04Z **Researchers unravel the complex reaction pathways in zero carbon fuel synthesis**
Photosynthesis is the natural process of converting carbon dioxide (CO2) to useable chemical compounds. In contrast, carbon capture and utilization technologies through processes such as electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R) are the man-made equivalents that could enable the chemical industry to convert its current CO2 waste to useful products. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-unravel-complex-reaction-pathways-carbon.html) 2023-01-18T14:30:01Z **Kenya's school reform is entering a new phase in 2023—but the country isn't ready**
The start of the 2023 school year in Kenya marks an important occasion: the first cohort of pupils to adopt a new curriculum in 2017 are entering junior secondary school. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-kenya-school-reform-phase-2023but.html) 2023-01-18T14:29:29Z **NASA's Geotail mission operations come to an end after 30 years**
After 30 years in orbit, mission operations for the joint NASA-JAXA Geotail spacecraft have ended, after the failure of the spacecraft's remaining data recorder. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nasa-geotail-mission-years.html) 2023-01-18T14:28:38Z **Researchers uncover secrets on how Alaska's Denali Fault formed**
When the rigid plates that make up Earth's lithosphere brush against one another, they often form visible boundaries, known as faults, on the planet's surface. Strike-slip faults, such as the San Andreas Fault in California or the Denali Fault in Alaska, are among the most well-known and capable of seriously powerful seismic activity. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uncover-secrets-alaska-denali-fault.html) 2023-01-19T00:00:01Z **Microalgae could be the future of sustainable superfood in a rapidly changing world, study finds**
Algae. It's what's for dinner. This variation on the iconic US advertising slogan from the beef industry may sound funny, but it's no joke that the current agriculture system is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. In turn, the climate crisis and ecosystem degradation threaten long-term food security for billions of people around the world. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-microalgae-future-sustainable-superfood-rapidly.html) 2023-01-19T07:06:44Z **Low-impact human recreation changes wildlife behavior**
Even without hunting rifles, humans appear to have a strong negative influence on the movement of wildlife. A study of Glacier National Park hiking trails during and after a COVID-19 closure adds evidence to the theory that humans can create a "landscape of fear" like other apex predators, changing how species use an area simply with their presence. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-low-impact-human-recreation-wildlife-behavior.html) 2023-01-19T12:20:04Z **CO2 removal is essential, along with emissions cuts, to limit global warming, says report**
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) from the atmosphere is crucial to limit global warming, in addition to rapid cuts to emissions—that is the stark conclusion of today's first Oxford-led "State of Carbon Dioxide Removal" report. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-co2-essential-emissions-limit-global.html) 2023-01-19T17:50:02Z **China's population is now inexorably shrinking**
China's National Bureau of Statistics has confirmed what researchers such as myself have long suspected—that 2022 was the year China's population turned down, the first time that has happened since the great famine brought on by Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1959-1961. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-china-population-inexorably.html) 2023-01-20T04:23:11Z **Team achieves first precision gene editing in miscanthus**
For the first time, researchers have successfully demonstrated precision gene editing in miscanthus, a promising perennial crop for sustainable bioenergy production. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-team-precision-gene-miscanthus.html) 2023-01-20T04:19:32Z **Nearly 50-meter laser experiment sets record in University of Maryland hallway**
It's not at every university that laser pulses powerful enough to burn paper and skin are sent blazing down a hallway. But that's what happened in UMD's Energy Research Facility, an unremarkable looking building on the northeast corner of campus. If you visit the utilitarian white and gray hall now, it seems like any other university hall—as long as you don't peak behind a cork board and spot the metal plate coverin ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-meter-laser-university-maryland-hallway.html) 2023-01-20T09:34:03Z **In-place manufacturing method improves gas sensor capabilities, production time**
When used as wearable medical devices, stretchy, flexible gas sensors can identify health conditions or issues by detecting oxygen or carbon dioxide levels in the breath or sweat. They also are useful for monitoring air quality in indoor or outdoor environments by detecting gas, biomolecules and chemicals. But manufacturing the devices, which are created using nanomaterials, can be a challenge. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-in-place-method-gas-sensor-capabilities.html) 2023-01-20T16:04:37Z **Brazil begins first operations to protect Amazon**
Brazil this week began the first operations against Amazon deforestation since veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office, the Ibama environmental agency said Friday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-brazil-amazon.html) 2023-01-21T05:21:13Z **Ohio outlaws ubiquitous pear trees**
Ohio this year has banned the sale of Callery pear trees that are crowding out native wild plants in many forests across the country. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ohio-outlaws-ubiquitous-pear-trees.html) 2023-01-22T07:50:03Z **Sudan's prized gum trees ward off drought but workers wither**
A vast belt of trees vital for global production of fizzy drinks helps Sudanese farmers adapt to climate change, but in the harsh drylands many are reluctant to take up the trade. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sudan-prized-gum-trees-ward.html) 2023-01-23T03:38:40Z **Avian flu could decimate Australian black swans**
The unique genetics of the Australian black swan leaves the species vulnerable to viral illnesses such as avian flu, University of Queensland research has revealed. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-avian-flu-decimate-australian-black.html) 2023-01-23T09:00:01Z **Young chimpanzees and human teens share risk-taking behaviors**
Adolescent chimpanzees share some of the same risk-taking behaviors as human teens, but they may be less impulsive than their human counterparts, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The study gets at age-old nature/nurture questions about why adolescents take more risks: because of environment or because of biological predispositions? ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-young-chimpanzees-human-teens-risk-taking.html) 2023-01-23T15:00:03Z **Researchers discover elephant extinction could have major impact on atmospheric carbon levels**
In findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Saint Louis University researchers and colleagues report that elephants play a key role in creating forests which store more atmospheric carbon and maintaining the biodiversity of forests in Africa. If the already critically endangered elephants become extinct, rainforest of central and west Africa, the second larges ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-elephant-extinction-major-impact-atmospheric.html) 2023-01-23T15:00:03Z **Wolves eliminate deer on Alaskan Island then quickly shift to eating sea otters, research finds**
Wolves on an Alaskan island caused a deer population to plumet and switched to primarily eating sea otters in just a few years, a finding scientists at Oregon State University and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game believe is the first case of sea otters becoming the primary food source for a land-based predator. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-wolves-deer-alaskan-island-quickly.html) 2023-01-23T15:00:02Z **Sharks, spatial data, and a conservation success story**
It's hard out there for a shark. A critical barometer to the health of ocean ecosystems, shark and ray populations have faced significant global declines from overfishing, habitat loss, and environment degradation. Add to the mix a slow reproductive cycle—female great white sharks take approximately 30 years to reach sexual maturity, for instance—and the broader logistical challenges of trying to monitor animals with ranges that can exceed 10,000 nau ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sharks-spatial-success-story.html) 2023-01-23T15:00:01Z **'Rubble pile' asteroids nearly impossible to destroy, study suggests**
Curtin University-led research into the durability and age of an ancient asteroid made of rocky rubble and dust, revealed significant findings that could contribute to potentially saving the planet if one ever hurtled toward Earth. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-rubble-pile-asteroids-impossible-destroy.html) 2023-01-24T00:10:01Z **'Golden boy' mummy was protected by 49 precious amulets, CT scans reveal**
The ancient Egyptians believed that when we died, our spiritual body sought out an afterlife similar to this world. But entry into this afterlife wasn't guaranteed; it first required a perilous journey through the underworld, followed by an individual last judgment. For this reason, relatives and embalmers did everything they could to ensure that their loved one might reach a happy destination. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-golden-boy-mummy-precious-amulets.html) 2023-01-24T07:42:24Z **Parasite common in cats causes abortion in bighorn sheep**
A parasite believed to be present in more than 40 million people in the United States and often spread by domestic and wild cats could hamper ongoing conservation efforts in bighorn sheep. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-parasite-common-cats-abortion-bighorn.html) 2023-01-24T12:46:13Z **Camera-trap study provides photographic evidence of pumas' ecological impact**
A camera-trap study of two ecosystems—one with pumas and one without—adds to scientists' understanding of the many ways apex predators influence the abundance, diversity and habits of other animals, including smaller carnivores. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-camera-trap-evidence-pumas-ecological-impact.html) 2023-01-24T18:30:01Z **New research shows poor insecticide policy led to countless needless malaria cases**
A new study on the use of insecticides on anti-mosquito bed-netting has proven that thousands of people needlessly contracted malaria due to policy failure, according to an expert at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-poor-insecticide-policy-countless-needless.html) 2023-01-25T03:58:22Z **Can online civic education strengthen democratic values?**
A study published in the American Journal of Political Science shows that civic education interventions can work to increase support for democracy, and doing so in the social media context can reach many more people, with potentially much greater overall impact, than was previously the case. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-online-civic-democratic-values.html) 2023-01-25T09:00:56Z **Novel strategy for engineering root nodule symbiosis into important crops for more sustainable agri-food systems**
Legume plants do not depend on externally supplied nitrogen, because they can form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, called rhizobia. The plants recognize the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and allow them to colonize specially formed organs called nodules. It has been known for many years that there are two Nod factor receptors, NFR1 and NFR5, which are responsible for recognizi ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-strategy-root-nodule-symbiosis-important.html) 2023-01-25T09:00:47Z **Physical surface details of mica studied on an atomic scale**
At first glance, mica is something quite ordinary: it is a common mineral, found in granite for example, and has been extensively studied from geological, chemical and technical perspectives. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-physical-surface-mica-atomic-scale.html) 2023-01-25T14:03:03Z **Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans in Africa, says ecologist**
That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it's not generally recognized how unique features of Africa's ecology were responsible for the crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to savanna-dwelling hunter. These were founded on Earth movements and aided physically by Africa's seasonal aridity, bedrock-derived soils and absence of barriers to movements between north and south. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-large-mammals-evolution-humans-africa.html) 2023-01-25T20:00:03Z **Pioneering approach advances study of CTCF protein in transcription biology**
CTCF is a critical protein known to play various roles in key biological processes such as transcription. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have used a next-generation protein degradation technology to study CTCF. Their work revealed the superiority of the approach in addition to providing functional insights into how CTCF regulates transcription. The study, published today in Genome Biology, pav ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-approach-advances-ctcf-protein-transcription.html) 2023-01-26T03:11:57Z **How salmon feed flowers and flourishing ecosystems: Study**
Nutrients from salmon carcasses can substantively alter the growth and reproduction of plant species in the surrounding habitat, and even cause some flowers to grow bigger and more plentiful, SFU researchers have found. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-salmon-flourishing-ecosystems.html) 2023-01-26T09:00:03Z **Using ultrafast laser flashes to generate and measure the shortest electron pulse to date**
By using ultrafast laser flashes, scientists at the University of Rostock in collaboration with researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart have generated and measured the shortest electron pulse to date. The electron pulse was created by using lasers to remove electrons from a tiny metal tip and lasted only 53 attoseconds, that is, 53 billionths of a billionth of a se ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ultrafast-laser-generate-shortest-electron.html) 2023-01-26T08:58:03Z **BepiColombo and Solar Orbiter compare notes at Venus**
The convergence of two spacecraft at Venus in August 2021 has given a unique insight into how the planet is able to retain its thick atmosphere without the protection of a global magnetic field. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-bepicolombo-solar-orbiter-venus.html) 2023-01-26T14:07:03Z **One step closer to optimal fertilization of clover grass**
Clover-grass mixtures are popular because they do not need to be fertilized as much as pure grass crops. Indeed, legumes such as white and red clover are self-sufficient in nitrogen. They can simply fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix part of the nitrogen in the soil. In this way, they can actually also provide nutrients for the grasses that also form part of the field's plant community. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-closer-optimal-fertilization-clover-grass.html) 2023-01-27T02:20:39Z **Climate modelers add ocean biogeochemistry and fisheries to forecasts of future upwelling**
A handful of hyper-productive fisheries provide sustenance to a billion people and employ tens of millions. These fisheries occur on the eastern edges of the world's oceans—off the West Coast of the U.S., the Canary Islands, Peru, Chile, and Benguela. There, a process called upwelling brings cold water and nutrients to the surface, which in turn supports large numbers of larger sea creatures that h ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-ocean-biogeochemistry-fisheries-future.html) 2023-01-27T09:29:03Z **Alien plant species are spreading rapidly in mountainous areas, says new monitoring study**
Many mountain ranges contain semi-natural habitats experiencing little human interference. They are home to many animal and plant species, some of them endemic and highly specialized. Mountains have also been largely spared by invasions of alien plant species or neophytes. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-alien-species-rapidly-mountainous-areas.html) 2023-01-27T14:47:08Z **ChatGPT: Study shows AI can produce academic papers good enough for journals—just as some ban it**
Some of the world's biggest academic journal publishers have banned or curbed their authors from using the advanced chatbot, ChatGPT. Because the bot uses information from the internet to produce highly readable answers to questions, the publishers are worried that inaccurate or plagiarized work could enter the pages of academic literature. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-chatgpt-ai-academic-papers-good.html) 2023-01-27T14:46:23Z **First observation of de Broglie-Mackinnon wave packets achieved by exploiting loophole in 1980s theorem**
University of Central Florida College of Optics and Photonics researchers achieved the first observation of de Broglie-Mackinnon wave packets by exploiting a loophole in a 1980s-era laser physics theorem. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-de-broglie-mackinnon-packets-exploiting-loophole.html) 2023-01-28T02:26:41Z **Camera captures night sky spiral after SpaceX rocket launch**
A camera atop Hawaii's tallest mountain has captured what looks like a spiral swirling through the night sky. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-camera-captures-night-sky-spiral.html) 2023-01-29T07:14:40Z **Authorities raise alert level around Lascar volcano in northern Chile**
Authorities in Chile on Saturday raised the alert level and limited access to the area around the Lascar volcano, after an increase in seismic activity raised fears of a possible eruption. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-authorities-lascar-volcano-northern-chile.html) 2023-01-29T07:14:17Z **'Drought' has New Yorkers asking: 'Where's the snow?'**
The idea of New York in wintertime conjures up images of Manhattan's Times Square and Central Park shrouded in snow. Not this year. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-drought-yorkers.html) 2023-01-29T14:52:12Z **Puerto Rico's southern region fights for cleaner air, water**
Shuttered windows are a permanent fixture in Salinas, an industrial town on Puerto Rico's southeast coast that is considered one of the U.S. territory's most contaminated regions. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-puerto-rico-southern-region-cleaner.html) 2023-01-30T03:59:16Z **UK's Overseas Territories at ongoing risk from wide range of invasive species**
A new study has for the first time predicted which invasive species could pose a future threat to the UK's ecologically unique Overseas Territories. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uk-overseas-territories-ongoing-wide.html) 2023-01-30T09:08:04Z **Simulations reproduce complex fluctuations in soft X-ray signal detected by satellites**
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used numerical methods to model the variations observed in soft X-ray signals detected by X-ray satellites. They analyzed data from the Suzaku telescope and compared it with modeling of solar winds interacting with the most upper parts of our atmosphere. They succeeded in capturing how the signal varied with the orbital motion of the satellite, with imp ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-simulations-complex-fluctuations-soft-x-ray.html) 2023-01-30T09:02:03Z **Tool helps catch bacterial infections in real time**
A research team led by Professor Xiang David Li from the Department of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a novel chemical tool to reveal how bacteria adapt to the host environment and control host cells. This tool can be used to investigate bacterial interactions with the host in real-time during an infection, which cannot be easily achieved by other methods. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Chemical ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-tool-bacterial-infections-real.html) 2023-01-30T14:20:01Z **Primates colonised the Arctic during a period of ancient global warming—their fate offers a lesson**
Two new species of prehistoric primate were recently identified by scientists studying fossils from Canada's Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic. The primates are closely related and likely originated from a single colonization event, following which they split into two species: Ignacius dawsonae and Ignacius mckennai. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-primates-colonised-arctic-period-ancient.html) 2023-01-30T14:20:01Z **Sheriffs who see themselves as ultimate defenders of the Constitution are especially worried about gun rights**
A gun control law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois in January 2023 immediately faced opposition from a group key to the law's enforcement: sheriffs. They are county-level, locally elected public officials who run jails, provide courthouse security, and, in many counties, are the primary providers of law enforcement services. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sheriffs-ultimate-defenders-constitution-gun.html) 2023-01-30T14:19:03Z **Exploring how to develop better rechargeable aluminum batteries**
A team from China published new work on rechargeable aluminum batteries in Energy Material Advances. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-exploring-rechargeable-aluminum-batteries.html) 2023-01-31T00:10:01Z **Songbird species work together to mob predator owls, but only strike when the time is right**
Fleeing isn't the only way by which songbirds can protect themselves against predators. Many songbird species are known to engage in mobbing, where they gather aggressively around a bird of prey, flying rapidly while making stereotypic movements and loud vocalizations. Mobbing is risky for both parties: birds of prey have been observed to attack their mobbers, while cases are known of mobbing songbirds injur ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-songbird-species-mob-predator-owls.html) 2023-01-31T07:15:24Z **Ukraine war dominates Nobel year again**
From NATO's secretary general to the Ukrainian president, the war in Ukraine dominates the publicly known names submitted by Tuesday's deadline for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ukraine-war-dominates-nobel-year.html) 2023-01-31T12:26:04Z **Climate change may cut US forest inventory by a fifth this century**
A study led by a North Carolina State University researcher found that under more severe climate warming scenarios, the inventory of trees used for timber in the continental United States could decline by as much as 23% by 2100. The largest inventory losses would occur in two of the leading timber regions in the U.S., which are both in the South. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-forest-century.html) 2023-01-31T19:00:02Z **Study examines how reflecting on your values before opening your mouth makes for happier relationships**
Ever found yourself angry at a situation and in desperate need to tell the world about it by ranting to anyone who'll listen? Maybe it's time to pause; inhale and reflect on what values you hold dear. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-values-mouth-happier-relationships.html) 2023-01-31T19:00:01Z **Ancient fossils shed new light on evolution of sea worm**
Ancient fossils have shed new light on a type of sea worm linking it to the time of an evolutionary explosion that gave rise to modern animal life. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ancient-fossils-evolution-sea-worm.html) 2023-02-01T03:50:54Z **Monarch butterflies wintering in California rebound**
The population of western monarch butterflies wintering along the California coast has rebounded for a second year in a row after a precipitous drop in 2020, but the population of orange-and-black insects is still well below what it used to be, researchers announced Tuesday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-monarch-butterflies-wintering-california-rebound.html) 2023-02-01T03:50:22Z **Seawater split to produce green hydrogen**
Researchers have successfully split seawater without pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-seawater-green-hydrogen.html) 2023-02-01T09:27:03Z **Scientists develop a new approach to help optimize marble conservation**
Scientists have used a novel approach that could improve how artifacts made from marble are preserved. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-scientists-approach-optimize-marble.html) 2023-02-01T14:30:02Z **Environmental group urges California to limit the growing of almonds and alfalfa**
As drought and climate change continue to wreak havoc on California's water supply, an environmental advocacy group is calling on the state to limit the cultivation of thirsty crops like almonds and alfalfa, saying the agriculture industry is guzzling most of the state's supplies at the expense of residents. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-environmental-group-urges-california-limit.html) 2023-02-02T03:59:32Z **10 states mull cross-border rules to tackle teacher shortage**
Every Colorado school district, like many across the country, began 2023 understaffed. That's caused classes to be crammed together, school bus routes to shrink, Spanish language courses to get cut from curriculums, and field trips to be nixed. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-states-mull-cross-border-tackle-teacher.html) 2023-02-02T09:10:01Z **Astronomers identify 20 ultraviolet-emitting supernova remnants in the Andromeda Galaxy**
Using the AstroSat satellite, astronomers from the University of Calgary, Canada, have identified 20 supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Andromeda Galaxy, which exhibit diffuse ultraviolet emission. The finding, presented in a research paper published January 25 on the arXiv preprint server, could help us better understand the origin and properties of ultraviolet emission in SNRs. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-astronomers-ultraviolet-emitting-supernova-remnants-andromeda.html) 2023-02-02T09:08:54Z **Building particle accelerators takes more than a village**
Each year, thousands of people travel far and wide to see architectural marvels such as the towering steps of the Kukulcán temple in in Chichen Itza or the intricate facade of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Like these marvels of history and culture, thousands of researchers travel to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) five light source facilities each year. They don't come for the views, though, they come to push the boundaries of science—in fields ran ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-particle-village.html) 2023-02-02T09:08:41Z **Astronomers observe light bending around an isolated white dwarf**
Astronomers have directly measured the mass of a dead star using an effect known as gravitational microlensing, first predicted by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity, and first observed by two Cambridge astronomers 100 years ago. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-astronomers-isolated-white-dwarf.html) 2023-02-02T14:23:02Z **Astronomers come closer to understanding how Mercury formed**
Simulations of the formation of the solar system have been largely successful. They are able to replicate the positions of all the major planets along with their orbital parameters. But current simulations have an extreme amount of difficulty getting the masses of the four terrestrial planets right, especially Mercury. A new study suggests that we need to pay more attention to the giant planets in order to understand the evolution of the smaller o ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-astronomers-closer-mercury.html) 2023-02-03T04:35:17Z **Probing researchers strike gold to stop the trots in pigs**
Gold nanorod probes combined with an optical microscope can now be used to detect signs of a highly contagious and lethal virus that poses a major threat to the swine industry worldwide. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-probing-gold-pigs.html) 2023-02-03T04:29:50Z **Playtime is purr-fect for your cat's welfare**
Play is often considered an indicator and promotor of animal welfare. Playing with your cat may also nurture closer cat-human bonds. In a new study, scientists have investigated these links by applying in-depth empirical methods to analyze data gathered from around the world. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-playtime-purr-fect-cat-welfare.html) 2023-02-03T04:28:55Z **Researchers identify oldest bone spear point In the Americas**
A team of researchers led by a Texas A&M University professor has identified the Manis bone projectile point as the oldest weapon made of bone ever found in the Americas at 13,900 years. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-oldest-bone-spear-americas.html) 2023-02-03T09:43:32Z **A new downside to coffee? It pollutes**
I love coffee. I love it so much that I don't even want to tell you this: ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-downside-coffee-pollutes.html) 2023-02-03T17:34:03Z **When you buy at a discount online, are you really paying more?**
A study published in a recent issue of INFORMS journal Marketing Science has found evidence of a questionable practice that tricks consumers into thinking they are getting a discount when they are actually paying more. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-buy-discount-online-paying.html) 2023-02-04T04:49:40Z **Commonly used police diversity training unlikely to change officers' behavior, study finds**
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop earlier this month in Memphis, has become the latest face in a racial justice and police reform movement fueled by a string of similar cases in which Black men have died from injuries sustained while being taken into custody. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-commonly-police-diversity-officers-behavior.html) 2023-02-04T10:00:01Z **AI is helping us search for intelligent alien life—and we've found 8 strange new signals**
Some 540 million years ago, diverse life forms suddenly began to emerge from the muddy ocean floors of planet Earth. This period is known as the Cambrian Explosion, and these aquatic critters are our ancient ancestors. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ai-intelligent-alien-lifeand-weve.html) 2023-02-05T10:40:02Z **Study reveals new clues about how 'Earth's thermostat' controls climate**
Rocks, rain and carbon dioxide help control Earth's climate over thousands of years—like a thermostat—through a process called weathering. A new study led by Penn State scientists may improve our understanding of how this thermostat responds as temperatures change. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-reveals-clues-earth-thermostat-climate.html) 2023-02-05T16:19:49Z **Chile forest fire toll rises, hundreds left homeless**
Forest fires have killed 24 people, injured nearly 1,000 and destroyed 800 homes in five days as a blistering heat wave grips south-central Chile, authorities said Sunday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-chile-forest-toll-hundreds-left.html) 2023-02-06T04:06:38Z **Powerful quake kills at least 640 people in Turkey, Syria**
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing at least 641 people. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-powerful-quake-people-turkey-syria.html) 2023-02-06T09:21:52Z **Magma observed taking an unexpected route beneath volcanoes**
Imperial researchers have observed magma taking an unexpected route beneath volcanoes, shedding light on the processes behind eruptions. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-magma-unexpected-route-beneath-volcanoes.html) 2023-02-06T09:21:04Z **Pacific Northwest heat dome tree damage more about temperature than drought, scientists say**
Widespread tree scorch in the Pacific Northwest that became visible shortly after multiple days of record-setting, triple-digit temperatures in June 2021 was more attributable to heat than to drought conditions, Oregon State University researchers say. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-pacific-northwest-dome-tree-temperature.html) 2023-02-06T09:19:03Z **Are you thinking of raising chickens because of record-breaking egg prices? Do your research**
The record-breaking price of eggs has encouraged some people to consider raising chickens in the backyard, but it's important to do some research before buying those cute little chicks. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-chickens-record-breaking-egg-prices.html) 2023-02-06T09:17:57Z **X-ray observations investigate radio pulsar PSR J1420-6048 and its nebula**
Using various space telescopes, astronomers have performed X-ray observations of a radio pulsar known as PSR J1420−6048. Results of the observational campaign, published January 27 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the nature of this source and its pulsar wind nebula. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-x-ray-radio-pulsar-psr-j1420-.html) 2023-02-06T14:33:03Z **White sclera is present in chimpanzees and other mammals, not just humans, study finds**
Long believed to be a uniquely human trait crucial for communication, visible white sclera—the "whites of the eye"—occur more commonly in chimpanzees and other mammals than previously reported, finds a new study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-white-sclera-chimpanzees-mammals-humans.html) 2023-02-07T00:00:01Z **Proof that Neanderthals ate crabs is another 'nail in the coffin' for primitive cave dweller stereotypes**
In a cave just south of Lisbon, archaeological deposits conceal a Paleolithic dinner menu. As well as stone tools and charcoal, the site of Gruta de Figueira Brava contains rich deposits of shells and bones with much to tell us about the Neanderthals that lived there—especially about their meals. A study published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology shows that 90,000 years ago, these Nean ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-proof-neanderthals-ate-crabs-coffin.html) 2023-02-07T06:51:37Z **Fungi and bacteria are binging on burned soil**
UC Riverside researchers have identified tiny organisms that not only survive but thrive during the first year after a wildfire. The findings could help bring land back to life after fires that are increasing in both size and severity. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-fungi-bacteria-binging-soil.html) 2023-02-07T12:15:04Z **Tropical storms signaled by atmospheric waves, study finds**
Atmospheric waves trapped close to the equator can be blamed for the formation of some of the world's most devastating tropical storms, new research has found. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tropical-storms-atmospheric.html) 2023-02-07T17:22:02Z **PREX, CREX, and nuclear models: The plot thickens**
A team of theorists has extended their previous critical analysis of the Lead Radius Experiment (PREX). The experiment involved deducing the neutron size of a lead atom's nucleus by measuring a tiny left-right asymmetry in electron scattering off lead-208. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-prex-crex-nuclear-plot-thickens.html) 2023-02-08T04:32:41Z **Peru reports hundreds of sea lion deaths due to bird flu**
Peru said Tuesday that 585 sea lions and 55,000 wild birds have died of the H5N1 bird flu virus in recent weeks, the latest report on the disease's impacts. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-peru-hundreds-sea-lion-deaths.html) 2023-02-08T04:29:41Z **In Spain, storks' trash diet driven by climate change**
The storks float and swoop in formation, circling over a landfill in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains north of Madrid. Then a garbage truck pulls up and disgorges its contents. One by one, they dive to the ground: breakfast is here. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-spain-storks-trash-diet-driven.html) 2023-02-08T09:44:02Z **Termite activity promotes phosphorous availability in rubber plantations**
Termites are social insects of the infraorder Isoptera and are widely distributed across tropical and subtropical ecosystems. These insects are the most important soil bioturbators and have been called "soil engineers." Phosphorus concentrations are usually low in highly weathered tropical acid soils, but termite nests form bioaggregates that serve as carriers for P protection and stabilization. However, few s ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-termite-phosphorous-availability-rubber-plantations.html) 2023-02-08T09:42:03Z **Engineering cytochrome P450BM3 enzymes enables direct nitration of unsaturated hydrocarbons**
Biocatalytic nitration is a promising method for the preparation of nitro compounds. However, few nitration reactions have been developed using biocatalysis due to the lack of native nitrating enzymes and/or the narrow substrate scope of the enzymes. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-cytochrome-p450bm3-enzymes-enables-nitration.html) 2023-02-08T14:52:03Z **Australian study reveals truth behind Indigenous female deaths in custody**
A University of Queensland study found many Indigenous women who died in custody had not been sentenced by a court, but were on remand or in protective custody. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-australian-reveals-truth-indigenous-female.html) 2023-02-09T00:00:02Z **Wildlife recording is good for people, as well as for science**
Science is not the only beneficiary of nature-based "citizen science" projects—taking part also boosts the well-being of participants and their connection to nature, according to research published today (February 9) in the People and Nature journal. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-wildlife-good-people-science.html) 2023-02-09T00:00:01Z **Human test subjects may no longer be needed for mosquito bite trials, thanks to invention of new biomaterial**
Mosquitoes: the world's deadliest animal. These tiny flying insects are vectors for dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika, malaria, and many other illnesses that affect millions of people around the world, with a significant morbidity and mortality burden. Because they spread disease when they bite people, understanding their feeding behavior is critical to reducing the harm they do. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-human-subjects-longer-mosquito-trials.html) 2023-02-09T08:59:03Z **The coastal cod population is not extinct in Sweden, say researchers**
The rumor that the coastal cod is extinct is not true. Through DNA analyses, researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified that there are still juvenile coastal cod off the west coast of Sweden. However, it is still difficult to find any mature adult cod in the area. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-coastal-cod-population-extinct-sweden.html) 2023-02-09T08:56:03Z **New photodiode with extremely low excess noise for optical communication and long range LIDAR**
Optical pulses, which appear as a flash of light, are used to transmit information in high speed optical fibers, and are increasingly used in Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) for 3-dimensional imaging. Both of these applications demand light sensors or photodiodes that are capable of detecting very low levels of light intensity down to a few photons, where a single photon is the quantized energy ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-photodiode-extremely-excess-noise-optical.html) 2023-02-09T08:55:03Z **Aggregated gold nanoparticle conjugates for multimodal imaging and synergistic phototherapy**
National University of Singapore chemists have discovered that aggregated, photosensitized, gold nanoparticle conjugates can be used for multimodal imaging and synergistic phototherapy to destroy cancer cells effectively at power densities below the skin tolerance threshold. The research is published in the journal Nano Today. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-aggregated-gold-nanoparticle-conjugates-multimodal.html) 2023-02-09T14:06:36Z **Study finds food and beverage brands are common in child-influencer YouTube videos**
Candy, sweet and salty snacks, sugary drinks, and ice cream brands frequently appear in videos posted by top child-influencers on "made-for-kids" YouTube channels, according to a new paper from researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut. Video views for the 13 channels analyzed in this study exceeded 155 billion as of June 2020. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-food-beverage-brands-common-child-influencer.html) 2023-02-10T03:33:43Z **SpaceX ignites giant Starship rocket in crucial pad test**
SpaceX is a big step closer to sending its giant Starship spacecraft into orbit, completing an engine-firing test at the launch pad on Thursday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-spacex-ignites-giant-starship-rocket.html) 2023-02-10T03:33:18Z **China space station crew completes spacewalk**
The crew of China's orbiting space station has completed the first of several planned spacewalks of their six-month mission, pushing such activities into the realm of routine for the country's astronauts. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-china-space-station-crew-spacewalk.html) 2023-02-10T09:19:40Z **Overloading workers with too many difficult tasks in a row makes them more likely to quit, study finds**
Managers who want to keep employees from quitting should consider reordering their tasks, according to a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences co-authored by Wharton management professor Maurice Schweitzer, Polly Kang, a recent graduate of the Wharton doctoral program, and David P. Daniels, a professor of management and organization at NUS Business School at the Nat ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-overloading-workers-difficult-tasks-row.html) 2023-02-10T14:27:06Z **Record low sea ice cover in the Antarctic**
There is currently less sea ice in the Antarctic than at any time in the forty years since the beginning of satellite observation: in early February 2023, only 2.20 million square kilometers of the Southern Ocean were covered with sea ice. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and the University of Bremen analyze the situation for the Sea Ice Portal. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-sea-ice-antarctic.html) 2023-02-10T14:25:51Z **Flight from self-employment as UK cost of living crisis continues**
New analysis of self-employed people in the UK, co-authored by the University of Liverpool Management School, shows an exodus of those who are full-time or who employ others, while most who remain in self-employment have been suffering falling incomes and profits. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-flight-self-employment-uk-crisis.html) 2023-02-11T04:30:01Z **Beach erosion: Satellites reveal how climate cycles impact coastlines**
Researchers from UNSW Sydney have analyzed millions of satellite photos to observe changes in beaches across the Pacific Ocean. The findings, published in Nature Geoscience today (Feb. 10), reveal for the first time how coastlines respond to different phases of the El-Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-beach-erosion-satellites-reveal-climate.html) 2023-02-11T09:50:01Z **Small asteroid 'serendipitously' detected using James Webb telescope**
European astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected a previously unknown asteroid about the size of Rome's Colosseum in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-small-asteroid-serendipitously-james-webb.html) 2023-02-12T05:50:01Z **Earth has lost one-fifth of its wetlands since 1700—but most could still be saved**
Like so many of the planet's natural habitats, wetlands have been systematically destroyed over the past 300 years. Bogs, fens, marshes and swamps have disappeared from maps and memory, having been drained, dug up and built on. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-earth-lost-one-fifth-wetlands-1700but.html) 2023-02-12T15:32:22Z **Russian spacecraft leaks coolant, station crew reported safe**
An uncrewed Russian supply ship docked at the International Space Station has leaked coolant, the Russian space corporation and NASA reported Saturday, saying the incident doesn't pose any danger to the station's crew. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-russian-spacecraft-leaks-coolant-station.html) 2023-02-13T03:41:28Z **European big cat population threatened with extinction as genetics show the population is near collapse**
Scientists warn that if action isn't taken soon, the Eurasian lynx will vanish from France. This elusive wild cat, which was reintroduced to Switzerland in the 1970s, moved across the French border by the end of the decade. But a genetic study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science showed that the lynx population in France is in desperate need of help to survive. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-european-big-cat-population-threatened.html) 2023-02-13T08:48:04Z **Research video shows sailfish's point of view and reveals new hunting behavior**
To say studying sailfish is challenging is an understatement. These fish, often described as the "fastest fish in the world," exhibit some remarkable traits as they make their way through the oceans in search of their next meal. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-video-sailfish-view-reveals-behavior.html) 2023-02-13T13:53:03Z **Examining asphalt volcanoes' natural communities**
Santa Barbara Channel's natural oil seeps are a beach-goer's bane, flecking the shores with blobs of tar. But the leaking petroleum also creates fascinating geologic and biologic features. About 10 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, several jet-black mounds interrupt the featureless sea floor. These asphalt volcanoes, virtually unique in the world, provide a rare habitat in a region known for its underwater biodiversity. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-asphalt-volcanoes-natural-communities.html) 2023-02-13T19:00:01Z **Public awareness of 'nuclear winter' too low given current risks, argues expert**
There is a lack of awareness among UK and US populations of "nuclear winter," the potential for catastrophic long-term environmental consequences from any exchange of nuclear warheads. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-awareness-nuclear-winter-current-expert.html) 2023-02-14T02:09:49Z **Chicken and farmed salmon have remarkably similar environmental footprints**
We love our chicken. We love our salmon. Thanks to how we farm these two popular proteins, their environmental footprints are surprisingly similar. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-chicken-farmed-salmon-remarkably-similar.html) 2023-02-14T02:06:51Z **A tool to prevent deaths due to female underrepresentation in clinical trials**
Women are often underrepresented in cardiac clinical trials—yet they are at least at equally high risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, and at higher risk of developing drug-induced heart complications compared to men. Clinical trials of medicines generally rely on electrocardiograms (EKG) to measure a patient's heart's response to a medicine and determine its safety, yet males and females have a number of ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tool-deaths-due-female-underrepresentation.html) 2023-02-14T07:14:10Z **Kangaroo fecal microbes could reduce methane from cows**
Baby kangaroo feces might help provide an unlikely solution to the environmental problem of cow-produced methane. A microbial culture developed from the kangaroo feces inhibited methane production in a cow stomach simulator in a Washington State University study. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-kangaroo-fecal-microbes-methane-cows.html) 2023-02-14T12:20:02Z **Tribes in Maine left out of Native American resurgence by 40-year-old federal law denying their self-determination**
Hundreds of the 574 federally recognized Indian nations in the U.S. now routinely provide their citizens with the full array of services customarily expected from state and local governments, from tax collection to environmental protection regulations. At the same time, many tribes are becoming the economic engines of their regions. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tribes-maine-left-native-american.html) 2023-02-14T19:00:02Z **Climate change portends wider malaria risk as mosquitoes spread south and to higher elevations in Africa**
Based on data that span the past 120 years, scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have found that the mosquitoes responsible for transmitting malaria in Africa are spreading deeper into southern Africa and to higher elevations than previously recorded. The researchers estimate that Anopheles mosquito populations in sub-Saharan Africa have gained an average of 6.5 meters (21 f ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-climate-portends-wider-malaria-mosquitoes.html) 2023-02-15T01:58:51Z **Researchers find thermal limits of advanced nanomaterials**
A team of FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers at the High-Performance Materials Institute is exploring the thermal limits of advanced nanomaterials, work that could have a direct impact on medicine delivery systems, electronics, space travel and other applications. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-thermal-limits-advanced-nanomaterials.html) 2023-02-15T08:29:17Z **Waters off New England had 2nd warmest year on record in '22**
The waters off New England, which are home to rare whales and most of the American lobster fishing industry, logged the second-warmest year on record last year. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-england-2nd-warmest-year.html) 2023-02-15T13:33:03Z **Study reveals impacts of savannization on Brazilian Amazon land animals**
From jaguars and ocelots to anteaters and capybara, most land-based mammals living in the Brazilian Amazon are threatened by climate change and the projected savannization of the region. That's according to a study published in the journal Animal Conservation by the University of California, Davis. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-reveals-impacts-savannization-brazilian-amazon.html) 2023-02-15T19:00:02Z **Giant meat-eating dinosaur footprint is largest found in Yorkshire**
An almost meter-long footprint made by a giant, meat-eating theropod dinosaur from the Jurassic Period represents the largest of its kind ever found in Yorkshire. Curiously, the unusual footprint appears to capture the moment that the dinosaur rested or crouched down some 166 million years ago. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-giant-meat-eating-dinosaur-footprint-largest.html) 2023-02-15T19:00:01Z **Novel method to accurately measure key marker of biological aging**
Telomeres—the caps at the ends of chromosomes that protect our genetic materials from the brunt of cellular wear and tear—are known to shorten and fray over time. Lifestyle, diet and stress can exacerbate this process, leading to early loss of telomere protection and increasing the chances of early aging and diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-method-accurately-key-marker-biological.html) 2023-02-16T03:33:28Z **Building higher islands could save the Maldives from sea-level rise, says study**
Artificially raising island heights or building completely new higher islands have been proposed as solutions to sea-level rise in the Maldives and other low-lying nations. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-higher-islands-maldives-sea-level.html) 2023-02-16T09:19:03Z **Researchers propose rapid identification and drug resistance screening of respiratory pathogens**
In a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, a cooperative research group from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Jilin University proposed rapid identification and drug resistance screening of pathogenic bacteria based on single cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS). ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-rapid-identification-drug-resistance-screening.html) 2023-02-16T09:18:03Z **Changes in the navigability of the Arctic Northeast Passage over the past four decades**
Under global warming, the Arctic has warmed almost four times faster than the rest of the globe, and the sea-ice extent and thickness have significantly decreased and thinned over the past four decades. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-arctic-northeast-passage-decades.html) 2023-02-16T09:17:03Z **Ozone depletion leads to Antarctic upper-stratospheric warming in winter**
Since the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in the 1980s, numerous studies have pointed out that this depletion of ozone in the Antarctic has important impacts on global climate change, and that the changes in Antarctic stratospheric temperatures during austral winter are of great significance to ozone depletion and the formation of the ozone hole. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-ozone-depletion-antarctic-upper-stratospheric-winter.html) 2023-02-16T09:15:02Z **Contents of containers of fossils from 1909 expedition reconstructed nondestructively**
Between 1909 and 1913, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin organized and financed the German Tendaguru Expedition (GTE) to southern Tanzania, at that time still the German colony of Deutsch-Ostafrika. With the participation of more than 500 local African excavation workers, a large number of porters, and two Berlin scientists, a total of more than 230 tons of fossil dinosaur material was taken to Berlin. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-contents-fossils-reconstructed-nondestructively.html) 2023-02-16T14:20:01Z **What is a UFO? The US shot down three mysterious objects as interest and concern increase over unidentified craft**
On the heels of the Feb. 4, 2023, shooting down of a Chinese balloon suspected of spying on the U.S., American fighter jets have shot down three additional objects in or near U.S. airspace. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-ufo-shot-mysterious-unidentified-craft.html) 2023-02-17T02:10:16Z **Drought and frost batter vital potato crops in Bolivia**
Dozens of furrows lie barren in a dusty field on the Bolivian highlands. It should be replete with potato plants ready for harvest, but a deadly combination of drought and frost proved too much for the crop. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-drought-frost-batter-vital-potato.html) 2023-02-17T02:09:56Z **All hands on deck as UN meets to protect high seas**
UN member states are meeting in New York from Monday with the aim of launching a long-berthed high-seas treaty, a crucial step toward the goal of protecting 30 percent of the planet by 2030. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-deck-high-seas.html) 2023-02-17T02:09:33Z **Amazon pollution: the stain on Ecuador's oil boom**
Lago Agrio is where it began in February 1967: Ecuador's first oil well drilled by the US Texaco-Gulf consortium to ring in an era of black gold for the Ecuadoran Amazon. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-amazon-pollution-ecuador-oil-boom.html) 2023-02-17T02:07:17Z **Japan aborts launch of 1st H3 rocket carrying defense sensor**
The launch of a new flagship series H3 rocket carrying an observation satellite and an experimental infrared sensor that could detect missile launches was aborted Friday after its auxiliary booster engines failed to ignite, Japan's space agency said. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-japan-aborts-1st-h3-rocket.html) 2023-02-17T09:28:04Z **Decoding a histone mark important for a gene regulation that goes awry in cancer**
A research team from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) led by Professor Xiang David Li from the Department of Chemistry in collaboration with Dr. Yuanliang Zhai from the HKU School of Biological Sciences and Dr. Jason Wing Hon Wong and Dr. Xiucong Bao from the HKU School of Biomedical Sciences recently made a key breakthrough in understanding how genetic information encoded in our DNA is read and why errors in readin ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-decoding-histone-important-gene-awry.html) 2023-02-17T15:40:42Z **Technical report: LEDs change laboratory measurements of light**
The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) has published Technical Report CIE 251:2023 LED Reference Spectrum for Photometer Calibration, related to laboratory measurements of LED lighting. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-technical-laboratory.html) 2023-02-17T15:39:56Z **Investigating the nanomechanical properties of the surface layers of hair fibers**
A project led by Ella Hudson, Ph.D. Researcher at The University of Sheffield, seeks to ascertain the contribution of the hair cuticle to the mechanical properties of the whole fiber. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-nanomechanical-properties-surface-layers-hair.html) 2023-02-17T15:39:43Z **VIIRS sensor on NOAA-21 now collecting new imagery**
The Visible and Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the recently launched NOAA-21 satellite started collecting Earth science data from its day-night band (DNB) and its thermal emissive bands (TEB) on Feb. 9, 2023. This comes three months after the satellite launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 10, 2022. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-viirs-sensor-noaa-imagery.html) 2023-02-17T15:39:30Z **NASA's Perseverance rover set to begin third year at Jezero Crater**
After completing the first sample depot on another world, the rover continues its hunt for Mars rocks worthy of study on Earth. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-nasa-perseverance-rover-year-jezero.html) 2023-02-17T15:38:55Z **New type of bolometer detector for far-infrared telescopes**
To study how stars and planets are born we have to look at star cradles hidden in cool clouds of dust. Far-infrared telescopes are able to pierce through those clouds. Conventionally, niobium nitride bolometers are used as the detectors, despite their low operating temperature of 4 Kelvin (-269° Celsius). ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-bolometer-detector-far-infrared-telescopes.html) 2023-02-17T15:38:45Z **Wine connoisseurs face testing times as climate change alters flavors**
Global warming is affecting vineyards and the taste of wines. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-wine-connoisseurs-climate-flavors.html) 2023-02-17T15:38:09Z **Electrocatalysis: Iron and cobalt oxyhydroxides examined**
Very soon, we need to become fossil free, not only in the energy sector, but in industry as well. Hydrocarbons or other raw chemicals can be produced in principle using renewable energy and abundant molecules such as water and carbon dioxide with the help of electrocatalytically active materials. But at the moment, those catalyst materials either consist of expensive and rare materials or lack efficiency. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-electrocatalysis-iron-cobalt-oxyhydroxides.html) 2023-02-18T04:02:20Z **EPA moves to restore rule on mercury from power plants**
The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday reaffirmed the basis for a rule that requires "significant reductions" in mercury and other harmful pollutants from power plants, reversing a move late in former President Donald Trump's administration to roll back emissions standards. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-epa-mercury-power.html) 2023-02-18T04:01:26Z **Protecting high seas off Chile's coast depends on UN vote in New York**
In international waters off the coasts of Chile and Peru, the ocean teems with plant and animal species—some do not exist anywhere else and many are endangered. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-high-seas-chile-coast-vote.html) 2023-02-18T11:23:07Z **Russia 'expected' to launch rescue ship to ISS on Feb 24: official**
Russia's space agency said Saturday it was planning to send a rescue ship on February 24 to bring home three astronauts whose return vehicle was damaged by a tiny meteoroid. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-russia-ship-iss-feb.html) 2023-02-18T11:22:32Z **Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu**
A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited worries about the virus spreading more broadly to people. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-sick-minks-reigniting-bird-flu.html) 2023-02-19T09:50:01Z **Was Earth already heating up, or did global warming reverse a long-term cooling trend?**
Over the past century, the Earth's average temperature has swiftly increased by about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The evidence is hard to dispute. It comes from thermometers and other sensors around the world. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-earth-global-reverse-long-term-cooling.html) 2023-02-20T04:06:22Z **Cyclone recovery expected to cost New Zealand billions**
New Zealand said Monday it was likely to cost billions of dollars to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle as the national state of emergency was extended by another week. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-cyclone-recovery-zealand-billions.html) 2023-02-20T09:14:02Z **Bringing verbs into the language of economics**
In the last 50 years, economic theory has come to be based almost solely on mathematics. This brings logical precision, but according to a new paper by SFI economist Brian Arthur, it restricts what economics can easily talk about. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-verbs-language-economics.html) 2023-02-20T14:19:25Z **Gauging the environmental impact of urban farms and gardens**
Urban agriculture is rapidly growing in cities across the global north, but without data on its environmental impact, it's all but impossible to craft policies for sustainable urban food production. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-gauging-environmental-impact-urban-farms.html) 2023-02-21T04:10:22Z **Crew stuck on ISS to return to Earth in September: Russia**
Russia's space agency on Tuesday said that the crew stuck on the International Space Station because of a damaged capsule were now expected to return to Earth in September, a year after they first launched into orbit. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-crew-stuck-iss-earth-september.html) 2023-02-21T04:09:36Z **Energy firms not doing enough to cut methane: IEA**
Oil and gas companies are not doing enough to cut methane emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Tuesday, despite high energy prices making abatement measures mostly pay for themselves. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-energy-firms-methane-iea.html) 2023-02-21T04:08:15Z **Prisons should improve transparency in death investigations to improve prison safety, report finds**
The UK Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) must improve transparency when investigating prisoner deaths, according to a new report and policy brief by prison safety experts at the University of Nottingham. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-prisons-transparency-death-prison-safety.html) 2023-02-21T09:18:04Z **Flint water crisis demonstrates value of social networks**
The size, strength and makeup of people's social networks are key indicators of how they will respond to the health consequences of an environmental disaster, according to a new Cornell study that focused on the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-flint-crisis-social-networks.html) 2023-02-21T14:42:04Z **Deep learning enhanced NIR-II volumetric imaging of whole mice vasculature**
In vivo small animal fluorescence imaging is widely used in oncology, drugs, antibodies, nanomaterials, inflammation, immune diseases, gene therapy, apoptosis, and other research fields because of its advantages such as in vivo real-time imaging observation of labeled animal tissues or exogenous drugs. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-deep-nir-ii-volumetric-imaging-mice.html) 2023-02-22T03:27:05Z **Mapping out a path to protecting Iran's endangered species**
With the Iranian Government recently committing to increasing protected areas—such as national parks—to 20 percent of Iran's land, researchers have mapped out a way to identify the most important areas needed to protect the most endangered species. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-path-iran-endangered-species.html) 2023-02-22T08:40:02Z **Researchers uncover how photosynthetic organisms regulate and synthesize ATP**
ATP, the compound essential for the functioning of photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, is produced by an enzyme called "chloroplast ATP synthase" (CFoCF1). To control ATP production under varying light conditions, the enzyme uses a redox regulatory mechanism that modifies the ATP synthesis activity in response to changes in the redox state of cysteine (Cys) residues, which exist as dithiols under red ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-uncover-photosynthetic-atp.html) 2023-02-22T13:46:07Z **How lake ice formation influences transformation of dissolved organic matter**
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the main form and active component of natural organic matter in lakes. Microbial- and photo-degradation of DOM can release large amounts of small molecule organic acids and biogenic substances. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-lake-ice-formation-dissolved.html) 2023-02-22T13:46:00Z **Multifunctional hydrogel electrode helps to collect high-quality electroencephalography signals**
Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University have developed a multifunctional hydrogel electrode with excellent conductivity, adhesion, and anti-interference properties, which can achieve high-quality wireless collection of prefrontal electroencephalography (EEG) signals. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-multifunctional-hydrogel-electrode-high-quality-electroencephalography.html) 2023-02-22T13:42:56Z **Urban friction could strengthen landfalling tropical cyclone precipitation**
Landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) can pose substantial threats to densely populated and highly developed cities on the North Pacific and North Atlantic coasts. For example, Hurricane Harvey, which occurred in 2017, impacted Houston in the U.S. with record-breaking rainfall and flooding and caused over 80 fatalities and $125 billion in losses. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-urban-friction-landfalling-tropical-cyclone.html) 2023-02-22T19:00:02Z **'Anti-social' damselfish are scaring off cleaner fish customers, which could contribute to coral reef breakdown**
Damselfish have been discovered to disrupt "cleaning services" vital to the health of reefs, and climate change may mean this is only likely to get worse. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-anti-social-damselfish-cleaner-fish-customers.html) 2023-02-22T19:00:02Z **Prioritize tackling toxic emissions from tires, urge experts**
Experts from Imperial College London are calling for more to be done to limit the potentially harmful impact of toxic tire particles on health and the environment. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-prioritize-tackling-toxic-emissions-urge.html) 2023-02-23T02:53:36Z **New design for lithium-air battery could offer much longer driving range compared with the lithium-ion battery**
Many owners of electric cars have wished for a battery pack that could power their vehicle for more than a thousand miles on a single charge. Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a lithium-air battery that could make that dream a reality. The team's new battery design could also ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-lithium-air-battery-longer-range-lithium-ion.html) 2023-02-23T09:20:03Z **Mushrooms could help replace plastics in new high-performance ultra-light materials**
A research group from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland has unlocked the secret behind the extraordinary mechanical properties and ultra-light weight of certain fungi. The complex architectural design of mushrooms could be mimicked and used to create new materials to replace plastics. The research results were published on February 22, 2023, in Science Advances. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-mushrooms-plastics-high-performance-ultra-light-materials.html) 2023-02-23T14:30:01Z **Households find low waste living challenging. Here's what needs to change**
Australian households produce about 12 million tons of waste every year. That puts the sector almost on par with manufacturing or construction. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-households.html) 2023-02-24T04:04:32Z **Flotsam found off New York may be from famous SS Savannah**
A chunk of weather-beaten flotsam that washed up on a New York shoreline after Tropical Storm Ian last fall has piqued the interest of experts who say it is likely part of the SS Savannah, which ran aground and broke apart in 1821, two years after it became the first vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean partly under steam power. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-flotsam-york-famous-ss-savannah.html) 2023-02-24T04:00:01Z **New discovery sheds light on very early supermassive black holes**
Astronomers from the University of Texas and the University of Arizona have discovered a rapidly growing black hole in one of the most extreme galaxies known in the very early universe. The discovery of the galaxy and the black hole at its center provides new clues on the formation of the very first supermassive black holes. The new work is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-discovery-early-supermassive-black-holes.html) 2023-02-24T09:35:02Z **When material goes quantum, electrons slow down and form a crystal**
The shifting, scintillating pattern you can see when you stack two slightly misaligned window screens is called moiré. A similar interference effect occurs when scientists stack two-dimensional crystals with mismatched atomic spacings. Moiré superlattices display exotic physical properties that are absent in the layers that make up the patterns. These properties are rooted in the quantum nature of electrons. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-material-quantum-electrons-crystal.html) 2023-02-24T16:18:12Z **Heavy snow hits southern California**
Heavy snow fell in southern California on Friday, as the first blizzard in a generation pounded the Los Angeles area, with heavy rains threatening flooding in other places. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-heavy-southern-california.html) 2023-02-24T16:17:26Z **Workers moving products in the US food supply chain at high risk of injury**
Workers tasked with moving products in the immense U.S. food system are at a high risk of serious injury, according to a new Penn State-led study, and pandemic-caused, supply-chain problems have worsened the situation, researchers suggest. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-workers-products-food-chain-high.html) 2023-02-24T16:15:35Z **The coexistence of race and anti-racism in Geoffrey Morant's anti-Nazi anthropology**
As the Nazi party rose to power in 1930s Germany, anthropologists in both England and the United States struggled to respond to Hitler's theories of pure races, Aryan-Nordic ascendancy, and the threat of racial mixing. Though most anthropologists saw the ideology as "nonsense," there was little consensus in the field on the definition of race and many scholars did not voice their opposition, hoping to ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-coexistence-anti-racism-geoffrey-morant-anti-nazi.html) 2023-02-24T16:11:58Z **Clues about the northeast's past and future climate from plant fossils**
Ancient climates can help us understand the past, but also the future. 23 million years ago, in a time called the Miocene Epoch, Connecticut was around five to six degrees warmer than today and located roughly where Long Island is now. By the end of the Miocene, around five million years ago the earth had gradually cooled, Antarctica was glaciated, and there was some Arctic ice as well. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-clues-northeast-future-climate-fossils.html) 2023-02-25T06:06:25Z **Euclid spacecraft prepares to probe universe's dark mysteries**
For now, Europe's Euclid spacecraft sits quietly in a sterilized room in the south of France, its golden trim gleaming under the fluorescent light. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-euclid-spacecraft-probe-universe-dark.html) 2023-02-26T06:43:19Z **Russian ship docks with ISS to replace damaged capsule**
An uncrewed Russian Soyuz capsule docked early Sunday with the International Space Station and will eventually bring home three astronauts whose initial return vehicle was damaged by a tiny meteoroid. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-russian-ship-docks-iss-capsule.html) 2023-02-26T14:11:54Z **Extinct-in-the-wild species in conservation limbo**
For species classified as "extinct in the wild", the zoos and botanical gardens where their fates hang by a thread are as often anterooms to oblivion as gateways to recovery, new research has shown. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-extinct-in-the-wild-species-limbo.html) 2023-02-27T02:20:09Z **Voluntary UK initiatives to phase out toxic lead shot for pheasant hunting have had little impact**
Three years into a five-year pledge to completely phase out lead shot in UK game hunting, a Cambridge study finds that 94% of pheasants on sale for human consumption were killed using lead. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-voluntary-uk-phase-toxic-shot.html) 2023-02-27T08:42:45Z **Researchers propose copper-catalyzed rearrangement of cyclic ethynylethylene carbonates**
Copper-catalyzed reaction of cyclic ethynylethylene carbonates (EECs) has become one of the hottest research fields. Most of the reaction modes involve the nucleophilic substitution process. However, the development of new reactivities or reaction modes based on copper-catalyzed EECs remains a challenge. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-copper-catalyzed-rearrangement-cyclic-ethynylethylene-carbonates.html) 2023-02-27T13:52:28Z **Report shines light on what US midterm election results could mean for future of American politics**
What the United States midterm election results revealed about the current state of democracy in the country —and the challenges that might lie ahead for both major parties—is examined in a new report led by a politics expert from London's Kingston University. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-midterm-election-results-future-american.html) 2023-02-27T13:52:07Z **Telling time on the moon**
A new era of lunar exploration is on the rise, with dozens of moon missions planned for the coming decade. Europe is in the forefront here, contributing to building the Gateway lunar station and the Orion spacecraft—set to return humans to our natural satellite—as well as developing its large logistic lunar lander, known as Argonaut. As dozens of missions will be operating on and around the moon and needing to communicate together and fix their positions independently from Earth, this new era will requi ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-moon.html) 2023-02-27T13:51:06Z **Study: Tiny environmental plastic particles in mom's food reach unborn children**
Nanoscale plastic particles like those that permeate most food and water pass from pregnant rats to their unborn children and may impair fetal development, according to a Rutgers study that suggests the same process happens in humans. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tiny-environmental-plastic-particles-mom.html) 2023-02-27T13:51:04Z **Shrinking age distribution of spawning salmon raises climate resilience concerns**
By returning to spawn in the Sacramento River at different ages, Chinook salmon lessen the potential impact of a bad year and increase the stability of their population in the face of climate variability, according to a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA Fisheries. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-age-spawning-salmon-climate-resilience.html) 2023-02-27T19:00:01Z **Experts demand fire safety policy change over health impact of widely used flame retardants**
Leading environmental health experts have called for a comprehensive review of the UK's fire safety regulations, with a focus on the environmental and health risks of current chemical flame retardants. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-experts-demand-safety-policy-health.html) 2023-02-28T00:10:01Z **A dozen exotic bacteria are found to passively collect rare earth elements from wastewater**
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals, which got their name because they typically occur at low concentrations (between 0.5 and 67 parts per million) within Earth's crust. Because they are indispensable in modern technology such as light-emitting diodes, mobile phones, electromotors, wind turbines, hard disks, cameras, magnets and low-energy lightbulbs, the demand for them h ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-dozen-exotic-bacteria-passively-rare.html) 2023-02-28T06:50:01Z **The experimental realization of quantum overlapping tomography**
Quantum tomography is a process that involves the reconstruction and characterization of a quantum state using a series of collected measurements. Over the past few years, many physicists have been trying to use this process to learn more about quantum states, as this could also advance the development of quantum technologies. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-experimental-quantum-overlapping-tomography.html) 2023-02-28T11:53:04Z **Plant and animal species that adapt quickly to city life are more likely to survive, finds research**
It's five o'clock on a summer morning in Winnipeg. Our research team is unloading a series of small traps from the trunk of our car, which is parked on a residential road. Using a stick, we slather peanut butter from a huge jar into each trap as bait and quietly sneak into the yards we've been given permission to enter, placing the traps in suitable locations. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-animal-species-quickly-city-life.html) 2023-02-28T18:00:01Z **Young snapping shrimps' tiny claws accelerate in water like a bullet**
When it comes to a quick draw, few creatures outgun adult snapping shrimp (Alpheus heterochaelis). They stun passing fish and foes with a simple click of a spring-loaded claw, which squirts a high-speed jet that rips through the water, producing a vapor-filled bubble (a cavitation bubble) that then implodes, resulting in a catastrophic shock wave—complete with a sharp popping sound and minute flash of light—to incapacitate their op ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-02-young-snapping-shrimps-tiny-claws.html) 2023-03-01T01:36:32Z **Novel method of analyzing microplastic particle pollution can facilitate environmental impact assessment**
In the last decade, growing numbers of researchers have studied plastic pollution, one of the world's most pressing environmental hazards. They have made progress but still face challenges, such as the comparability of results, especially with regard to microplastic particles. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-method-microplastic-particle-pollution-environmental.html) 2023-03-01T09:01:40Z **Observations shed more light on the behavior of a nearby blazar**
An international team of astronomers has conducted a long-term multi-frequency radio monitoring of a nearby blazar known as OJ 287. Results of the observational campaign, published February 22 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more light about the behavior of this blazar, especially regarding its radio variability. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-behavior-nearby-blazar.html) 2023-03-01T14:05:03Z **Study forecasts tile drainage and crop rotation changes for nitrogen loss**
Midwestern agriculture contributes the vast majority of nitrogen in the Gulf of Mexico, causing an oxygen-starved hypoxic zone and challenging coastal economies. State and federal policies have tried for decades to provide solutions and incentives, but the hypoxic zone keeps coming back. A recent study from the University of Illinois offers a new way to understand Midwestern nitrogen dynamics and forecasts future nitrogen l ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-tile-drainage-crop-rotation-nitrogen.html) 2023-03-01T19:10:01Z **Fishing for proteins: Scientists use new optical tweezer technology to study DNA repair**
Tucked away in a small, dark room at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Brittani Schnable is on a fishing expedition. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-fishing-proteins-scientists-optical-tweezer.html) 2023-03-02T02:01:16Z **Air pollution sensor integrated and tested with commercial satellite host**
Air pollution is an existential threat to millions of Americans with asthma and other health issues. In response to that threat, NASA and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are innovating to improve observations of air quality in North America. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-air-pollution-sensor-commercial-satellite.html) 2023-03-02T09:10:35Z **Reassessment of Storegga event: Second major landslide recognized**
The Storegga event is one of the largest submarine landslides known in the world and is located off the coast of Norway. It occurred about 8,150 years ago, after the end of the last ice age, and triggered a massive tsunami that devastated the coasts of the North Atlantic and what was then the North Sea. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-reassessment-storegga-event-major-landslide.html) 2023-03-02T14:13:07Z **Battle simmers in Illinois over plans to pipe in and store millions of tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide**
On a subfreezing day in January, John Feltham drove his two-seat Kawasaki utility vehicle over neatly furrowed fields glistening with snow. There were deer and coyote tracks, black crows flapping against a powder blue sky, and signs everywhere of Feltham's deep roots in this fertile land. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-simmers-illinois-pipe-millions-tons.html) 2023-03-03T01:49:35Z **Stick to your lane: Hidden order in chaotic crowds**
Have you ever wondered how pedestrians 'know' to fall into lanes when they are moving through a crowd, without the matter being discussed or even given conscious thought? ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-lane-hidden-chaotic-crowds.html) 2023-03-03T01:48:57Z **Report: The world is becoming increasingly authoritarian, but there is hope**
For the first time in two decades, there are more closed autocracies than liberal democracies in the world, but the future is not entirely bleak. This is shown in this year's democracy report from the Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem Institute) at the University of Gothenburg. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-world-authoritarian.html) 2023-03-03T07:53:58Z **SpaceX Dragon crew enter International Space Station**
Four astronauts entered the International Space Station on Friday after their SpaceX Dragon Crew-6 mission successfully docked, a NASA livestream showed. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-spacex-dragon-crew-international-space.html) 2023-03-03T12:59:03Z **New steps taken to identify criminals' footwear**
Forensic experts have developed a new approach to assist the comparison and interpretation of footwear mark evidence. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-criminals-footwear.html) 2023-03-04T02:24:39Z **Treaty ahoy? Talks to protect high seas near finish line**
UN countries appeared Friday to be nearing an agreement on a long-awaited treaty to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-treaty-ahoy-high-seas-finish.html) 2023-03-04T02:23:42Z **'Surgical' shark-killing orcas fascinate off South Africa**
Scores of disembowelled sharks have washed up on a South African beach putting the spotlight on a pair of shark-hunting killer whales whose behaviour has fascinated scientists and wildlife enthusiasts. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-surgical-shark-killing-orcas-fascinate-south.html) 2023-03-04T02:23:23Z **Hatching leatherback turtles get helping hand on Thai beach**
It is past midnight on a beach in southern Thailand and 12-year-old Prin Uthaisangchai is anxiously staring at a leatherback turtle nest, waiting for scores of the endangered hatchlings to scrabble out from the sand. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-hatching-leatherback-turtles-thai-beach.html) 2023-03-04T02:21:28Z **At least four dead, thousands evacuated in Malaysia floods**
At least four people have died and nearly 41,000 evacuated in Malaysia after floodwaters caused by "unusual" torrential rains lasting days swept through several states, officials said Saturday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-dead-thousands-evacuated-malaysia.html) 2023-03-04T09:00:01Z **DNA from fossil eggshells reveals how extinct elephant birds lived**
Madagascar's extinct elephant birds—the largest birds ever to have lived—have captured public interest for hundreds of years. Little is known about them due to large gaps in the skeletal fossil record. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-dna-fossil-eggshells-reveals-extinct.html) 2023-03-05T07:13:19Z **UN states agree 'historic' deal to protect high seas**
UN member states finally agreed Saturday to a text on the first international treaty after years of negotiations to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-states-historic-high-seas.html) 2023-03-05T23:00:01Z **Bees follow linear landmarks to find their way home, just like the first pilots**
Scientists have shown that honeybees retain a memory of the dominant linear landscape elements in their home area like channels, roads, and boundaries. When transported to an unfamiliar area, they seek out local elements of this kind, compare their layout to the memory, and fly along them to seek their way home. This navigation strategy is similar to the one followed by the first human pilots. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-bees-linear-landmarks-home.html) 2023-03-06T08:47:18Z **Insider Q&A: Satellite company fights climate change**
Finding and fixing methane leaks has been identified by scientists as one of the most effective ways to turn the tide of global warming. To help uncover those leaks, Canadian company GHGSat has launched six satellites to search for methane plumes. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-insider-qa-satellite-company-climate.html) 2023-03-06T13:50:02Z **When is a nature reserve not a nature reserve? When it's already been burned and logged**
Australia has the world's worst mammal extinction record, with nearly 40 native mammal species lost since European colonization. By contrast, the United States has lost three. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-nature-reserve.html) 2023-03-06T19:00:02Z **Tracing 13 billion years of history by the light of ancient quasars**
Astrophysicists in Australia have shed new light on the state of the universe 13 billion years ago by measuring the density of carbon in the gases surrounding ancient galaxies. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-billion-years-history-ancient-quasars.html) 2023-03-06T19:00:01Z **Study shows flood risks can still be considerably reduced if all global promises to cut carbon emissions are kept**
Annual damage caused by flooding in the U.K. could increase by more than a fifth over the next century due to climate change unless all international pledges to reduce carbon emissions are met, according to new research. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-considerably-global-carbon-emissions.html) 2023-03-07T04:09:33Z **Global food system emissions imperil Paris climate goals**
The global food system's greenhouse gas emissions will add nearly one degree Celsius to Earth's surface temperatures by 2100 on current trends, obliterating Paris Agreement climate goals, scientists warned Monday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-global-food-emissions-imperil-paris.html) 2023-03-07T09:19:03Z **Rising prices could push more supermarket shoppers to make unhealthy choices**
Rising supermarket prices could be pushing people to make more unhealthy food choices thanks to aggressive marketing ploys, new research suggests. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-prices-supermarket-shoppers-unhealthy-choices.html) 2023-03-07T09:16:02Z **Study reveals zinc isotope fractionation during mid-ocean ridge basalt differentiation**
Zinc (Zn) isotope systematics is a useful tool to study planetary evolution and trace carbon cycling in the Earth's mantle. However, zinc isotope data for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), the most widespread magmatic rocks on Earth, are scarce. The possible effects of MORB differentiation and mantle compositional heterogeneity on MORB Zn isotope compositions remain unclear. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-reveals-zinc-isotope-fractionation-mid-ocean.html) 2023-03-07T14:31:58Z **Laser shots could spark additional discoveries in astrophysics**
In December, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory made headlines worldwide. Scientists at the NIF performed the first nuclear fusion experiment in which the energy produced from fusion exceeded the amount of energy directly applied to the fuel to ignite it. This first-of-its-kind result will provide invaluable insight into the potential for clea ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-laser-shots-additional-discoveries-astrophysics.html) 2023-03-07T14:30:52Z **Latest astronaut from UAE getting used to space**
The second astronaut from the United Arab Emirates is still adjusting to life off the planet, after rocketing to the International Space Station last week. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-latest-astronaut-uae-space.html) 2023-03-07T14:30:03Z **Do rebates for carbon prices incentivize a reduction in emissions?**
Only about one-fifth of global carbon dioxide emissions are currently covered by carbon pricing, a strategy in which fees are imposed on emissions and are often paired with rebates paid back to the emitters. In the new paper "Intensity-based rebating of emissions pricing revenues," published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, authors Christoph Böhringer, Carolyn Fischer, and Nicholas ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-rebates-carbon-prices-incentivize-reduction.html) 2023-03-07T14:29:16Z **Gender pay progress stalls on 'motherhood penalty': study**
There has been minimal global movement toward gender pay equality because many women still face a "motherhood penalty" after having children, a study said Tuesday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-gender-pay-stalls-motherhood-penalty.html) 2023-03-08T03:35:52Z **Study examines potential use of machine learning for sustainable development of biomass**
Biomass is widely considered a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, and many experts say it can play a critical role in combating climate change. Biomass stores carbon and can be turned into bio-based products and energy that can be used to improve soil, treat wastewater, and produce renewable feedstock. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-potential-machine-sustainable-biomass.html) 2023-03-08T03:32:42Z **To help dry forests, fire needs to be just the right intensity, and happen more than once**
Oregon State University research into the ability of a wildfire to improve the health of a forest uncovered a Goldilocks effect—unless a blaze falls in a narrow severity range, neither too hot nor too cold, it isn't very good at helping forest landscapes return to their historical, more fire-tolerant conditions. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-dry-forests-intensity.html) 2023-03-08T09:04:04Z **Plastic containers can contain PFAS, and it's getting into food**
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are adding to their list of consumer products that contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a toxic class of fluorine compounds known as "forever chemicals." ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-plastic-pfas-food.html) 2023-03-08T14:54:04Z **Relatively minor support can improve access to childcare and employment in Germany**
Relatively minor support with the application process is enough to help families with lower educational attainment secure childcare. A new study shows that mothers subsequently pursue more working hours and that the earnings gap between mothers and fathers becomes narrower. A causal link has now been demonstrated for the first time in the case of women with a relatively low school certificate who are particula ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-minor-access-childcare-employment-germany.html) 2023-03-09T00:00:01Z **Toxic Twitter abuse could skew UK wildlife law**
Wildlife conservation efforts could suffer because toxic online rows about trophy hunting are becoming increasingly abusive, ecologists have warned. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-toxic-twitter-abuse-skew-uk.html) 2023-03-09T09:00:01Z **New quiescent galaxy discovered with JWST**
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new quiescent galaxy. The galaxy, designated JADES-GS+53.15508-27.80178, was found at a high redshift and has a relatively low mass. The finding is reported in a paper published February 27 on the pre-print server arXiv. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-quiescent-galaxy-jwst.html) 2023-03-09T14:13:00Z **CHEOPS mission extended**
After more than three years in orbit, the mission of the CHEOPS space telescope has just been extended. Led by the University of Bern in collaboration with the University of Geneva, CHEOPS is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-cheops-mission.html) 2023-03-09T20:30:01Z **Customizing catalysts for solid-state reactions**
Chemists at Hokkaido University and the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD) have developed the first high-performance catalyst specifically designed and optimized for solid-state, mechanochemical synthesis. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-customizing-catalysts-solid-state-reactions.html) 2023-03-10T08:36:02Z **Sub-picosecond magnetization reversal in rare-earth-free spin valves**
Researchers at the Université de Lorraine in France and Tohoku University in Japan have demonstrated a sub-picosecond magnetization reversal in rare-earth-free archetypical spin valves. Their discovery was published in the journal Nature Materials on March 9, 2023. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-sub-picosecond-magnetization-reversal-rare-earth-free-valves.html) 2023-03-10T13:47:03Z **Migratory birds take breaks to boost their immune systems, shows study**
Exercising too much and not getting enough rest is bad for your health. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the same is true for migratory birds. They need to rest not only to renew their energy levels but also in order to boost their immune system. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-migratory-birds-boost-immune.html) 2023-03-10T13:44:03Z **Controlled on-chip fabrication of large-scale perovskite single crystal arrays for laser and photodetector integration**
Addressable active layers are highly required in optoelectronic devices to realize functional integration and application. Metal halide perovskites have shown promising applications in optoelectronic devices due to their superior optoelectronic properties and solution-based fabrication process. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-on-chip-fabrication-large-scale-perovskite-crystal.html) 2023-03-11T03:00:53Z **Using a standard RGB camera and AI to obtain vegetation data**
Aerial imagery is a valuable component of precision agriculture, providing farmers with important information about crop health and yield. Images are typically obtained with an expensive multispectral camera attached to a drone. But a new study from the University of Illinois and Mississippi State University (MSU) shows that pictures from a standard red-green-blue (RGB) camera combined with AI deep learning can provide equivalent crop pred ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-standard-rgb-camera-ai-vegetation.html) 2023-03-11T02:57:30Z **New platform allows researchers to listen in on cell-cell crosstalk**
Inflammatory neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), can arise when cell-to-cell communication between cells in the central nervous system (CNS) goes awry. But exactly how this cellular crosstalk leads to the molecular changes that drive disease remain unknown. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-platform-cell-cell-crosstalk.html) 2023-03-11T09:19:20Z **Ecuador to release sterile mosquitoes in Galapagos**
Ecuador will release 100,000 sterile Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on its Galapagos Islands to curb dengue, Zika and chikungunya transmission, authorities said Friday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-ecuador-sterile-mosquitoes-galapagos.html) 2023-03-11T09:16:05Z **'Pineapple express' storm wallops California**
Dozens of evacuation orders were in place Friday as a powerful atmospheric river, known as a "Pineapple express," surged into an already-sodden California, sparking warnings of widespread flash flooding. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-pineapple-storm-wallops-california.html) 2023-03-12T07:38:29Z **Oregon eyes mandate for climate change lessons in schools**
Oregon lawmakers are aiming to make the state the second in the nation to mandate climate change lessons for K-12 public school students, further fueling U.S. culture wars in education. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-oregon-eyes-mandate-climate-lessons.html) 2023-03-12T07:37:56Z **Indonesia's Merapi volcano spews hot clouds in new eruption**
Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted Saturday with avalanches of searing gas clouds and lava, forcing authorities to halt tourism and mining activities on the slopes of the country's most active volcano. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-indonesia-merapi-volcano-spews-hot.html) 2023-03-12T07:37:38Z **Launch of world's first 3D-printed rocket canceled at last second**
The launch of the world's first 3D-printed rocket was ultimately scrubbed after several tries on Saturday, marking a new setback for the private owner of an innovative spacecraft billed as being less costly to produce and fly. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-world-3d-printed-rocket-canceled.html) 2023-03-13T04:17:47Z **Shetland sanctuary fights to save seals as pollution takes toll**
On the edge of a coastal pool on one of Scotland's Shetland Islands, Pixie, a plump gray seal grunts and rolls towards the water to retrieve a fish that's been left for its lunch. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-shetland-sanctuary-pollution-toll.html) 2023-03-13T08:59:03Z **Neural network learns how to identify chromatid cohesion defects**
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used machine learning to automate the identification of defects in sister chromatid cohesion. They trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with microscopy images of individual stained chromosomes, identified by researchers as having or not having cohesion defects. After training, it was able to successfully classify 73.1% of new images. Automation promises better statistic ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-neural-network-chromatid-cohesion-defects.html) 2023-03-13T13:08:04Z **Extreme nighttime pollution in New Delhi air explained by new study**
In a major joint project with top Indian scientists, PSI researchers have determined why smog forms at night in the Indian capital New Delhi, contrary to all the rules of atmospheric chemistry. Their results have now been published in the journal Nature Geoscience. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-extreme-nighttime-pollution-delhi-air.html) 2023-03-13T21:00:01Z **Dizzy apes provide clues on human need for mind altering experiences**
Great apes deliberately spin themselves in order make themselves dizzy, academics at the University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham have discovered. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-dizzy-apes-clues-human-mind.html) 2023-03-14T04:20:14Z **Thousands of native plants are unphotographed, and citizen scientists can help fill the gaps**
Scientists have documented plant species for centuries to help us understand and protect the incredible diversity of flora in our world. But according to new research, many have never actually been photographed in their natural habitats—and that's a problem. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-thousands-native-unphotographed-citizen-scientists.html) 2023-03-14T04:17:55Z **Some children act as good friends to their peers who have difficulty speaking, study shows**
Children can act as good friends to their peers who struggle with speaking and communicating, a study shows. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-children-good-friends-peers-difficulty.html) 2023-03-14T08:49:04Z **World's first microneedle-based drug delivery technique for plants**
Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, and their collaborators from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the first-ever microneedle-based drug delivery techniq ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-world-microneedle-based-drug-delivery-technique.html) 2023-03-14T12:57:03Z **Dust lifted into the air by cyclones provides anchor points for cloud-forming ice**
Cirrus clouds are high-altitude (8–17 kilometers) clouds composed of pure ice particles. These clouds have a significant impact on the planet's climate by scattering incoming sunlight and absorbing Earth's emitted infrared radiation. In a new study, Zeng et al. discovered new details about how these wispy, hair-like clouds form in large storm systems. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-air-cyclones-anchor-cloud-forming-ice.html) 2023-03-14T17:03:04Z **New model provides improved air-quality predictions in fire-prone areas**
Globally, wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive, generating a significant amount of smoke that can be transported thousands of miles, driving the need for more accurate air pollution forecasts. A team of Penn State researchers has developed a deep learning model that provides improved predictions of air quality in wildfire-prone areas and can differentiate between wildfires and non-wildfires. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-air-quality-fire-prone-areas.html) 2023-03-15T00:10:01Z **Tax policy may not be enough to combat climate change**
A new paper in The Review of Economic Studies indicates that carbon taxes will be less effective at reducing carbon emissions than previously thought. It also finds that tax interventions needed to achieve goals agreed upon in the Paris Climate Agreement of 2016 will need to be larger than previously thought. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-tax-policy-combat-climate.html) 2023-03-15T04:21:01Z **Knowing your ants from your anteaters: Are wildlife documentaries showing us the 'real' natural world?**
Wildlife documentaries miss an opportunity to highlight the diversity of nature by focusing too much on mammals and birds, according to a new study. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-ants-anteaters-wildlife-documentaries-real.html) 2023-03-15T09:00:02Z **Discovering the unexplored: Synthesis and analysis of a new orthorhombic Sn3O4 polymorph**
Oxides of tin (SnxOy) are found in many of modern technologies due to their versatile nature. The multivalent oxidation states of tin—Sn2+ and Sn4+—impart tin oxides with electroconductivity, photocatalysis, and various functional properties. For the photocatalysis application of tin oxides, a narrow bandgap for visible-light absorption is indispensable to utilize a wide range of solar energy. Hen ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-unexplored-synthesis-analysis-orthorhombic-sn3o4.html) 2023-03-15T13:14:04Z **UK food shortages: How growing more fruit and veg in cities could reduce the impact of empty supermarket shelves**
British supermarkets are imposing limits on how many salad staples shoppers can buy as supply shortages leave shelves empty of some types of fruit and vegetables. The disappearance of fresh produce is said to be largely the result of adverse weather leading to a reduced harvest in southern Europe and North Africa. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-uk-food-shortages-fruit-veg.html) 2023-03-15T13:13:48Z **NASA's Fermi captures dynamic gamma-ray sky in new animation**
Cosmic fireworks, invisible to our eyes, fill the night sky. We can get a glimpse of this elusive light show thanks to the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, which observes the sky in gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-nasa-fermi-captures-dynamic-gamma-ray.html) 2023-03-15T13:11:30Z **Honey bees receive flight instruction and vector source by following dance, shows study**
In a study published in PNAS, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin and Rutgers University showed that the dance of the returning honeybee forager conveys the direction and distance of the food source from the hive to the honeycomb surface, a kind of map—a representation of where the food source is. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-honey-bees-flight-vector-source.html) 2023-03-15T13:11:22Z **Evolution of supersoft X-ray source WX Centauri is dominated by magnetic wind, find researchers**
Researchers led by Ph.D. candidate Zang Lei and Prof. Qian Shengbang from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered that the orbital evolution of the supersoft X-ray source WX Centauri (WX Cen) is dominated by the angular momentum loss (AML) driven by magnetic wind from the donor secondary and from the accretion disk alone or together. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-evolution-supersoft-x-ray-source-wx.html) 2023-03-15T13:09:02Z **A crystal, but not as we know it**
When we think of crystals, we think of ice, kitchen salt, quartz, and so on—hard solids whose shapes show a regular pattern. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-crystal.html) 2023-03-16T04:31:31Z **'Denoising' a noisy ocean: Researchers use machine learning to listen for specific fish sounds**
Come mating season, fishes off the California coast sing songs of love in the evenings and before sunrise. They vocalize not so much as lone crooners but in choruses, in some cases loud enough to be heard from land. It's a technique of romance shared by frogs, insects, whales, and other animals when the time is right. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-denoising-noisy-ocean-machine-specific.html) 2023-03-16T08:57:05Z **3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier**
A detailed "body scan" of Malaspina Glacier, one of Alaska's most iconic glaciers, revealed that its bulk lies below sea level and is undercut by channels that may allow ocean water to gain access, should its coastal barrier erode. This makes the glacier more vulnerable to seawater intrusion than previously thought and may cause it to retreat faster than predicted. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-3d-radar-scan-clues-threats.html) 2023-03-16T13:08:03Z **'Terminator zones' on distant planets could harbor life, astronomers say**
In a new study, University of California, Irvine astronomers describe how extraterrestrial life has the potential to exist on distant exoplanets inside a special area called the "terminator zone," which is a ring on planets that have one side that always faces its star and one side that is always dark. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-terminator-zones-distant-planets-harbor.html) 2023-03-16T20:00:02Z **Study highlights challenges facing transgender and non-binary workers**
New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) highlights some of the challenges that transgender and non-binary staff can face at work. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-highlights-transgender-non-binary-workers.html) 2023-03-16T20:00:02Z **Leaders with low self-esteem are likely to cause 'toxic' stress at work, research shows**
There is a mountain of evidence to show that stress is a leading cause of common and lethal diseases, including heart attacks, diabetes, asthma, cancer, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, insomnia, memory loss and premature aging. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-leaders-self-esteem-toxic-stress.html) 2023-03-17T04:50:26Z **Study sheds light on ancient microbial dark matter**
Bacteria are literally everywhere—in oceans, in soils, in extreme environments like hot springs, and even alongside and inside other organisms including humans. They're nearly invisible, yet they play a big role in almost every facet of life on Earth. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-ancient-microbial-dark.html) 2023-03-17T09:35:22Z **How written product reviews influence consumer impressions of star ratings**
When shopping online, most consumers are drawn to products with a high star rating. Not only are star ratings an easy way for past buyers to assess purchases, they also provide a visual marker that helps potential buyers quickly sort through various options. Quantitative star ratings have long been known to positively affect consumer demand for a product, but less is known about qualitative text (written) reviews. New research fr ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-written-product-consumer-star.html) 2023-03-17T09:34:58Z **Identifying organic compounds with visible light**
Researchers from the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and the University of Notre Dame, working with machine learning, have devised a method to identify organic compounds based on the refractive index at a single optical wavelength. The technique could have research and industrial applications for automated chemical analysis that is cheaper, safer and requires less expertise to operate. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-compounds-visible.html) 2023-03-17T13:51:25Z **NASA uses 30-year satellite record to track and project rising seas**
Observations from space show that the rate of sea level rise is increasing. Knowing where and how much rise is happening can help coastal planners prepare for future hazards. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-nasa-year-satellite-track-seas.html) 2023-03-17T13:50:27Z **Evidence for the existence of a deeply bound dibaryon, built entirely from beauty quarks**
Dibaryons are the subatomic particles made of two baryons. Their formations through baryon-baryon interactions play a fundamental role in big-bang nucleosynthesis, in nuclear reactions including those within stellar environments, and provide a connection between nuclear physics, cosmology and astrophysics. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-evidence-deeply-bound-dibaryon-built.html) 2023-03-17T13:50:16Z **New machine-learning approach identifies one molecule in a billion selectively, with graphene sensors**
Graphene's 2D nature, single molecule sensitivity, low noise, and high carrier concentration have generated a lot of interest in its application in gas sensors. However, due to its inherent non-selectivity, and huge p-doping in atmospheric air, its applications in gas sensing are often limited to controlled environments such as nitrogen, dry air, or synthetic humid air. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-machine-learning-approach-molecule-billion-graphene.html) 2023-03-18T06:00:24Z **African land snails found in luggage at Michigan airport**
Six giant African land snails have been found in the luggage of a traveler who flew to Michigan from the west African country of Ghana. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-african-snails-luggage-michigan-airport.html) 2023-03-19T06:53:25Z **UN commission calls for closing the gender digital divide**
The U.N.'s premiere global body fighting for gender equality on Saturday called for wide-ranging efforts to close the gap between men and women in today's technology-driven world and urged zero tolerance for gender-based violence and harassment online. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-commission-gender-digital.html) 2023-03-19T06:51:33Z **Millions of dead fish wash up amid heat wave in Australia**
Millions of fish have washed up dead in southeastern Australia in a die-off that authorities and scientists say is caused by depleted oxygen levels in the river after recent floods and hot weather. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-millions-dead-fish-australia.html) 2023-03-20T04:45:04Z **Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE**
Archaeologists said Monday they have found the oldest pearling town in the Persian Gulf on an island off one of the northern sheikhdoms of the United Arab Emirates. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-world-oyster-oldest-pearl-town.html) 2023-03-20T08:58:39Z **New catalyst helps turn plastic waste into useful organosilane compounds**
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that gold nanoparticles supported on a zirconium oxide surface help turn waste materials like biomass and polyester into organosilane compounds, valuable chemicals used in a wide range of applications. The new protocol leverages the cooperation between gold nanoparticles and the amphoteric (both acid and base) nature of the zirconium oxide support. The result is a ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-catalyst-plastic-organosilane-compounds.html) 2023-03-20T08:55:22Z **Quantum engineering meets nanoscale data processing: Unleashing the power of light-driven conductivity control**
Over the past few decades, the field of data processing and transferring technology has advanced at a rapid pace. This growth can be attributed to Moore's Law, which predicts that the number of transistors on a microchip will double roughly every two years, enabling the semiconductor industry to make electronic devices smaller, faster, and more efficient. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-quantum-nanoscale-unleashing-power-light-driven.html) 2023-03-20T13:10:07Z **School principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher shortages and abuse**
Australian schools have been under huge pressures in recent years. On top of concerns about academic progress and staff shortages, schools have faced significant, ongoing disruptions due to COVID and major flooding disasters. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-school-principals-crisis-edge-mounting.html) 2023-03-20T13:09:03Z **The 'great resignation' didn't happen in Australia, but the 'great burnout' did**
You've probably heard about the "great resignation" which saw large numbers of people resigning from their jobs in the US in 2021 and 2022. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-great-resignation-didnt-australia-burnout.html) 2023-03-20T13:08:04Z **Extinct but not gone: The thylacine continues to fascinate**
Human life on Earth is utterly dependent on biodiversity but our activities are driving an increase in extinctions. Yet some extinct species continue to hold our fascination. New methods in genetics and reproductive biology hold the promise that de-extinction—resurrecting extinct species—could soon be possible. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-extinct-thylacine-fascinate.html) 2023-03-20T17:25:11Z **Lack of canine COVID-19 data fuels persisting concerns over dog-human interactions**
Early COVID-19 pandemic suspicions about dogs' resistance to the disease have given way to a long-haul clinical data gap as new variants of the virus have emerged. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-lack-canine-covid-fuels-persisting.html) 2023-03-21T04:48:45Z **No telling how much more snow coming for Sierra Nevada**
No one really knows how much snow fell on the infamous Donner Party when the pioneers were trapped atop the Sierra Nevada for months and dozens died near Lake Tahoe in the winter of 1846-47. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-sierra-nevada.html) 2023-03-21T08:55:03Z **Optical switching at record speeds opens door for ultrafast, light-based electronics and computers**
Imagine a home computer operating 1 million times faster than the most expensive hardware on the market. Now imagine that level of computing power as the industry standard. University of Arizona researchers hope to pave the way for that reality using light-based optical computing, a marked improvement from the semiconductor-based transistors that currently run the world. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-optical-door-ultrafast-light-based-electronics.html) 2023-03-21T13:08:04Z **Climate damage is worsening faster than expected, but there's still reason for optimism**
Reading the latest international climate report can feel overwhelming. It describes how rising temperatures caused by increasing greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are having rapid, widespread effects on the weather, climate and ecosystems in every region of the planet, and it says the risks are escalating faster than scientists expected. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-climate-worsening-faster-optimism.html) 2023-03-21T13:07:03Z **Opinion: Kenya's police are violent, unaccountable and make most citizens feel less safe—should they be abolished?**
A world without the police is inconceivable to many people. The police are viewed as part of modern society's foundation, ensuring democracy and keeping people safe. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-opinion-kenya-police-violent-unaccountable.html) 2023-03-21T17:11:30Z **Environmental injustice closely tied to gender violence, new study argues**
Environmental justice and gender violence may seem like separate issues, but a new paper from a University of New Mexico professor argues that the two are closely linked. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-environmental-injustice-gender-violence.html) 2023-03-21T17:10:58Z **Biden protects two giant US wilderness areas**
President Joe Biden on Tuesday designated two giant wilderness areas in Nevada and Texas as national monuments and said a new marine sanctuary could be created in the Pacific. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-biden-giant-wilderness-areas.html) 2023-03-22T01:00:01Z **Changing temperatures shown to increase pesticide risk to bees**
Temperature influences how badly pesticides affect bees' behavior, suggesting uncertain impacts under climate change, according to a new study. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-temperatures-shown-pesticide-bees.html) 2023-03-22T05:10:31Z **Sharing best practice of gender-transformative tourism policies**
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recently released a report titled Snapshot of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in National Tourism Strategies which provides a synthesis of publicly-available strategies from 70 countries. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-gender-transformative-tourism-policies.html) 2023-03-22T05:10:01Z **Dust storms cause air pollution spike across north China**
Air pollution soared in Beijing on Wednesday as the Chinese capital was hit by a huge sandstorm, and dust also shrouded other parts of the country in a sickly orange haze. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-storms-air-pollution-spike-north.html) 2023-03-22T05:09:51Z **Team explores leaf microbiome in perennial bioenergy crops**
"Have you ever wondered about life on a leaf?" Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) researcher Ashley Shade asks a simple question, but it's one well worth investigation. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-team-explores-leaf-microbiome-perennial.html) 2023-03-22T09:19:02Z **Microfluidic setup for the continuous production of multifunctional nanoparticles**
The synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles is commonly a complex endeavor and hampers the clinical translation of effective nanomedicines. In their most recent work, Matthias Barz and coworkers present a microfluidic setup for the continuous production of drug-loaded core cross-linked polymeric micelles (CCPMs) in a single precisely controlled process. The study is published in the journal ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-microfluidic-setup-production-multifunctional-nanoparticles.html) 2023-03-22T09:17:02Z **Re-imagining fertilizer precursor synthesis to reduce its carbon footprint**
The Haber–Bosch reaction helps feed the world by converting nitrogen into ammonia, a fertilizer precursor. However, its carbon footprint is huge: this one reaction is the source of nearly 2% of global carbon emissions. Now, in a study recently published in ACS Energy Letters, researchers from Osaka University have helped re-imagine this reaction to improve the sustainability of the chemical industry. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-re-imagining-fertilizer-precursor-synthesis-carbon.html) 2023-03-22T13:28:05Z **New UN report: Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires deep decarbonization across all sectors**
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels will require severely cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Doing so calls for the immediate, large-scale adoption of renewable energy like solar and wind, electrified transportation, energy-efficient systems, alternative fuels, and carbon capture and storage technologies across all sectors globall ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-limiting-global-degrees-celsius-requires.html) 2023-03-22T17:30:43Z **Branching worm named after Godzilla's nemesis**
Branching marine worms are extremely rare: bizarre creatures with one head but a body that branches repeatedly into multiple posterior ends. Only three such species are known, and one of these worm species has just been awarded a place in the top-ten marine species from 2022 by the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Named Ramisyllis kingghidorahi after King Ghidorah, Godzilla's monster enemy, the new species was first described by an international team led by ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-worm-godzilla-nemesis.html) 2023-03-23T04:57:55Z **Phytoplankton blooms offer insight into impacts of climate change**
The first study into the biological response of the upper ocean in the wake of South Pacific cyclones could help predict the impact of warming ocean temperatures, New Zealand researchers believe. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-phytoplankton-blooms-insight-impacts-climate.html) 2023-03-23T09:06:02Z **Artificial intelligence finds the first stars were not alone**
By using machine learning and state-of-the-art supernova nucleosynthesis, a team of researchers have found the majority of observed second-generation stars in the universe were enriched by multiple supernovae. Their findings are reported in The Astrophysical Journal. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-artificial-intelligence-stars.html) 2023-03-23T09:05:12Z **Doubling a qubit's life, researchers prove a key theory of quantum physics**
Researchers at Yale have for the first time, using a process known as quantum error correction, substantially extended the lifetime of a quantum bit—a long-sought-after goal and one of the trickiest challenges in the field of quantum physics. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-qubit-life-key-theory-quantum.html) 2023-03-23T09:04:53Z **Investigating ultrathin diamond films as an alternative flat-screen technology**
Researchers from Skoltech, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, the Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry SB RAS and their colleagues have theoretically investigated the properties of ultrathin diamond films and determined which of them hold the most promise for field-emission displays. These are an alternative flat-panel technology that used to be developed in parallel with the now-do ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-ultrathin-diamond-alternative-flat-screen-technology.html) 2023-03-23T09:04:41Z **Predicting protein folding from single sequences with Meta AI ESM-2**
Researchers from Facebook AI Research (FAIR) at Meta AI have published a paper in the journal Science detailing a machine-learning-created database of 617 million predicted protein structures. The ESMFold language model described the structures 60 times faster than DeepMinds AlphaFold2, though with less reported accuracy. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-protein-sequences-meta-ai-esm-.html) 2023-03-23T13:10:01Z **Opinion: Australia's child protection system is clearly broken. Is it time to abolish it for a better model?**
The tragic deaths of two small children in an overheated car in Queensland in 2019 highlight just how flawed our child protection system has become. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-opinion-australia-child-broken-abolish.html) 2023-03-23T17:16:02Z **New report: How the pandemic compounds education pipeline challenges**
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has released new analysis based on updated data that suggests potentially greater long-term public school enrollment challenges, as well as recommendations for educational leaders and policymakers as they continue to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19 on the K-12 pipeline. This new analysis focuses on public school enrollment changes since the pandemic and represents the mo ... ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-pandemic-compounds-pipeline.html) 2023-03-24T02:46:43Z **Framework helps local planners prepare for climate pressures on food, energy & water systems**
As the world faces increasingly extreme and frequent weather events brought on by climate change—such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires—critical civic resources such as food, water, and energy will be impacted. Local and regional planners need to anticipate those impacts and evaluate what measures can be taken to prepare. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-framework-local-planners-climate-pressures.html) 2023-03-24T08:41:25Z **Repeating outbursts observed from young stellar object SPICY 97589**
An international team of astronomers has detected repeating outbursts from a young stellar object (YSO) known as SPICY 97589 and analyzed their properties. Results of the study, presented in a paper published March 16 on the arXiv pre-print repository, shed more light on the nature of this YSO. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-outbursts-young-stellar-spicy.html) 2023-03-24T12:50:06Z **How a polymeric nanoparticle gene delivery system can promote bone formation**
Does a "magic bullet" exist in regenerative medicine? Researchers have long wished to design a cutting-edge gene therapy that regenerates tissues damaged by disease or trauma. That wish may come true now that a research team has developed a polymeric gene delivery therapy that promotes new bone formation after traumatic inflammation. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-polymeric-nanoparticle-gene-delivery-bone.html) 2023-03-24T12:47:03Z **Researchers introduce new optimal recommendations for fungicide resistance management**
Fungicide application, while helpful in controlling plant diseases, has complicated limitations that may cost growers both peace of mind and quantity of yield. Plant pathogens which would otherwise be killed off by fungicides can evolve to avenge their dead siblings, developing resistance that renders the standard dose of fungicide application ineffective. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-optimal-fungicide-resistance.html) 2023-03-24T17:41:26Z **Russians, American delayed in space to return in September**
Two cosmonauts and an astronaut who were supposed to leave the International Space Station this month will be brought back to Earth in late September, doubling their time aboard the orbiting laboratory to more than a year, Russia's space agency announced Friday. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-russians-american-delayed-space-september.html) 2023-03-24T17:39:07Z **Blue Origin hopes to resume space flights 'soon' after 2022 accident**
Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin said Friday it hopes to resume rocket flights "soon" following the conclusion of an investigation into a crash last year—but it must wait for US regulators to accept the findings. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-blue-resume-space-flights-accident.html) 2023-03-24T17:38:37Z **Helping plants grow as phosphorus levels in soil deplete**
Phosphorus is a natural mineral that is essential for plant growth and development, and Earth's agricultural-grade phosphorus reserves are expected to be depleted in 50 to 100 years. A new discovery by researchers at Michigan State University and the Carnegie Institution for Science is changing their understanding of iron toxicity in plants caused by low phosphorus levels. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-phosphorus-soil-deplete.html) 2023-03-24T17:36:39Z **Acquisitions can nix existing partnerships**
Business alliances are valuable because they help companies supplement critical skills, enter new markets, and gain competitive advantages. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-acquisitions-nix-partnerships.html) 2023-03-25T06:00:01Z **A new study on Australian volcanoes has changed what we know about explosive 'hotspot' volcanism**
Our new study published in Nature Geoscience on an ancient chain of Australian volcanoes is helping to change our understanding of "hotspot" volcanism. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-australian-volcanoes-explosive-hotspot-volcanism.html) 2023-03-25T10:40:01Z **New asteroid sample study offers further hints of space origin for the building blocks of life on Earth**
How did life come about? The answer to this question goes to the very heart of our existence on planet Earth. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-asteroid-sample-hints-space-blocks.html) 2023-03-25T15:38:24Z **'My city is gone'—Tornado kills at least 23 in Mississippi**
At least 23 people were killed as a devastating tornado ripped across the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs, smashing cars and flattening entire neighborhoods. ⌘ [Read more](https://phys.org/news/2023-03-city-gonetornado-mississippi.html)