New techniques improve quantum communication, entangle phonons
Quantum communication—where information is sent through particles, typically entangled photons—has the potential to become the ultimate secure communication channel. Not only is it nearly impossible to eavesdrop on quantum communication, those who try will also leave evidence of their indiscretions.
Using light turbulence to generate frequency combs from small ring lasers
We've all experienced turbulent air and water, but did you know light can be turbulent too?
A proven method for stabilizing efforts to bring fusion power to Earth
All efforts to replicate in tokamak fusion facilities the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars must cope with a constant problem—transient heat bursts that can halt fusion reactions and damage the doughnut-shaped tokamaks. These bursts, called edge localized modes (ELMs), occur at the edge of hot, charged plasma gas when it kicks into high gear to fuel fusion reactions.
The balancing act between plant growth and defense
Researchers from Kumamoto University in Japan have pinpointed the mechanism that regulates the balance between plant growth and defense. Plants synthesize and accumulate protective hormones to protect them from pathogen infections, but excessive accumulation significantly hinders plant growth. Researchers found that the DEL1 gene plays a role in balancing growth and defense of plants infected with...
Quantum-inspired approach dramatically lowers light power needed for optical coherence tomography
Researchers have shown that a detection technology borrowed from quantum optics can be used to perform optical coherence tomography (OCT) with much lower light power than previously possible. This could greatly improve the imaging quality available from OCT used for medical imaging applications.
Senate approves $2.8B plan to boost conservation, parks
The Senate has approved a bipartisan bill that would spend nearly $3 billion on conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands, a measure supporters say would be the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century.
With storms in May, lawmaker wants a longer hurricane season
Even though the six-month Atlantic hurricane season lasts as long as a typical Major League Baseball season, a Florida congresswoman thinks it needs to be longer.
To make a good impression, leave cell phone alone during work meetings
To get on the good side of a new boss, colleague or acquaintance in a business meeting, leave your cell phone stashed in your pocket or purse.
New quantum sensing technique allows high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a widely used tool for chemical analysis and molecular structure recognition. Because it typically relies on the weak magnetic fields produced by a small thermal nuclear spin polarization, NMR suffers from poor sensitivity compared to other analytical techniques. A conventional NMR apparatus typically uses large sample volumes of about a...
Researchers develop diversity intelligence scale for organizations
University of Arkansas researchers have developed the first diversity intelligence scale that employers can use to ensure and improve diversity, inclusion and equity within their organizations.
A step forward in solving the reactor-neutrino flux problem
Joint effort of the nuclear theory group at the University of Jyvaskyla and the international collaborative EXO-200 experiment paves the way for solving the reactor antineutrino flux problems. The EXO-200 collaboration consists of researchers from 26 laboratories and the experiment is designed to measure the mass of the neutrino. As a byproduct of the calibration efforts of the experiment the...
What it means when animals have beliefs
Humans are not the only ones who have beliefs; animals do too, although it is more difficult to prove them than with humans. Dr. Tobias Starzak and Professor Albert Newen from the Institute of Philosophy II at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have proposed four criteria to understand and empirically investigate animal beliefs in the journal Mind and Language. The article was published online on 16 June...
COVID-19 makes air pollution a top concern worldwide: report
At least two-thirds of people in countries home to a fifth of the world's population support stricter laws and enforcement to tackle air pollution, the Clean Air Fund said Wednesday.
Women commuting during rush hour are exposed to higher levels of pollutants
Studies have shown associations between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth and low birthweight. However, few studies have estimated real-world exposures during personal vehicle trips for women commuters.
'Cooperative' and 'independent' dog breeds may not react differently to unfair outcomes
Cooperative worker dog breeds do not appear to respond more negatively to unfair outcomes than do independent worker breeds, according to a study published June 17 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jim McGetrick of the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, and colleagues. Although the sample size was small, the results do not support the hypothesis that inequity aversion and cooperation...
A changing mating signal may initiate speciation in populations of Drosophila mojavensis
When choosing a mate, females of different subspecies of Drosophila mojavensis recognize the right mating partners either mainly by their song or by their smell. This was discovered by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and their international collaboration partners, as a new study reports.
Fighting fish synchronize their combat moves and their gene expression
When two betta fish are fighting for dominance, not only do their attacks mirror each other, but the gene expression in their brain cells also starts to align. The new findings, published June 17th in PLOS Genetics by Norihiro Okada of Kitasato University, Japan, may explain how the fish synchronize their fighting behavior.
Is Santa real? Examining children's beliefs in cultural figures and 'non-real' people
Young children understand dinosaurs and The Wiggles are (or were!) real, and that fictional characters like Peter Pan and Spongebob are not real—but cultural figures like Santa or the Tooth Fairy occupy an ambiguous place in a child's pantheon, suggests a study published June 17, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Rohan Kapitány from Keele University, and colleagues.
Observation of excess events in the XENON1T dark matter experiment
Scientists from the international XENON collaboration, an international experimental group including the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), University of Tokyo; the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR), University of Tokyo; the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Nagoya University; the Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of...
Nanofiber masks can be sterilized multiple times without filter performance deterioration
With the global spread of coronavirus infections, personal protective equipment, especially face masks, are receiving much attention. Masks are essential items for the primary protection of the respiratory tract from viruses and bacteria that are transmitted through the air as droplets.
A cosmic baby is discovered, and it's brilliant
Astronomers tend to have a slightly different sense of time than the rest of us. They regularly study events that happened millions or billions of years ago, and objects that have been around for just as long. That's partly why the recently discovered neutron star known as Swift J1818.0-1607 is remarkable: A new study in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters estimates that it is only about 240...
From lab to space: Discovery of a new organic molecule in an interstellar molecular cloud
Laboratory experiments performed at the Center for Astrochemical Studies (CAS) of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Munich, together with astronomical observations conducted by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), lead to the identification of a new molecule in the molecular cloud known as G+0.693-0.027, close to the galactic center. The newly...
Benefits of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 are still unclear
With vaccines and therapeutic drugs for COVID-19 still under development, doctors are wondering whether antibody-rich plasma infusions from the blood of recovered patients could be a more immediate way to keep hospitalized patients alive and off ventilators. However, an article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, indicates that, despite some...
Astronomers detect regular rhythm of radio waves, with origins unknown
A team of astronomers, including researchers at MIT, has picked up on a curious, repeating rhythm of fast radio bursts emanating from an unknown source outside our galaxy, 500 million light years away.
Why the Mediterranean is a climate change hotspot
Although global climate models vary in many ways, they agree on this: The Mediterranean region will be significantly drier in coming decades, potentially seeing 40 percent less precipitation during the winter rainy season.