Fermi spots a supernova's 'fizzled' gamma-ray burst
On Aug. 26, 2020, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected a pulse of high-energy radiation that had been racing toward Earth for nearly half the present age of the universe. Lasting only about a second, it turned out to be one for the record books—the shortest gamma-ray burst (GRB) caused by the death of a massive star ever seen.
Director retention does not necessarily facilitate post-acquisition firm performance: study
Firm acquisition is a complicated process in which acquiring companies often try to smooth the transition by retaining at least one board-level director from the target company. New research from the University of Notre Dame calls into question the wisdom of this move.
Astronomers seek evidence of tech built by aliens
An international team of scientists led by a prominent Harvard astronomer announced a new initiative Monday to look for evidence of technology built by extraterrestrial civilizations.
What happens to marine life when oxygen is scarce?
In September 2017, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution postdoctoral scholar Maggie Johnson was conducting an experiment with a colleague in Bocas del Toro off the Caribbean coast of Panama. After sitting on a quiet, warm open ocean, they snorkeled down to find a peculiar layer of murky, foul-smelling water about 10 feet below the surface, with brittle stars and sea urchins, which are usually in...
Through the thin-film glass, researchers spot a new liquid phase
Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes a new type of liquid in thin films, which forms a high-density glass. Results generated in this study, conducted by researchers in Penn's Department of Chemistry, demonstrate how these glasses and other similar materials can be fabricated to be denser and more stable, providing a framework for developing new...
When a heat wave comes, this scientist takes a shellfish's perspective
Stepping into the gap between the rocks, it's easy to understand what Brian Helmuth is talking about.
ATLAS reports first observation of WWW production
The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN announces the first observation of "WWW production": The simultaneous creation of three massive W bosons in high-energy Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collisions.
Study: Countries' wealth inequality independent from income inequality, linked to distribution of housing equity
Most of what we know from prior research about which countries are more unequal than others is based on measures of income inequality. In their new study, "The Wealth Inequality of Nations," appearing in the August 2021 issue of the American Sociological Review, authors Fabian T. Pfeffer and Nora Waitkus show that comparing countries in terms of their wealth inequality instead of income inequality...
Astronomers uncover briefest supernova-powered gamma-ray burst
Astronomers have discovered the shortest-ever gamma-ray burst (GRB) caused by the implosion of a massive star. Using the international Gemini Observatory, a program of NSF's NOIRLab, astronomers identified the cause of this 0.6-second flurry of gamma rays as a supernova explosion in a distant galaxy. GRBs caused by supernovae are usually more than twice as long, which suggests that some short GRBs...
Researchers demonstrate technique for recycling nanowires in electronics
Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated a low-cost technique for retrieving nanowires from electronic devices that have reached the end of their utility, and then using those nanowires in new devices. The work is a step toward more sustainable electronics.
India's poor face outsized air pollution death risk
The poorest 10 percent of Indians face a risk of dying from air pollution that is nine times higher than for the richest 10 percent, according to research released Monday.
Record-shattering heatwaves caused by pace of warming: study
Heatwaves that obliterate temperature records as in western Canada last month and Siberia last year are caused by the rapid pace, rather than the amount, of global warming, researchers said Monday.
Large meteor lights up skies in Norway
Norwegian experts say an unusually large meteor was visible over large parts of southern Scandinavia and illuminated southeast Norway with a powerful flash of light for a few seconds as many observers were reported to also hear a roaring sound afterwards.
Now in 3D: Deep learning techniques help visualize X-ray data in three dimensions
Computers have been able to quickly process 2D images for some time. Your cell phone can snap digital photographs and manipulate them in a number of ways. Much more difficult, however, is processing an image in three dimensions, and doing it in a timely manner. The mathematics are more complex, and crunching those numbers, even on a supercomputer, takes time.
Minnesota adopts 'clean car' rules requiring more electric vehicles
Minnesota has become the latest state to adopt California's stricter standards for tailpipe emissions and a mandate for automakers to get more zero-emission vehicles onto sales lot.
Exploring the advantages of defects in laser-manufactured materials
Metal additive manufacturing (AM) promises to revolutionize the way we produce and use certain parts. Reducing material waste and labor time, metal AM simplifies the steps for creating complex geometry parts when compared to conventional manufacturing methods.
Hubble finds first evidence of water vapor on Jupiter's moon Ganymede
For the first time, astronomers have uncovered evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. This water vapor forms when ice from the moon's surface sublimates—that is, turns from solid to gas.
Jeff Bezos is still not an astronaut, according to the FAA
Just because you were in space doesn't mean you get the wings of an astronaut.
Study finds that princess culture can heal toxic masculinity over time
In the longest study to date on the impact of princess media on consumers, new research from BYU professor Sarah Coyne found that children who engaged with princess culture were more likely to later hold progressive views about women and subscribe less to attitudes of toxic masculinity.
Portable chemistry kit allows on-site bush food sweetness testing
Indigenous communities can now assess the quality and sweetness of their wild-harvested native bush fruits in the field, rather than sending samples off to food science laboratories.
Scientists discover how high-energy electrons strengthen magnetic fields
More than 99% of the visible universe exists in a superheated state known as plasma—an ionized gas of electrons and ions. The motion of these charged particles produces magnetic fields that form an interstellar magnetic web. These magnetic fields are important for a wide range of processes, from the shaping of galaxies and the formation of stars to controlling the motion and acceleration of...
How crushed rocks can help capture carbon dioxide
IIASA researchers and international colleagues explored the potential of using finely ground rock to help with the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere on the road to achieving net-zero emissions and keeping global warming below 1.5°C.
Leading schools in lockdown: Community, communication and compassion key during remote learning
A Monash University study into the experiences of school leaders in 2020 found those who engaged in community, communication and compassion-based responses, successfully led their school community through crises and times of uncertainty.
New methane concentration technologies for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions
Methane concentrations in the atmosphere have more than doubled over the last 150 years and mitigation of methane emissions will play a vital role in enabling climate change mitigation strategies. Understanding current and future methane inventories at a regional scale will be a key element in developing and implementing successful solutions. Current regional scale isotopic methane data is not...
The advantage of 2D metal-organic framework nanosheets in sensing applications
In recent years, fluorescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been demonstrated as a promising strategy for constructing sensors. However, most of the research studies on fluorescent MOF sensors have focused on the design and synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) MOF crystals on the order of micrometers and have not exerted the best detection performance of MOF structures. Two-dimensional (2D)...