Team develops computationally quick approach to predict molten droplet solidification on a solid surface
Gas turbine engines in planes provide the required thrust by sucking in air, heating it to very high temperatures in a combustion chamber, and finally exhausting it at high velocities. As they operate, small inorganic particles such as volcanic ash get sucked in along with the air. These particles melt in the high-temperature zones in the combustion chamber and solidify onto the cooler zones in...
Physics outreach programs benefit students' scientific identities, career prospects
Although educational outreach programs sometimes get short shrift in academic circles in terms of prioritizing, funding and staffing, a new Texas A&M University study indicates they are a solid investment with benefits far beyond the institutional bottom line when it comes to physics.
Women indirectly hurt more by noncompete pacts
Nine out of 10 startups fail, and even among venture-backed fledgling companies, the success rate is only about 25%. It's even tougher for women entrepreneurs, who face challenges their male counterparts don't, according to new Cornell University research.
Professor uncovers surprising results from nuclear reactions inside stars
Where do our elements come from? And how are they made? Michael Famiano's new research is flipping the script on those age-old nuclear astrophysics questions. The truth is out there—several light years away among the stars, to be exact.
Study finds use of anger in online reviews simultaneously unhelpful but influential in purchase decisions
E-commerce shopping has risen sharply over the last decade, and most consumers are now reading product reviews prior to making their purchase decisions. Sites like Amazon use reviews to instill shopper confidence and boost product sales, and they often highlight specific reviews that are considered especially helpful. "Top reviews" and "helpful reviews" have become very popular labels on these...
Arctic Ocean's 'last ice area' may not survive the century
With warming climate, summer sea ice in the Arctic has been shrinking fast, and now consistently spans less than half the area it did in the early 1980s. This raises the question: It this keeps up, in the future will year-round sea ice—and the creatures who need it to survive—persist anywhere?
Physicists announce the world's most precise measurement of neutron lifetime
An international team of physicists led by researchers at Indiana University Bloomington has announced the world's most precise measurement of the neutron's lifetime.
Quantum phase transition detected on a global scale deep inside the Earth
The interior of the Earth is a mystery, especially at greater depths (> 660 km). Researchers only have seismic tomographic images of this region and, to interpret them, they need to calculate seismic (acoustic) velocities in minerals at high pressures and temperatures. With those calculations, they can create 3D velocity maps and figure out the mineralogy and temperature of the observed regions....
Low-performing computer science students face wide array of struggles
Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted a broad student experience survey to learn which factors most impact student success in early computing courses, a field that has historically seen high failure rates and poor student retention. They found that lower-performing students reported higher stress levels on multiple factors—including cognitive, socio-economic, and...
Urban areas more likely to have precipitation-triggered landslides, exposing growing populations to slide hazards
Urban areas may be at greater risk for precipitation-triggered landslides than rural areas, according to a new study that could help improve landslide predictions and hazard and risk assessments.
'Selective promiscuity,' chaperones, and the secrets of cellular health
A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced a major new advance in understanding how our genetic information eventually translates into functional proteins—one of the building blocks of human life. The research, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), elucidates how chaperones display "selective promiscuity" for the...
Almost 42,000 toxic 'forever chemical' sources could be polluting surface, drinking water across the US, says study
A new study by Environmental Working Group scientists finds almost 42,000 potential sources of the toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS that could be polluting surface water or drinking water in communities across the U.S.
Living near oil and gas wells increases air pollution exposure, according to new research
In a 14-year analysis of air quality across California, Stanford researchers observed higher levels of air pollutants within 2.5 miles of oil and gas wells, likely worsening negative health outcomes for nearby residents.
High-oil corn packs punch for pigs, new research reveals
A new high-oil corn product offers greater amino acid and energy digestibility in growing pigs, according to new research from the University of Illinois.
Researchers find Greenland's groundwater changes with thinning ice sheet
For more than a decade, a team of University of Montana researchers and students have studied the dynamics of the Greenland Ice Sheet as it responds to a warming climate. University of Montana (UM) Department of Geosciences researchers Toby Meierbachtol and Joel Harper said water has always been central to their research.
Aspects of military culture are seen to contribute to violence and abuse towards partners
Some aspects of military culture and lifestyle contribute to experiences of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) in civilian partners of military personnel, according to a new report.
Study assesses risks of good and bad outcomes for university pension scheme
New research estimates the chances that the USS university pension scheme has enough assets to pay pensions that have been promised.
Researchers create earthquake system model with better detection capabilities
Two University of Wyoming researchers have developed a machine learning model that improves the accuracy of detecting earthquakes by 14.5 percent compared to the most accurate current existing model.
Strong quake strikes off Greece's Crete, no injuries reported
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Greek island of Crete Tuesday, the Athens Observatory said, with initial media reports suggesting no one was hurt.
Novel experiment measures neutron skin in calcium
A new high-precision measurement of the neutron skin in doubly magic calcium-48 may help shed light on proton-neutron interactions inside nuclei. This is the first highly robust electroweak measurement of the neutron skin in a medium-weight nucleus. The results from this new measurement, made by the 48Ca Radius EXperiment (CREX) collaboration at DOE's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator...
Shape-shifting worm blob model could inspire future robot swarms
Blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus) are distant relatives of rainworms, measuring up to 10 cm long. They live in shallow marshes, ponds, and swamps in Europe and North America, where they feed on microorganisms and debris. To protect themselves from drought, blackworms can aggregate as entangled, shape-shifting "blobs" composed of a few to hundreds of individuals. Just like swarms of bees, rafts...
'Cleaning up' an oil spill
After thousands of gallons of oil poured into the Pacific Ocean following the October 2 spill, agencies and volunteers have worked around the clock to mitigate the damage and stop the spread.
Scientists report evidence for a new but now extinct species of ancient ground-dwelling sloth
Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine report new evidence that some 5,000 years ago, a sloth smaller than a black bear roamed the forest floor of what is now the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea, living a lowland life different from its cousins on the other side of the island. The newly identified mammalian species—now extinct—was...
Self-compassion helps leaders and their workers, according to management expert
When leaders actively practice compassion toward themselves, it benefits both them and their employees.
Study highlights how humans and nature are causing significant changes to the health of global rivers
Many of the world's largest rivers are experiencing significant changes in their chemical composition as a result of natural and human activity, according to new research.