207 articles from THURSDAY 21.10.2021

Chemists develop a fundamentally new mode of adsorption

A research team has made a breakthrough in surface science by introducing a new active mechanism of adsorption. Such adsorption-based phenomena, in which molecules are attracted onto a solid surface, are essential for today's catalysts, energy storage and environmental remediation. The research demonstrates how artificial molecular machines grafted on surfaces can be used to recruit molecules...

Scientists part of team that points to strong connection between climate change, plastics pollution

At the root of global climate change and the worldwide plastics problem are two related carbon-based fuels -- oil and natural gas. Not only are the two among the key drivers of climate change, they are instrumental in the manufacturing of plastics. As storms intensify and become more frequent, the movement of trash from land to our oceans and, and vice versa, is only going to get worse.

Bat study reveals secrets of the social brain

Neuroscientists used wireless devices to record the neural activity of freely interacting Egyptian fruit bats, providing researchers with the first glimpse into how the brains of social mammals process complex group interactions.

Shape-shifting materials with infinite possibilities

Researchers have developed a shape-shifting material that can take and hold any possible shape, paving the way for a new type of multifunctional material that could be used in a range of applications, from robotics and biotechnology to architecture.

On the hunt for hypernuclei: The WASA detector at GSI/FAIR

With the WASA detector, a very special instrument is currently being set up at GSI/FAIR. Together with the fragment separator FRS, it will be used to produce and study so-called hypernuclei during the upcoming experiment period of FAIR Phase 0 in 2022. For this purpose, the assembly, which weighs several tons, is being transferred to the facility in a complex installation procedure.

How pearls achieve nanoscale precision

In research that could inform future high-performance nanomaterials, a study has uncovered how mollusks build ultradurable structures with a level of symmetry that outstrips everything else in the natural world, with the exception of individual atoms.

Modeling cellular migration

A new model sheds light on the function of a protein that is a major player in cancer growth, and their results could one day help researchers determine better ways to stop the spread of cancer.

Novel peroxide-based material emits fluorescence in response to stress

A new organic peroxide molecule, BMPF releases fluorescence under mechanical stress and could be incorporated into polymer networks for mechanofunctional design. BMPF-linked polymers are also stable at relatively high temperatures and could pave the way for highly selective and efficient small-molecule-releasing systems with applications in imaging and drug delivery.

Breaking trade-off problem that limits thermoelectric conversion efficiency of waste heat

Scientists demonstrate that breaking the trade-off problem between thermopower and conductivity improves thermoelectric performance. They suggest introducing lattice strain into Mott insulator oxide LaTiO3 converts the electronic state to metal, and increases both thermopower and conductivity to induce a 100-fold increase in power factor, which in turn enables the conversion of waste heat to...

Bat study reveals secrets of the social brain

Whether chatting with friends at a dinner party or managing a high-stakes meeting at work, communicating with others in a group requires a complex set of mental tasks. Our brains must track who is speaking and what is being said, as well as what our relationship to that person may be—because, after all, we probably give the opinion of our best friend more weight than that of a complete stranger.

US must act to protect climate migrants, government report says

National security officials warn that worsening heat waves, droughts and other climate-fueled hazards are likely to drive a surge in global migration in the coming decades, increasing political instability among the United States' allies and strengthening its adversaries.

Novel advanced light design and fabrication process could revolutionize sensing technologies

Vanderbilt and Penn State engineers have developed a novel approach to design and fabricate thin-film infrared light sources with near-arbitrary spectral output driven by heat, along with a machine learning methodology called inverse design that reduced the optimization time for these devices from weeks or months on a multi-core computer to a few minutes on a consumer-grade desktop.

Biodiversity of islands worldwide is in peril, scientists warn

Scientists are sounding the alarm. The biodiversity of islands around the world is becoming increasingly threatened, due in large part to habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species and climate change. If healthy island environments are to be conserved and restored, immediate action is needed by everyone, from policymakers to the general population. These findings and recommendations are in...

Climate tipping might be predicted using algebraic topology

The Earth's climate system seems to have shifted abruptly between colder and warmer modes in the past. Do we risk the same today from anthropogenic climate change? Frankly, climate models cannot answer that question yet. But a result in the journal Chaos by Gisela D. Charó, Mickaël D. Chekroun, Denisse Sciamarella and Michael Ghil suggests a way to resolve the matter. Analyzing a model that...

Fighting viruses with interchangeable defense genes

Bacterial viruses, so-called phages, destroy bacteria. Bacteria are constantly exposed to viral attacks. A research team led by Martin Polz, a microbiologist at the University of Vienna, has now studied how bacteria defend themselves against viral predators. The study shows that bacteria have exchangeable genetic elements that are specifically designed for defense against viruses, allowing a...

Hubble Space Telescope gives unprecedented, early view of a doomed star's destruction

Like a witness to a violent death, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope recently gave astronomers an unprecedented, comprehensive view of the first moments of a star's cataclysmic demise. Hubble's data, combined with other observations of the doomed star from space- and ground-based telescopes, may give astronomers an early warning system for other stars on the verge of blowing up.