183 articles from THURSDAY 19.1.2023

Stars disappear before our eyes

A startling analysis from Globe at Night -- a citizen science program -- concludes that stars are disappearing from human sight at an astonishing rate. The study finds that, to human eyes, artificial lighting has dulled the night sky more rapidly than indicated by satellite measurements.

Genes that cause rare hidden cancer revealed

Several genes that cause sarcoma have been identified in the first comprehensive genetic map of sarcomas. The research has wide implications for people living with sarcoma and their families -- allowing detection of the cancer earlier and potentially improving survival for patients.

Photonic hopfions: Light shaped as a smoke ring that behaves like a particle

We can frequently find in our daily lives a localized wave structure that maintains its shape upon propagation—picture a smoke ring flying in the air. Similar stable structures have been studied in various research fields and can be found in magnets, nuclear systems, and particle physics. In contrast to a ring of smoke, they can be made resilient to perturbations. This is known in mathematics...

Light pollution rapidly reducing number of stars visible to naked eye, study finds

Research suggests if trend continues, view of Orion’s belt will disappear due to glow from artificial lighting“There is no light in earth or heaven / But the cold light of stars,” wrote the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.But for myriad writers and artists, that source of inspiration could be fading as research has revealed light pollution is rapidly reducing the number of stars visible to...

Squirrels that gamble win big when it comes to evolutionary fitness

Imagine overhearing the Powerball lottery winning numbers, but you didn't know when those numbers would be called—just that at some point in the next 10 years or so, they would be. Despite the financial cost of playing those numbers daily for that period, the payoff is big enough to make it worthwhile.

Hydrogen-powered planes take off with startup’s test flight

In a record trip for low-carbon aviation, a startup company has completed a test flight of a 19-seat aircraft powered in part by hydrogen fuel cells. It’s the largest plane that ZeroAvia, a leader in developing hydrogen-electric systems for planes, has tested in the air to date.  The flight took off from Cotswold Airport in the UK and lasted about 10 minutes altogether. During the flight,...

Alien land snail species are increasing exponentially, says study

Invasive land snail species can displace native species and harm human health. A recent study by the Leibniz Institute for Biodiversity Change Analysis (LIB) compiles an overview of the exponential increase and dynamic spread of land snail species introduced to Europe and the Mediterranean from other continents.

Tracing the flow of water with DNA

Environmental DNA analysis of microbial communities can help us understand how a particular region's water cycle works. Basel hydrogeologist Oliver Schilling recently used this method to examine the water cycle on Mount Fuji. His results have implications for other regions worldwide.