177 articles from WEDNESDAY 8.3.2023

Digital technology: The backbone of a net-zero emissions future

The urgency of the global transition to a net-zero economy, focused on solutions that enable the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, cannot be overstated. As both the engine of global economic growth and substantial emissions generator, industry has a unique responsibility and opportunity to lead this process. And while the energy and petrochemicals sectors have understandably been a central...

Nearby active galaxy investigated with Chandra observatory

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, astronomers have performed deep X-ray observations of a nearby active galaxy known as NGC 5728 and its active galactic nucleus (AGN). Results of the observational campaign, published March 1 on the pre-print server arXiv, deliver important information regarding the properties of this AGN and the emission from it.

Ancient artifacts reveal the 'roots of Casas Grandes'

At an excavation site in northern Mexico, BYU archaeology students and professors recently discovered artifacts that have been buried for 1,000 years, including pottery sherds, hammer stones, maize kernels and—intriguing at a location 250 miles inland—a shell bead from the Pacific Ocean.

Q&A: How AI can help combat climate change

Climate change is a global emergency challenging scientists, engineers, and industry experts from a wide array of disciplines to use their knowledge and skills in pursuit of solutions to protect our planet.

Highlight facts or appeal to feelings? The psychology of persuading individuals to contribute to a collective goal

Researchers from Fudan University, China Europe International Business School, and Peking University published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines how marketers can use different messaging to persuade individuals to contribute to a collective goal. The study addresses the specific question of the type of message—fact-based vs. affected-based—that is more effective in eliciting...

Personal connections matter to families taking care of kin during opioid crisis

For family members unexpectedly taking care of a relative's child during the opioid crisis, it can be difficult to navigate the legal waters of assuming custody. The process may be easier—and come with more support—if these caregivers have personal connections to local resource institutions, according to a study conducted by a Penn State faculty member.

How diluting ouzo liquor could lead to better emulsions

It sounds like a party trick: Add water to the clear, licorice-flavored ouzo liquor, and watch it turn cloudy. This "ouzo effect" is an example of an easy way to make highly stable emulsions—or mixtures of liquids that don't like being together, like vinaigrettes—but nobody has yet fully understood how it works. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science that the secret may lie in the...

NASA to measure forest health from above

In places across the U.S., tree cover is shrinking—forests are burned by wildfires on the West Coast and drowned by rising sea levels along the East. From the ground, it's hard to assess the scale of the losses and the effects disappearing trees have on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and climate change.

Women, men have different motivations for competing, says expert on gender wage gap

Mary L. Rigdon, director of the University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom and an associate professor in the Department of Political Economy and Moral Science, has spent years studying gender competitiveness and women's equity. Her work challenges traditional stereotypes and makes a compelling business and ethical case to close the wage gap between men and women.

Just add water: How diluting ouzo liquor could lead to better emulsions

It sounds like a party trick: Add water to the clear, licorice-flavored ouzo liquor, and watch it turn cloudy. This 'ouzo effect' is an example of an easy way to make highly stable emulsions -- or mixtures of liquids that don't like being together, like vinaigrettes -- but nobody has yet fully understood how it works. Now, researchers report that the secret may lie in the unique structure of the...

Short-distance migration critical for climate change adaptation

Short-distance migration, which accounts for the vast majority of migratory movements in the world, is crucial for climate change adaptation, according to new research. Contrary to common assumptions, most migratory movements are people moving short distances, largely due to economic, social and environmental factors, such as climate change.

Paleontologists flip the script on anemone fossils

Billions of sea anemones adorn the bottom of the Earth's oceans -- yet they are among the rarest of fossils because their squishy bodies lack easily fossilized hard parts. Now a team of paleontologists has discovered that countless sea anemone fossils have been hiding in plain sight for nearly 50 years. It turns out that fossils long-interpreted as jellyfish were anemones. To do so, a team of...