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74 articles from PhysOrg

Strong solar flare erupts from the sun

The sun has emitted a strong solar flare that peaked at 10:33 p.m. ET on March 28, 2023. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

Particle errors: Quantifying the effects of simulation mixing state on aerosol optical properties

Particles in the atmosphere affect global climate. For example, the black carbon from burning fossil fuels absorbs and radiates light and heat. To calculate the effects of aerosols on climate, scientists rely on simulated aerosol fields. How these models represent aerosol mixing state potentially introduces large uncertainties into climate calculations. This is because the simulated aerosol...

Machine learning model helps forecasters improve confidence in storm prediction

When severe weather is brewing and life-threatening hazards like heavy rain, hail or tornadoes are possible, advance warning and accurate predictions are of utmost importance. Colorado State University weather researchers have given storm forecasters a powerful new tool to improve confidence in their forecasts and potentially save lives.

'Taffy Galaxies' collide, leave behind bridge of star-forming material

Galaxy collisions are transformative events, largely responsible for driving the evolution of the universe. The mixing and mingling of stellar material is an incredibly dynamic process that can lead to the formation of molecular clouds populated with newly forming stars. But, a head-on collision between the two galaxies UGC 12914 (left) and UGC 12915 (right) 25–30 million years ago appears to...

The death of open access mega-journals?

The entire scientific publishing world is currently undergoing a massive stress test of quantity vs. quality, open access (free) vs. institutional subscriptions (paywall), and how to best judge the integrity of a publication.

Most of world's salt marshes likely to be underwater by 2100, study concludes

Cape Cod's salt marshes are as iconic as they are important. These beautiful, low-lying wetlands are some of the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth. They play an outsized role in nitrogen cycling, act as carbon sinks, protect coastal development from storm surge, and provide critical habitats and nurseries for many fish, shellfish, and coastal birds.

How the gut creates a cozy home for beneficial microbiome species

The digestive tract of fruit flies remodels itself to accommodate beneficial microbiome species and maintain long-term stability of the gut environment, according to new research led by William Ludington and Allan Spradling of the Carnegie Institution for Science. Their findings are published in Nature Communications.

Rainbow trout subspecies newly named

The McCloud River redband trout, or O. mykiss calisulat, is newly identified as its own distinct subspecies of rainbow trout in a study from the University of California, Davis. It is the first newly identified subspecies of Pacific trout since 2008 and the youngest rainbow trout subspecies by more than 100 years.

NGC 253: Chandra determines what makes a galaxy's wind blow

On Earth, wind can transport particles of dust and debris across the planet, with sand from the Sahara ending up in the Caribbean or volcanic ash from Iceland being deposited in Greenland. Wind can also have a big impact on the ecology and environment of a galaxy, just like on Earth, but on much larger and more dramatic scales.

Mimicking biological enzymes may be key to hydrogen fuel production

An ancient biological enzyme known as nickel-iron hydrogenase may play a key role in producing hydrogen for a renewables-based energy economy, researchers have found. Careful study of the enzyme has led chemists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to design a synthetic molecule that mimics the hydrogen gas-producing chemical reaction performed by the enzyme.

Fish diversity documented in Switzerland's rivers

In a major survey of Swiss rivers and streams, more than 50 different fish species were recorded. For the first time, more than one species was also found in the case of smaller types of fish such as the bullhead. In Progetto Fiumi, riverine fish were surveyed using standardized methods and both morphological and genetic characteristics were analyzed. Particularly high diversity was seen in large...

How people move in front of an artwork can impact their experience

A recent study led by University of Vienna psychologists has shed light on the impact of viewers' movements and positioning when looking at art. By tracking participants' movements, the researchers found that these movements could be clustered into four distinct groups, each associated with different art experiences. The study highlights the importance of considering physical engagement and bodily...

Study finds COVID-19 pandemic increased, but also polarized, trust in science

Research by the Milner Center for Evolution at the University of Bath, U.K., along with colleagues at Universities of Oxford and Aberdeen, finds that trust in scientists has hugely increased overall since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that attitudes have also become more polarized. The study also found that people were more likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine if their trust in the science had...

How to improve water permeability and rejection performance of RGO membranes? RGO-MXene membranes give answer

Membrane separation technology has become one of the most effective methods for water treatment, owing to its advantages of high separation efficiency, convenient operation and low-energy consumption. The membranes prepared from graphene oxide (GO) have received extensive attention for their high water permeability which is attributable to rapid water transport in the atomically smooth sp2 regions...

Scientists shed light on how macrophages interact with microplastics

A large portion of the nearly 200 million tons of single-use plastic produced globally ends up discarded as waste. The eventual breakdown of this plastic into microplastics—0.1–1000 µm-sized particles—is a cause for concern. Humans are exposed to microplastics not only through food consumption but also via inhalation, and their occurrence in the bloodstream and organs has already been...

Dissecting the circadian clock in real time

As our bodies and minds continue to adjust to the recent time change, debates continue around society about whether to make daylight saving time a permanent fixture, eliminate it or stay with the current semi-annual clock adjustment.