145 articles from WEDNESDAY 3.5.2023
Recycle? Recover? New framework aids best practice food waste management
Process engineering Ph.D. researcher Roanna Jones from the QUT Center for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy and Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Center (CRC) said an estimated 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally each year, which is approximately one-third of food intended for human consumption.
Study shows having a criminal record does not mean a person is intrinsically immoral
Assuming that people with a criminal record are inherently more inclined to break the rules is wrong, according to a paper published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology by Joachim Vosgerau (Bocconi) and Sarah Kuehn (Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, U.S.). The authors wanted to test both the actual propensity to cheat of former inmates compared with people who had never been...
Politicians are more likely to support conscription when they don't have draft-age sons
Do politicians internalize the consequences of their war-related votes? A new paper published in the Journal of Political Economy finds that they do—when their family is involved.
Detailed descriptions of modern art may enhance the viewer experience
Visitors to a modern art museum lingered in front of artworks longer and exhibited more signs of excitement when given detailed descriptions of each piece compared to seeing basic labels, according to a study published May 3, 2023, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Serena Castellotti from the University of Florence, Italy, and colleagues.
Stone tools reflect three waves of migration of the earliest Homo sapiens into Europe
The first modern humans spread across Europe in three waves during the Paleolithic, according to a study published May 3, 2023, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ludovic Slimak of the CNRS and University of Toulouse III, France.
Recovery of ancient DNA identifies 20,000-year-old pendant’s owner
Elk tooth pendant unearthed in Siberia is first prehistoric artefact to be linked to a specific person using genetic sleuthingScientists have used a new method for extracting ancient DNA to identify the owner of a 20,000-year old pendant fashioned from an elk’s canine tooth.The method can isolate DNA that was present in skin cells, sweat or other bodily fluids and was absorbed by certain types...
AI is helping astronomers make new discoveries and learn about the universe faster than ever before
The famous first image of a black hole just got two times sharper. A research team used artificial intelligence to dramatically improve upon its first image from 2019, which now shows the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy as darker and bigger than the first image depicted.
Black mothers trapped in unsafe neighborhoods signal the stressful health toll of gun violence in the US
Black mothers are the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to the mental and physical harms of stress from living with gun violence in America.
Study finds steep 66% drop in party registration with automatic voter registration
In 2016, Oregon became the first state to adopt and implement an automatic voter registration (AVR) system. Now, twenty-two states, plus Washington D.C., have such systems in place. Early research on the impacts of this innovation has shown an increase in the number of people registered, and greater diversity among the registrants.
Stage set for a strong El Niño in late 2023, say researchers
A team of researchers, using a state-of-the-art climate prediction system, is forecasting a strong El Niño toward the end of 2023. If westerly wind bursts were to occur during the spring and early summer, an even stronger El Niño event might occur.
Studying fundamentals of water as a solvent could lead to greener cellulose-based products
Water isn't just a universal solvent that remains unaffected by its interactions. New publications from North Carolina State University show that water can change its solubility characteristics depending upon what it interacts with. Specifically, when water interacts with cellulose, it can stack in layered shells to control chemical reactions within, and physical properties of, the material. The...
The ultra-fast space winds that shape the evolution of galaxies
They are called UFOs, but aliens have nothing to do with them. They are the ultra-fast outflows: space winds that emerge from the surroundings of supermassive black holes and blow at speeds close to that of light. An international research team has explored this still little-understood phenomenon, hunting for these gas emissions, which are crucial to understanding the mechanisms regulating the...
How to protect consumers from deceptive comparison pricing
Researchers from Duke University, University of Notre Dame, and Microsoft published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines using "true normal prices" during a sale as a way to reduce deceptive pricing tricks.
New York becomes first US state to ban gas in new buildings
New York has become the first US state to pass a law banning gas stoves and other fossil fuels in most new buildings, in a victory for environmental activists.
Dark Energy Camera captures the glowing remains of the first documented supernova
The image of the tattered shell of the first recorded supernova was captured by the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, DECam. The camera is mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation's Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a program of NSF's NOIRLab.
Scientists find link between photosynthesis and 'fifth state of matter'
Inside a lab, scientists marvel at a strange state that forms when they cool down atoms to nearly absolute zero. Outside their window, trees gather sunlight and turn them into new leaves. The two seem unrelated—but a new study from the University of Chicago suggests that these processes aren't so different as they might appear on the surface.
As rising seas disrupt toxic sites, study finds communities of color are at most risk
As rising seas threaten to flood hundreds of toxic sites along the California coast, the risk of flood-related contamination will fall disproportionately on the state's most marginalized communities, finds a new study published today by researchers at UC Berkeley, UCLA and Climate Central.
Defuse anger in the workplace with humor, expert says
Whether it is pressing deadlines, overwork, or employees feeling they are not being supported, anger in a work environment can be unavoidable. Over time, the anger and frustration can compound, causing anger to spread through the entire team or organization, creating what George Mason University expert Mandy O'Neill calls a "culture of anger."
Evaluating climate reasoning, prior beliefs and partisanship
A popular explanation for climate denialism is that humans will adopt beliefs that accord with their political orientation, using their cognitive abilities to explain away identity-inconsistent information in a process called "motivated reasoning."
Indo-Pacific corals found to be more resilient to climate change than Atlantic corals
In the face of global warming and other environmental changes, corals in the Atlantic Ocean have declined precipitously in recent years, while corals in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are faring better. By describing several species of symbiotic algae that these corals need to grow, an international team led by Penn State has found that these mutualistic relationships from the Indo-Pacific may be...
‘We are cut off.’ Tensions with Russia are hobbling Arctic research
In 2010, Russian President Vladimir Putin—then the prime minister—visited a remote research station on Samoylov Island, in Siberia’s far north. Beginning in the 1990s, the facility on the Lena River had become a hub for German and Russian collaboration on change in the region’s permafrost. “I see a good example of international cooperation here,” Putin told a group of...
47% of South Africans rely on social grants: Study reveals how they use them to generate more income
South Africa has one of the world's most expansive social grant system: 47% of the population relies on a monthly grant. Of these, 18 million are permanent beneficiaries and about 10 million receive a temporary Social Relief of Distress Grant. This was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic for working age adults who do not receive formal social protection, such as unemployment insurance and for...
Ask Astro: How quickly will the Sun become a red giant?
- Astronomy.com
- 23/5/3 18:33
Will the Sun’s expansion into a red giant be gradual or explosive? John HaleyHuntsville, Alabama Stars use pressure created by nuclear fusion to combat gravity and stay “alive.” More accurately, this balance allows stars to stay in what is called hydrostatic equilibrium. Stars in the prime of their lives, fusing hydrogen into helium in theirContinue reading "Ask Astro: How quickly will the...