144 articles from WEDNESDAY 10.5.2023
Entangled quantum circuits further disprove Einstein's concept of local causality
A group of researchers led by Andreas Wallraff, Professor of Solid State Physics at ETH Zurich, has performed a loophole-free Bell test to disprove the concept of "local causality" formulated by Albert Einstein in response to quantum mechanics.
Scientists discover semi-metallization and novel photoelectric behavior in lead iodide under high pressure
According to a study published in Advanced Optical Materials, Prof. Ding Junfeng and his team at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that the semiconductor lead iodide (PbI2) undergoes a transition to a semi-metallic state when subjected to pressure. This transition is accompanied by an improvement in photoelectric properties and an extension of the...
No, music doesn't cause crime—not even 'drill rap,' say researchers
The Royal Easter Show and the NSW Police recently announced a ban on "rapper music" following the murder of Pacific young person, Uati "Pele" Faletolu last year.
A journey to the origins of multicellular life: Long-term experimental evolution in the lab
The world would look very different without multicellular organisms—take away the plants, animals, fungi, and seaweed, and Earth starts to look like a wetter, greener version of Mars. But precisely how multicellular organisms evolved from single-celled ancestors remains poorly understood. The transition happened hundreds of millions of years ago, and early multicellular species are largely lost...
Lianas found to have large vessel dimorphism
The determination of plant vessel structure is fundamental for further understanding vascular function in different plant groups. Vessel dimorphism may be an important hydraulic strategy and ecological adaptation of plants. Previous studies have found that lianas, a common tropical and subtropical plant growth form, generally have larger vessel diameters than co-occurring trees. However, these...
Cheese experiments show fungal antibiotics can influence microbiome development
Fungi produce metabolites that humans have used to improve health. For example, they secrete penicillin, which is then purified and used as an antibiotic for humans, leading to the development of many other antibiotics. However, the ecology of fungal metabolites in microbial communities is not well understood. In a new study, researchers use cheese rinds to demonstrate that fungal antibiotics can...
African rhinos share retroviruses not found in Asian rhinos or other related species
Rhinoceros belong to a mammalian order called odd-toed ungulates that also include horses and tapirs. They are found in Africa and Asia. Until recently, evidence suggested that throughout their evolutionary history, gammaretroviruses such as Murine leukemia virus had not colonized their genomes, unlike most other mammalian orders.
Study: Tourists willing to pay a premium for Blue Flag destinations
Tourists are willing to pay a price premium for a sustainable coastal destination with Blue Flag status, a new study from the University of Portsmouth has found.
New procedure allows micro-printing inside existing materials with greater accuracy
3D printers form objects by layering melted plastic or metal, but this only works on large scales. What you need to fabricate microdevices for which the layering step is not feasible? What if it were possible to print directly into the bulk of an existing three-dimensional material?
Salt delivery from the Indian Ocean helped end multiple ice ages, finds study
Scientists from St Andrews and Cardiff Universities, along with international colleagues, have discovered the source of warm super salty water that rushed up the Atlantic 15,000 years ago, ushering in the end of the last ice age.
Research examines how gender impacts choices
When considering laws, workplace policies or school rules, one might take notice of whom they impact. New research from the University of New Mexico has found whether it's interventions to reduce workplace bullying, help with weight loss, or enhance student engagement, people show a gender bias in how they feel.
Paper refutes assertion that effects of bottom trawling on blue carbon can be compared to that of global air travel
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:06
A new paper refutes previous findings on the amount of CO2 released from the seabed by bottom trawling. The previous paper made significant headlines around the world on release in 2021, as it equated the carbon released by bottom trawling to be of a similar magnitude to the CO2 created by the global airline industry.
Dark clouds on the horizon
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:06
Our industrialized society releases many and various pollutants into the world. Combustion in particular produces aerosol mass including black carbon. Although this only accounts for a few percent of aerosol particles, black carbon is especially problematic due to its ability to absorb heat and impede the heat reflection capabilities of surfaces such as snow. So, it's essential to know how black...
Physicists discover 'stacked pancakes of liquid magnetism'
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:06
Physicists have discovered stacked pancakes of 'liquid' magnetism that may account for the strange electronic behavior of some layered helical magnets.
Quantum electrodynamics verified with exotic atoms
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:06
Adapting a detector developed for space X-ray observation, researchers have successfully verify strong-field quantum electrodynamics with exotic atoms.
New study reveals boreal wetlands are a large source of reactive vapors in a warming climate
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:06
Boreal wetlands are a significant source of isoprene and terpenes, a class of highly reactive organic compounds that have a substantial impact on the Earth's climate, according to a new study.
Giants of the Jurassic seas were twice the size of a killer whale
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
There have been heated debates over the size of Jurassic animals. The speculation was set to continue, but now a chance discovery in an Oxfordshire museum has led to palaeontologists publishing a paper on a Jurassic species potentially reaching a whopping 14.4 meters -- twice the size of a killer whale.
Invading insect could transform Antarctic soils
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
A tiny flightless midge which has colonized Antarctica's Signy Island is driving fundamental changes to the island's soil ecosystem, a study shows.
Nature favors creatures in largest and smallest sizes
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
Surveying the body sizes of Earth's living organisms, researchers found that the planet's biomass -- the material that makes up all living organisms -- is concentrated in organisms at either end of the size spectrum.
A jumping conclusion: Fossil insect ID'd as new genus, species of prodigious leaper, the froghopper
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
A fossil arthropod entombed in 100-million-year-old Burmese amber has been identified as a new genus and species of froghopper, known today as an insect with prodigious leaping ability in adulthood following a nymphal stage spent covered in a frothy fluid.
How life and geology worked together to forge Earth's nutrient rich crust
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
Around 500 million years ago life in the oceans rapidly diversified. In the blink of an eye -- at least in geological terms -- life transformed from simple, soft-bodied creatures to complex multicellular organisms with shells and skeletons. Now, research has shown that the diversification of life at this time also led to a drastic change in the chemistry of Earth's crust -- the uppermost layer we...
Unlocking the power of photosynthesis for clean energy production
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
Researchers are embarking on a groundbreaking project to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis using bacteria to deliver electrons to a nanocrystal semiconductor photocatalyst. By leveraging the unique properties of microorganisms and nanomaterials, the system has the potential to replace current approaches that derive hydrogen from fossil fuels, revolutionizing the way hydrogen fuel is...
A journey to the origins of multicellular life: Long-term experimental evolution in the lab
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/10 18:05
Over 3,000 generations of laboratory evolution, researchers watched as their model organism, 'snowflake yeast,' began to adapt as multicellular individuals. In new research, the team shows how snowflake yeast evolved to be physically stronger and more than 20,000 times larger than their ancestor. Their study is the first major report on the ongoing Multicellularity Long-Term Evolution Experiment...