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240,755 articles from PhysOrg
All-optical phase recovery and quantitative phase imaging performed instantly without a computer
Optical imaging and characterization of weakly scattering phase objects, such as isolated cells, bacteria and thin tissue sections frequently used in biological research and medical applications, have been of significant interest for decades. Due to their optical properties, when these 'phase objects' are illuminated with a light source, the amount of scattered light is usually much less than the...
Unique quantum material could enable ultra-powerful, compact computers
Information in computers is transmitted through semiconductors by the movement of electrons and stored in the direction of the electron spin in magnetic materials. To shrink devices while improving their performance—a goal of an emerging field called spin-electronics ("spintronics")—researchers are searching for unique materials that combine both quantum properties. Writing in Nature...
Where do "Hawaiian box jellies" come from?
An insightful cross-disciplinary team of University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa researchers, working for over a decade, published a study recently revealing that a key number of hours of darkness during the lunar cycle triggers mature "Hawaiian box jellyfish" (Alatina alata) to swim to leeward O'ahu shores to spawn.
Unraveling a perplexing explosive process that occurs throughout the universe
Mysterious fast radio bursts release as much energy in one second as the Sun pours out in a year and are among the most puzzling phenomena in the universe. Now researchers at Princeton University, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have simulated and proposed a cost-effective experiment to produce and...
Geothermal drilling successes offer potential gain for petroleum industry
Texas A&M University researchers Dr. Sam Noynaert and Fred Dupriest recently presented results from a geothermal project that drastically reduced well-completion times and drill bit changeouts to an audience of mostly petroleum drillers. The Department of Energy (DOE) funded the project, which improves geothermal drilling practices with physics-based instruction and oil and gas techniques to lower...
Researchers demonstrate organic crystals can serve as energy converters for emerging technologies
New research by a team of researchers at the NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Smart Materials Lab published today in the journal Nature Communications demonstrates that organic crystals, a new class of smart engineering materials, can serve as efficient and sustainable energy conversion materials for advanced technologies such as robotics and electronics.
Key Iraq irrigation reservoir close to drying out
Iraq's Lake Hamrin, a once-vast reservoir northeast of Baghdad that is the sole source of water for irrigation across Diyala province, has nearly dried out, a senior official said Friday.
Light pollution can disorient monarch butterflies
Besides planting milkweed in the garden, people interested in helping monarch butterflies might want to turn off the porch light.
Are Republicans and Democrats driven by hatred of one another? Less than you think
When it comes to attitudes and behaviors among members of American political parties, the conventional wisdom is that hate is stronger than love.
Scientists explain why meridional heat transport is underestimated
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a phenomenon responsible for transporting ocean heat northward through the Atlantic Ocean. This process significantly influences the Arctic and North Atlantic oceanic climate and the Eurasian continental climate. The corresponding cross-equatorial northward heat transport also determines the location of the Intertropical Convergence Zone...
DNA contained in honey reveals honeybee health
Researchers from the B.S.R.C. "Alexander Fleming" in Greece have optimized a method to characterize DNA traces in honey, revealing the species that honeybees interact with. This collaborative work led by researcher Dr. Solenn Patalano allowed the monitoring of the variability of bee diets across the year, revealing bee microbiota in a non-invasive way, as well as identifying pathogenic species...
Mixing laser beams and X-ray beams
Unlike fictional laser swords, real laser beams do not interact with each other when they cross—unless the beams meet within a suitable material allowing for nonlinear light-matter interaction. In such a case, wave mixing can give rise to beams with changed colors and directions.
Topography and soil pH found to steer the activity-density and spatial distribution of termites in a fine-scale study
Soil fauna, especially termites, are essential for sustainable forest ecosystems and significantly influence soil quality. The community composition and activity density of termites can influence nutrient cycling and other ecological functions.
Elon Musk in Brazil to launch plan to survey and connect Amazon
Billionaire Elon Musk arrived in Brazil Friday, announcing a project to bring internet access to schools in the Amazon and improve satellite monitoring of the rainforest.
Israeli firm hopes AI can curb drownings
An Israeli city is testing whether an artificial intelligence programme that detects drowning threats can help save lives off its beaches.
Boeing's Starliner approaching ISS in high-stakes test mission
Boeing's Starliner capsule was preparing to dock with the International Space Station Friday, in a high-stakes uncrewed test flight key to reviving the US aerospace giant's reputation after a series of failures.
Wildlife officials truck Chinook salmon to cooler waters in emergency move to help them spawn
In a stopgap measure to help struggling spring- and winter-run Chinook salmon spawn in the face of rising water temperatures and lower water levels due to climate change, state and federal wildlife officials in Northern California have begun trucking adult fish to cooler waters.
Growing number of sick and dying California brown pelicans worries animal experts
Hundreds of sick and dying California brown pelicans have recently been found across the Southern California region and are now being treated at various rescue centers along the coast, officials said.
Space agencies provide global view of our changing environment
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, ESA, NASA and JAXA worked closely together to create an open-source platform, based on the Euro Data Cube, that used a wealth of data from Earth-observing satellites to document the worldwide changes happening to our society and the environment. Now, the COVID-19 Earth Observing Dashboard has been expanded to contain six new focus areas which offers a...
PFAS chemicals do not last forever
Once dubbed "forever chemicals," per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, might be in the market for a new nickname.
The snake trade in Indonesia is not sustainable enough—but it could be
Wildlife trade is a multimillion dollar industry. While some animals are traded legally, in compliance with legislation that aims to protect populations, wildlife trafficking continues to thrive in many places, threatening precious species with extinction.
Researchers find imperfections provide protection for system symmetry
An international research collaboration has discovered how to exploit certain defects to protect confined energy in acoustics systems. Their experimental approach provides a versatile platform to create at-will defects for further theoretical validation and to improve control of waves in other systems, such as light, according to principal investigator Yun Jing, associate professor of acoustics...
IAP releases datasets of frequent marine heatwaves in most ocean regions over two decades
Heatwaves are extreme climatic events that occur in the atmosphere and even the oceans. Recent research indicates that marine heatwaves (MHWs) will become more frequent and intense under global warming conditions.
Research reveals surprising inactivation mechanism for a voltage-gated ion channel
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are studying voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs). Their work revealed a previously unknown mechanism of inactivation for one such channel that plays an important role in how neurons and muscles respond to electric signals sent by the nervous system. A paper on the work appeared today in Molecular Cell.
Researchers unveil a secret of stronger metals
Forming metal into the shapes needed for various purposes can be done in many ways, including casting, machining, rolling, and forging. These processes affect the sizes and shapes of the tiny crystalline grains that make up the bulk metal, whether it be steel, aluminum or other widely used metals and alloys.
Hubble focuses on large lenticular galaxy 1023
This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image looks at one of the nearest, massive lenticular galaxies to Earth, NGC 1023 some 36 million light-years away. Lenticular galaxies get their names from their edge-on appearance that resembles a lens. They are intermediate galaxies between ellipticals and spirals. Lenticular galaxies have a large central bulge and a flattened disk like spirals, but no...
Why haven't we wiped out rabies yet?
Despite effective vaccines, the rabies virus kills around 59,000 people a year. We asked medical anthropologist Deborah Nadal why the disease is still a threat.
How do typhoons trigger coastal algal blooms?
A research team led by Prof. Yin Baoshu from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has revealed how typhoons trigger coastal algal blooms.
An exploration of global patterns of trade in arachnids reveals 1,264 species from 66 families
A small team of researchers with members from Thailand, Finland and China, has found that there is a very large and active trade in arachnids across the internet. In their paper published in the journal Communications Biology, the group describes their study of arachnid trade via the internet and possible repercussions of so many of the creatures being traded across the world.
Engineers evaluate the factors affecting battery performance at low temperatures
Energy storage with rechargeable battery technologies powers our digital lifestyles and supports renewable energy integration into the power grid. However, battery function under cold conditions is an ongoing challenge, motivating researchers to improve low temperature performance of batteries. Aqueous batteries (in a liquid solution) do better than non-aqueous batteries in terms of rate...
Denying abortion access has a negative impact on children and families
The Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court proceedings in the United States have put the spotlight on the issue of abortion rights. Limiting access to safe abortions has many consequences, including increases in poverty, unemployment and pregnancy-related deaths. Another key area of impact from restricting abortion access is on family well-being and child development.
Promoting diversity in reforestation shown to increase productivity
Diversifying the species in forest plantations has a positive impact on the quality of woodlands, according to an international study involving a CNRS researchers published on May 20, 2022, in the journal Science.
Function follows form in plant immunity
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) and the University of Cologne, Germany, have discovered a novel biochemical mechanism explaining how immune proteins defend plants against invading microorganisms. Their findings are published in the journal Cell.
A new tool to verify the geographical origins of virgin olive oil
Olive oil is one of the most prestigious agri-foods in Spain and it is the base of the Mediterranean diet. Adulteration and commercial fraud cases occur when it comes to the origin and varieties of a product with such an economic and business interest. Now, a team from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Torribera Food and Nutrition Campus and the Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety...
Whiteness is at the heart of racism in Britain, so why is it portrayed as a Black problem?
In 2020, two police officers in Hackney strip-searched a 15-year-old Black girl at her school. Police conducted the search of this child, known as Child Q, without the consent of her parents, without an appropriate adult present (despite this being required by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984), and with the knowledge that she was menstruating.
Researchers detect a novel binding mechanism between small and gigantic particles
Researchers at the 5th Physical Institute of the University of Stuttgart have verified a novel binding mechanism forming a molecule between a tiny charged particle and a gigantic (in molecular terms) Rydberg atom. The scientists observed the molecule with the help of a self-built ion microscope. The results are published in Nature.
Grim drought outlook for western US offers warnings for the future
Much of the western U.S. has been in the grip of an unrelenting drought since early 2020. The dryness has coincided with record-breaking wildfires, intense and long-lasting heat waves, low stream flows and dwindling water supplies in reservoirs that millions of people across the region rely on.
What's it like to be on Venus or Pluto? We studied their sand dunes and found some clues
What is it like to be on the surface of Mars or Venus? Or even further afield, such as on Pluto, or Saturn's moon Titan?
How soaring inflation can be particularly harmful for young people
Inflation rates have become almost impossible to ignore. In the U.K., inflation has soared in recent months, now reaching 9%—the highest rate for 40 years. The Bank of England expects it to rise to 10% this year and for the economy to slow down.
G20 failing to update carbon-cutting pledges: report
Nations in the G20 group of major economies have yet to strengthen greenhouse gas reduction goals despite agreeing to revisit their plans ahead of critical UN climate talks in November, according to an analysis by leading research NGOs seen exclusively by AFP.