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271,915 articles from PhysOrg
Researchers serve up an improved model of indoor pollution produced by cooking
Stir-frying yields more than just tasty dishes like Kung Pao chicken and Hunan beef. It also emits an invisible mixture of gases and particles that pollute indoor air and can be detrimental to human health. Correctly estimating such cooking emissions in a variety of settings is critical for simulating exposure and informing health guidelines aimed at keeping people safe.
China scores a big win in race with US for influence on the moon
China notched a diplomatic victory in its race against the U.S. for influence in space, with Egypt agreeing to support Beijing's plan for a proposed project on the moon.
Study identifies behaviors that helped couples weather the pandemic
Many couples were unprepared for the impact COVID-19 could have on romantic relationships, but those who were able to adjust by creating new routines and adopting a positive attitude were more likely to weather the storm, according to a study by Rutgers researchers.
New high school curriculum teaches color chemistry and AI simultaneously
North Carolina State University researchers have developed a weeklong high school curriculum that helps students quickly grasp concepts in both color chemistry and artificial intelligence—while sparking their curiosity about science and the world around them.
Molecular fossils study sheds light on feeding strategy shift in ancient life
Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. Research published in Nature Communications combines geology and genetics, showing how changes in the early Earth prompted a shift in how animals eat.
Sensor implant gathers information about the welfare of individual farmed salmon
Sick and injured farmed salmon are a problem, but researchers have recently developed an implant that uses sensors to gather information about the welfare of individual fish.
Q&A: Reducing the use of animal tissues for testing the safety of cosmetics
Imperial College London researchers speak to us about their work exploring animal-free methods for the future of testing cosmetics safety.
Elastane recycling: Stretching the lifespan of textiles
Clothing is far too valuable to simply dispose of and burn. Starting in 2025, used textiles are to be collected and recycled throughout the EU. Improved recycling processes are urgently needed to deal with the huge amount of textiles that will then be produced in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.
Climate tipping points are nearer than you think. Our new report warns of catastrophic risk
It's now almost inevitable that 2023 will be the warmest year ever recorded by humans, probably the warmest for at least 125,000 years.
For its final trick, Chandrayaan-3 brings its propulsion module to Earth orbit
On August 23, ISRO's Vikram lander detached from its propulsion module and made a soft landing near the moon's south pole region. The lander then deployed its Pragyan rover, and for two weeks the endearing little solar-powered rover performed marvelously, detecting water ice and characterizing the makeup of the lunar regolith before succumbing to the darkness and cold of the lunar night.
Famed Halley's comet passes aphelion this weekend
It's lonely out there in the frozen outer solar system. On Saturday, December 9th, that most famous of all comets 1P/Halley reaches a hallmark point on its 75-year journey through the solar system, reaching aphelion or its most distant point from the sun.
Dredging up New York City's glacial memory
On a cold night in November, a small group gathered at the boathouse of the Brooklyn-based Gowanus Dredgers to listen to Elizabeth Case, a glaciologist and Ph.D. student at Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, talk about how glaciers formed and defined the landscape of New York City.
Ex-entrepreneurs can thrive in the right employee roles, finds new study
Once an entrepreneur always an entrepreneur? Not necessarily, says a new study by researchers at the University of Central Florida and Purdue University. Former entrepreneurs can transition from being their own boss into successful employees within an organization, especially in roles that harness their entrepreneurial spirit, according to a recent study published in Personnel Psychology.
Understanding climate tipping points
As the planet warms, many parts of the Earth system are undergoing large-scale changes. Ice sheets are shrinking, sea levels are rising and coral reefs are dying off.
Psyche gamma-ray instrument hums to life, marking next generation for space exploration
Set 6.5 feet (2 meters) away from NASA's Psyche spacecraft on the tip of a boom, the mission's gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) hummed to life on Nov. 6 for the first time since launch in mid-October. The GRS is one half of the Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRNS) instrument on the Psyche mission.
Methane emissions from Dutch canals underestimated, researcher finds
Researchers have so far underestimated methane emissions from canals in five major Dutch cities. That is the conclusion of microbiologist Koen Pelsma, who will defend his Ph.D. thesis on this topic at Radboud University on 13 December.
DNA analysis of bat droppings shows astonishingly high number of insect species
Adequate food supply is a fundamental need and requirement for survival. To protect a species, it is often very helpful to know what that species prefers and frequently consumes. Through the analysis of DNA traces in the droppings of a Leisler's bat colony, researchers at LIB (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change) have now identified an astonishingly high number—more than...
Physicists 'entangle' individual molecules for the first time, hastening possibilities for quantum computing
For the first time, a team of Princeton physicists have been able to link together individual molecules into special states that are quantum mechanically "entangled." In these bizarre states, the molecules remain correlated with each other—and can interact simultaneously—even if they are miles apart, or indeed, even if they occupy opposite ends of the universe. This research was recently...
Scientists believe lack of women in physics tied to personal preference, but this ignores gender norms: Study
Fewer women pursue careers in physics than biology, and scientists from around the world believe these differences come down to personal preferences, according to a new Rice University study of international scientists. The study's researchers warn that merely chalking this imbalance up to individual choice may diminish the push for gender equality in the sciences.
Novel viral treatment found to be effective against devastating bone cancer in dogs
Researchers from the University of Minnesota partnered with Mayo Clinic to conduct a groundbreaking study that could offer hope for dogs, and potentially humans, diagnosed with osteosarcoma— a devastating bone cancer predominantly affecting children, adolescents and young adults.
Better use of grass-covered areas across the EU can protect nature and strengthen agriculture
German farmers in the Lower Oder Valley National Park on the eastern border with Poland faced a dilemma: what to do with grass that was useless as animal feed.
A catalyst for electronically controlled C–H functionalization
The Chirik Group at the Princeton Department of Chemistry is chipping away at one of the great challenges of metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization with a new method that uses a cobalt catalyst to differentiate between bonds in fluoroarenes, functionalizing them based on their intrinsic electronic properties.
New dark matter theory explains two puzzles in astrophysics
Thought to make up 85% of matter in the universe, dark matter is nonluminous and its nature is not well understood. While normal matter absorbs, reflects, and emits light, dark matter cannot be seen directly, making it harder to detect. A theory called "self-interacting dark matter," or SIDM, proposes that dark matter particles self-interact through a dark force, strongly colliding with one...
A new 66 million-year history of carbon dioxide offers little comfort for today
A massive new review of ancient atmospheric carbon-dioxide levels and corresponding temperatures lays out a daunting picture of where the Earth's climate may be headed. The study covers geologic records spanning the past 66 million years, putting present-day concentrations into context with deep time.
Ancient stars made extraordinarily heavy elements, researchers find
How heavy can an element be? An international team of researchers has found that ancient stars were capable of producing elements with atomic masses greater than 260, heavier than any element on the periodic table found naturally on Earth. The finding deepens our understanding of element formation in stars.
Grunt or whistle: Successful honey-hunters know how to communicate with wild honey-seeking birds
In many parts of Africa, humans cooperate with a species of wax-eating bird called the greater honeyguide, Indicator indicator, which leads them to wild bees' nests with a chattering call. By using specialized sounds to communicate with each other, both species can significantly increase their chances of accessing calorie-dense honey and beeswax.
When sea-level rise threatens coastal wetlands, don't look to rivers for help, scientists say
Amid climate change, large dam removal projects have gained attention as a solution to the loss of coastal wetlands that reduce flooding, filter water, and provide wildlife habitat. But in a paper appearing in Science, researchers conclude that this strategy won't work in most U.S. rivers.
Why dozens of North American bird species are getting new names: Every name tells a story
This winter, tens of thousands of birders will survey winter bird populations for the National Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, part of an international bird census, powered by volunteers, that has taken place every year since 1900.
Social robots leave students wanting, education researchers find
Social robots, artificial intelligence (AI) systems designed to interact with humans, are marketed as capable of fulfilling certain human roles. Elementary and middle school students who interacted with one of these robots in the classroom for 10 weeks showed curiosity about aspects of the robot—including gender identity—that make them appear "social," according to Penn State College of...
Multimedia distribution and health risk assessment of typical organic pollutants in a retired industrial park
In developing countries, a large number of retired industrial parks require economical and effective risk assessment and remediation. Assessing the comprehensive risk of large retired industrial parks remains a considerable challenge due to the complexity of pollution sources and migration properties.
Astronomers calculate which exoplanets are most likely to have water
Astronomers know of about 60 rocky exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zones of their stars. When they try to determine how habitable these planets might be, detecting water in their atmospheres plays a huge role. But what if there was another way of measuring the water content in these worlds?
Video: Tracking human emissions from space
The Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) mission will be the first satellite mission to measure how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through human activity.
Water crisis in South Africa: Damning report finds 46% contamination, 67% of works near to breaking down
A new report by South Africa's Department of Water and Sanitation paints a grim picture of the quality of the country's drinking water, and its water infrastructure. The Blue Drop Audit Report is meant to ensure that water service authorities are held accountable for providing safe drinking water. The Conversation Africa put questions to water expert Anja du Plessis.
Biases behind transgender athlete bans are deeply rooted
In 2023, 24 states had laws or regulations in place prohibiting transgender students from participating on public school athletic teams consistent with their gender identity. These bans mean that a person whose sex assigned at birth was male but who identifies as a girl or woman cannot play on a girls or women's athletic team at a public school in that state.
Three takeaways on respiratory illness in dogs
Headlines have been circulating about a "mystery" canine respiratory illness. How novel is this, and what should dog owners know? Penn Today spoke with Deborah Silverstein, professor of emergency and critical care at the School of Veterinary Medicine and section chief of emergency and critical care at Ryan Veterinary Hospital, to break down the biggest takeaways.
Focus on people to boost Africa's climate resilience, says report
Investments in Africa's infrastructure can make people and communities far more resilient to the threats posed by climate change, a new report says.
Less asphalt gives way to stronger trees in urban areas, finds study
Trees planted in urban areas can provide shade and contribute to a lower air temperature. For these services to be optimal, it is important to let asphalt give way to trees, according to research from the University of Gothenburg.
Ocean warming sets the stage for dangerous but predictable East Africa droughts
Frequent droughts—interspersed with floods—have become the new norm in eastern East Africa over the past few years, driving a massive food security crisis. In 2020, the Horn of Africa entered its longest and most severe dry spell in more than 70 years, and 2022 marked the driest springtime drought on record. More than 20 million people experienced extreme hunger because of failed harvests, and...
Disinformation is rampant on social media. A social psychologist explains the tactics used against you
Information warfare abounds, and everyone online has been drafted whether they know it or not.
How agriculture can make the most of one of the world's biggest carbon stocks, soil
It's right under our feet. We barely notice as we go about our lives, yet it is nothing less than the largest carbon repository among all of Earth's ecosystems. This distinction is awarded neither to forests, nor to the atmosphere, but to our soils. There are around 2,400 billion tons of carbon in the first two meters below ground, which is three times as much as in the atmosphere.