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271,492 articles from PhysOrg
Following in polar bears' footprints: DNA from snow tracks could help monitor threatened animals
Polar bears are icons of the Arctic, elusive and vulnerable. Detailed monitoring of their populations is crucial for their conservation—but because polar bears are so difficult to find, we are missing critical data about population size and how well-connected those populations are. Scientists have now developed a new tool to help: DNA analysis using skin cells shed in the bears' footprints in...
Teaching physics from the din of flying discs
Disc golf is booming, with record numbers of players turning up each year to partake in the disc-throwing sport. It is also whizzing and whistling. In fact, the sound a disc makes while soaring through the air toward its target is full of information about how fast the disc is flying and how quickly it spins.
SUNDAY 3. DECEMBER 2023
Earth is running a fever. And UN climate talks are focusing on the contagious effect on human health
With Planet Earth running a fever, U.N. climate talks focused Sunday on the contagious effects on human health.
El Niño helped steer storms away from U.S. this hurricane season. What about next year?
This year, a record-hot Atlantic Ocean went toe-to-toe with a strong El Niño for which weather phenomena would steer the hurricane season. The winner?
A six-planet solar system in perfect synchrony has been found in the Milky Way
Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand cosmic orchestra, untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago.
Bottlenose dolphins can sense electric fields, study shows
A small team of bio-scientists from the University of Rostock's Institute for Biosciences and Nuremberg Zoo's Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab, both in Germany, has found evidence that bottlenose dolphins can sense electric fields. In their study, reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the group tested the ability of two captive bottlenose dolphins to sense a small electric field.
Nations rally behind renewables at COP28 climate talks
Nearly 120 nations pledged to triple the world's renewable energy within seven years at UN climate talks Saturday as the United States pushed to crank up nuclear capacity and slash methane emissions.
To greenwash or do the right thing? Corporate dilemmas at COP28
They call the giant climate business expo running outside the COP28 United Nations talks in Dubai the "green zone".
As Dubai hosts climate talks, its air pollution soars
Dubai's glitzy skyline was obscured by a blanket of smog rated as "unhealthy" on Sunday as thousands of delegates attended a COP28 conference dedicated to the harmful effects of air pollution.
50 oil and gas companies pledge to cut operational emissions
Fifty oil and gas companies representing 40 percent of global production pledged to decarbonize their operations by 2050 at the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Saturday.
Maghreb farmers embrace drones to fight climate change
A drone buzzed back and forth above rows of verdant orange trees planted near Nabeul, eastern Tunisia.
Strong earthquake that sparked a tsunami warning leaves 1 dead amid widespread panic in Philippines
A powerful earthquake that shook the southern Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said Sunday.
New doubts over coral, safety at planned Olympic surf venue
The president of French Polynesia has questioned whether 2024 Olympic surfing can go ahead at the planned site in Tahiti, saying he was concerned about safety and damage to coral from a planned judging tower.
SATURDAY 2. DECEMBER 2023
New unified theory shows how past landscapes drove the evolution of Earth's rich diversity of life
Earth's surface is the living skin of our planet—it connects the physical, chemical and biological systems.
As seas get warmer, tropical species are moving further from the equator
Climate change is causing tropical species in the ocean to move from the equator towards the poles, while temperate species recede. This mass movement of marine life, termed tropicalization, is leading to a cascade of consequences for ecosystems and biodiversity, and has the potential to impact the global economy.
Bashful golden mole detected in South Africa after 87 years
A golden mole that "swims" in sand has resurfaced in South Africa after 87 years in the wilderness when many specialists feared it had become extinct, researchers have said.
Toxic chemicals in UK whales and dolphins are exceeding safe limits
Almost half of marine mammals around the UK are being poisoned by banned chemicals.
A new possible explanation for the Hubble tension
The universe is expanding. How fast it does so is described by the so-called Hubble-Lemaitre constant. But there is a dispute about how big this constant actually is: Different measurement methods provide contradictory values.
Saturday Citations: Adorable kittens, violent pulsars, brand-new fusion reactor and a proposed giant cosmic void
This week in our wrap up, we lull you into a false sense of security with adorable lion cubs then ambush you with terrifying pulsars. We do this not out of a sense of malice but to prepare your mind for the possibility of a giant cosmic void. Also, Japan has launched a new fusion research facility.
Massive planet too big for its own sun pushes astronomers to rethink exoplanet formation
Imagine you're a farmer searching for eggs in the chicken coop—but instead of a chicken egg, you find an ostrich egg, much larger than anything a chicken could lay.
US leads call to triple nuclear power at COP28
More than 20 nations including the United States called for a tripling of nuclear energy to drive down emissions on Saturday as world leaders assembled for a second day at UN climate talks in Dubai.
Agriculture officials confirm 25th case of cattle anthrax in North Dakota this year
A new case of cattle anthrax has been confirmed in southwest North Dakota's Grant County, bringing the number of cases in the state to 25 this year, according to state agriculture officials.
FRIDAY 1. DECEMBER 2023
Over 110 countries support tripling renewables by 2030: EU chief
More than 110 countries want the COP28 climate negotiations to adopt a goal of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday.
Botany must feature more prominently on the school curriculum to promote awareness of climate change, study warns
Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned.
Social media influencers may affect more than voter opinions
If Thanksgiving dinner conversations have turned into heated political arguments over the past two decades, social media may be to blame. Popular social media figures—or influencers—who create or share distorted political messages may cause political parties to moderate their policies to win over independent voters in general elections but tend to polarize the rest of society, according to...
Shrinking particle accelerators with cold plasma and a large picnic basket
Twenty-five feet below ground, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory scientist Spencer Gessner opens a large metal picnic basket. This is not your typical picnic basket filled with cheese, bread and fruit—it contains screws, bolts, steel tubing, and many other parts and pieces that carry particles to nearly the speed of light. The components are arranged precisely to do an important job: help...
Researchers sound out Canadian military's plan to combat ocean noise pollution
A new study from Simon Fraser University researchers examines the Canadian military's efforts to reduce the impacts of underwater noise pollution on species during training exercises in the Pacific Ocean but caveat that more can still be done.
Ghostlike dusty galaxy reappears in James Webb Space Telescope image
It first appeared as a glowing blob from ground-based telescopes and then vanished completely in images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Now, the ghostly object has reappeared as a faint, yet distinct galaxy in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Scientists navigate uncharted waters in fish immunology research
Upon infection or immunization, all jawed vertebrate species generate proteins called antibodies that bind and neutralize pathogens. Strong and long-lasting antibody responses in warm-blooded species such as mammals are produced in secondary lymphoid microstructures (SLMs) among which germinal centers (GCs) are the centerpiece.
Hip hop dancing promotes awareness of disability rights and performance equality, study shows
Hip hop dancing can be used to spread awareness of disability rights and help those with sight problems to participate in performance equally, a new study says.
Study illuminates formation of US east coast during break up of supercontinent Pangea
A recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth sheds new light on the formation of the East Coast of the United States—a "passive margin," in geologic terms—during the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea and the opening of the Atlantic Ocean around 230 million years ago.
Plant survey finds dozens of nonnative invasive species thriving in southwest Ohio
Botanist Denis Conover does not have to go far to study the growing problem of invasive plants.
New understanding of 'oobleck-like' fluids contributes to smart material design
If you mix cornstarch and water in the right proportions, you get something that seems not-quite-liquid but also not-quite-solid. Oobleck flows and settles like a liquid when untouched but stiffens when you try to pick it up or stir it with a spoon. The properties of oobleck and other non-Newtonian fluids—including Silly Putty, quicksand, paint, and yogurt—change under stress or pressure, and...
Flexible parental leave among immigrant mothers can promote integration
Mothers who took parental leave part-time or for shorter periods were more likely to engage in income-generating activities or pursue education. A new study uncovers surprising patterns in parental leave usage among newly arrived migrant women in Sweden, specifically focusing on their integration into the labor market.
Health is finally a priority at COP28. Will it spur faster climate action?
Arianne Teherani has a loud, clear message for the negotiators at COP28: "Climate change is undermining human health, fundamentally, all over the world, right now."
Study on kids and a career: Traditional role models still largely exist
A representative survey by IU International University of Applied Sciences reveals there are still significant differences between the sexes in career trajectories.
'Silent devastation' of drought set to increase globally under climate change, says UN report
Recent drought-related data compiled by the UN point to "an unprecedented emergency on a planetary scale, where the massive impacts of human-induced droughts are only starting to unfold."
Emissions inequality is getting worse—here's how to end the reign of the ultra-polluters
Climate change is overwhelmingly a problem of wealthy people. The wealthiest 1% of humanity produce over 1,000 times the emissions of the poorest 1%. In fact, these 77 million people are responsible for more climate-changing emissions than the poorest 66% (5 billion people) of humanity.
When physics meets biology: Prion protein orchestrates liquid–liquid phase separation with copper
In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE-Berlin) shed light on the intricate dance between the prion protein and copper ions in the physiopathology of live cells.
Vera Rubin telescope will generate a mind-boggling amount of data, say astronomers
When the Vera C. Rubin Observatory comes online in 2025, it will be one of the most powerful tools available to astronomers, capturing huge portions of the sky every night with its 8.4-meter mirror and 3.2-gigapixel camera. Each image will be analyzed within 60 seconds, alerting astronomers to transient events like supernovae. An incredible 5 petabytes (5,000 terabytes) of new raw images will be...
Researcher develops a chatbot with an expertise in nanomaterials
A researcher has just finished writing a scientific paper. She knows her work could benefit from another perspective. Did she overlook something? Or perhaps there's an application of her research she hadn't thought of. A second set of eyes would be great, but even the friendliest of collaborators might not be able to spare the time to read all the required background publications to catch up.
Raising a child to 18 in the UK costs more than £200,000—here's why
Before having our first baby last year, we wondered whether we had the money, time and necessary skills to raise a child. Perhaps you find yourself contemplating the same? Many people certainly have, as birth rates have been declining across the world for the past 200 years.
Europe is working on a multi-purpose habitat for the moon
With NASA gearing up to send humans back to the moon in the next few years with the Artemis missions with the goal of establishing a permanent outpost at the lunar south pole, nations are making efforts to contribute to Artemis and a permanent presence on our nearest celestial neighbor.
A professor says science shows free will doesn't exist. Here's why he's mistaken
It seems like we have free will. Most of the time, we are the ones who choose what we eat, how we tie our shoelaces and what articles we read on The Conversation.
We don't know how many victims of modern slavery are in prison—why that's a problem in the UK
Modern slavery affects an estimated 120,000 people in the UK. Under international law, countries must identify and protect survivors, while prosecuting and punishing those who traffic and exploit them.