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267,751 articles from PhysOrg

NGOs accuse Bayer of hiding glyphosate risk data

An NGO grouping said Wednesday it had filed claims in an Austrian court alleging that chemicals firm Bayer withheld data showing health risks from exposure to its herbicide glyphosate, which the EU has proposed to keep using for 10 more years.

How secondary mathematics teachers' beliefs and knowledge influence their teaching in mainland China

Past research on Chinese mathematics teaching has focused mainly on the role of teacher's beliefs and professional knowledge separately in teaching approaches, or examined three variables—teacher's beliefs, professional knowledge and teaching approaches—in correlational studies. How teaching beliefs and professional knowledge specifically influence teaching approaches remained largely unclear....

Study identifies trend toward larger and fewer eyespot patterns on butterflies

Eye spots, color patterns that resemble the eyes of vertebrates, on butterfly wings are common in nature. A research team involving the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) and researchers in Mexico, Brazil and the U.S., have now identified a trend towards fewer and bigger eyespots in a group of tropical butterflies in a DNA-based study.

Diagnosing anthropogenic carbon emissions: A 'carbon dioxide checkup' of Earth's health

Since 2020, many countries have pledged their plans for "carbon peak and carbon neutrality". Managing anthropogenic emissions, especially from major industries, is crucial for addressing global warming and promoting sustainable growth. However, existing emission records lack transparency and accuracy due to limited knowledge of CO2 emissions from cities and key sectors, leading to uncertainty in...

How llamas help mitigate effects of climate change

Introducing llamas (Llama glama) into land exposed by retreating glaciers can speed the establishment of stable soils and ecosystem formation, mitigating some of the harmful effects of climate change, according to experimental research conducted by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and partner institutions in Peru.

Advancing biodiversity research: New initiative bridges biodiversity and omics data standards

Biodiversity observation and research rely more and more on biomolecular data. The standardization of this data, encompassing both primary and contextual information (metadata), is crucial for enabling data (re-)use, integration, and knowledge generation. While both the biodiversity and the omics research communities have recognized the urgent need for (meta)data standards, they each have...

Microplastics in the mud: Finnish lake sediments help us get to the bottom of plastic pollution

The sun is shining, and air feels surprisingly warm when we walk on a 35cm ice that covers a frozen lake in central Finland. The heavy sledges move nicely, because there is not much snow on the ice today. The journey isn't far either, as we're by the city of Kuopio, which is surrounded by Finland's 10th largest lake. Despite the temperature of -10˚, I need to take off my hat—the sun in early...

A precise test of quantum electrodynamics: Measuring the g factor of electrons in hydrogen-like tin

Quantum electrodynamics is the best-tested theory in physics. It describes all electrical and magnetic interactions of light and matter. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik in Heidelberg (MPIK) have now used precision measurements on their Alphatrap experiment to investigate the magnetic properties of electrons bound to highly ionized tin atoms. Such tests provide insights into...

Hubble records rare radio galaxy NGC 612

A striking orange and blue streak fills this new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble's visible and infrared capabilities captured this edge-on view of lenticular galaxy NGC 612. Lenticular galaxies have a central bulge and disk much like spiral galaxies, but they lack the characteristic arms. They typically have older star populations and little ongoing star formation. In NGC 612,...

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft views sample return capsule's departure

After years of anticipation and hard work by NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security—Regolith Explorer) team, a capsule of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu returned to Earth on Sept. 24 in a targeted area of the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range near Salt Lake City.

Learning is easier with a positive attitude, finds meta-study

Students who think positively about their own abilities and their subject are more likely to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Conversely, a lack of confidence in one's own abilities can lead to goals being missed. This is shown by a meta-study conducted by the DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education and other institutions.

The cat larynx can produce purring sounds without cyclical neural input

A recent investigation led by voice scientist Christian T. Herbst from the University of Vienna, published in Current Biology, delivers novel insights into how cats produce their purring sounds. A special "pad" embedded in the vocal folds might explain why the cats can produce these low-frequency sounds.

Study uses social media and machine learning to show environmental injustices in Philadelphia's urban parks

In urban areas throughout the United States, it is imperative for all communities to have equal access to high quality parks. These parks can have many benefits for the physical and mental well-being of the residents who live in close proximity to the urban green spaces. For instance, they are a place to socialize and exercise outdoors while also providing vegetation nearby, which can help reduce...