Scientists search for answers as baby whales wash up dead in Argentina
Investigators in Argentina are trying to solve the mystery of baby whales washing up dead in unusually high numbers along the country's Patagonian coast.
15 hours ago Phys.org
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Why tenants choose to move out in connection with renovation
One in three tenants who moved out of a municipal rental apartment in Gothenburg in connection with renovation said the renovation was a main reason for their decision, and many of them moved out even before…
23 hours ago Phys.org
Team selected for NASA program to explore potential lunar cave
NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute–led proposal to investigate whether a potentially large underground cave extends beyond the opening of a lunar pit. Such a cave may one day provide a safe haven for…
1 day ago Phys.org
Changes to platinum surface chemistry boost solar hydrogen production in organic photocatalysts
Researchers from the LIMNO laboratory at EPFL have uncovered how different halides modify the surface chemistry of organic semiconductor nanoparticle photocatalysts. By controlling these phenomena, they have…
1 day ago Phys.org
Researchers turn America's scattered local laws into a free searchable database covering all 50 states
America is a nation of local laws—millions of them. From noise ordinances and construction codes to rules about fishing licenses and roadside mango peddling, every town, city and county has its own set of regulations…
1 day ago Phys.org
Marine biologists discover new plankton off Oregon coast
Nearly every morning when she was a doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Nicole Nakata, Ph.D. '23 (biology), would cross the street from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) in…
1 day ago Phys.org
Mowing less, spraying smarter give pollinators a boost
Roadsides may not look like wildlife habitat, but a few simple changes to how they are maintained could turn them into much better places for pollinators. A new uOttawa-led study found that reducing mowing and herbicide…
1 day ago Phys.org
Scientists discover first type I superconductor that breaks time-reversal symmetry
Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with no resistance and expel magnetic fields when cooled to ultralow temperatures. And depending on their quantum structure, they can also showcase strange…
1 day ago Phys.org
On complex political issues, most Americans take shortcuts to simplicity
A core assumption in any democracy is that citizens with access to information will make reasoned decisions on political candidates and policy issues. But a new study by UC Berkeley social scientists finds that…
1 day ago Phys.org
American beech trees may carry genetic resistance to deadly leaf disease
A study led by scientists at the Holden Arboretum has found evidence that beech leaf disease (BLD) symptom development is genetically controlled, providing the first evidence that some American beech trees may have…
1 day ago Phys.org
Plasma-activated water tests show concentration matters for effective bacterial disinfection
In a study published in npj Clean Water, researchers from EPFL investigated how Escherichia coli responds to different concentrations of plasma-activated water (PAW) under nutrient-rich conditions. The team combined…
1 day ago Phys.org
Ultrafast X-rays reveal how the light-responsive molecular switch azobenzene changes shape
Azobenzene is one of the best-known molecules that can be switched between two forms by light. However, the question of how the molecule moves in the first few picoseconds (trillionths of a second) after it absorbs…
1 day ago Phys.org
Why a food poisoning bacterium can cause severe wound infections
The toxin NheABC, produced by Bacillus cereus, is particularly active in the pH conditions found in open wounds. Researchers at Umeå University found that the toxin damages both cell membranes and mitochondria and helps…
1 day ago Phys.org
Motivation matters more than working memory for improving student math skills, study finds
Why do some students become ever better at mathematics, while others plateau? Many people may think that mathematics is primarily about cognitive skills. A new study from the Norwegian University of Science and…
1 day ago Phys.org
Computer-designed protein targets immune receptor linked to inflammation at new 'undruggable' site
To sense their environment and respond accordingly, cells enlist membrane proteins as communication hubs, receiving molecular messages from outside and triggering responses inside. One of these proteins is Toll-like…
1 day ago Phys.org
Small changes can have a big impact on sustainability transitions
In her dissertation, Hanna Entsalo examines how public policies, such as policy strategies and legislation, influence transitions toward the circular economy and sustainability. Entsalo works as a researcher in the…
1 day ago Phys.org
Black holes may grow quietly alongside galaxies even without violent mergers
Astronomers analyzed 2,435 galaxies hosting actively feeding black holes using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Among them, they identified 546 "bulgeless" galaxies—systems with little or no…
1 day ago Phys.org
Scientists zero in on tiny particles to improve weather and air quality forecasts
Aerosols are small particles suspended in our atmosphere. They come in many flavors: Wildfire smoke, pollen, desert dust, sea salt lofted by powerful storms, volcanic sulfates and emissions from engines and industrial…
1 day ago Phys.org
How does interdisciplinary collaboration work in practice? Three takeaways for teachers
When we speak with Luyao Huang, her Ph.D. project at Leiden University is in full swing. Two papers—a systematic literature review and a case study on an interdisciplinary course—are already behind her. Next year, she…
1 day ago Phys.org
Mirror-image crystals reverse the direction of light-driven currents
The circular photogalvanic effect (CPGE), a phenomenon that generates helicity-dependent photocurrents in noncentrosymmetric materials, can originate purely from a crystal's internal structure without a contribution…
1 day ago Phys.org