Griffith researchers built and tested a digital archaeology framework to learn more about the ancient humans who created one of the oldest forms of rock art, finger fluting.| phys.org
For many of us, climate change feels like a distant threat—damage that will happen in the future somewhere far away to people we know little about. A new Stanford University-led study reveals how virtual reality can close that distance, enabling users to explore faraway places, develop a sense of attachment to those places, and care more about how a warming world is wreaking havoc on people's lives.| phys.org
Once considered a fringe idea, the prospect of offsetting global warming by releasing massive quantities of sunlight-reflecting particles into Earth's atmosphere is now a matter of serious scientific consideration. Hundreds of studies have modeled how this form of solar geoengineering, known as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), might work.| phys.org
A new study analyzing historical photographs taken by the Palomar Observatory between 1949 and 1957 has detected several mysterious bright spots in the sky. These transient objects, captured on film before the first satellites were ever launched, appear to have occurred on dates that strongly correlated with nuclear weapons tests.| phys.org
Coffee beans harvested from the feces of the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) may have higher levels of fats and other key flavor-enhancing compounds than traditionally harvested beans. The results, published in Scientific Reports, may help explain why this type of coffee is so prized.| phys.org
Around the world, we are already witnessing the detrimental effects of climate change, which we know will only become more severe. Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, tropical cyclones, and heat waves are projected to intensify, and this will negatively impact both human society and natural ecosystems.| phys.org
Professor Kenzo Kaifu and Research Fellow Hiromi Shiraishi of Chuo University, together with Professor Yu-Shan Han of National Taiwan University, conducted the world's first quantitative study to reveal the global consumption structure of freshwater eels (genus Anguilla).| phys.org
In May 2023, Italy's Emilia-Romagna region experienced devastating, if not unprecedented, floods that caused widespread damage to infrastructure, homes, businesses, and farmland. Seventeen people lost their lives, and the disaster caused an estimated €8.5 billion in damages. The persistent rainfall and resulting landslides and flooding displaced tens of thousands of residents, leaving a deep mark on the region's economy and communities.| phys.org
Animals respond to injury in many ways. So far, evidence for animals tending wounds with biologically active materials is rare. Yet, a recent study of an orangutan treating a wound with a medicinal plant provides a promising lead.| phys.org
How does high population growth affect gross domestic product? Economics students are all too familiar with exam questions like this. As free-text questions, they require not only specialist knowledge but also the ability to think and argue economically. However, grading these answers is a time-consuming task for university assistants: Each answer must be checked and assessed individually.| phys.org
The latest featured stories on science including: Physics, Space Science, Earth Science, Health and Medicine| phys.org
