Plastic pollution presents a global challenge that must be solved. In particular, packaging accounts for 30–50% of the total plastic consumption. While paper packaging is eco-friendly, it lacks crucial functionalities like moisture resistance and strength. Traditional coating materials exacerbate plastic pollution, prompting the need for sustainable alternatives.| phys.org
Could scientists find life in the clouds of exoplanet atmospheres? This is what a manuscripton the arXiv preprint server hopes to address as a team of researchers investigate how the biosignatures of microbes could be identified in exoplanet atmospheres and clouds.| phys.org
Precise metrology forms a fundamental basis for advanced science and technology, including bioimaging, semiconductor defects diagnostics, and space telescope observations. However, the sensor technologies used in metrology have so far faced a physical barrier known as the standard quantum limit.| phys.org
Much of the Midwest is experiencing drought due to very dry weather in the late summer and early fall. Half of the state of Illinois is in a severe drought, and portions of Central Illinois are in an extreme drought, affecting farmers' yields, particularly for soybeans.| phys.org
Halide perovskites—already a focus of major research into efficient, low-cost solar cells—have been shown to handle light faster than most semiconductors on the market.| phys.org
Could global positioning systems become more precise and provide more accurate details on distances for users to get from point A to point B?| phys.org
An international team of astronomers have employed the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe a nearby M-dwarf star known as TWA 20. As a result, they detected a large debris disk around this star. The finding was reported in a paper published October 23 on the arXiv pre-print server.| phys.org
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is slated to be the next Great Observatory for the world. Its main focus has been searching for biosignatures in the atmospheres of at least 25 Earth-like exoplanets. However, to do that, it will require a significant amount of effort with only a coronagraph, the currently planned primary instrument, no matter how powerful that coronagraph is.| phys.org
An international team of researchers led by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has shed light on a decades-long debate about why galaxies spin faster than expected—and whether this behavior is caused by invisible dark matter or by a collapse of gravity on cosmic scales.| phys.org
Some of the most expensive drugs currently in use are gene therapies to treat specific diseases, and their high cost limits their availability for those who need them. Part of the reason for the cost is that the manufacturing process yields as much as 90% non-active material, and separating out these useless parts is slow, leads to significant losses, and is not well adapted to large-scale production.| phys.org
So much happened in the earliest moments of the universe. Elementary particles appeared, the first nuclei of hydrogen and helium, and fluctuations of energy and matter set into motion the formation of galaxies and supermassive black holes. But all of it is invisible to us.| phys.org
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
Between 2008 and 2010, polarization in society increased dramatically alongside a significant shift in social behavior: the number of close social contacts rose from an average of two to four or five people. The connection between these two developments could provide a fundamental explanation for why societies around the world are increasingly fragmenting into ideological bubbles.| phys.org
Texas Hill Country is known for its landscapes, where shallow rivers wind among hills and through rugged valleys. That geography also makes it one of the deadliest places in the U.S. for flash flooding.| phys.org
An international vote to approve cutting maritime emissions was delayed by a year Friday in a victory for the United States, which opposes the carbon-cutting plan.| phys.org
In 1867, Lord Kelvin imagined atoms as knots in the aether. The idea was soon disproven. Atoms turned out to be something else entirely. But his discarded vision may yet hold the key to why the universe exists.| phys.org
Dark matter is an enigmatic form of matter not expected to emit light, yet it is essential to understanding how the rich tapestry of stars and galaxies we see in the night sky evolved. As a fundamental building block of the universe, a key question for astronomers is whether dark matter is smooth or clumpy, as this could reveal what it is made of. Since dark matter cannot be observed directly, its properties can only be determined by observing the gravitational lensing effect, whereby the lig...| phys.org
An analysis of stone tools found in Italy and Lebanon indicates that around 42,000 years ago, modern humans in Europe and the Near East took different approaches to toolmaking.| phys.org
Archaeologists have revealed new insights into how the world's first farming villagers formed communities, moved across the land and responded to outsiders.| phys.org
The plague of Akhetaten has long been cited as a possible explanation for the mysterious abandonment of ancient Egypt's short-lived capital city. However, a comprehensive new archaeological analysis by researchers Dr. Gretchen Dabbs and Dr. Anna Stevens, published in the American Journal of Archaeology, analyzed the evidence for this plague and suggests it may never have affected Akhetaten at all.| phys.org
Sadly, there are signs that racism is increasing across the world.| phys.org
If you were lucky 74,000 years ago, you would have survived the Toba supereruption, one of the largest catastrophic events that Earth has seen in the past 2.5 million years.| phys.org
Barley is one of the world's oldest cultivated plants, farmed for more than 10,000 years. Scientists have long believed it was domesticated in just one location. An international research team led by the IPK Leibniz Institute has revealed that modern barley has a "mosaic origin," meaning it stems from several wild populations across the Fertile Crescent. The paper is published in the journal Nature.| phys.org
For decades, scientists, policymakers, graziers and land managers have been locked in a surprisingly high-stakes debate over what defines a dingo. Are these wild canids their own species? Or are they simply feral dogs?| phys.org
Roughly 10,000 years ago, humans started shifting from being nomadic hunter-gatherers to building large agricultural settlements, marking one of the greatest transformations in human history. This transition, known as the Neolithic Revolution, began in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East and led to the spread of farming throughout Europe. For decades, researchers have debated what drove this change. Did farming spread mainly because farmers themselves moved into new lands, or because hunt...| phys.org
In 1976, during the excavation of a subway extension in Toronto, a city worker discovered unusual looking antlers with "thick, horizontal beams."| phys.org
The next time you crave a sweet treat, go ahead and buy a bag of jellybeans—guilt free. Your indulgence will be in the interest of science.| phys.org
Sexual size differences are widespread in biology, yet the "how" behind them often remains vague. We asked a concrete question in a classic model organism: when female flies are larger than males, do individual organs achieve this by adding more cells, enlarging the cells they already have, or mixing both strategies—and is this consistent across the body?| phys.org
RPI professor and freshwater ecology expert Kevin Rose, Ph.D., in collaboration with other researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the Lake George Association (LGA), and Paul Smith's College, conducted the first ever long-term study on the environmental effects of the aquatic herbicide florpyrauxifen-benzyl (FPB), also known as ProcellaCOR.| phys.org
Like its namesake, Janelia's GENIE Project Team makes wishes come true. Luckily for biologists, this genie doesn't grant just three requests.| phys.org
A new study sheds light on why North America's bats are dying in large numbers at wind energy facilities.| phys.org
The dodo has been extinct for more than 300 years, but that isn't stopping Dallas' Colossal Biosciences from trying to resurrect the 3-foot-tall, flightless bird.| phys.org
Volunteers are swimming in the sea to help science conserve some of the world's rarest fish. Scuba divers and snorkelers are among those helping to identify endangered species, such as giant guitarfishes, whip-stingrays and thresher sharks.| phys.org
Scientists in Brazil recently recorded evidence that a jaguar visited an isolated island in the reservoir area of the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Dam in northern Goiás State. The same jaguar had been identified on the mainland, 2.48 km away from the island, back in 2020. Both instances were recorded by camera-trap stations, three on the mainland and one on the island, which were set up for an exploratory jaguar survey. The specific jaguar's identity was confirmed by spot-pattern analysis.| phys.org
When cells are healthy, we don't expect them to suddenly change cell types. A skin cell on your hand won't naturally morph into a brain cell, and vice versa. That's thanks to epigenetic memory, which enables the expression of various genes to "lock in" throughout a cell's lifetime. Failure of this memory can lead to diseases, such as cancer.| phys.org
Johns Hopkins researchers may have identified a compelling clue in the ongoing hunt to prove the existence of dark matter. A mysterious diffuse glow of gamma rays near the center of the Milky Way has stumped researchers for decades, as they've tried to discern whether the light comes from colliding particles of dark matter or quickly spinning neutron stars.| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Satellite images have revealed an ancient system of elaborate, funnel-shaped mega traps likely built by hunters and pastoralists to catch prey in the high altitudes of northern Chile.| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Rice University researchers, in collaboration with international partners, have developed the first eco-friendly technology to rapidly capture and destroy toxic "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in water. The findings, recently published in Advanced Materials, mark a major step toward addressing one of the world's most persistent environmental threats.| phys.org
Some industrial processes used to create useful chemicals require heat, but heating methods are often inefficient, partly because they heat a greater volume of space than they really need to. Researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, devised a way to limit heating to the specific areas required in such situations. Their technique uses microwaves, not unlike those used in home microwave ovens, to excite specific elements dispersed in the materials to be heated. Their system pr...| phys.org
Using 11 years of magnetic field measurements from the European Space Agency's Swarm satellite constellation, scientists have discovered that the weak region in Earth's magnetic field over the South Atlantic—known as the South Atlantic Anomaly—has expanded by an area nearly half the size of continental Europe since 2014.| phys.org
A team of researchers at the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has created a new breakthrough in photonics: the design of the first optical device that follows the emerging framework of optical thermodynamics.| phys.org
Plants lack nerves, yet they can sensitively detect touch from other organisms. In the Venus flytrap, highly sensitive sensory hairs act as tactile sensing organs; when touched twice in quick succession, they initiate the closure cascade that captures prey. However, the molecular identity of the touch sensor has remained unclear.| phys.org
An international team of archaeologists has used high-resolution digital imaging techniques to examine tattoos on a more than 2,000-year-old ice mummy from the Pazyryk culture of Siberia, shedding light on individual craftsmanship in prehistoric Siberian tattooing for the first time.| phys.org
Archaeological analysis of horse remains from medieval Hungary indicates people continued to eat horses long after the country's conversion to Christianity, suggesting the decline in horsemeat consumption (hippophagy) in the region was not for religious reasons, questioning the prevailing historical narrative.| phys.org
A rock art panel near Aswan, Egypt, may depict a rare example of an elite individual from the First Dynasty, shedding light on the formation of the ancient Egyptian state.| phys.org
A multidisciplinary team of researchers, including archaeologists, have analyzed the DNA of fish remains from Roman fish fermentation vats, creating a method to identify animal remains when they are damaged beyond recognition.| phys.org
Researchers have carried out the most comprehensive geoarchaeological survey of Egypt's Karnak Temple near Luxor—one of the ancient world's largest temple complexes and a UNESCO World Heritage site welcoming millions of tourists every year.| phys.org
Archaeologists have excavated three c. 3,000–2,400-year-old ritual structures in Shandong Province, China, indicating that the origins of a shared Chinese cultural identity lie in ceremonial gatherings that sowed the seeds for the political unification of China under the First Emperor. The findings are reported in Antiquity.| phys.org
For citizens of the ancient Roman Empire, a trip to the amphitheater meant a thrilling day of entertainment. However, for many of the gladiators and animals involved, it was a fight for survival. A new study published in Antiquity provides the first direct evidence that brown bears were used in the gladiatorial arena, giving us a grim look at the brutal treatment they endured.| phys.org
In a new discovery that illuminates new insights into the early prehistoric origins of art and creativity, researchers have identified the earliest known use of blue mineral pigment in Europe.| phys.org
Researchers have examined a sediment core from the Roman town and metal production center of Aldborough in Yorkshire, revealing metal production did not collapse immediately after the Romans left Britain.| phys.org
In a recent study, Dr. Agata Hałuszko and colleagues discovered an ornament made from beetles in a cremation grave in Domasław, Poland. The work is published in the journal Antiquity.| phys.org
In 2022–2023, a wall mural depicting a procession of priests walking toward a stationary fire altar was recovered at the Royal Palace at Sanjar-Shar.| phys.org
In 2022, archaeologists worked on the ancient DNA from a number of early medieval cemeteries, and found two individuals that stood out. One was from Updown Eastry in Kent, known as Updown girl, and the other was a young man from Worth Matravers in Dorset. Both were dated to the 7th century and both appeared to have west African heritage.| phys.org
Written accounts tell the story of the Zanj rebellion—a slave revolt that took place in the late 9th century in southern Iraq. Some of the rebels were enslaved Africans working in various sectors of the local economy.| phys.org
Archaeologists have analyzed the DNA of two unrelated individuals buried in 7th-century-AD cemeteries on the south coast of England, revealing that they both had recent ancestors, likely grandparents, from West Africa.| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Hawaiian "super corals" that have recovered despite living in warm and acidic water offer a glimmer of hope that dying reefs across the world could be saved, a new study says.| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
The Colorado River, which provides water across the Southwest, has lost about 20% of its flow in the last quarter-century, and its depleted reservoirs continue to decline. But negotiations aimed at addressing the water shortage are at an impasse, and leaders of environmental groups say the secrecy surrounding the talks is depriving the public of an opportunity to weigh in.| phys.org
It's a familiar scene for many of us. A warm summer evening, a gentle breeze and then the inevitable high-pitched whine of a mosquito buzzing near your ear. For some, this is a fleeting annoyance, but for others, it means a night of endlessly scratching itchy welts. Some people are simply mosquito magnets while others emerge relatively unscathed. But why is this so? One explanation, according to scientists from the Netherlands, is beer.| phys.org
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have spotted a contradiction in worldwide wildfire trends: Despite a 26% decline in total burned area from 2002 to 2021, the number of people exposed to wildfires has surged by nearly 40%.| phys.org
Hummingbird specialization and vulnerability are often predicted based on physical traits. Scientists have now found that this is not the case for hummingbirds on the Caribbean islands. Instead, the bird's environment is the determining factor. The new study was led by scientists from Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, and published today in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
The first model of the European Space Agency's (ESA) reusable rocket demonstrator Themis is standing at its launch pad in Kiruna, Sweden.| phys.org
The most coveted position in corporate America—the board of directors—historically has been criticized for excluding women and other underrepresented groups. Over the past several decades, however, state legislation and pressure from investors have motivated firms to increasingly recruit female directors.| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations| phys.org
For more than five centuries, Leonardo Da Vinci has been celebrated as a visionary artist, scientist, and inventor, known for his extraordinary talent and groundbreaking experiments. Today, an international collaboration known as the Leonardo DNA Project is closer than ever to uncovering the biological secrets of the greatest genius of the Renaissance.| phys.org
Astronomers have discovered what they think may be another moon orbiting a distant dwarf planet called Quaoar. This small, icy, egg-shaped planet in the far reaches of our solar system, beyond Neptune, is already known to have two rings and a moon, but this discovery was unexpected and accidental.| phys.org
Does hearing about a company's charitable donations raise your opinion of their products? According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, corporate social responsibility leads consumers to believe products are better quality.| phys.org
What's the real age of Norwegian stave churches?| phys.org
See-through solar materials that can be applied to windows represent a massive source of untapped energy and could harvest as much power as bigger, bulkier rooftop solar units, scientists report today in Nature Energy.| phys.org
You've probably heard it before in a meeting: "Let's touch base offline to align our bandwidth on this workflow." Corporate jargon like this is easy to laugh at—but its negative impact in the office can be serious.| phys.org
A study by Michael Gerlich at SBS Swiss Business School has found that increased reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) tools is linked to diminished critical thinking abilities. It points to cognitive offloading as a primary driver of the decline.| phys.org
At his farm in southern Spain, Francisco Campos looked worriedly at a green sea of centuries-old olive trees that he fears will face the ax to make way for a proposed solar park.| phys.org
Canadian-grown wheat, canola and peas have some of the lowest carbon footprints in the world—so low that, in some cases, they could be shipped to Europe 17 times before matching the emissions of the same crops grown there.| phys.org
A team of international scientists has discovered new fossils at a field site in Africa that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted at the same place in Africa at the same time—between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago. The paleoanthropologists discovered a new species of Australopithecus that has never been found anywhere.| phys.org
Geography as a school subject is under pressure. There aren't enough qualified teachers and it loses out to other subjects in school. In many countries, important aspects are left out of the curricula.| phys.org
Three NASA-funded rockets are set to launch from Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska, in an experiment that seeks to reveal how auroral substorms affect the behavior and composition of Earth's far upper atmosphere.| phys.org
