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Breaking science news and articles on global warming, extrasolar planets, stem cells, bird flu, autism, nanotechnology, dinosaurs, evolution -- the latest discoveries in astronomy, anthropology, biology, chemistry, climate and environment, computers, engineering, health and medicine, math, physics, psychology, technology, and more -- from the world's leading universities and research organizations.
Ocean floor a 'reservoir' of plastic pollution
New science has taken a deep dive into plastic waste, providing the first estimate of how much ends up on the sea floor.
Stellar collisions produce strange, zombie-like survivors
Densely packed, fast-moving stars at the Milky Way's center can collide with each other. New research uses simulations to explore the outcomes of these collisions. Some collisions are more like 'violent high fives' while others are full-on mergers.
Discovery of how limiting damage from an asthma attack could stop disease
Scientists have discovered a new cause for asthma that sparks hope for treatment that could prevent the life-threatening disease.
'Diverse' agriculture benefits people and the environment at the same time
A new analysis from 2,655 farms on five continents suggests that moving away from industrial, monoculture farming could benefit both the planet and people.
Climate change impacts terrorist activity
Changing weather patterns induced by climate change are contributing to shifts in the location of terrorist activity, according to new research.
Research shows direct link between state income taxes and migration
A new study looks at 110 years of income tax history across the U.S. and notes out-migration by wealthy Americans.
Life expectancy increased as world addressed major killers including diarrhea, lower respiratory infections, and stroke
Global life expectancy increased by 6.2 years since 1990, according to a new study. Over the past three decades, reductions in death from leading killers fueled this progress, including diarrhea and lower respiratory infections, as well as stroke and ischemic heart disease. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, however, it derailed progress in many locations.
Large language models respond differently based on user's motivation
A new study reveals how large language models (LLMs) respond to different motivational states. In their evaluation of three LLM-based generative conversational agents (GAs)--ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Llama 2, scientists found that while GAs are able to identify users' motivation states and provide relevant information when individuals have established goals, they are less likely to provide guidance when the users are hesitant or ambivalent about changing their behavior.
For mining in arid regions to be responsible, we must change how we think about water
In an unprecedented study of the South American 'Lithium Triangle,' hydrologists discover that not all water responds the same way to environmental change and human use.
New sunflower family tree reveals multiple origins of flower symmetry
A new sunflower family tree used skimmed genomes to increase the number of species sampled, revealing that flower symmetry evolved multiple times independently, a process called convergent evolution, among the members of this large plant family.
Developing a vaccine for the 'zombie drug' xylazine
Chemical biologists design an early 'proof-of-concept' vaccine that could lead to the first effective treatment of xylazine overdose in people.
Talking politics with strangers isn't as awful as you'd expect, research suggests
Individuals underestimate the social connection they can make with a stranger who disagrees with them on contentious issues, a new research paper suggests.
Evolution in action? New study finds possibility of nitrogen-fixing organelles
A new study finds that UCYN-A, a species of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, may be evolving organelle-like characteristics.
Early dinosaurs grew up fast, but they weren't the only ones
The earliest dinosaurs had rapid growth rates, but so did many of the other animals living alongside them, according to a new study.
Working outside the typical 9-5 in younger adulthood may be linked with worse health decades later
The hours you work earlier in life may be associated with worse health years later, according to a new study.
Demand for critical minerals puts African Great Apes at risk
A recent study shows that the threat of mining to the great ape population in Africa has been greatly underestimated.
Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease shows promise in mouse study
Scientists have shown that treating mice with an antibody that blocks the interaction between APOE proteins (white) sprinkled within Alzheimer's disease plaques and the LILRB4 receptor on microglia cells (purple) activates them to clean up damaging plaques (blue) in the brain.
Researchers discover 'neutronic molecules'
Researchers have discovered 'neutronic' molecules, in which neutrons can be made to cling to quantum dots, held just by the strong force. The finding may lead to new tools for probing material properties at the quantum level and exploring new kinds of quantum information processing devices.
Researchers map how the brain regulates emotions
A new study is among the first of its kind to separate activity relating to emotion generation from emotion regulation in the human brain. The findings provide new insights that could help inform therapeutic treatments regarding mental health and drug addiction.
'Smart swarms' of tiny robots inspired by natural herd mentality
Researchers gave nanorobots a trait called adaptive time delay, which allows them to better work together.
Giant phage holds promise as treatment for lung infections
Researchers have discovered a new bacterial killer that can target common lung infection caused by Burkholderia bacteria that has exciting potential for biotechnological applications.
Machine learning enables viability of vertical-axis wind turbines
Researchers have used a genetic learning algorithm to identify optimal pitch profiles for the blades of vertical-axis wind turbines, which despite their high energy potential, have until now been vulnerable to strong gusts of wind.
Plant-based plastic releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic
A newly developed plant-based plastic material releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic when exposed to sunlight and seawater, a new study has found.
Drawing inspiration from plants: A metal-air paper battery for wearable devices
Drawing inspiration from the way plants breathe, a group of researchers has created a paper-based magnesium-air battery that can be used in GPS sensors or pulse oximeter sensors. Taking advantage of paper's recyclability and lightweight nature, the engineered battery holds promise for a more environmentally friendly source of energy.
Pressure determines which embryonic cells become 'organizers'
A collaboration between research groups at the University of California, TU Dresden in Germany and Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's in Los Angeles has identified a mechanism by which embryonic cells organize themselves to send signals to surrounding cells, telling them where to go and what to do. While these signaling centers have been known to science for a while, how individual cells turn into organizers has been something of a mystery.
California leads U.S. emissions of little-known greenhouse gas
California, a state known for its aggressive greenhouse gas reduction policies, is ironically the nation's greatest emitter of one: sulfuryl fluoride. As much as 17% of global emissions of this gas, a common pesticide for treating termites and other wood-infesting insects, stem from the United States. The majority of those emissions trace back to just a few counties in California, finds a new study.
Discovery could end global amphibian pandemic
A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.
Exploring the effect of the presence of familiar people in interpersonal space
Researchers investigate the influence of social relationships on our bodily responses to the presence of other persons in the interpersonal space.
Plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself grown from bacteria
Researchers have genetically engineered bacteria to grow animal- and plastic-free leather that dyes itself.
New discovery unravels malaria invasion mechanism
A recent breakthrough sheds light on how the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, invades human red blood cells. The study reveals the role of a sugar called sialic acid in this invasion process. The findings have major implications for malaria vaccine and drug development.
Testing environmental water to monitor COVID-19 spread in unsheltered encampments
To better understand COVID-19's spread during the pandemic, public health officials expanded wastewater surveillance. These efforts track SARS-CoV-2 levels and health risks among most people, but they miss people who live without shelter, a population particularly vulnerable to severe infection. To fill this information gap, researchers tested flood-control waterways near unsheltered encampments, finding similar transmission patterns as in the broader community and identifying previously unseen v...
Water-based paints: Less stinky, but some still contain potentially hazardous chemicals
Choosing paint for your home brings a lot of options: What kind of paint, what type of finish and what color? Water-based paints have emerged as 'greener' and less smelly than solvent-based options. And they are often advertised as containing little-to-no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). But, according to new research, some of these paints do contain compounds that are considered VOCs, along with other chemicals of emerging concern.
Gunshots in American cities twice as likely at night, potentially disrupting sleep for those in earshot, study finds
Researchers studied six cities, finding that nighttime gunshots were particularly prevalent in low-income neighborhoods. The team found gunshots are twice as likely to occur at night, and that low-income communities are disproportionately affected by them.
Groundbreaking research in groundwater's role in ecosystem sustainability
Until now, groundwater -- a critical water resource around the globe, especially in dry regions -- has been largely unstudied in its importance and role in sustaining ecosystems. New groundbreaking research examines the relationship between groundwater and ecosystems across California.
Are universities connected to local sustainability? A new study suggests yes...and no.
A new study finds that universities scoring strongly on measures of sustainability are associated with innovation and economic growth in their surrounding communities. However, the study did not find similar connections between university sustainability performance and environmental sustainability in their home communities.
Research reveals pre-collapse monitoring of Kakhovka dam, Ukraine
New evidence from a spaceborne-monitoring team indicates that the Ukrainian Kakhovka Dam, which collapsed early into the Russian invasion, may have been vulnerable even before the war.
Intelligent liquid
Researchers have developed a programmable meta-fluid with tunable springiness, optical properties, viscosity and even the ability to transition between a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. The first-of-its-kind meta-fluid uses a suspension of small, elastomer spheres -- between 50 to 500 microns -- that buckle under pressure, radically changing the characteristics of the fluid. The meta-fluid could be used in everything from hydraulic actuators to program robots, to intelligent shock absorbers th...
Scientists further our understanding of how a foodborne bacterium can survive in food preparation environments
Scientists have discovered that bacterial populations remain stable on factory floor despite cleaning efforts in ready-to-eat food production facilities.
A simple way to harvest more 'blue energy' from waves
As any surfer will tell you, waves pack a powerful punch. Now, we are one step closer to capturing the energy behind the ocean's constant ebb and flow with an improved 'blue energy' harvesting device. Researchers report that simply repositioning the electrode -- from the center of a see-sawing liquid-filled tube to the end where the water crashes with the most force -- dramatically increased the amount of wave energy that could be harvested.
New step in tectonic squeeze that turns seafloor into mountains
Researchers describe zircons from the Andes mountains of Patagonia. Although the zircons formed when tectonic plates were colliding, they have a chemical signature associated with when the plates were moving apart. The researchers think that the unexpected signature could be explained by the mechanics of underlying tectonic plates that hasn't yet been described in other models.
First results from BREAD experiment demonstrate a new approach to searching for dark matter
One of the great mysteries of modern science is dark matter. We know dark matter exists thanks to its effects on other objects in the cosmos, but we have never been able to directly see it. And it s no minor thing currently, scientists think it makes up about 85% of all the mass in the universe.
Chicks show vision and touch linked at birth
Study reveals that newly hatched chicks can instantly recognize objects with their vision, even if they've only ever experienced them by touch.
Elastocaloric cooling: Refrigerator cools by flexing artificial muscles
There is room for just one small bottle in the world's first refrigerator that is cooled with artificial muscles made of nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy. But the mini-prototype is groundbreaking: it shows that elastocalorics is becoming a viable solution for practical applications. This climate-friendly cooling and heating technology is far more energy-efficient and sustainable than current methods.
Last chance to record archaic Greek language 'heading for extinction'
A new data crowdsourcing platform aims to preserve the sound of Romeyka, an endangered millennia-old variety of Greek. Experts consider the language to be a linguistic goldmine and a living bridge to the ancient world.
Sunrise to sunset, new window coating blocks heat -- not view
Windows welcome light into interior spaces, but they also bring in unwanted heat. A new window coating blocks heat-generating ultraviolet and infrared light and lets through visible light, regardless of the sun's angle. The coating can be incorporated onto existing windows or automobiles and can reduce air-conditioning cooling costs by more than one-third in hot climates.
Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood
Adolescents with high positive affect may have improved physical and mental health as adults, according to a new study.
A new estimate of U.S. soil organic carbon to improve Earth system models
Emory environmentals scientist combined field-level data with machine-learning techniques to estimate soil organic carbon at the U.S. scale, another step toward providing more accurate baseline data to improve Earth system models for climate change.
Scientists' urgent call: End destruction and forge a just, sustainable future
An international team of scientists published a study emphasizing the urgent need to align political will, economic resources, and societal values to ensure a more sustainable and equitable world. The review summarizes the grave threats facing the planet but rejects a 'doom and gloom' philosophy. They advocate a global cultural shift that elevates kinship with nature and communal well-being, underpinned by the recognition of Earth's finite resources and the interconnectedness of its inhabitants.
Even moderate alcohol usage during pregnancy linked to birth abnormalities
Researchers have found that even low to moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may contribute to subtle changes in their babies' prenatal development, including lower birth length and a shorter duration of gestation.
These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago: They may be gone in decades
Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you've probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level. In a new study, researchers show there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be scientifically described. And at least one species has been left without federal protection because of a technicality.
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