Social Sciences

Most trading card packs hide the odds of winning rare cards, study finds

Pokémon, sports and other physical trading and collectible cards have been around for decades but have surged in popularity since COVID. These cards are usually obtained through gambling-like packs containing random cards. ...

Condensed Matter

Liquid-crystal-like magnetism explains puzzling properties in a rare-earth compound

In some materials, physical properties don't emerge from their individual particles, but from the collective behavior of their quantum spins. Now, researchers led by Pengcheng Dai at Rice University in the U.S. have discovered ...

Stratospheric winds can warn of extreme energy demand in Europe

A breakdown of normal polar winds in winter raises the chance of extreme cold—and a resulting spike in energy demand—in Europe, new research shows. Normally, strong and stable westerly winds circle high above the Arctic in ...

Bees struggle to smell flowers when air pollutants combine

Bees, moths and other pollinating insects have a harder time smelling flowers in polluted air, according to research led by the University of Reading. Scientists analyzed 22 experimental studies on how the air pollutants ...

Tracking down cellular gene functions with AI and microscopy

A new technology promises to enable more comprehensive investigations into how individual genes determine the appearance and behavior of cells. Researchers led by professor Veit Hornung at LMU's Gene Center and professor ...

PhoneBot gives old smartphones a new job on two legs

Smartphones combine cameras, motion sensors and powerful processors in devices that fit inside a pocket. These features could also make them useful components for robots, reducing the need to buy and connect separate sensors, ...

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Tech Xplore

Simple math formula predicts when AI chatbots will go rogue

Most of us now carry in our pockets devices capable of running small AI chatbots. These chatbots have little safety oversight to ensure they don't provide information and answers with the potential to encourage self-harm, ...

Heat-storing gel could cut buildings' energy consumption

Heating and cooling buildings account for a large portion of global energy use. A research team in the Texas A&M University Department of Materials Science and Engineering was featured on the cover of ACS Applied Materials ...

Do we all see anger the same way?

Happiness, sadness, disgust, surprise, fear, contempt and anger. These are the basic emotions traditionally associated with facial expressions described as universal. As important social signals, facial expressions help us ...

How companies drift into unethical behavior

Unethical behavior inside organizations is often less sudden than companies assume. New research from ESMT Berlin shows how employees can collectively drift into misconduct as groups gradually reshape what they perceive as ...

Why 'vertical farming' is not a fix for our food system

The Canadian government launched its first National Food Security Strategy in June 2026. The strategy aims to invest $750 million to increase year-round Canadian production of fruits and vegetables, including on so-called ...

Nickel catalyst unlocks hard-to-make β-amino alcohols

Many molecules in living organisms and pharmaceuticals share a structure called a β-amino alcohol, in which an amino group and a hydroxyl group sit on neighboring carbon atoms. These groups, important building blocks in biology ...