Swarmlike collective behavior in bicycling

Whether it's the acrobatics of a flock of starlings or the synchronized swimming of a school of fish, nature is full of examples of large-scale collective behavior. Humans also exhibit this behavior, most notably in pelotons, ...

Researchers propose solutions for urine sample splash dilemma

Urinating into a cup may be a medical necessity for monitoring the health of the kidney and other issues, but it's often uncomfortable, embarrassing and messy—especially for women. But what if there were a way to comfortably ...

Scientists explain how wombats drop cubed poop

Wombats, the chubby and beloved, short-legged marsupials native to Australia, are central to a biological mystery in the animal kingdom: How do they produce cube-shaped poop? Patricia Yang, a postdoctoral fellow in mechanical ...

Helping Marvel superheroes to breathe

Marvel comics superheroes Ant-Man and the Wasp—nom de guerre stars of the eponymous 2018 film—possess the ability to temporarily shrink down to the size of insects, while retaining the mass and strength of their normal ...

Explaining a fastball's unexpected twist

An unexpected twist from a four-seam or a two-seam fastball can make the difference in a baseball team winning or losing the World Series. However, "some explanations regarding the different pitches are flat-out wrong," said ...

A faster, cheaper path to fusion energy

Scientists are working to dramatically speed up the development of fusion energy in an effort to deliver power to the electric grid soon enough to help mitigate impacts of climate change. The arrival of a breakthrough technology—high-temperature ...

DIY particle physics

A team of two undergraduate students and their adviser at Missouri Southern State University has built a type of particle detector usually found only at large research organizations like CERN.

New data shows cosmic rays are more complex than expected

During the American Physical Society's 2015 April Meeting, to be held April 11-14 in Baltimore, Maryland, Eun Joo Ahn from Fermilab will present data from the most extensive study yet on the composition of cosmic rays—an ...

A molecular compass for bird navigation

Each year, the Arctic Tern travels over 40,000 miles, migrating nearly from pole to pole and back again. Other birds make similar (though shorter) journeys in search of warmer climes. How do these birds manage to traverse ...

page 6 from 19