https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. New results from the first archaeological fieldwork conducted in space show the International Space Station is a rich cultural landscape where crew create their own "gravity" to replace Earth's, and adapt module spaces to suit their needs. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-archaeologists-space-excavation-iss-quirks.html Space Exploration Sat, 10 Aug 2024 11:30:01 EDT news642335013 This week's headlines include the extended sleepover for astronauts in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, insight into our imitative behaviors, and the Olympic form of mice. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-saturday-citations-rare-misstep-boeing.html Other Sat, 10 Aug 2024 08:30:01 EDT news642422417 With the first launch of Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket still in the works before the end of the year, Jeff Bezos' company got to work testing out its recovery operations with the huge crane parked at Port Canaveral on August 8. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-blue-glenn-rocket-recovery-crane.html Space Exploration Sat, 10 Aug 2024 06:20:01 EDT news642403075 Air pollution caused by "ultrafine particles," emitted by automobiles and industrial activity, has been linked to 1,100 deaths a year in Montreal and Toronto, according to new Canadian research. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-ultrafine-particles-linked-deaths-canada.html Environment Sat, 10 Aug 2024 04:20:02 EDT news642395850 An infographic of a rat with a preposterously large penis. Another showing human legs with way too many bones. An introduction that starts: "Certainly, here is a possible introduction for your topic". https://phys.org/news/2024-08-junk-ai-scientific-publishing.html Other Sat, 10 Aug 2024 02:41:07 EDT news642476460 Two astronauts stranded in space may sound like the start to a big-screen science thriller, but the Boeing Starliner mission is no work of Hollywood fiction. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-boeing-mission-astronauts-stuck-aboard.html Space Exploration Sat, 10 Aug 2024 02:39:58 EDT news642476393 Sicilian lemon producer Rosario Cognata is furious: his fruit is withering due to the drought, while just a few kilometers away rainwater is being dumped into the sea. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-drought-sicily-rainwater-dumped-sea.html Environment Sat, 10 Aug 2024 02:39:19 EDT news642476354 An international team of scientists, including researchers from Germany and the UK, have described a new species of ancient marine crocodile, Enalioetes schroederi. Enalioetes lived in the shallow seas that covered much of Germany during the Cretaceous Period, approximately 135 million years ago. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-million-year-marine-crocodile-cretaceous.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:30:01 EDT news642439790 With temperatures rising globally, the need for more sustainable cooling options is also growing. Researchers at UCLA and their colleagues have now found an affordable and scalable process to cool buildings in the summer and heat them in the winter. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mechanism-cool-energy.html Materials Science Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:28:20 EDT news642439694 As the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretches into its third year, international trade has felt the effects as sanctions on Russian exports have expanded. Now researchers have found that the invasion may not only have significant short-term impacts on the global timber markets but may leave lasting effects on the global economy and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-russian-invasion-ukraine-impacts-global.html Economics & Business Political science Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:26:51 EDT news642439601 Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have made unexpected progress toward developing a new optical memory that can quickly and energy-efficiently store and access computational data. While studying a complex material composed of manganese, bismuth and tellurium (MnBi2Te4), the researchers realized that the material's magnetic properties changed quickly and easily in response to light. This means that a laser could be used to encode information within the magnetic states of MnBi2Te4. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-material-optically-magnetic-memory.html General Physics Condensed Matter Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:25:50 EDT news642439546 A tiny seed is stuck between loose gravel and coarse sand. There is nothing else alive around it. All it can see is a wall of ice reaching 20 meters up into the sky. It is cold. Survival is hard around here. In winter, it is dark even during the day. In summer, the sun bakes the ground hard and dry for 24 hours. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-vegetation-antarctica-reveals-continent-landscape.html Ecology Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:00:01 EDT news642419747 A key question that remains in biology and biophysics is how three-dimensional tissue shapes emerge during animal development. Research teams from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany, the Excellence Cluster Physics of Life (PoL) at the TU Dresden, and the Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD) have now found a mechanism by which tissues can be "programmed" to transition from a flat state to a three-dimensional shape. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mechanism-animal-tissues.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:00:02 EDT news642421429 In Brazil, a study compared two systems of organic product certification implemented in São Paulo state. One system involves conventional certification by auditors accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO). The other is peer-to-peer certification. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-farms-certified-peers-display-higher.html Agriculture Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:48:41 EDT news642430116 In the world of academic science, hiring new faculty members typically follows a predictable pattern: candidates apply individually and are evaluated primarily on their personal achievements. What if there was a way to build more collaborative, diverse teams of scientists from the very start? That's exactly what the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) set out to do with their innovative "cluster hire" approach. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-faculty-cluster-hire-collaboration-gender.html Economics & Business Education Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:48:02 EDT news642430073 Strawberries, treasured for their flavor and health benefits, have been at the forefront of breeding programs targeting enhanced sensory and nutritional profiles. Despite advances, the intricate genetic makeup of these fruits has complicated efforts to improve them. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-genetic-secrets-strawberries-superior-fruit.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:47:44 EDT news642430061 For over a decade, farmers across the world have been working hand-in-hand with researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and their collaborators to develop a better way to test new crop varieties and improve food security in their communities. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-farmers-tech-teamed-crops.html Agriculture Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:47:12 EDT news642430027 The "visor" for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope recently completed several environmental tests simulating the conditions it will experience during launch and in space. Called the Deployable Aperture Cover, this large sunshade is designed to keep unwanted light out of the telescope. This milestone marks the halfway point for the cover's final sprint of testing, bringing it one step closer to integration with Roman's other subsystems this fall. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-nasa-deployment-roman-space-telescope.html Space Exploration Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:46:44 EDT news642429992 Most of us learned about butterfly metamorphosis as a kid—a wriggly caterpillar molts its skin to form a tough chrysalis and emerges as a beautiful butterfly. But how exactly do chrysalises stay anchored as the butterfly brews within? https://phys.org/news/2024-08-butterflies-metamorphosis.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:10:16 EDT news642424214 Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey tracked fire activity over the past 150 years by measuring carbon monoxide trapped in Antarctic ice. This gas is released, along with smoke and particulates, by wildfires, cooking and communal fires. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-historic-antarctic-ice-yield-key.html Earth Sciences Environment Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:09:54 EDT news642424172 Starting today, the Earth will be passing through a meteor shower. But in astronomy, the human eye is very much a limited tool. But increasingly powerful instruments are allowing us to peer ever deeper into the cosmos and ever further back in time, shedding new light on the origins of the universe. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-universe-display-powerful-instruments-cosmos.html Astronomy Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:24:06 EDT news642421441 Drought stress poses a significant challenge to agriculture, causing substantial yield losses in many crops. Tea plants, known for their rich flavonoid content which enhances both quality and health benefits, are particularly affected. Under drought conditions, the production of these valuable compounds declines, impacting the overall quality of tea. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-molecular-shield-tea-combat-drought.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:12:16 EDT news642420734 This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the galaxy LEDA 857074, located in the constellation Eridanus. LEDA 857074 is a barred spiral galaxy, with partially broken spiral arms. The image also captured a supernova, named SN 2022ADQZ, shining brightly on the right side of the galaxy's bar. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-hubble-spotlights-supernova.html Astronomy Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:11:33 EDT news642420688 Imagine if physicians could capture three-dimensional projections of medical scans, suspending them inside an acrylic cube to create a hand-held reproduction of a patient's heart, brain, kidneys, or other organs. Then, when the visit is done, a quick blast of heat erases the projection and the cube is ready for the next scan. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-technology-engrave-erasable-3d-images.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:00:01 EDT news642400951 Workplace mistreatment results in higher rates of depression and sleep loss in Black employees than white employees according to research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-black-employees-depression-workplace-mistreatment.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:59:33 EDT news642419968 The 2024 Paris Olympics mark the first gender-equitable Olympic Games in history, with equal numbers of men and women athletes. Audiences today are being exposed to the phenomenal accomplishments of women athletes more than ever before. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-playing-prosper-sports-term-success.html Social Sciences Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:59:15 EDT news642419951 A decade ago, Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed Black 18-year-old, was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-michael-brown-sonya-massey-police.html Social Sciences Political science Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:56:33 EDT news642419789 Much of the climate conversation in Australia to date has centered on actions to limit global warming, recognizing that each increment of warming contributes to worsening climate extremes. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-australia-survival-warmer-world-mammoth.html Environment Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:54:31 EDT news642419666 Researchers report on the first icosahedral superatomic silver nanoclusters Ag13 and its analogs Au13. The changes in optical properties during the evolution of Ag13 to Au13 are studied, and the differences in the origin of their optical properties are revealed through transient spectra and theoretical calculations. This study is led by Prof. Zang (College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University). https://phys.org/news/2024-08-discovery-icosahedral-superatomic-cluster-ag.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:51:44 EDT news642419500 When a company's "big boss" pays a visit to observe and connect with workers on the front lines, heightened motivation—and not necessarily the idea that they're being watched—can lead to increased productivity, a Cornell-led research team found. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-heighten-workers-productivity.html Economics & Business Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:45:41 EDT news642419138