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If 'correlation doesn't imply causation,' how do scientists figure out why things happen?
Most of us have heard the phrase "correlation does not equal causation." But understanding how scientists move beyond identifying correlations to establish causation remains a mystery to many.
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7 hours ago
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Saturday citations: The 'donut effect'; basically immortal batteries; Neanderthals and H. sapiens
This week, researchers studying data from NASA's Dawn mission reported the identification of 11 sites on Ceres that suggest an internal reservoir of organic materials. A multidisciplinary team published an analysis of the ...
Ensuring emergency management training translates into action
As disasters become more frequent and severe in the U.S., it's more important than ever to prepare. Every year, significant resources are poured into training programs for disaster management professionals to practice real-life ...
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Dec 6, 2024
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Why do I get static shocks from everyday objects? Is it my shoes?
Door handles, taps, playground slides, furry pets… Getting zapped by static electricity is a common experience. But the physics that causes the spark is surprisingly intricate.
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Dec 4, 2024
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Best of last year: The top Phys.org articles of 2024
It was a good year for space science as Sumner Starrfield, an astronomer at Arizona State University, described what was to appear as a huge star exploding in the night sky, in a once-in-a-lifetime event this past fall. A ...
Exhibition explores divination techniques from around the world
Some questions are hard to answer and always have been. Does my beloved love me back? Should my country go to war? Who stole my goats?
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Dec 3, 2024
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A more accurate indicator for measuring the visibility of scientific journals
Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Universidad de León (ULE) and São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil have developed an indicator that is more robust, clear and fair than "impact factor," ...
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Nov 29, 2024
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What's the difference between gelato and ice cream? One contains more air
As the weather gets warmer, it's the perfect time for ice cream or a gelato. Who am I kidding? It's the perfect time year round.
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Nov 27, 2024
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Saturday Citations: Sweaty, remarkable humans; ocean level rise projections; closeup of a star in another galaxy
Since we last spoke, researchers at the University of Birmingham have defined the precise shape of a single photon (spoiler: roundish). Economists worry that Trump's grandiose deportation plans could lead to a recession. ...
Curiosity, images, and scientific exploration: New book by physicist explores remarkable phenomena
When we gaze at nature's remarkable phenomena, we might feel a mix of awe, curiosity, and determination to understand what we are looking at. That is certainly a common response for MIT's Alan Lightman, a trained physicist ...
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Nov 20, 2024
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Early modern history expert shares concerns with gaps and emptiness in 17th century calendars
How well can we recall the last 24 hours? And how much more difficult does it get when it comes to the last 10, 100 or 500 years? According to early modern historian Achim Landwehr, gaps are the norm for times that are no ...
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Nov 19, 2024
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Deducing commonality from complexity: Scientist explores 'Mesoscience' to address global issues
Two topics are now drawing great attention from the global scientific community: shifting or advancing paradigms in science, and tackling global challenges such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and ...
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Nov 19, 2024
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Saturday Citations: Cold dark matter takes a hit; a new paradigm for biology; those fracking earthquakes
This week, researchers formulated a new method to calculate the probability of generating intelligent life in the universe. Investigations of a meteorite that originated on Mars revealed that it once interacted with liquid ...
Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who mattered and who didn't
When I started my research on the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection, a librarian leaned over my laptop one day to share some lore. "Legend has it," she said, "John James Audubon really collected the skulls Morton claimed ...
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Nov 14, 2024
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The critical need to align climate and nutrition global agendas at COP29
In the face of the climate crisis, we often overlook one of its critical consequences: malnutrition. The connection between climate change and nutrition extends beyond health and food concerns; it is integral to overall sustainable ...
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Nov 14, 2024
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Why is the oboe used to tune an orchestra? And other questions about tuning, answered
The iconic sound of an orchestra tuning is highly recognizable, even for those who've never set foot in a concert hall. Many of us first heard it while watching a Looney Tunes cartoon.
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Nov 11, 2024
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Saturday Citations: Color vision created demand for colorful animals; observing black hole light echoes; deadlines!
This week, researchers hypothesized that human culture is distinguished from cultures of other species like whales by unique open-endedness—the ability to communicate and understand an infinite number of possibilities. ...
History book looks at Brazil's longest-lasting maroon society and its influence today
The largest and longest-lasting society formed by people who escaped slavery and their descendants endured for a century in northeastern Brazil, and it continues to be a potent political symbol of Black pride today. University ...
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Nov 7, 2024
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From compliance to conversation: New guidelines push for ethical reflection in research reporting
A new study highlights key challenges and tensions in research ethics, particularly in light of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and calls for the adoption of new research ethics policies.
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Nov 4, 2024
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Saturday Citations: On chimpanzee playwrights; the nature of dark energy; deep-diving Antarctic seals
This week, researchers reported the world's second-tiniest toad, winning the silver in the Brachycephalus contest. Chemists at UCLA disproved a 100-year-old organic chemistry rule. And researchers in Kenya report that elephants ...
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Unexpected shifts in cell populations revise understanding of aging process
Universal barcodes unlock fast-paced small molecule synthesis
Mathematician solves the moving sofa problem
Discovery cracks code for how nature's microbes build antibiotics
Mediterranean coral gardens may inevitably be compromised
Supramolecular sorting machine separates aromatic and aliphatic compounds
Noninvasive imaging method can penetrate deeper into living tissue
Warm Saturn-sized exoplanet discovered with TESS
Scientists examine how roasting affects the perfect brew
