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"Martian lava rocks shed light on critical period of red planet's history."

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

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216

Today

Martian lava rocks shed light on critical period of red planet's history

Phys.org / 1h

No matter how many missions to Mars she takes part in, the sheer joy of unearthing discoveries about the red planet never gets old for Mariek Schmidt.

Sugars from field peas speed up sour beer brewing, researchers discover

Phys.org / 1h

Sour beers have become a fixture on microbrewery menus and store shelves. They're enjoyed for their tart, complex flavors, but some can require long and complicated brewing processes.

Sahara rainfall historically driven by tropical plumes not monsoons, study finds

Phys.org / 2h

Africa is often synonymous with its drylands that cover two-thirds of the continent. Relief is brought through rainfall during the monsoon season, which is vital to help replenish water reserves for communities and wildlife alike. Now, the West Africa monsoon season runs from June through to September, while those in the east occur during March to May and October to December.

Radiocarbon dating of artifacts and bones shows North American Indigenous population changes over 2,000 years

Phys.org / 3h

A small team of archaeologists and anthropologists from the University of Wyoming, Michigan State University, and the Desert Research Institute, all in the U.S., has used radiocarbon dating of bone and other artifacts found at various sites across North America to learn more about Indigenous population fluctuations before the arrival of Europeans.

Surface roughness disrupts glass transition in colloidal ellipsoids, offering a new material design parameter

Phys.org / 3h

The so-called glass transition is the process by which some liquid-like materials become solid-like, without forming a crystalline structure. In contrast to conventional solid materials, which exhibit an orderly atom arrangement, glass is characterized by a disordered atomic structure.

Scientists solve the mystery of sea turtles' 'lost years'

Scientists track sea turtles' journeys

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Phys.org / 4h

Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives.

Nanogate uses voltage to control molecule passage through tiny pore

Phys.org / 4h

A collaboration led by researchers at Osaka University has developed a nanogate that can be open or shut by applying electricity. The nanogate shows various behaviors depending on the materials in the solutions on both sides of the gate and the applied voltage, making it attractive for different applications including sensing and controlled chemical reactions.

Yesterday

Top climate scientist declares 2C climate goal 'dead'

2C climate target declared dead

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Phys.org / 5h

Holding long-term global warming to two degrees Celsius—the fallback target of the Paris climate accord—is now "impossible," according to a stark new analysis published by leading scientists.

How light affects citrus fruit coloration and the timing of peel and flesh ripening

Phys.org / 6h

Citrus fruit rind color has long been used as an indicator of ripeness, but for some fruits such as mandarin fruit in the Chongqing region of China, the peel and flesh do not ripen synchronously, with the flesh usually reaching maturity while the peel is still green.

Explaining forensic science in court with comics

Comics enhance forensic science understanding

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Phys.org / 9h

Imagine being summoned as a juror in a murder trial. The expert responsible for analyzing DNA traces at the crime scene has just explained that they match the defendant's profile. "Then the culprit must be them," you think.

Coal emissions cost India millions in crop damages, new study finds

Phys.org / 16h

In many parts of India, a single noxious pollutant from coal-fired power stations drags down annual wheat and rice yields by 10% or more, according to a new study by Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability researchers.

Buy now, pay later installment payments increase retail spending, study finds

Phys.org / 16h

Researchers from Imperial College Business School and University of Leeds published a Journal of Marketing study that examines the impact of BNPL installment payments on retail sales. The study is titled "Buy Now Pay Later: Impact of Installment Payments on Customer Purchases" and is authored by Stijn Maesen and Dionysius Ang.

How telecommunications cables can image the ground beneath us

Phys.org / 17h

When people think about fiber optic cables, it's usually about how they're used for telecommunications and accessing the internet. But fiber optic cables—strands of glass or plastic that allow for the transmission of light—can be used for another purpose: imaging the ground beneath our feet.

Italian cities offer insights into sustainable economic models

Phys.org / 17h

A research team led by Principal Researcher Jinhyo Yoon at the Division of AI, Big data and Blockchain (ABB), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, has successfully identified clues regarding late capitalism in Milan, Naples and Genoa in Italy.

Biochar's carbon storage potential undervalued due to outdated assessment methods, study finds

Biochar's potential in carbon removal

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Phys.org / 17h

Biochar, a charcoal-like material derived from plant biomass, has long been hailed as a promising tool for carbon dioxide removal. However, a new study by Stanford researchers highlights a critical issue: current methods for assessing biochar's carbon storage potential may significantly undervalue its true environmental benefits.

Fossils show leaf-eating insects tracked gum trees for millions of years

Phys.org / 17h

How far would leaf-eating insects go to dine on their favorite food? Perhaps the other side of the world, according to researchers at Penn State who found insect damage on fossil leaves from South America that is nearly identical to what is seen today on those trees' living relatives in Australia.

Climate change is overhauling marine nutrient cycles, scientists say

Phys.org / 17h

Computer models reveal how human-driven climate change will dramatically overhaul critical nutrient cycles in the ocean. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of California, Irvine researchers report evidence that marine nutrient cycles—essential for sustaining ocean ecosystems—are changing in unexpected ways as the planet continues to warm.

Certain animal navigation abilities found to operate at or near quantum limit of magnetic field detection

Phys.org / 17h

A pair of physicists at the University of Crete has found that some types of biological magnetoreceptors used by various creatures to navigate, operate at or near the quantum limit. In their paper published in the journal PRX Life, I. K. Kominis and E. Gkoudinakis describe how they worked the problem of magnetic sensing in tiny animals in reverse by putting bounds on unknown quantum boundaries, an

Despite immediate shareholder benefits, activist directorships may yield increased reports of stakeholder harm

Phys.org / 18h

The appointment of activist-nominated directors is an emerging phenomenon, but they've come with increased reports of stakeholder harm. A new study published in Strategic Management Journal found that activist directors bring immediate benefits to shareholders, but they appear to impose a managerial myopia that results in executives becoming less inclined to make long-term investments.

Researchers invent method for rapid metabolite detection using DNA sequencing

Phys.org / 18h

Researchers at the University of Toronto have invented a new method that uses DNA sequencing to measure metabolites. This enables rapid and precise analysis of biological compounds, such as sugars, vitamins, hormones and the hundreds of other metabolites that are critical for health.

Soccer study shows immigrant talent drives success—on and off the field

Phys.org / 18h

New research published in the journal Management Science demonstrates how immigrant talent drives success, both on the soccer field and beyond. The study reveals that European soccer teams with higher numbers of foreign-born players consistently perform better, winning more games and scoring more goals. But the impact of immigrant players goes deeper than individual talent. By introducing new play

En route to Jupiter, Europa Clipper captures images of stars

Europa Clipper captures star images

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Phys.org / 18h

Three months after its launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency's Europa Clipper has another 1.6 billion miles (2.6 billion kilometers) to go before it reaches Jupiter's orbit in 2030 to take close-up images of the icy moon Europa with science cameras.

Scientists review Arabic manuscript containing lost works of Apollonius and shed light on Islamic scientific tradition

Phys.org / 18h

Scientists say that the two lost, but extremely important books by Apollonius, the Greek mathematician known to the ancient world as "The Great Geometer," have survived in an Arabic manuscript kept under lock and key as part of the prized possessions of the Leiden University Libraries in Holland.

Nanomaterials are emerging as a powerful tool for coastal oil spill cleanup

Phys.org / 18h

Cleaning up after a major oil spill is a long, expensive process, and the damage to a coastal region's ecosystem can be significant. This is especially true for the world's Arctic region, where newly opened sea lanes will expose remote shorelines to increased risks due to an anticipated rise in sea traffic.

Hawaii volcano produces tall lava fountaining in latest episode of Kilauea eruption

Phys.org / 18h

A fountain of lava was spewing from a Hawaii volcano Tuesday in the latest episode of an eruption that has paused and resumed.

Social media bridges connection gaps for students with disabilities

Phys.org / 18h

Recent research from the Michigan State University College of Education shows how social media provides connection and community for college students, particularly those with disabilities. Published in the Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, the study examines the nature of students' social media use and its relationship to social capital and psychological well-being.

Plant-covered walls can combat urban heat and help biodiversity

Phys.org / 19h

Plant-covered facades help cool urban areas and provide habitats for plants, birds, insects and other organisms. An international team of researchers has drawn this conclusion after systematically comparing green walls, bare walls, and natural cliffs.

New study reveals how Sudan virus binds to human cells

Phys.org / 19h

The Sudan virus, a close relative of Ebola, has a fatality rate of 50% but remains poorly understood in terms of how it infects cells. Currently, no approved treatments exist. To address this critical gap in pandemic preparedness, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Midwest Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Center investigated how this deadly virus attaches to human cells.

What's the best way to organize people to generate ideas? New research offers insight

Phys.org / 19h

Managers at every company—especially big corporations—face a similar conundrum: What's the ideal way to organize employees to generate the best ideas? Is it better to work in large groups? Smaller ones? With other people who are similar or different?

Decades of agricultural research lead to biodiversity gains and improved sustainability

Agricultural research boosts biodiversity

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33Phys.org / 19h

New, groundbreaking research shows how, at a local scale, agricultural research and development led to improved crop varieties that resulted in global benefits to the environment and food system sustainability. The Purdue University study appears in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Interaction of kinetic waves and suprathermal particles could be key to unlocking biggest mystery in heliophysics

Phys.org / 19h

A graduate research assistant at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama system, has published a paper in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics that builds on an earlier study to help understand why the solar corona is so hot compared to the surface of the sun itself.

Study investigates effects of declining diversity in phytoplankton-associated microbiomes

Phys.org / 19h

Across the tree of life, human activities are accelerating declines in biological species diversity, from deserts to oceans to forests. But what about the microscopic world? Scientists in UC San Diego's School of Biological Sciences recently investigated how declining biodiversity in tiny ecological systems unseen to the naked eye can carry significant consequences for the health of organisms and

Hunger rises as food aid falls, and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt

Phys.org / 19h

"No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy," observed Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen in his 1999 book "Development as Freedom."

Burrowing mole-bot could characterize other planets' soil

Phys.org / 20h

Burrowing under soil opens up a whole new world, especially when that soil is on other planets. Getting under the top layer of regolith on a world such as Mars could give access to a world still extant with life, whereas, on the moon, it could lead to discovering a water source.

Smart brands rein in ad spending when a rival faces a setback. Here's why

Phys.org / 20h

Imagine: You're in charge of marketing for a major automaker, and your biggest competitor just recalled thousands of vehicles. Now customers are worried about the safety of cars like yours. Do you seize the moment and ramp up advertising to steal market share? Or do you pull back on ads, fearing that customers will connect your brand with the bad press?

Nearly 500 species of deep-sea dwellers documented at Costa Rican methane seeps

Phys.org / 20h

An international team of marine biologists has documented the highest known count of deep-sea species living in methane seeps off Costa Rica's Pacific coast.

High-precision spectrograph confirms massive exoplanet orbiting a low-mass star

Gaia discovers exoplanet and brown dwarf

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Phys.org / 20h

With an assist from the NEID spectrograph, a team of astronomers have confirmed the existence of exoplanet Gaia-4b—one of the most massive planets known to orbit a low-mass star. Gaia-4b is also the first planet detected by the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft using the astrometric technique.

ETFs boost equity market efficiency, study finds

Phys.org / 20h

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) have improved the efficiency of stock markets in the developed world, new research suggests.

Why are rubies red and emeralds green? Their colors come from the same metal in their atomic structure

Phys.org / 20h

The colors of rubies and emeralds are so striking that they define shades of red and green—ruby red and emerald green. But have you ever wondered how they get those colors?

Cell polarity coordinates jellyfish larval development along a central axis, study finds

Phys.org / 20h

Scientists have uncovered a key mechanism in jellyfish embryos that provides new insights into how the body plan of these animals develops along a central axis from their "head" to "tail."

Model shows spinning neutron stars gain enormous magnetic fields

Phys.org / 20h

An international team of scientists has modeled the formation and evolution of the strongest magnetic fields in the universe.

First indication of carbon uptake via fungi in young woody plants in the tropics

Phys.org / 20h

Researchers at the Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) at the University of Bayreuth have found the first indication that young plants of certain tropical tree species obtain part of their carbon through fungi. This mechanism could enable these plants to compensate for the low carbon uptake through photosynthesis in the shaded understory, giving them a growth advantage

Helping viruses deliver a knockout blow to killer bacterial infections

Phys.org / 20h

In the face of rising concerns about antibiotic resistant infections, an international group of microbial experts have launched a powerful and flexible free online genomic toolkit for more rapid development of phage therapy.

Hotel sustainability initiatives are backfiring: Overload leaves consumers skeptical

Phys.org / 20h

How should hotels communicate their sustainability efforts without alienating customers? To find out, a study, published in Hospitality and Tourism Management, surveyed more than 800 British and German travelers to understand their expectations when it comes to hotel sustainability practices.

Multidimensional sampling theory reduces noise to push flat optics boundaries

Phys.org / 20h

A research team at POSTECH has developed a novel multidimensional sampling theory to overcome the limitations of flat optics. Their study not only identifies the constraints of conventional sampling theories in metasurface design but also presents an innovative anti-aliasing strategy that significantly enhances optical performance. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.

Study finds complex languages may be more efficient for communication

Phys.org / 20h

How do languages balance the richness of their structures with the need for efficient communication? To investigate, researchers at the Leibniz Institute for the German Language (IDS) in Mannheim, Germany, trained computational language models on a vast dataset covering thousands of languages.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin mimics the moon's gravity for NASA experiments during spaceflight

Blue Origin's New Shepard moon mission

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Phys.org / 20h

Jeff Bezos' rocket company gave NASA a brief taste of the moon's gravity Tuesday, without straying too far from home.

Molecular simulations provide new insights into the dynamics of supercoiled DNA

Phys.org / 20h

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecular "blueprint" carrying the genetic instructions that influence the growth, development, reproduction and predispositions of individual humans, can undergo different types of mechanical stress inside cells. For instance, it can be twisted or stretched, impacting its overall structure and dynamics.

How an ancient asteroid strike carved out 2 grand canyons on the moon

Moon's canyons formed by asteroid impact

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Phys.org / 20h

New research shows that when an asteroid slammed into the moon billions of years ago, it carved out a pair of grand canyons on the lunar far side.

Arctic sea ice levels second lowest on record for January: US data

Phys.org / 20h

The sea ice in the Arctic was the second lowest on record for January last month, according to a US analysis released Tuesday, with areas around Greenland seeing temperatures well above average.

Straight shot: Hubble investigates galaxy with nine rings

Hubble discovers galaxy with nine rings

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Phys.org / 21h

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a cosmic bullseye. The gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424 is rippling with nine star-filled rings after an "arrow"—a far smaller blue dwarf galaxy—shot through its heart. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed a ninth using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Haw

A North Carolina wildlife crossing will save people. Can it save the last wild red wolves too?

Phys.org / 21h

Hunters were once the greatest human threat to the country's only unique wolf species. Today, it's motorists.

A kinder, gentler social life: How Kinda baboons redefine primate friendships

Phys.org / 21h

An international team of scientists led by a recent doctoral graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst sheds new light on the social behaviors of Kinda baboons (Papio kindae), revealing a remarkably affiliative relationship between males and females. The study, conducted over nine years in Zambia's Kasanka National Park, highlights how male Kinda baboons cultivate long-term social bond

Can nature help solve human problems like climate change? Researchers weigh up pros and cons

Phys.org / 21h

Nature-based solutions use nature to solve environmental problems caused by humans, such as global climate change. But not every ecological project counts as a nature-based solution. Some projects only bring about a slight improvement to the environment, while others even cover up environmental damage. Cornelius Okello and Timothy A. Downing research climate change adaptation and development. They

Exploring quantum mechanics in photosynthesis: Insights into energy transfer in plants

Quantum mechanics enhances photosynthesis

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Phys.org / 21h

The efficient conversion of solar energy into storable forms of chemical energy is the dream of many engineers. Nature found a perfect solution to this problem billions of years ago. A new study published in the journal Chemical Science, shows that quantum mechanics is not just for physicists but also plays a key role in biology.

Bees count from left to right just like some humans, apes and birds, study finds

Phys.org / 21h

Picture writing the numbers 1 to 5 in a horizontal line, from smallest to largest. Where did you put 1? If you placed 1 on the left and 5 on the right, you share this preference with most humans.

Researchers urge reforms to improve global wildlife trade regulation

Oxford researchers call for wildlife trade reforms

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Phys.org / 21h

A new analysis led by University of Oxford researchers has found that the main agreement that regulates international wildlife trade is failing to adequately deter the illegal extraction and trade of many species.

Precise binding free energy calculations unlock new frontiers in drug design

Phys.org / 21h

Drug discovery is a costly and time-intensive process, with binding free energy calculations between the potential drug molecule and the target being crucial for reducing drug discovery costs, streamlining the process and avoiding dead-end leads.

Computational tool incorporates transcriptome size to improve RNA-seq analysis

Phys.org / 21h

Researchers studying gene expression have access to vast amounts of data from cells or tissues. This is thanks to advances in bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technologies that can capture every RNA molecule expressed in a cell: its transcriptome.

Surface-modified apatite nanoparticles use pH control to improve biocompatibility of implants

Apatite nanoparticles enhance implant

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Phys.org / 21h

Medical implants have transformed health care, offering innovative solutions with advanced materials and technologies. However, many biomedical devices face challenges like insufficient cell adhesion, leading to inflammatory responses after their implantation in the body.