Explore the latest scientific discoveries, science news, breakthroughs and developments from around the world.
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars, the extremely dense cores left behind when massive stars explode. Astrophysicists have recently observed a pulsar rotating over 300 times per second that appeared to be slowing down unusually quickly.
Light is one of the most powerful tools scientists have for probing matter. By interacting with electrons, light reveals how atoms, molecules and materials are structured and how they evolve in time. Highly energetic ultraviolet and X-ray photons are particularly attractive because they can access electrons located close to atomic nuclei, where each chemical element carries its own distinctive electronic fingerprint.
California's Central Coast is headed toward more climate extremes, with hotter days, stronger storms and more intense droughts.
Mapping a sphere onto a flat plane is mathematically impossible. But a better world map than the Mercator projection is
NASA researchers are developing the future of flight on Mars, laying the groundwork for helicopters with the ability to fly higher and farther while conducting science on the Red Planet. Using high-fidelity computer simulations and wind tunnel tests, engineers are reimagining the rotorcraft blades that could carry the next generation of Mars flyers.
A research team led by distinguished professor Giuseppe Pezzotti at the Biomedical Engineering Center, Kansai Medical University (Japan), has demonstrated that differences in the molecular structures of viral RNA can be captured as "Raman barcodes," enabling the identification of 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of a rapid method for identifying newly emerging viral variants.
According to a new study, all employees like private rewards—a salary increase or glowing performance review that's not broadcast to others in the workplace—but narcissists also want to have rewards made public for their colleagues to see, the researchers found.
Biochar can store carbon in the soil and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere—yet we still know too little about how long the biochar will persist. Now, researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have found a new way to measure this, using wood from the 1960s that was affected by nuclear weapons testing. The paper is published in the journal Radiocarbon.
Even before they are old enough to vote, some young people are finding ways to make a difference. Civic engagement among youth ages 15 to 25 can range from volunteering in the community and joining a protest march to signing a petition or expressing political views on social media, according to Portland State University researcher Yue Ni.
Tiny atoms and molecules are constantly bombarding each other all around us. While we regularly measure the large-scale effects of these interactions, measuring the effect of each individual collision is far more difficult. But now, researchers have managed to measure how tiny gas particles affect a single silica particle in the lab. In their new study, published in Physical Review Letters, the team describes how they detected the momentum transfers of individual collisions of gas particles with a nanoparticle levitated in laser light.
Drone-mounted laser technology is helping archaeologists locate Aboriginal rock art sites hidden in the rugged, densely vegetated landscapes of Australia's Blue Mountains, demonstrating a new approach to surveying archaeological sites that can be difficult and expensive to reach on foot.
Marital breakups have consequences that extend beyond the immediate end of cohabitation. Research from the University of Granada has found that these consequences can last for decades, eventually becoming a significant source of vulnerability as people reach old age—especially if they live alone and have little contact with their children or insufficient social support. The study, published in the International Journal of Sociology, was conducted by Juan López Doblas, a professor in the Department of Sociology, and María del Pilar Díaz Conde, a professor in the Department of Social Psychology.