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Phys.org / Hemp-based thermoplastic offers a greener alternative to plastic packaging
As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic alternative derived from the hemp plant—a non-psychoactive type ...
Medical Xpress / Silencing stress signals could pave the way to a longer life
Silencing a major cellular stress signal could be the key to a longer life, according to new University of Sheffield research. While previous studies suggested that mild stress might help organisms live longer, new research ...
Phys.org / Captured mid-reaction, RNA polymerase reveals universal blueprint for gene transcription
The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and a process fundamental to all life. But the inner workings of this essential enzyme have long baffled ...
Medical Xpress / Severe narcolepsy found to damage a second brain region
For nearly 25 years, scientists believed they knew what caused the most severe form of narcolepsy. A new UCLA Health study now suggests they were only half correct. In a study published in Nature Communications, UCLA Health ...
Tech Xplore / Overlooked 'in-between' materials could reshape solar fuel and battery design
Researchers have identified previously unknown materials, including a new form of a widely studied clean-energy material, by carefully controlling and tracking how molecular precursors break down during heating.
Phys.org / Hidden 3D atomic structure of relaxor ferroelectrics revealed for first time
Materials called relaxor ferroelectrics have been used for decades in technologies like ultrasounds, microphones, and sonar systems. Their unique properties come from their atomic structure, but that structure has stubbornly ...
Phys.org / Policies intended to protect trade secrets may limit late-career wages
Labor market policies intended to protect trade secrets and spur research and development may instead limit late-career wages and encourage firms to replace human labor with machines and other automation equipment, according ...
Phys.org / Hunting the elusive Eta Aquariid meteors
Early May is a good time to watch for a powerful yet often elusive meteor shower, the annual Eta Aquariids. They're a prolific, yet often elusive for northern hemisphere observers. If skies are clear, watch for a strong annual ...
Phys.org / Frozen in dry ice, hydrogen reveals a surprisingly simple way to control quantum behavior
A new study by University of Maryland chemical physicists demonstrates how to control the nuclear spin of molecular hydrogen (H2) by simply freezing it in dry ice. This new technique, published in the journal Physical Review ...
Phys.org / Western US is fending off more fires before they start—and still getting hit by its biggest blazes yet
The number of wildfires burning in the Western United States each year dropped roughly 28% over the past three decades, even as annual burned area and damage from wildfires have soared. A decline in fires accidentally sparked ...
Phys.org / Sramcbled wrods: The real reason you can still read jumbled text
You've probably seen it on social media before: a paragraph of scrambled text that looks like nonsense at first glance, yet somehow you can read it with surprising ease.
Phys.org / How sulfur oxidation states shape the behavior of sugar-based surfactant molecules
Sugar-based amphiphilic molecules, which contain a hydrophilic sugar headgroup and a hydrophobic segment such as an alkyl chain, can assemble in water depending on their concentration, forming hydrophobic microenvironments ...