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Phys.org / Did wildfires help spark the invention of pottery?
A new study suggests that a period of intense fires and landscape upheaval in the ancient southern Levant may have helped create the conditions that led Neolithic communities to discover how fire could transform clay.
Phys.org / New screening system flags food-packaging chemicals linked to serious health risks
Packaged food usually sits in plastic-lined bags designed to keep air, moisture and contaminants out. That same protection can also increase the chances of chemicals from the packaging seeping into the food. When a chemical ...
Phys.org / Untangling the meta-biomaterial puzzle one property at a time
From repairing damaged tissues to developing better implants, many medical developments depend on materials that can mimic the complex properties of human tissue. Meta-biomaterials are among the most promising candidates. ...
Phys.org / Big supernova dataset challenges dark energy theory
The most comprehensive catalog of exploding white dwarf stars ever assembled has revealed new clues about dark energy, the mysterious force driving the universe's accelerating expansion. Researchers at The University of Queensland's ...
Phys.org / Tiny molecular rings open new ways for designing better medicines
Cyclopropanes are organic chemistry's smallest rings. Three carbon atoms are joined in a triangle, creating a compact and unusually strained structure. Despite—or partly because of—this unusual geometry, cyclopropanes are ...
Phys.org / Helium-3 lifts new quantum computing concept with faster tunneling rates
Helium—the lightest atom that can be laser-cooled and controlled—powers a new design for high-powered, stable quantum computers.
Tech Xplore / Memristor chip breaks the capacity limit of brain-inspired associative memory
Researchers in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering and the Centre for Advanced Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits (CASIC) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have made ...
Phys.org / Sparse-data method estimates sea surface temperatures 40% more accurately than conventional approach
Researchers have developed a method for extrapolating sea surface temperatures from sparse data that is significantly more accurate than other commonly used computational methods and slightly more accurate than the best-performing ...
Phys.org / Cosmic radiation at flight altitudes rises when the sun is less active
Radiation from space is constantly entering Earth's atmosphere, but how much of it reaches the altitudes used by commercial aircraft depends not only on height and location, but also on the activity of the sun. A new study ...
Medical Xpress / Different daily step count and stepping pace combos may all lower the risk of early death
Fewer daily steps at a faster pace or more steps at a slower pace may both substantially lower the risk of an early death, with a brisker pace for at least 30 minutes a day the potential sweet spot for those with sedentary ...
Phys.org / Waterlogged seeds reveal melons' ancient journey
Melons produce many seeds, making the melon shape a traditional symbol of fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture. But the historical debate about how melons made their way to modern tables is as long and twisted as ...
Phys.org / Calculative mindsets linked to greater willingness to bend moral rules
In new research in the PsyCh Journal, people who tended to analyze experiences as mathematical cost-benefit problems were more likely to ignore moral rules. This tendency was associated with a greater willingness to make ...