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Phys.org / Hardy ice plant's optical innovation inspires reflective design possibilities
Nature is filled with remarkable visual phenomena created by microscopic surface structures that interact with light in fascinating ways. The iridescent wings of butterflies, the shimmering feathers of birds and the glossy ...
Phys.org / Nature's 'master painters': Study reveals how damselflies break optical barriers to create saturated colors
Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have uncovered for the first time the "ingenious" biological strategies that allow blue-tailed damselflies to produce strikingly vivid, angle-independent colors. The ...
Phys.org / Missing the forest for the trees: Conservationists emphasize the need for intact forest in coffee landscapes
As conservationists seek to maintain biodiversity levels in tropical coffee landscapes, data indicate the presence and quality of surrounding forest habitat may play a larger role than previously thought. New research from ...
Phys.org / Q&A: Combating antibiotic resistance with nanotechnology, robotics and AI
Aeron Tynes Hammack, a physicist by training and currently interim facility director of the Nanofabrication Facility at the Molecular Foundry, likes to work with nanoscale objects to better understand the world and solve ...
Phys.org / 'The Heaven Sword' crowned as East Asia's tallest tree after a nearly decade-long search
Taiwan, historically known as Formosa, holds a secret deep within its rugged interior: it is one of the rare locations on Earth capable of supporting "giant" trees—specimens that tower over 80 meters in height. Since 2014, ...
Tech Xplore / Robots learn to anticipate chaos, but still fail to read a decidedly human signal
Cornell researchers are investigating the potential for using artificial intelligence to give robots social intelligence—the ability to read facial cues, anticipate the needs of those around them, and function within society. ...
Phys.org / New combined spore trapping and DNA sequencing technology tracks fungicide resistance in grain crops
Researchers at the Center for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) have developed a new system that combines spore trapping with advanced DNA sequencing to confirm fungicide resistance from air samples containing airborne spores.
Phys.org / Biopolymer beads extend fungus bioinsecticide shelf life and release
Researchers have used a biopolymer to encapsulate and extend the storage life and release rate of a bioinsecticidal fungus. The study is published in ACS Omega. The goal is to extend the shelf life of Beauveria bassiana, ...
Tech Xplore / Plastic waste yields jet fuel through new process costing as little as $1 per kilogram
Aviation is one of the sectors that contributes most to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change on Earth. One proposed strategy for mitigating or counterbalancing the effects of these emissions is to substitute existing ...
Phys.org / Demolishing homes after climate disasters can be devastating. Here's how we reused precious materials
Following the devastating Northern Rivers floods in New South Wales in 2022, roughly 14,000 truckloads of water-damaged materials were sent to landfill.
Phys.org / Where not to look in the search for ET
There's a question at the heart of SETI that doesn't get nearly enough attention. It isn't whether aliens exist, and it isn't whether we have the technology to detect them. It's a far more practical problem: With a billion ...
Phys.org / Drone surveys reveal why steep alpine channels erode so fast during debris flows
A brown mass—a mixture of water, boulders and fine matter—plows through the landscape. The mountains wash more than a thousand lorryloads of material into the valley on a fairly regular basis, causing damage in excess of ...
