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Phys.org / Urban sprawl could deny 220 million people access to clean water by 2050

A new study analyzing more than 100 cities across Asia, Africa, and Latin America has quantified the stark consequences of urban sprawl on water and sanitation access, finding that how cities grow might determine whether ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / First fertilizer: A chemical process that may have sparked life on Earth

University of Alberta geochemists have discovered a missing piece to one of the great mysteries of science—the origin of life on Earth.

Dec 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Light-triggered nanoscale heating can control communication between nerve cells

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report the successful creation of artificial synaptic vesicles that can be remotely controlled by near-infrared (NIR) light. By embedding ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Tracking forever chemicals across food web shows not all isomers are distributed equally

When University at Buffalo chemists analyzed samples of water, fish, and bird eggs, they weren't surprised to find plenty of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). After all, these "forever chemicals" turn up nearly ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Chemistry
Medical Xpress / Nearly one in five child deaths linked to growth failure, global analysis finds

Nearly 1 million children around the globe fail to reach their fifth birthday every year due to devastating health consequences linked to child growth failure, making it the third leading risk factor for mortality and morbidity ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Health
Phys.org / Emissions from global wildfires far higher than previously thought

The total emissions of greenhouse gases and airborne particles caused by wildfires are almost 70% higher than previously assumed. Researchers at Wageningen University & Research discovered this in a long-term study conducted ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Overlooked hormone may be deadly driver of postmenopausal breast cancer in women with obesity

A new analysis of research into the most common type of breast cancer has zeroed in on an overlooked hormone that may be responsible for the increased risk of breast cancer death in postmenopausal women with obesity. It also ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Oncology & Cancer
Tech Xplore / Overparameterized neural networks: Feature learning precedes overfitting, research finds

Modern neural networks, with billions of parameters, are so overparameterized that they can "overfit" even random, structureless data. Yet when trained on datasets with structure, they learn the underlying features.

Dec 5, 2025 in Computer Sciences
Tech Xplore / 'Rock candy' technique offers simpler, less costly way to capture carbon directly from air

University of Toronto Engineering researchers have discovered a new way of capturing carbon directly from the air—one that could offer significant cost savings over current methods.

Dec 1, 2025 in Engineering
Phys.org / AI-powered vision gives meaning to wildfire chaos

How wildfires spread is more variable and unpredictable than Canada's standard models assume, new research from UBC Okanagan data scientists shows.

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Captive bottlenose dolphins vary vocalizations during enrichment activities

Dolphins produce a range of vocalizations used for echolocation and communication. These vocalizations vary with social context, environmental conditions, external stimuli, and communication, reflecting their cognitive and ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / On-demand electronic switching of topology achieved in a single crystal

University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists have demonstrated a reversible way to switch the topological state of a quantum material using mechanisms compatible with modern electronic devices. Published in Nature Materials, ...

Dec 1, 2025 in Physics