Phys.org news
Phys.org / Understanding eras: Predicting audience preferences with new perspective on nostalgia
When brands spend millions every year to transport Super Bowl audiences back in time during commercials, what happens if they choose the wrong era? Knowing who prefers which part of history is valuable marketing knowledge, ...
Phys.org / Captured carbon dioxide could yield strong, flexible plastics designed for recycling
Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a process to transform naturally occurring, highly stable carbon dioxide into recyclable, high-performance materials that could replace today's plastics in many situations. ...
Phys.org / Gold-MXene catalyst converts nitrate to ammonia using sunlight and 1.5 volts
Plants need nitrogen fertilizers, which are usually ammonia-based. Ammonia is therefore one of the most important chemical products. However, its production is currently extremely energy-intensive. An international team from ...
Phys.org / Stable DNA building blocks enable faster oligonucleotide synthesis without oxidation
The chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides (ONs) is central to modern molecular biology, diagnostics and nucleic acid therapeutics. While demand for high-quality ONs is increasing, the conventional synthetic method has long-standing ...
Phys.org / Problematic internet users are crabbier, more stressed and more tempted than the rest of us
People described as "problematic" internet users report higher stress, worse mood and greater neglect of other activities than those who surf the web sparingly, according to a study published in PLOS One by Silke M. Müller ...
Phys.org / New antimicrobials could help tackle deadly drug-resistant infections
Scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Manchester have developed a promising new way to create safer and more effective treatments for life-threatening fungal infections. The research, published today ...
Phys.org / Astronomers find strongest evidence yet that Betelgeuse has a companion
At long last, astronomers have firm evidence that Betelgeuse, one of the most famous stars in the night sky, is not alone. Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), a team led by French researcher ...
Phys.org / DNA studies uncover a forgotten population at the top of the world
Scientists have uncovered an ancient population previously unknown to science in Ladakh, a high-altitude region in northern India. Their studies revealed individuals with a nearly perfect 50–50 mix of South Asian-related ...
Phys.org / California drought may have pushed parts of the Sacramento Valley aquifer toward permanent collapse
Around a quarter of the U.S. food supply is grown in California's Central Valley. Most of its crops, like rice, fruit trees and nut trees, are water-intensive and require extensive groundwater pumping during droughts. Over ...
Phys.org / Evidence of giant rings in Venus's atmosphere uncovered in archived observations
In 2010, scientists waiting to use the William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands captured a brief 36 minutes of images of Venus. They were waiting for the sun to set so they could look at distant stars and dust disks ...
Phys.org / Tabby's star may be orbited by a planetary-mass companion
By analyzing data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and conducting new radial velocity measurements, U.K. and French astronomers have found evidence that the mysterious Tabby's star may be orbited by ...
Phys.org / Moon's thick crust could amplify elusive gravitational-wave signals
Gravitational waves are tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime that are produced when massive objects in the cosmos accelerate or collide. By detecting these waves, astrophysicists can study various cosmic events, including ...
