ScienceDaily: Top News

Upcycling plastic waste into more valuable materials could make recycling pay for itself

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new and simple method for upcycling plastic waste at room temperature.

A Minecraft build can be used to teach almost any subject

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

A professor has used Minecraft to teach a class on the history and culture of modernity. The course was based entirely within the game server, with instructions, in-class communication and course work almost exclusively carried out within the Minecraft world and over the messaging app Discord. This new pedagogical framework presented the researchers with the opportunity to see how the students used the game to achieve academic goals.

How some gut microbes awaken 'zombie' viruses in their neighbors

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

Gut bacteria brew all sorts of chemicals, but we don't know what most of them do. A new study suggests that one such compound, previously linked to cancer, may serve as a bizarre weapon in microbial skirmishes.

Sensor breakthrough paves way for groundbreaking map of world under Earth surface

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

An object hidden below ground has been located using quantum technology - a long-awaited milestone with profound implications for industry, human knowledge and national security.

Fate of the dinosaurs sealed in spring

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

The asteroid that killed nearly all dinosaurs struck Earth during springtime. An international team of scientists have determined when the meteorite crashed onto the Earth, after analyzing the remains of fishes that died just after the impact.

Physicists observe an exotic 'multiferroic' state in an atomically thin material

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

Physicists observed an exotic 'multiferroic' state in a perfectly two-dimensional material for the first time. The findings could lead to faster, more efficient magnetic data storage devices.

Ancient DNA reveals surprises about how early Africans lived, traveled and interacted

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:12 AM PST

A new analysis of human remains that were buried in African archaeological sites has produced the earliest DNA from the continent, telling a fascinating tale of how early humans lived, traveled and even found their significant others.

Gene allowing humans to feel touch may play a role in sense of smell

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:30 AM PST

Researchers have determined that a gene linked to feeling touch may moonlight as an olfactory gene. That's the conclusion drawn from studying a very small, transparent worm that shares many similarities with the human nervous system.

Possible driver of Parkinson’s disease

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 06:43 AM PST

Study shows how blocking cellular housekeeping system leads to buildup and spread of abnormal protein aggregates in the brain.

More adults are falling every year, despite prevention efforts

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 06:43 AM PST

Falls are a leading cause of hospitalization and institutionalization for older adults in the U.S. and fall prevention efforts are an important part of geriatric education and health.

'E-nose' could someday diagnose Parkinson's disease by 'smelling' skin

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

Scientists have been trying to build devices that could diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD) through odor compounds on the skin. Now, researchers have developed a portable, artificially intelligent olfactory system, or 'e-nose,' that could someday diagnose the disease in a doctor's office.

Galaxy collision creates 'space triangle' in new Hubble image

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

A spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies fueled the unusual triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy, as captured in a new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

'Tatooine-like' exoplanet spotted by ground-based telescope

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

A rare exoplanet which orbits around two stars at once has been detected using a ground-based telescope. The planet, called Kepler-16b, has so far only been seen using the Kepler space telescope. It orbits around two stars, with the two orbits also orbiting one another, forming a binary star system.

Smoking before and after conception is linked to delayed embryonic development

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

Smoking by mothers during the period immediately before and after conception is linked to a delay in embryonic development, smaller fetuses at the time of the 20-week ultrasound scan, and lower birth weight.

Neural disruptions underlying feeding, swallowing disorders in children identified

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:58 AM PST

Scientists depict the early development of pain-sensing and movement-sensing neurons in the face and throat. The findings reveal a previously unexplored feature of brain and cranial nerve development underlying eating, swallowing, and speech.

RNA molecules control repair of human DNA in cancer cells

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:57 AM PST

A new study shows how certain RNA molecules control the repair of damaged DNA in cancer cells, a discovery that could eventually give rise to better cancer treatments.

From the streets to the stratosphere: Clean driving technology enables cleaner rocket fuel

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:57 AM PST

A chemical used in electric vehicle batteries could also give us carbon-free fuel for space flight, according to new research.

Detecting stressed-out polymer films, gels before they break

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:55 AM PST

Stretchy films and squishy gels help make wearable electronics, soft robotics and biocompatible tissues a reality. But too much force can cause these polymers to break apart without warning. To detect stress before it's too late, researchers show they have designed a compound with 'wings' that makes these materials change color when they are stretched or crushed.

Tiny probes could sail to outer planets with the help of low-power lasers

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:54 AM PST

Space travel can be agonizingly slow: For example, the New Horizons probe took almost 10 years to reach Pluto. Traveling to Proxima Centauri b, the closest habitable planet to Earth, would require thousands of years with even the biggest rockets. Now, researchers calculate that low-power lasers on Earth could launch and maneuver small probes equipped with silicon or boron nitride sails, propelling them to much faster speeds than rocket engines.

Tubal ligation no better than IUD at preventing pregnancy, study shows

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 12:18 PM PST

IUDs work at least as well as tubal ligation, while causing fewer side effects, according to a new study.

Better understanding communication between neurons in the brain

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 10:54 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new method for controlled interrogation and recording of neuronal activity. The system combines technology from multichannel optogenetics with laminar recordings in the brain. The research team proposes alternative design for silicon probes and develops fibers with a Lambertian emission.

Monitoring Arctic permafrost with satellites, supercomputers, and deep learning

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 10:54 AM PST

Using deep learning and supercomputers, researchers have been able to identify and map 1.2 billion ice wedge polygons in the Arctic permafrost based on satellite imagery. The data helps establish a baseline from which to detect changes to the region. The researchers trained a deep learning system to identify Arctic features and TACC's Longhorn supercomputer to analyze the data. The ice wedge data will be available for rapid analysis on the new Permafrost Discovery Gateway.

Carbon dioxide recycling and efficient drug development -- tackling two problems with one reaction

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 10:54 AM PST

Using electricity, a new method offers the possibility of recycling carbon dioxide while also performing a notoriously difficult reaction, producing compounds potentially useful for drug development.

It's the rhythm that counts

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 10:54 AM PST

It has long been known that oscillatory neural activity is a key factor for attentional selection in the mammalian brain. Scientists have now investigated how this works. They found that coupling lower frequencies of oscillations with higher ones allows fine-tuning the brain and is thus the basis for higher cognitive functions, such as selective attention.