Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), researchers analyzed how erratic weather events, increasingly intensified by global warming, affect global production and consumption across different income groups. The paper, “Global economic impact of weather variability on the rich and the poor,” has been published in … Read more
Three huge blazes are burning in hills around Los Angeles. Cooler weather on Thursday aided firefighters battling out-of-control blazes around Los Angeles, but officials warned the fast-moving fires were unpredictable and could suddenly explode. Around 173 square miles (450 square kilometers) have been torched in the three fires, which have destroyed dozens of homes and … Read more
(a) Unoxidized cracks in SOAC@BNf/SiBN under oxygen atmosphere, (b) Initial oxidation structure of SOAC@BNf/SiBN fibers under oxygen atmosphere, (c) Microscopic dynamic process of the dual-feedback mechanism, (d) Self-healing morphology of dual-feedback cracks, (e) Crystal structure of the mullite. Credit: Journal of Advanced Ceramics, Tsinghua University Press Fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) have been the primary … Read more
A new enzyme-inspired, small-molecule catalyst developed at the University of Illinois holds alcohols and alkenes in just the right proximity and position to join into ethers, key functional components of many consumer goods and pharmaceuticals. Credit: Jose Vazquez Taking inspiration from enzymes, chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a catalyst to simplify the … Read more
Pulse sequences for generating two-axis twisting rotate the spins of KRb molecules, transforming the spin exchange interactions. Credit: Steven Burrows/Ye Group The interactions between quantum spins underlie some of the universe’s most interesting phenomena, such as superconductors and magnets. However, physicists have difficulty engineering controllable systems in the lab that replicate these interactions. Now, in … Read more
Map of the greater Charleston Harbor System, highlighting the location of water level stations (purple dots). Axis labels are meters, UTM Zone 17. Credit: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023JC020498 The common practice of building dams to prevent flooding can actually contribute to more intense coastal flood events, according to a new study. … Read more
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Sea otters are famed for their luscious pelts, but the fur almost led to their extinction. By 1938, only a tiny population of ~50 remained clinging to the central California coast. Since then, the mammals have battled back. However, the charismatic creatures are still at risk from crude oil spilled by … Read more
Credit: Armen Agopian, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science A nationwide analysis of community-level floodplain development found that over two-million acres of floodplain were developed over the past two decades across the United States, with roughly half of all new floodplain housing built in Florida. These findings from scientists at … Read more
Representative images of latent fingermarks on stainless steel illuminated by and viewed under visible light (a) before development and (b) after development with MCM-41@Ch@DnsGly NPs. Corresponding images generated by illumination with UV light (λex = 365 nm) by MCM-41@Ch@DnsGly NP development on (c) stainless steel, (d) glass, (e) plastic and (f) unfired brass cartridge case … Read more
Researchers from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands have been able to initiate a controlled movement in the very heart of an atom. They caused the atomic nucleus to interact with one of the electrons in the outermost shells of the atom. This electron could be manipulated and read out through the needle of … Read more
