Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Two epicenters led to Japan's violent Noto earthquake on New Year's Day      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The 7.5- magnitude earthquake beneath Japan's Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, 2024, occurred when a 'dual-initiation mechanism' applied enough energy from two different locations to break through a fault barrier -- an area that locks two sides of a fault in place and absorbs the energy of fault movement, slowing it down or stopping it altogether.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Unconventional interface superconductor could benefit quantum computing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A multi-institutional team of scientists has developed a new superconductor material that could potentially be used in quantum computing and be a candidate 'topological superconductor.'

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Innovative field experiments shed light on biological clocks in nature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has used a series of innovative field experiments to show how plants combine circadian clock signals with environmental cues under naturally fluctuating conditions.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Langbeinites show talents as 3D quantum spin liquids      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A 3D quantum spin liquid has been discovered in the vicinity of a member of the langbeinite family. The material's specific crystalline structure and the resulting magnetic interactions induce an unusual behavior that can be traced back to an island of liquidity. An international team has made this discovery with experiments at the ISIS neutron source and theoretical modelling on a nickel-langbeinite sample.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Kagome superconductor makes waves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Superconductivity theory proposed by physics team validated in international experiment: Cooper pairs display wave-like distribution in Kagome metals, enabling new technological applications like superconducting diodes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology Environmental: Water Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Creature the size of a dust grain found hiding in California's Mono Lake      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Mono Lake is a beautiful but harsh environment, its salty and arsenic-laced water home to brine shrimp, alkali flies and little else. Scientists recently discovered an unsuspected resident, however, a microscopic creature -- a choanoflagelatte -- that forms colonies that harbor their own unique bacterial microbiomes. The creature, part of the sister group to all animals, could shed light on the evolution of animals' intimate interactions with bacteria and the rise of multicellular life.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Oceanography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Fighting coastal erosion with electricity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has systematically demonstrated that a mild zap of electricity can strengthen a marine coastline for generations -- greatly reducing the threat of erosion in the face of climate change and rising sea levels. The new process forms natural cement between grains of sand, transforming it into solid, immoveable rock. Mollusks use a similar process to turn naturally occurring minerals into shells.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

Chalk-based coating creates a cooling fabric      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the scorching heat of summer, anyone who spends time outside could benefit from a cooling fabric. While there are some textiles that reflect the sun's rays or wick heat away, current options require boutique fibers or complex manufacturing processes. But now, demonstrations of a durable chalk-based coating show it can cool the air underneath treated fabric by up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Biology: Botany Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Pilot study uses recycled glass to grow plants for salsa ingredients      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tortilla chips and fresh salsa are tasty, but they could be even more appealing if you grow the ingredients yourself. Now, researchers report that some salsa ingredients -- cilantro, bell pepper and jalapeno -- can be more sustainably cultivated with recycled glass. Their pilot study found that partially substituting soil in a planter with recycled glass fragments speeds up plant development and reduces unwanted fungal growth.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

First visualization of valence electrons reveals fundamental nature of chemical bonding      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The distribution of outermost shell electrons, known as valence electrons, of organic molecules was observed for the first time. As the interactions between atoms are governed by the valence electrons, the findings shine light on the fundamental nature of chemical bonds, with implications for pharmacy and chemical engineering.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Environmental: General Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Humpbacks are among animals who manufacture and wield tools      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers suggest a new designation of the humpback whales they study: tool wielders. Researchers have known that humpback whales create "bubble-nets" to hunt, but they have learned that the animals don't just create the bubble-nets; they manipulate this unique tool in a variety of ways to maximize their food intake in Alaskan feeding grounds.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Explanation found for X-ray radiation from black holes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have succeeded in something that has been pursued since the 1970s: explaining the X-ray radiation from the black hole surroundings. The radiation originates from the combined effect of the chaotic movements of magnetic fields and turbulent plasma gas.

Geoscience: Severe Weather Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Hailstone library to improve extreme weather forecasting      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are measuring and scanning samples for a global 'hailstone library'. Storm simulations using 3-D modelling of real hailstones -- in all sorts of weird shapes from oblong to flat discs or with spikes coming out -- show it behaves differently than spherical hail shapes. Data from the hail library could lead to more accurate storm forecasts.

Chemistry: General Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Geoscience: Severe Weather Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

New research shows unprecedented atmospheric changes during May's geomagnetic superstorm      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

On May 11, a gorgeous aurora surprised stargazers across the southern United States. That same weekend, a tractor guided by GPS missed its mark. What do the visibility of the northern lights have in common with compromised farming equipment in the Midwest? A uniquely powerful geomagnetic storm, according to new research.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Environmental: Ecosystems Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Blind cavefish have extraordinary taste buds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A biologist studies blind cavefish, a species of fish that dwell in cave ponds in Mexico. He looked at the timeline for when the cavefish develop additional taste buds on the head and chin, finding the taste bud expansion starts at five months and continues into adulthood.

Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

New insight Into behavior of electrons      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists have uncovered new states of matter by exploring the behavior of flatland electrons in extreme conditions, revealing insights that could impact quantum computing and advanced materials.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Quantum pumping in molecular junctions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new theoretical modelling technique that could potentially be used in the development of switches or amplifiers in molecular electronics.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Advancing modular quantum information processing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of physicists envisions a modular system for scaling quantum processors with a flexible way of linking qubits over long distances to enable them to work in concert to perform quantum operations. The ability to carry out such correlated or 'entangling' operations between linked qubits is the basis of the enhanced power quantum computing holds compared with current computers.