Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Some of today's earthquakes may be aftershocks from quakes in the 1800s      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the 1800s, some of the strongest earthquakes in recorded U.S. history struck North America's continental interior. Almost two centuries later, the central and eastern United States may still be experiencing aftershocks from those events, a new study finds.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Landslides
Published

New dates for landslides reveal past Seattle fault earthquakes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New maps of more than 1,000 deep-seated landslides in the Puget Lowlands of Washington State provide evidence of the last major earthquake along the Seattle Fault about 1,100 years ago -- and may also hold traces of older earthquakes along the fault.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
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Machine learning gives users 'superhuman' ability to open and control tools in virtual reality      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a virtual reality application where a range of 3D modelling tools can be opened and controlled using just the movement of a user's hand.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Hebrew prayer book fills gap in Italian earthquake history      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The chance discovery of a note written in a 15th century Hebrew prayer book fills an important gap in the historical Italian earthquake record, offering a brief glimpse of a previously unknown earthquake affecting the Marche region in the central Apennines.  

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Virtual meetings tire people because we're doing them wrong      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research suggests sleepiness during virtual meetings is caused by mental underload and boredom. Earlier studies suggested that fatigue from virtual meetings stems from mental overload, but new research shows that sleepiness during virtual meetings might actually be a result of mental underload and boredom.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Robot stand-in mimics movements in VR      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a souped-up telepresence robot that responds automatically and in real-time to a remote user's movements and gestures made in virtual reality.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Simulating cold sensation without actual cooling      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The perception of persistent thermal sensations, such as changes in temperature, tends to gradually diminish in intensity as our bodies become accustomed to the temperature. This phenomenon leads to a shift in our perception of temperature when transitioning between different scenes in a virtual environment. Researchers have now developed a technology to generate a virtual cold sensation via a non-contact method without physically altering the skin temperature.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published

California supervolcano is cooling off but may still cause quakes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New high-resolution images of the Long Valley Caldera indicate that the subsurface environment is cooling off, releasing gas and fluids that contribute to seismic activity.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes
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Researchers test seafloor fiber optic cable as an earthquake early warning system      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

One of the biggest challenges for earthquake early warning systems (EEW) is the lack of seismic stations located offshore of heavily populated coastlines, where some of the world's most seismically active regions are located. In a new study, researchers show how unused telecommunications fiber optic cable can be transformed for offshore EEW.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
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Virtual reality helps people with hoarding disorder practice decluttering      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study lets patients practice letting go of treasured objects in simulations of their own homes.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Virtual driving assessment predicts risk of crashing for newly licensed teen drivers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research found that driving skills measured at the time of licensure on a virtual driving assessment (VDA), which exposes drivers to common serious crash scenarios, helps predict crash risk in newly licensed young drivers. This study brings the research community one step closer to identifying which skill deficits put young new drivers at higher risk for crashes. With this cutting-edge information, more personalized interventions can be developed to improve the driving skills that prevent crashes.

Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Paleontology: General
Published

Plate tectonic surprise: Geologist unexpectedly finds remnants of a lost mega-plate      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Geologists have reconstructed a massive and previously unknown tectonic plate that was once one-quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. The team had predicted its existence over 10 years ago based on fragments of old tectonic plates found deep in the Earth’s mantle. To the lead researchers surprise, she found that oceanic remnants on northern Borneo must have belonged to the long-suspected plate, which scientists have named Pontus. She has now reconstructed the entire plate in its full glory.

Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes
Published

AI-driven earthquake forecasting shows promise in trials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new attempt to predict earthquakes has raised hopes that artificial intelligence could one day be used to limit earthquakes’ impact on lives and economies. The AI algorithm correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week before they happened during a seven-month trial in China. The system is limited because the AI needs an extensive database and years of seismic recordings to train itself on, but researchers said the effort is nonetheless a milestone for AI-driven earthquake forecasting. Researchers will soon begin testing the system at other locations.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography
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Discovery of massive undersea water reservoir could explain New Zealand's mysterious slow earthquakes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers working to image New Zealand's Hikurangi earthquake fault have uncovered a sea's worth of water buried in the Earth's crust. The water was carried down by eroding volcanic rocks and is believed to be dampening the earthquake fault, allowing it to release most of the pent-up tectonic stress through harmless slow slip earthquakes.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

New internet addiction spectrum: Where are you on the scale?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Young people (24 years and younger) spend an average of six hours a day online, primarily using their smartphones, according to new research. Older people (those 24 years and older) spend 4.6 hours online.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Tree rings reveal a new kind of earthquake threat to the Pacific Northwest, US      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tree rings reveal a new kind of earthquake threat to the Pacific Northwest. These findings could have implications for seismic preparedness measures in the region.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Geology
Published

Exploring the effect of water on seismic wave attenuation in the upper mantle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The mechanism facilitating the smooth movement of the oceanic lithosphere over the underlying asthenosphere (upper mantle) remains poorly understood. Recently, researchers from Japan investigated the effect of water on the seismic properties of olivine rocks, finding that water retention in the asthenosphere can induce sharp drops in shear wave velocity. This also explained other seismic changes observed at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. These findings provide invaluable insights into the diverse seismic activities on Earth.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Drug discovery on an unprecedented scale      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Boosting virtual screening with machine learning allowed for a 10-fold time reduction in the processing of 1.56 billion drug-like molecules. Researchers teamed up with industry and supercomputers to carry out one of the world's largest virtual drug screens.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Let it flow: Recreating water flow for virtual reality      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has harnessed the power of deep reinforcement learning to replicate the flow of water when disturbed. The replication allowed for recreating water flow in real time based on only a small amount of data, opening up the possibility for virtual reality interactions involving water.