‘Nasty’ Geometry Breaks a Decades-Old Tiling Conjecture
Mathematicians predicted that if they imposed enough restrictions on how a shape might tile space, they could force a periodic pattern to emerge. They were wrong......»»
Twisted molecular wires exhibit high single-molecule conductance
From the high-voltage wires that carry electricity over long distances, to the tungsten filaments in our incandescent lights, we may have become accustomed to thinking that electrical conductors are always made of metal. But for decades, scientists h.....»»
Research shows reducing future global flooding hinges on cutting greenhouse gas emissions
Pioneering research forecasts that worldwide flooding is likely to be significantly worse in future decades if countries fail to meet official pledges to cut carbon emissions......»»
Cleanup hopes for neighbors of Mexico"s "toilet bowl" wastewater dam
On the banks of a wastewater dam in central Mexico, under a dense cloud of mosquitoes, Yury Uribe is finally seeing hope after spending decades in "environmental hell.".....»»
Advanced materials could provide more durable metals for fusion power reactors
For many decades, nuclear fusion power has been viewed as the ultimate energy source. A fusion power plant could generate carbon-free energy at a scale needed to address climate change. And it could be fueled by deuterium recovered from an essentiall.....»»
Ancient civilizations had ways to counter the urban heat island effect—how history"s lessons apply to cities today
As intense heat breaks records around the world, a little-reported fact offers some hope for cooling down cities: Under even the most intense periods of extreme heat, some city blocks never experience heat wave temperatures......»»
New research analyzes "Finnegans Wake" for novel spacing between punctuation marks
Statistical analysis of classic literature has shown that the way punctuation breaks up text obeys certain universal mathematical relationships. James Joyce's tome "Finnegans Wake," however, famously breaks the rules of normal prose through its unusu.....»»
New HP Omen gaming desktop is a radical departure
HP has a new gaming desktop on its hands, and it breaks from what we've seen from the company's Omen brand for the past few years......»»
Geophysicists find link between seismic waves called PKP precursors and strange anomalies in Earth"s mantle
For the decades since their discovery, seismic signals known as PKP precursors have challenged scientists. Regions of Earth's lower mantle scatter incoming seismic waves, which return to the surface as PKP waves at differing speeds......»»
Why the Fiat 500e could be your ideal second EV
The phenomenally efficient Fiat 500e is enjoyable to drive. Enlarge / The Fiat 500e Inspired by Beauty. (credit: BradleyWarren Photography) Over two decades of parenting has left me with a healthy appreciation for SUVs a.....»»
Facing “financial crisis,” Russia on pace for lowest launch total in 6 decades
"This forces us to build a new economy in severe conditions." Enlarge / A Soyuz 2.1b rocket booster with a Frigate upper stage block, the Meteor-M 2-1 meteorological satellite, and 18 small satellites launched from the Vostochny.....»»
Why do plants wiggle? New study provides answers
In a new study, physicists from the United States and Israel may have gotten to the bottom of a quirky behavior of growing plants—and a mystery that intrigued Charles Darwin himself during the later decades of his life......»»
New analysis of Webb data measures universe expansion rate, finds there may not be a "Hubble tension"
We know many things about our universe, but astronomers are still debating exactly how fast it is expanding. In fact, over the past two decades, two major ways to measure this number—known as the "Hubble constant" —have come up with different ans.....»»
40 years ago, this ’80s action movie captured America’s imagination. Does it still hold up in 2024?
Four decades ago, a low-budget action movie captured America's Cold War moment. All these years later, does it still hold up?.....»»
These retro accessories bring classic Apple designs to your iPhone and Watch
Apple has a rich history of distinctive product designs. So much so that some of its classic product looks can inspire deep nostalgia and affection even decades later. Here are some wonderfully nostalgia-inducing accessories for the iPhone and Apple.....»»
Surf spots are global ally in climate fight, study finds
A first-of-its-kind study, published today in Conservation Science and Practice, has found that the forests, mangroves and marshes surrounding surf breaks store almost 90 Mt (million metric tons) of climate-stabilizing "irrecoverable carbon," making.....»»
This repairable Android phone is a good buy, even if you’re not clumsy
The HMD Skyline has a gorgeous design, a bright color, and a unique feature where if the screen breaks, you can repair it yourself. But is it worth buying?.....»»
China’s Long March 6A rocket is making a mess in low-Earth orbit
After nearly every flight, the upper stage of this rocket breaks apart in orbit. Enlarge / Debris from the upper stage of China's Long March 6A rocket captured from the ground by Slingshot Aerospace. (credit: Slingshot Aerospace.....»»
Increasing solid-state electrolyte conductivity and stability using helical structure
Solid-state electrolytes have been explored for decades for use in energy storage systems and in the pursuit of solid-state batteries. These materials are safer alternatives to the traditional liquid electrolyte—a solution that allows ions to move.....»»
You can kick the alpha tires on System76’s Cosmic, a new Linux desktop
A whole new desktop aims to appeal with tiling, themes, and a safer Rust core. Enlarge / A little auto-tiling on the Cosmic desktop. (credit: System76) System76 has released an alpha version of its Cosmic desktop environ.....»»
Huge gas fields under a coral reef—will a rejection on environmental grounds stop Woodside"s Browse project?
For decades, Australia's largest independent oil and gas company, Woodside, has eyed off a prize: the largest known unconventional gas fields in the nation......»»