A new measure of roughness could advance earthquake geophysics
When two rocks interact with each other in a fault zone, the roughness of their surfaces could influence the outcome, including when they cause earthquakes. Still, the underlying mechanics of this relationship remain unclear......»»
Meteorites: Why study them? What can they teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has explored the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, planetary geophysics, and cosmochemistry, and how this myriad of intricately linked sci.....»»
Using a cellphone compass to measure tiny concentrations of compounds important for human health
Nearly every modern cellphone has a built-in compass, or magnetometer, that detects the direction of Earth's magnetic field, providing critical information for navigation. Now a team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technolog.....»»
Setting prairies ablaze in springtime is key to restoring damaged ecosystems, conservationists say
On a recent weekday, short but mighty flames began consuming an expanse of tallgrass in Illinois' Nachusa Grasslands, their advance marked with crackles and pops......»»
Magnitude 2.8 earthquake shakes southern Illinois; no damage or injuries reported
An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 has been reported in southern Illinois, near the Missouri state line, the U.S. Geological Survey reported......»»
Astronomers only knew of a single binary Cepheid system—they just found nine more
Measuring the distance to far away objects in space can be tricky. We don't even know the precise distance to even our closest neighbors in the universe—the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. But, we're starting to get to the tools to measure it. O.....»»
Cosmochemistry: Why study it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has had some fantastic discussions with researchers on the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, and planetary geophysics, and how these diver.....»»
Marine protected areas safeguard more than ecology—they bring economic benefits to fisheries and tourism
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been used as a conservation measure for decades, but critics continue to argue that evidence of their economic benefits is weak, particularly with regard to fisheries......»»
Unlocking visible femtosecond fiber oscillators: An advance in laser science
The emergence of ultrafast laser pulse generation, marking a significant milestone in laser science, has triggered incredible progress across a wide array of disciplines, encompassing industrial applications, energy technologies, life sciences, and b.....»»
Climate change is messing with how we measure time: Study
Struggle to wrap your head around daylight savings? Spare a thought for the world's timekeepers, who are trying to work out how climate change is affecting Earth's rotation—and in turn, how we keep track of time......»»
Taylor Swift fans dancing and jumping created last year’s “Swift quakes”
"Shake It Off" produced tremors equivalent to a local magnitude earthquake of 0.851. Enlarge / Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour. Crowd motions likely caused mini "Swift quakes" recorded by seismic monitoring stations. (credit: R.....»»
Solar eclipse could scramble bird behavior
On April 8, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will race across North America. At the same time, researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners will be hurrying to measure the impact of daytime darkness on the movements of birds, bats,.....»»
New method to measure entropy production on the nanoscale
Entropy, the amount of molecular disorder, is produced in several systems but cannot be measured directly. An equation developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, now sheds new l.....»»
Mathematical innovations enable advances in seismic activity detection
Amidst the unique landscape of geothermal development in the Tohoku region, subtle seismic activities beneath the Earth's surface present a fascinating challenge for researchers. While earthquake warnings may intermittently alert us to seismic events.....»»
Research team creates global roadmap to advance printable sensors for sustainability and quality of life
A Simon Fraser University professor is helping make strides towards a "sustainable, intelligent world" by propelling printable sensor technologies......»»
The world is one step closer to secure quantum communication on a global scale
Researchers at the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) have brought together two Nobel prize-winning research concepts to advance the field of quantum communication......»»
Large Language Models’ Emergent Abilities Are a Mirage
A new study suggests that sudden jumps in LLMs’ abilities are neither surprising nor unpredictable, but are actually the consequence of how we measure ability in AI......»»
Q&A: Clarifying the megathrust earthquake mechanism
There is a 70-80% chance that the Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake will occur in the next 30 years. It is predicted to cause more extensive damage than the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and fatalities may exceed 320,000......»»
Q&A: What happened underground during the Noto Peninsula earthquake?
The Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1 brought the challenges of earthquake-prone Japan back into sharp focus. With a magnitude of 7.6, surpassing the 1995 Kobe earthquake (Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake), it caused significant uphe.....»»
Analytic tool rapidly reveals genetic diversity for next-generation crop breeding
In a major advance for agricultural science, researchers have developed a new computational tool designed to swiftly and efficiently expose genetic diversity within DNA databases of various plant species......»»
Researchers add swept illumination to open-top light-sheet microscope
Researchers have incorporated a swept illumination source into an open-top light-sheet microscope to enable improved optical sectioning over a larger area of view. The advance makes the technique more practical for nondestructive 3D pathology......»»