A surprising way to trap a microparticle
When physicists recently steered a tiny microparticle toward a cylindrical obstacle, they expected one of two outcomes to occur. The particle would either collide into the obstacle or sail around it. The particle, however, did neither......»»
New study shows surprising effects of fire in North America"s boreal forests
A new study, using a first-of-its-kind approach to analyze satellite imagery from boreal forests over the last three decades, has found that fire may be changing the face of the region in a way researchers did not previously anticipate......»»
The Surprising Way Clean Energy Will Help Save the Snowpack
As if we needed another reason to quickly ditch fossil fuels: Cleaner snow melts much more slowly......»»
Thanks to AI, the future of programming may involve YELLING IN ALL CAPS
Politeness and emphasis play a surprising role in AI-model communications. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Not long after OpenAI first unveiled its DALL-E 3 AI image generator integrated into ChatGPT earlier this month, s.....»»
There’s a new way to flip bits in DRAM, and it works against the latest defenses
New technique produces lots of bitflips and could one day help form an attack. Enlarge In 2015, researchers reported a surprising discovery that stoked industry-wide security concerns—an attack called RowHammer that c.....»»
Study reveals surprising insights into dog sterilization, obesity
As researchers continue to delve into the effects—both negative and positive—of spaying and neutering dogs, data included in a recent scientific publication in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association indicate that obesity rates.....»»
Surprising discovery about coral"s resilience could help reefs survive climate change
The factors affecting coral's resilience—its ability to adapt to and survive environmental changes—seem to be more nuanced than scientists believed......»»
Wendy’s just redesigned itself for the Uber Eats era
The company says its new restaurant designs can churn out 400 times more digital orders. Back in 2017, officials executives at the burger chain Wendy’s took a look at their restaurants and noticed a surprising trend. The restaurants, often a.....»»
Quantum Physics Isn"t as Weird as You Think. It"s Weirder
Quantum physics’ oddities seem less surprising if you stop thinking of atoms as tennis balls, and instead more like waves pushing through water.....»»
iPhone 15 Plus review: the year’s most surprising iPhone
The iPhone 15 Plus kicks last year's model to the wayside, and comes back with almost everything we want from a big-screen iPhone. Our review explains more......»»
How Arctic landscapes and Canadian cityscapes share a similar pattern
The year 2023 has been one of extremes, from heat waves that baked millions across the globe and made the summer the world's hottest on record to the fires that forced tens of thousands to evacuate across Western Canada. From the feel of surprising w.....»»
Team develops superhydrophobic surface that can stay dry for months underwater
A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider, known as the Argyroneta aquatica, has millions of rough, water-repellent hairs that trap air around i.....»»
Reducing fishing gear could save whales with low impacts to California"s crab fishermen
Sometimes simple solutions are better. It all depends on the nature of the problem. For humpback whales, the problem is the rope connecting a crab trap on the seafloor to the buoy on the surface. And for fishermen, it's fishery closures caused by wha.....»»
Did animal evolution begin with a predatory lifestyle?
Were the first animals predators or filter feeders like the sponges living in today's oceans? And what role did symbiosis with algae play, as with reef-building corals? Surprising findings by a research group led by Prof. Dr. Thomas W. Holstein of He.....»»
Einstein right again: Antimatter falls “down” due to gravity like ordinary matter
CERN's ALPHA experiment confirms matter and antimatter react to gravity in a similar way. Enlarge / An artist's conceptual rendering of antihydrogen atoms falling out the bottom of the magnetic trap of the ALPHA-g apparatus. (cre.....»»
Why an unusual global export industry keeps growing in a developing country
The global citrus export industry based in South Africa is a surprising outlier in many ways, not least for its vigorous growth. Somehow, the diverse industry has emerged as the second biggest in the world after Spain......»»
Feds" cash stream supports Colorado River conservation—but the money will dry up
Despite a megadrought, states in the West have been able to avoid drastic cuts to their allocations of Colorado River water this year not only because of surprising storms but also thanks to generous financial incentives from all levels of government.....»»
From seafloor to space: New bacterial proteins shine light on climate and astrobiology
Gigatons of greenhouse gas are trapped under the seafloor, and that's a good thing. Around the coasts of the continents, where slopes sink down into the sea, tiny cages of ice trap methane gas, preventing it from escaping and bubbling up into the atm.....»»
Study shows ribosome-binding antibiotics can help some bacteria survive for longer
Scientists have found a surprising effect of some antibiotics on certain bacteria—that the drugs can sometimes benefit bacteria, helping them live longer......»»
Environmental physicist discusses marine heat waves
An extraordinary heat wave is assailing the world's oceans with an intensity that is surprising climate researchers. Environmental physicist Nicolas Gruber provides some context......»»
Research reveals surprising influences on an employee"s intention to quit
Research in the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management reveals unexpected factors that influence an employee's intentions to quit their job in information technology. The findings challenge the received wisdom and could shed light on.....»»