Scent of the afterlife? Scientists recreate recipe for Egyptian mummification balm
Beeswax, plant oils, animal fats, bitumen, coniferous resins, coumarin, and benzoic acid. Enlarge / One of the limestone canopic jars that once held mummified organs of the Egyptian noblewoman Senetnay (c. 1450 BCE). (credit: Mus.....»»
Scientists achieve giant Rashba–Dresselhaus spin splitting in 2D chiral metal-organic frameworks
A research team led by Prof. Li Xingxing and academician Yang Jinlong from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has developed two-dimensional (2D) chiral metal-organic frameworks as Rashba-Dresselhaus (R-D) semiconductors with large s.....»»
Tiger beetles fight off bat attacks with ultrasonic mimicry
Bats, as the main predator of night-flying insects, create a selective pressure that has led many of their prey to evolve an early warning system of sorts: ears uniquely tuned to high-frequency bat echolocation. To date, scientists have found at leas.....»»
Exploring interface phenomena for more durable and effective nickel–tungsten alloys
Alloying is a key process in creating new materials. By combining metals with desirable traits, scientists can produce alloys with suitable properties. For example, stainless steel, formed by combining iron with chromium, nickel, and other elements i.....»»
Scientists develop an affordable sensor for lead contamination
Engineers at MIT, Nanytang Technological University, and several companies have developed a compact and inexpensive technology for detecting and measuring lead concentrations in water, potentially enabling a significant advance in tackling this persi.....»»
Reducing distrust in social media is not straightforward, computer scientists warn
Are anti-misinformation interventions on social media working as intended? It depends, according to a new study led by William & Mary researchers and published in the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '24)......»»
Scientists unlock mysteries of orangutan communication
In a study published in PeerJ, scientists have revealed the intricate vocal patterns of Bornean orangutans, shedding new light on the complexities of their communication. Titled "Vocal Complexity in the Long Calls of Bornean Orangutans," the research.....»»
Study discovers distinct population of "troublemaker" platelet cells appear with aging
As people age, they become more prone to blood clotting diseases, when blood cells called platelets clump together when they don't need to and can cause major issues such as strokes and cardiovascular disease. For decades, scientists have studied why.....»»
Using AI to speed up and improve the most computationally-intensive aspects of plasma physics in fusion
The intricate dance of atoms fusing and releasing energy has fascinated scientists for decades. Now, human ingenuity and artificial intelligence are coming together at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) t.....»»
Scientists develop sticky pesticide to combat pest insects
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Leiden University have engineered a biological barrier that protects plants from diseases and pests. It concerns a sticky substance that is sprayed on leaves, to which pests stick......»»
Scientists create an "optical conveyor belt" for quasiparticles
Using interference between two lasers, a research group led by scientists from RIKEN and NTT Research have created an "optical conveyor belt" that can move polaritons—a type of light-matter hybrid particle—in semiconductor-based microcavities. Th.....»»
Persistent strain of cholera defends itself against forces of change, scientists find
A deadly strain of cholera bacteria that emerged in Indonesia back in 1961 continues to spread widely to this day, claiming thousands of lives around the world every year, sickening millions, and with its persistence, baffling scientists......»»
Exploring the ultrasmall and ultrafast through advances in attosecond science
A team of scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are developing new methods to probe the universe's minute details at extraordinary speeds......»»
Indian Ocean sea-surface temperatures found to be accurate predictor of dengue outbreaks
A team of Earth scientists, health care workers and meteorologists affiliated with several institutions in China, and working with several international partners, reports that global dengue severity in Asia and South America can be predicted by sea-s.....»»
Researchers uncover mechanism for short-distance vesicle movements
Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have thrown new light on the mechanism for how vesicles move short distances within specific parts of the cell, an area not understood by scientists......»»
Researchers breed tomato plants that contain the complete genetic material of both parent plants
In a new study published in Nature Genetics, led by Charles Underwood from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, scientists established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design.....»»
Anticipating future discoveries: Scientists explore nontrivial cosmic topology
In a new Physical Review Letters (PRL) study, scientists explore the possibility of nontrivial or exotic topologies in the universe for explaining some of the anomalies seen in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)......»»
New method unravels the mystery of slow electrons
Slow electrons are used in cancer therapy as well as in microelectronics. It is very hard to observe how they behave in solids. But scientists at TU Wien have made this possible......»»
AI may be to blame for our failure to make contact with alien civilizations
Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed at an astounding pace over the last few years. Some scientists are now looking towards the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI)—a form of AI that would not only surpass human intelligence but.....»»
The ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky: How a researcher used modern astronomy to explore her link with the Milky Way
What did our ancestors think when they looked up at the night sky? All cultures ascribed special meaning to the sun and the moon, but what about the pearly band of light and shadow we call the Milky Way?.....»»
Is dark matter’s main rival theory dead?
There’s bad news from the Cassini spacecraft and other recent tests. Enlarge / Galaxy rotation has long perplexed scientists. (credit: NASA/James Webb Telescope) One of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics today is.....»»