The emergence and perils of polarization
We can't understand polarization unless we analyze it as a complex system, argue SFI External Professor Scott Page (University of Michigan) and co-author Delia Baldassarri in a commentary for a special feature on the dynamics of political polarizatio.....»»
Perils of pet scat—so much more than just unsightly and smelly, it can spread disease
Have you ever been out on a walk, and as you take that next step, you feel the slippery squish of feces under your foot?.....»»
Researchers uncover the architecture of poxvirus cores
A recent re-emergence and outbreak of mpox brought poxviruses back as a public health threat, underlining an important knowledge gap at their core. Now, a team of researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) lifted the myst.....»»
Swarming cicadas, stock traders, and the wisdom of the crowd
The springtime emergence of vast swarms of cicadas can be explained by a mathematical model of collective decision-making that has similarities to models describing stock market crashes......»»
Physicists develop novel concept for detecting chiral molecules
In contrast to conventional mirrors, light can be reflected on surfaces known as metasurfaces without changing its polarization. This phenomenon has now been proven by physicists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Ma.....»»
Political polarization may slow legislation, make higher-stakes laws likelier
The United States House of Representatives held more than 700 votes in 2023, but fewer than 30 bills were signed into law. Partisan politics may explain why, with polarization potentially causing enough friction to slow down the legislative process a.....»»
The emergence of JN.1 is an evolutionary "step change" in the COVID pandemic: Why this is significant
Since it was detected in August 2023, the JN.1 variant of COVID has spread widely. It has become dominant in Australia and around the world, driving the biggest COVID wave seen in many jurisdictions for at least the past year......»»
West Nile virus emergence and spread in Europe positively associated with agricultural activities
The spread of West Nile virus in Europe is strongly linked to agricultural activities, urbanization, and bird migration, according to a modeling study published January 25, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Lu Lu from the University.....»»
Disinformation may reinforce polarization in society
With over 4 billion people eligible to vote in elections, 2024 is the largest election year ever. At the same time, disinformation and polarization on social media pose unprecedented challenges to the democratic process......»»
New technique uses optical orbital angular momentum lattice to enhance information storage capacity
In the realm of optical holography, the conventional limitations of polarization, wavelength, and incident angle are giving way to a new era of possibilities. A breakthrough technique known as optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing has e.....»»
Anisotropic plasmon engineering unlocks multilevel polarized upconversion
National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers have introduced an upconversion plasmonphore platform to enable precise control over the polarization of isotropic upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). This is achieved by coupling upconversion activa.....»»
Special publication investigates paleopathology and evolution of tuberculosis
Recent research suggests that the emergence of tuberculosis infection (TB) in human populations dates back tens of thousands of years earlier than previously known cases in the Middle East. In collaboration with an international research team, Hungar.....»»
How to start a successful innovation ecosystem
The emergence of informal voluntary organizations capable of triggering "coopetition" where sheer competition and poor resource management prevailed, can be the key to tackling the hurdles that prevent the establishment of an innovation ecosystem, ac.....»»
Harnessing all-dielectric metamaterials to manipulate the polarization state of light
Polarization is one of the fundamental characteristics of electromagnetic waves. It can convey valuable vector information in sensitive measurements and signal transmission, which is a promising technology for various fields such as environmental mon.....»»
Q&A: Polarization in the Netherlands actually is not that bad
Discussions about important societal issues, whether they relate to domestic or foreign affairs, on the street and in academia, seem to be intensifying. The heightened tone, personal attacks, and polarization are characteristic of these discussions......»»
Study reshapes understanding of mass extinction in Late Devonian era
Diverse and full of sea life, the Earth's Devonian era—taking place more than 370 million years ago—saw the emergence of the first seed-bearing plants, which spread as large forests across the continents of Gondwana and Laurussia......»»
This viral iPhone 12 wedding dress pic creeped out the internet
One woman's wedding dress photo on Instagram made people believe the iPhone 12 camera has no idea what it's looking at. Ah, the perils of accidentally taking an iPhone photo in the wrong mode.Over the weekend, an Instagram post from user Tessa.....»»
Researchers develop a new approach to polarization-independent LC phase modulation
Liquid-crystal (LC) phase modulators are widely used in optical systems because of their advantages of low power consumption, lightweight, flexible bandwidth adjustment, and non-mechanical movements. However, most LC phase modulators are polarization.....»»
Emergence of collective phenomena in fractured rocks: Exploring the "more is different" perspective
For many decades, the rock mechanics community has been tacitly assumed that a rock mass can be equated to the sum of fractures and intact rocks. Accordingly, the behavior of a rock mass can be understood by decomposing it into smaller pieces and cha.....»»
Archaeologists uncover Europe"s hidden Bronze Age megastructures
Archaeologists from University College Dublin, working with colleagues from Serbia and Slovenia, have uncovered a previously unknown network of massive sites in the heart of Europe that could explain the emergence of the continent's Bronze Age megafo.....»»
NHTSA scraps proposed vehicle-to-vehicle communication mandate
In a federal document slated to be published Monday, NHTSA said it was scrapping its 2017 proposal because of the emergence of new technologies such as cellular vehicle-to-everything, or C-V2X, and a Federal Communications Commission decision in 2020.....»»