Using atomic excitations to measure the rotation of spacetime
How would atoms behave near a supermassive object? We know how atoms behave in extremely weak gravity like that at the Earth's surface: They can be excited from a lower energy level to a higher one when an electron absorbs a photon or a nucleus absor.....»»
Mediterranean marine worm has developed eyes "as big as millstones"
Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Lund University suspect that these marine worms may hav.....»»
How NASA"s Roman Telescope will measure the ages of stars
Guessing your age might be a popular carnival game, but for astronomers it's a real challenge to determine the ages of stars. Once a star like our sun has settled into steady nuclear fusion, or the mature phase of its life, it changes little for bill.....»»
Study reports that people and environment both benefit from diversified farming, while bottom lines also thrive
A massive new global study led by the University of Copenhagen and University of Hohenheim has examined the effects of diversified agriculture. The conclusion is abundantly clear—positive effects increase with every measure, while negative effects.....»»
Pacific rock samples offer glimpse of active Earth 2.5 billion years ago
In Earth science, small details can help explain massive events. Rita Parai, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, uses precision equipment to measure trace lev.....»»
Team presents new path to long-term data storage based on atomic-scale defects
With the development of the internet, social media and cloud computing, the amount of data created worldwide on a daily basis is sky-rocketing. This calls for new technologies that could provide higher storage densities combined with secure long-term.....»»
Citizen scientists invited to collect data for NASA during eclipse
On April 8, 2024, as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, thousands of amateur citizen scientists will measure air temperatures and snap pictures of clouds. The data they collect will aid researchers who are investigating how the sun influences.....»»
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.....»»
Researchers reveal evidence of transition from ergodic toward ergodic breaking dynamics
A collaborative research team has reported experimental evidence of a transition from ergodic toward ergodic breaking dynamics in driven-dissipative Rydberg atomic gases. The results were published in Science Advances......»»
Closer to Earth: A new technique for examining ultralow velocity zones at Earth"s core-mantle boundary
The core-mantle boundary (CMB) is crucial for the Earth's magnetic field and rotation. It is known that this boundary harbors complex structures, including ultralow velocity zones (ULVZs), characterized by significantly slowed seismic wave velocities.....»»
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.....»»
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......»»
Long-period oscillations control the sun"s differential rotation: Study
The sun's differential rotation pattern has puzzled scientists for decades: While the poles rotate with a period of approximately 34 days, mid-latitudes rotate faster and the equatorial region requires only approximately 24 days for a full rotation......»»
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......»»
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.....»»
Researchers observe salt dissolution at the atomic level
A research team, affiliated with UNIST has achieved a groundbreaking feat by observing the dissolution of salt in water at the atomic level and experimentally uncovering the underlying principle......»»
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......»»
Investigating variation of fine root vessel traits in topological order within and across tropical tree species
Anatomical and hydraulic traits can indirectly and directly measure the transport capacity of a root, respectively. Exploring variation in root traits along topological orders within species is key to understanding functional shifts along root archit.....»»
Novel method to measure root depth may lead to more resilient crops
As climate change worsens global drought conditions, hindering crop production, the search for ways to capture and store atmospheric carbon causing the phenomenon has intensified. Penn State researchers have developed a new high-tech tool that could.....»»
Red teaming in the AI era
As AI gets baked into enterprise tech stacks, AI applications are becoming prime targets for cyber attacks. In response, many cybersecurity teams are adapting existing cybersecurity practices to mitigate these new threats. One such practice measure i.....»»