Writing the history of the 'Cosmic Dark Ages'
For millions of years after the Big Bang, there were no stars, or even galaxies to contain stars. During these "Cosmic Dark Ages," neutral hydrogen gas dominated the universe. When clouds of primordial...
View ArticleDo barchans birth or collide? Two papers have different stories
(Phys.org) —Geologists continue to puzzle over the how and why of crescent-shaped sand dunes called barchans, found on Earth and on Mars. Barchans can form on the seafloor and on ice, as well as...
View ArticleResearchers find phosphate in more soluble form on Mars
(Phys.org) —A trio of researchers at the University of Nevada has found that phosphate found in minerals on Mars, is far more soluble than it is in natural Earth minerals. In their paper published in...
View ArticleThe world's first interferometric image at 500 GHz with ALMA Band 8 receivers
ALMA opens another window to the universe in the 500 GHz frequency band. Astronomers successfully synthesized the distribution of atomic carbon around a planetary nebula NGC 6302 in test observations...
View ArticleJapan's maglev train runs test at over 310 mph (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) —Moving toward its goal of building a high-speed magnetic levitation (maglev) train line between Tokyo and Osaka, Central Japan Railway Co has resumed testing of its L0 (L Zero)...
View ArticleVerizon reclaims US wireless stake for $130B
Verizon will own its wireless business outright after agreeing Monday to pay $130 billion for the 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless owned by British cellphone carrier Vodafone.
View ArticleUS, Sweden unveil $25 mln clean water technology grant
The US Agency for International Development and the Swedish government announced a $25 million grant program Monday to increase access to clean water for farming.
View ArticleReview: Google Glass needs lots of polishing
Google Glass is an innovative - if unpolished - technology. But it has what I think is a fundamental flaw: Designed to be worn on the face throughout the day, Glass is a barrier between users and the...
View ArticlePrimate calls, like human speech, can help infants form categories
Human infants' responses to the vocalizations of non-human primates shed light on the developmental origin of a crucial link between human language and core cognitive capacities, a new study reports.
View ArticleThe true raw material footprint of nations
The amount of raw materials needed to sustain the economies of developed countries is significantly greater than presently used indicators suggest, a new Australian study has revealed.
View ArticleSoot suspect in puzzling mid-1800s Alps glacier retreat
Scientists have uncovered strong evidence that soot, or black carbon, sent into the air by a rapidly industrializing Europe, likely caused the abrupt retreat of mountain glaciers in the European Alps.
View ArticleSalamanders under threat from deadly skin-eating fungus
A new species of fungus that eats amphibians' skin has ravaged the fire salamander population in the Netherlands, bringing it close to regional extinction.
View ArticleGiant Triassic amphibian was a burrowing youngster
Krasiejow, Poland was a vastly different place 230 million years ago during the Triassic Period. It was part of a giant continent called Pangea, had a warm climate throughout the year, and was...
View ArticleRed cedar tree study shows that Clean Air Act is reducing pollution,...
A collaborative project involving a Kansas State University ecologist has shown that the Clean Air Act has helped forest systems recover from decades of sulfur pollution and acid rain.
View ArticlePrehistoric climate change due to cosmic crash in Canada: Team reveals cause...
For the first time, a dramatic global climate shift has been linked to the impact in Quebec of an asteroid or comet, Dartmouth researchers and their colleagues report in a new study. The cataclysmic...
View ArticleLong-held assumption about emergence of new species questioned
Darwin referred to the origin of species as "that mystery of mysteries," and even today, more than 150 years later, evolutionary biologists cannot fully explain how new animals and plants arise.
View ArticleGenerosity leads to evolutionary success, biologists show
With new insights into the classical game theory match-up known as the "Prisoner's Dilemma," University of Pennsylvania biologists offer a mathematically based explanation for why cooperation and...
View ArticleFrogs without ears hear with their mouth
Gardiner's frogs from the Seychelles islands, one of the smallest frogs in the world, do not possess a middle ear with an eardrum yet can croak themselves, and hear other frogs. An international team...
View Article'Oldest' Gondwana land creature discovered
A 350-million-year-old fossilised scorpion discovered in South Africa is the oldest known land animal to have lived on Gondwana, part of Earth's former supercontinent, a university said Monday.
View ArticleMicroencapsulation produces uniform drug release vehicle
Consistently uniform, easily manufactured microcapsules containing a brain cancer drug may simplify treatment and provide more tightly controlled therapy, according to Penn State researchers.
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