News tagged with society
First black holes may have incubated in giant, starlike cocoons
Nov 24, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The first large black holes in the universe likely formed and grew deep inside gigantic, starlike cocoons that smothered their powerful x-ray radiation and prevented surrounding gases from ...
Variable Temperatures Leave Insects wtih a Frosty Reception
Nov 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, scientists at The University of Western Ontario have shown that insects exposed to repeated periods of cold will trade reproduction for immediate survival.
Accidental discovery produces durable new blue pigment for multiple applications
Nov 16, 2009 |
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An accidental discovery in a laboratory at Oregon State University has apparently solved a quest that over thousands of years has absorbed the energies of ancient Egyptians, the Han dynasty in China, Mayan ...
Destruction spreads 'like a disease'
Nov 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- People have cleared more than a quarter of the world’s forests and half of its grasslands, according to a paper published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society by researchers from The University of Que ...
Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish
Nov 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists ...
An atomic-level look at an HIV accomplice
Nov 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of ...
New on-off 'switch' triggers and reverses paralysis in animals with a beam of light (w/ Video)
Nov 18, 2009 |
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In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet ...
Porphyrin Dimers Increase Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Oct 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Porphyrins are most commonly thought of as the pigment in red blood cells, but now scientists have found that porphyrins can also be used to increase the efficiency of an inexpensive type ...
Internet still under US grip: forum delegates
Nov 18, 2009 |
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The Internet is still under the control of the United States, participants at a governance forum said, despite a move by America to loosen its grip over the private corporation that administers the net.
Scientists Make Ink Disappear, Make Paper Reusable
Oct 27, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite ongoing efforts to save the trees, many offices print high volumes of paper documents on a daily basis. Although many companies encourage paper recycling, both disposing of and recycling ...
Orphan army ants join nearby colonies
Nov 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Colonies of army ants, whose long columns and marauding habits are the stuff of natural-history legend, are usually antagonistic to each other, attacking soldiers from rival colonies in border ...
New Law of Physics Could Explain Quantum Mysteries
Aug 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Since the early days of quantum mechanics, scientists have been trying to understand the many strange implications of the theory: superpositions, wave-particle duality, and the observer’s ...
How Did Evolution Begin?
Sep 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Life's ability to replicate itself is essential for evolution, yet even the simplest kind of replication requires a relatively complex system. So what kind of non-replicating system might ...
Winning While Losing: New Strategy Solves 'Two-Envelope' Paradox
Aug 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Australia have taken a step toward resolving a seemingly simple yet unsolved paradox known as the "two-envelope" problem. They’ve worked out a new strategy that can enable ...
Rapid star formation spotted in 'stellar nurseries' of infant galaxies
Nov 11, 2009 |
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The Universe's infant galaxies enjoyed rapid growth spurts forming stars like our sun at a rate of up to 50 stars a year, according to scientists at Durham University.
