Kill dates of black mosses are archives of Antarctic glacier history

Kill dates of black mosses are archives of Antarctic glacier history
Mosses, one of the few types of plants living in Antarctica, have a tenuous existence, threatened by advancing glaciers. When glaciers move, they can entomb or cover a plant — starving it of light and warmth. Scientists have discovered that the…

Published February 28, 2023 at 03:15PM
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Computer model of influenza virus shows universal vaccine promise

Computer model of influenza virus shows universal vaccine promise
Each year there are an estimated 1 billion cases of influenza, including 3-5 million severe cases and up to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. Seasonal flu vaccines must be reformulated…

Published February 27, 2023 at 02:47PM
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This week with NSF Director Panchanathan

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan
This week, NSF Director Panchanathan spent a whirlwind week in Australia working to advance the U.S.-Australia research relationship while strengthening and scaling collaborations to create powerful global innovation ecosystems. Upon arriving at the…

Published February 24, 2023 at 06:14PM
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Getting under your skin for better health

Getting under your skin for better health
The next frontier of continuous health monitoring could be skin deep. Biomedical engineers at the University of Cincinnati say interstitial fluid, the watery fluid between and around cells, tissues and organs in the body, could provide an excellent…

Published February 22, 2023 at 03:20PM
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Scientists improve ability to identify and study harmful algal blooms

Scientists improve ability to identify and study harmful algal blooms
Harmful algal blooms create challenges around the globe, including water quality and health risks for humans, wildlife and pets. Now, researchers at the University of Oklahoma and other institutions are leading an effort to better manage Microcystis…

Published February 21, 2023 at 02:17PM
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Stars disappear before our eyes in light pollution, citizen scientists report

Stars disappear before our eyes in light pollution, citizen scientists report
A startling analysis from Globe at Night — a citizen science program run by the U.S. National Science Foundation NOIRLab — concludes that stars are disappearing from human sight at an astonishing rate. The study finds that, to human eyes, artificial…

Published February 21, 2023 at 02:18PM
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New NSF-Australia awards will tackle responsible and ethical artificial intelligence

New NSF-Australia awards will tackle responsible and ethical artificial intelligence
The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is announcing grants totaling $1.8 million on the U.S. side and $2.3 million on the Australian side to accelerate groundbreaking research in…

Published February 19, 2023 at 11:51PM
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This week with NSF Director Panchanathan

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan
Five times a year, the National Science Board, or NSB, convenes to identify issues critical to NSF's future. In this week's NSB meeting at NSF headquarters, Director Sethuraman Panchanathan had the pleasure of welcoming the eight newly appointed…

Published February 17, 2023 at 03:45PM
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New study provides close-up view of melting beneath Thwaites Glacier

New study provides close-up view of melting beneath Thwaites Glacier
The rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica appears to be driven by processes under its floating ice shelf that are different than researchers realized. Two papers published in the journal Nature provide a clearer picture of the changes…

Published February 15, 2023 at 06:01PM
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New material for computer chips could reduce energy consumption

New material for computer chips could reduce energy consumption
It’s estimated that the information, communication and technology sector accounts for 5% to 9% of total electricity consumption worldwide. If growth continues unabated, computing could demand up to 20% of the world's power generation by 2030. With…

Published February 15, 2023 at 03:01PM
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Forest landslide frequency, size influenced more by road building, logging than heavy rain

Forest landslide frequency, size influenced more by road building, logging than heavy rain
A long-term Pacific Northwest study of landslides, clear-cutting timber and building roads shows that forest management history has a greater impact on how often landslides occur and how severe they are compared to how much water is coursing through…

Published February 14, 2023 at 02:44PM
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Fossils reveal dinosaurs of prehistoric Patagonia

Fossils reveal dinosaurs of prehistoric Patagonia
A study led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin is providing a glimpse into dinosaur and bird diversity in Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous, just before the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. The fossils represent the first record…

Published February 14, 2023 at 02:45PM
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Increased atmospheric dust is masking greenhouse gases' warming effect

Increased atmospheric dust is masking greenhouse gases' warming effect
A new study shows that global atmospheric dust — microscopic airborne particles from desert dust storms — has a slight overall cooling effect on the planet that has hidden the full amount of warming caused by greenhouse gases. The U.S. National…

Published February 13, 2023 at 02:47PM
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Without more data, a black hole's origins can be 'spun' in any direction

Without more data, a black hole's origins can be 'spun' in any direction
Clues to a black hole's origins can be found in the way it spins, which is especially true for binaries — when two black holes circle close together before merging. The spin and tilt of the respective black holes just before they merge can reveal…

Published February 13, 2023 at 02:49PM
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This week with NSF Director Panchanathan

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan
How do you converge excellence, equity and access to grow STEM opportunities across the nation? This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited Virginia Commonwealth University, alongside Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Rob Wittman, to listen and…

Published February 10, 2023 at 06:52PM
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New $60 million NSF program aims to increase the speed and scale of research solutions

New $60 million NSF program aims to increase the speed and scale of research solutions
The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced the Accelerating Research Translation, or ART, program, a new $60 million investment led by NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. The program will support institutions of…

Published February 09, 2023 at 03:00PM
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Next-generation storm forecasting project aims to save lives

Next-generation storm forecasting project aims to save lives
Severe storms have greatly impacted the Southeastern United States over the years. In the winter of 2022, there were more than 200 reported tornadoes and 14 fatalities. The human and economic impact of these severe storms cannot be overstated. A key…

Published February 08, 2023 at 09:17PM
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How does your heart know which body side to be on?

How does your heart know which body side to be on?
Although the human body is externally symmetrical on left and right, it has remarkable left and right asymmetries in the shape, size and positioning of many internal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, stomach and brain. These asymmetries can…

Published February 08, 2023 at 01:59PM
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Discovery contradicts physics principle that heat always moves faster as pressure increases

Discovery contradicts physics principle that heat always moves faster as pressure increases
A discovery by UCLA researchers and their colleagues on heat transfer through materials contradicts the conventional wisdom that heat always moves faster as pressure increases. That conventional wisdom held true in observations and scientific…

Published February 07, 2023 at 02:42PM
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New nanoscale 3D-printing material could offer better structural protection for satellites, drones and microelectronics

New nanoscale 3D-printing material could offer better structural protection for satellites, drones and microelectronics
Engineers at Stanford University have designed a new material for nanoscale 3D printing that is able to absorb twice as much energy as other similarly dense materials. Nanoscale printing creates structures that are a fraction of the diameter of a…

Published February 06, 2023 at 02:49PM
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Circadian clock controls sunflower blooms, optimizing the flowers for pollinators

Circadian clock controls sunflower blooms, optimizing the flowers for pollinators
An internal circadian clock controls distinctive concentric rings of flowering in sunflowers, maximizing visits from pollinators, a new study by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis shows. The U.S. National Science Foundation…

Published February 06, 2023 at 02:51PM
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This week with NSF Director Panchanathan

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan
Advancing high-impact global collaboration by fostering international partnerships was a central focus this week for NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. Expanding on the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, the director met…

Published February 03, 2023 at 05:39PM
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NSF signs U.S.-India implementation arrangement to streamline the process of funding projects between the two nations

NSF signs U.S.-India implementation arrangement to streamline the process of funding projects between the two nations
The U.S. National Science Foundation and India signed an implementation arrangement that streamlines the selection and funding process of research projects from scientists and engineers from the United States and India. India's Ambassador to the U.S…

Published February 01, 2023 at 04:18PM
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New theory on timing for human settlement of some parts of tropical Pacific

New theory on timing for human settlement of some parts of tropical Pacific
Spread across vast distances, the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean are thought to have been populated by humans in two distinct migrations beginning approximately 3,330 years ago. The first followed a northern route out of what is today the…

Published February 01, 2023 at 02:28PM
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High-performance visible-light lasers that fit on a fingertip

High-performance visible-light lasers that fit on a fingertip
As technologies keep advancing at exponential rates and demand for new devices rises accordingly, miniaturizing systems into chips has become increasingly important. Microelectronics has changed the way electricity is manipulated, enabling…

Published February 01, 2023 at 02:32PM
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