Sleeping supermassive black holes awakened briefly by shredded stars

Astronomers have concluded that an obscure class of galaxies known as Compact Symmetric Objects, or CSOs, are not young as previously thought but rather lead relatively short lives.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240326170117.htm

Using 'time travel' to think about technology from the perspective of future generations

Researchers have conducted a series of participatory deliberation workshops in which the participants were asked to consider issues of future society and manufacturing, in general, and as they relate to hydrothermally produced porous glass. In workshops where the perspective of 'imaginary future generations' was adopted, participants' perceptions of the technology's feasibility and future potentiality changed significantly.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240326122611.htm

New maps help decision-makers factor albedo into tree-planting decisions

A new study provides a global analysis of where restoration of tree cover is most effective at cooling the global climate system, considering not just the cooling from carbon storage but also the warming from decreased albedo. The researchers provide a tool practitioners and land managers can use to determine just how much of a problem albedo is for any reforestation or afforestation project on the globe.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240326103853.htm

Treatment for blindness-causing retinal detachment using viscous seaweed

Scientists have created a biocompatible artificial vitreous body derived from algae-derived carbohydrates.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325201623.htm

Engineering household robots to have a little common sense

Engineers aim to give robots a bit of common sense when faced with situations that push them off their trained path, so they can self-correct after missteps and carry on with their chores. The team's method connects robot motion data with the common sense knowledge of large language models, or LLMs.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325172439.htm

Researchers uncover protein interactions controlling fertility in female mice

Researchers have shed light on the proteins controlling the development of ovaries in mice before and after birth. This could lead to a better understanding of how female infertility develops.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114257.htm

Citizen scientists contribute vital information about 35 seahorse species

Thanks to diligent observers, seahorses, those enigmatic and charismatic fish, are not only being discovered in new habitats and expanded geographic ranges, they are also being found at new ocean depths. While their capacity for male pregnancy has long fascinated people, new information on sex ratio and pregnancy seasonality has been discovered.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114250.htm

The world is one step closer to secure quantum communication on a global scale

Researchers have brought together two Nobel prize-winning research concepts to advance the field of quantum communication. Scientists can now efficiently produce nearly perfect entangled photon pairs from quantum dot sources.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114206.htm

Cool paint coatings help pedestrians feel up to 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler in urban setting

A real-world study has shown that the use of cool paint coatings in cities can help pedestrians feel up to 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler, making the urban area more comfortable for work and play.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114204.htm

Cool paint coatings help pedestrians feel up to 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler in urban setting

A real-world study has shown that the use of cool paint coatings in cities can help pedestrians feel up to 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler, making the urban area more comfortable for work and play.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114204.htm

Wild bird gestures 'after you'

A small-bird species, the Japanese tit (Parus minor), uses wing movements as a gesture to convey the message 'after you,' according to new research. When a mating pair arrives at their nest box with food, they will wait outside on perches. One will then often flutter its wings toward the other, apparently indicating for the latter to enter first. The researchers say that this discovery challenges the previous belief that gestural communication is prominent only in humans and great apes, significantly advancing our understanding of visual communication in birds.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325112940.htm

Researchers take major step toward developing next-generation solar cells

Engineers have discovered a new way to manufacture solar cells using perovskite semiconductors. It could lead to lower-cost, more efficient systems for powering homes, cars, boats and drones.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145604.htm

Scientists close in on TB blood test which could detect millions of silent spreaders

Millions of people are spreading tuberculosis unknowingly - now scientists say they are close to developing a new test that is as simple as the lateral flows used during the Covid pandemic.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145447.htm

Your dog understands that some words 'stand for' objects

It's no surprise that your dog can learn to sit when you say 'sit' and come when called. But a new study has made the unexpected discovery that dogs generally also know that certain words 'stand for' certain objects. When dogs hear those words, brain activity recordings suggest they activate a matching mental representation in their minds.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145438.htm

Two of the Milky Way's earliest building blocks identified

Astronomers have identified what could be two of the Milky Way's earliest building blocks: Named 'Shakti' and 'Shiva', these appear to be the remnants of two galaxies that merged between 12 and 13 billion years ago with an early version of the Milky Way, contributing to our home galaxy's initial growth. The new find is the astronomical equivalent of archeologists identifying traces of an initial settlement that grew into a large present-day city.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155515.htm

Say hello to biodegradable microplastics

Finding viable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastics and microplastics has never been more important. New research shows that their plant-based polymers biodegrade -- even at the microplastic level -- in under seven months.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155439.htm

AI can now detect COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images

Artificial intelligence can spot COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images much like facial recognition software can spot a face in a crowd, new research shows. The findings boost AI-driven medical diagnostics and bring health care professionals closer to being able to quickly diagnose patients with COVID-19 and other pulmonary diseases with algorithms that comb through ultrasound images to identify signs of disease.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240320160609.htm

8-hour time-restricted eating linked to a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death

A study of over 20,000 adults found that those who followed an 8-hour time-restricted eating schedule, a type of intermittent fasting, had a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240320115727.htm

Tanks of the Triassic: New crocodile ancestor identified

Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around 200 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240318164517.htm

Speaking without vocal cords, thanks to a new AI-assisted wearable device

Bioengineers have invented a thin, flexible device that adheres to the neck and translates the muscle movements of the larynx into audible speech. The device is trained through machine learning to recognize which muscle movements correspond to which words. The self-powered technology could serve as a non-invasive tool for people who have lost the ability to speak due to vocal cord problems.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240315161029.htm