Brain-imaging study reveals curiosity as it emerges

You look up into the clear blue sky and see something you can't quite identify. Is it a balloon? A plane? A UFO? You're curious, right? A research team has for the first time witnessed what is happening in the human brain when feelings of curiosity like this arise. The scientists revealed brain areas that appear to assess the degree of uncertainty in visually ambiguous situations, giving rise to subjective feelings of curiosity.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240708222424.htm

Companies that mitigate climate change reduce their cost of capital

A recent study explored the relationship between corporate climate change mitigation actions and the cost of capital for 2,100 Japanese listed companies from 2017 to 2021. The findings reveal that companies that maintain lower carbon intensity and disclose more climate-related information can reduce their capital costs. Conversely, mere commitments to climate change without actionable measures do not significantly impact costs.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240708101020.htm

Ionic liquids: 'Don't shake it'

Chemists have develop innovative ionic liquid synthesis and purification technology.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240705101201.htm

A 2D device for quantum cooling

Engineers have created a device that can efficiently convert heat into electrical voltage at temperatures lower than that of outer space. The innovation could help overcome a significant obstacle to the advancement of quantum computing technologies, which require extremely low temperatures to function optimally.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240705101138.htm

Scientists discover new T cells and genes related to immune disorders

Researchers have discovered several rare types of helper T cells that are associated with immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even asthma. The discoveries were made possible by a newly developed technology they call ReapTEC. The new T cell atlas is publicly available and should help in the development of new drug therapies for immune-mediated diseases.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240704201557.htm

Clever pupils don't need to attend academically selective schools to thrive, study finds

New findings challenge the idea that academically selective schools are necessary for clever pupils to achieve good outcomes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240704122222.htm

Researchers capture never-before-seen view of gene transcription

New tech reveals findings that address long-standing theories about how bacteria begin the process of making RNA from DNA.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240703183715.htm

Researchers capture never-before-seen view of gene transcription

New tech reveals findings that address long-standing theories about how bacteria begin the process of making RNA from DNA.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240703183715.htm

Moon 'swirls' could be magnetized by unseen magmas

Mysterious, light-colored swirls on Moon's surface could be rocks magnetized by magma activity underground, laboratory experiments confirm.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240703131824.htm

High ceilings linked to poorer exam results for university students

Ever wondered why you performed worse than expected in that final university exam that you sat in a cavernous gymnasium or massive hall, despite countless hours, days and weeks of study? Now you have a genuine reason -- high ceilings.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240702200407.htm

Advancing toward a preventative HIV vaccine

A major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast -- very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a 'swarm' of viral strains existing in a single body.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240702161514.htm

Optoelectronics gain spin control from chiral perovskites and III-V semiconductors

A research effort has made advances that could enable a broader range of currently unimagined optoelectronic devices.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240702135546.htm

Melting of Alaskan glaciers accelerating faster than previously thought

Melting of glaciers in a major Alaskan icefield has accelerated and could reach an irreversible tipping point earlier than previously thought. The research found that glacier loss on Juneau Icefield, which straddles the boundary between Alaska and British Columbia, Canada, has increased dramatically since 2010. The team looked at records going back to 1770 and identified three distinct periods in how icefield volume changed. In particular, they found that icefield-wide, rates of glacier area shrinkage were five times faster from 2015-2019 relative to 1948-1979. The research team say that current published projections for the Juneau icefield may need to be updated to reflect the processes detailed in this latest study.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240702135402.htm

Organic material from Mars reveals the likely origin of life's building blocks

Two samples from Mars together deliver clear evidence of the origin of Martian organic material. The study presents solid evidence for a prediction made over a decade ago that could be key to understanding how organic molecules, the foundation of life, were first formed here on Earth.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240701232841.htm

Self-assembling, highly conductive sensors could improve wearable devices

To advance soft robotics, skin-integrated electronics and biomedical devices, researchers have developed a 3D-printed material that is soft and stretchable -- traits needed for matching the properties of tissues and organs -- and that self-assembles. Their approach employs a process that eliminates many drawbacks of previous fabrication methods, such as less conductivity or device failure, the team said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240701162218.htm

Largest ever genetic study of age of puberty in girls shows links with weight gain

Genes can indirectly influence the age at which girls have their first period by accelerating weight gain in childhood, a known risk factor for early puberty. Other genes can directly affect age of puberty, some with profound effects.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240701131723.htm

Novel blood test helps improve cancer treatments

Oncologists use biopsy and imaging techniques to diagnose and monitor tumor diseases and assess treatment success. Researchers have further developed an advanced method to analyze liquid biopsies of DNA fragments in the blood. The new method is fast and practical, without putting much of a strain on patients. This could make it possible to provide diagnostics and treatments that are more closely tailored to individual patients in the future.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240701130900.htm

This desert moss has the potential to grow on Mars

The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers now report that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as 196 C, high levels of gamma radiation, and simulated Martian conditions involving these three stressors combined. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240630153052.htm

Investigating newly discovered hydrothermal vents at depths of 3,000 meters off Svalbard

Hydrothermal vents can be found around the world at the junctions of drifting tectonic plates. But there are many hydrothermal fields still to be discovered. During a 2022 expedition of the MARIA S. MERIAN, the first field of hydrothermal vents on the 500-kilometer-long Knipovich Ridge off the coast of Svalbard was discovered.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240628125250.htm

Tiny bright objects discovered at dawn of universe baffle scientists

A recent discovery by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) confirmed that luminous, very red objects previously detected in the early universe upend conventional thinking about the origins and evolution of galaxies and their supermassive black holes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240628125241.htm