Blog

(Phys.org) —A geochemical analysis of prehistoric stone artifacts has revealed that Tonga was once the hub of a Pacific trading empire as large as 500,000 square kilometers. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Geoffrey Clarke of Australian National University and his team analyzed Tongan stone artifacts and found that two-thirds of them came from outside Tonga, one from as far as 2,500 kilometers away

When a massive star dies, it can collapse under its own gravity with such force that it produces a supernova, leaving behind an extremely dense remnant consisting almost entirely of neutrons—a neutron star. Some neutron stars, known as magnetars, possess powerful magnetic fields, which are stronger than any other known magnetism in the Universe.

(Phys.org) —Cholera against cholera: a novel inhibitor prevents the cholera toxin from binding to carbohydrates found on the surface of intestinal cells. An international team of researchers has described their elegant concept in the journal Angewandte Chemie: The protein scaffold of the inhibitor is based on an inactive cholera toxin

(Phys.org) —Researchers have developed a way for superconducting quantum chips to talk to each other over large distances through an optical fibre, allowing quantum entanglement or teleportation – both key steps towards building a truly global quantum internet via a quantum repeater.

Researchers have developed a microfluidic technique for fabricating a new class of metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes inside hollow polymer fibers that are just a few hundred microns in diameter. The new fabrication process, believed to be the first to grow MOF membranes inside hollow fibers, could potentially change the way large-scale energy-intensive chemical separations are done.

(Phys.org) —A recent article, appearing in the Journal of Urban Economics, authored by Penn State faculty member Brent Ambrose, Smeal Professor of Risk Management in the Smeal College of Business, and former doctoral student Moussa Diop examines the effects of subprime mortgage lending on the multifamily renting market. They found that subprime lending had a significant effect on rental defaults, which affected rental rates and property valuations.

Oculus has announced (via its website) that the first batch of preordered prototype Dev Kit 2s has left the company’s manufacturing facilities and are en route to distribution centers—they will begin shipping to people that preordered them starting July 14. Those in line to receive a kit will be sent a notification email—unfortunately for those that placed their orders later rather than earlier, the first batch will only be 10,000 units, thus, they will have to continue waiting—preorders were made for over 45,000 units

Bacteria love to colonize surfaces inside your body, but they have a hard time getting past your rugged, salty skin. Surgeries to implant medical devices often give such bacteria the opportunity needed to gain entry into the body cavity, allowing the implants themselves to act then as an ideal growing surface for biofilms.

Although planning for Everglades restoration projects has advanced considerably over the past two years, financial, procedural, and policy constraints have impeded project implementation, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. Timely authorization, adequate funding levels, and creative policy and implementation strategies are needed to achieve restoration benefits and to expedite implementation of the Central Everglades Planning Project

Technologies that are discussed controversially today may be needed to keep the future risks and costs of climate change in check. Combining the production of energy from fossil fuels and biomass with capturing and storing the CO2 they emit can be key to achieving current climate policy objectives such as limiting the rise of the global mean temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius.