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Israel's war budget leaves top scientists in limbo

Israeli scientist Ellen Graber has spent years researching ways to save chocolate crops from climate change. But with the government slashing spending to fund the war in Gaza, her project is one of hundreds now hanging in ...

Animated maps reveal true level of devastation in Ukraine

Two years of war in Ukraine have caused widespread devastation to the country's citizenry, infrastructure and environment, and new research utilizing publicly accessible satellite imagery lays bare the scope of destruction.

Lab-grown diamonds put natural gems under pressure

The glittering diamonds sparkle the same but there are key differences: mined natural gems are more than a billion years old, while laboratory-made rocks are new and cost less than half the price.

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What inner speech is, and why philosophy is waking up to it
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The Doomsday Clock is still at 90 seconds to midnight. But what does that mean?
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Science sleuths are using technology to find fakery and plagiarism in published research
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Works of poetry, fiction and nonfiction receive $10,000 "Science + Literature" awards
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'Doomsday Clock' remains at 90 seconds to midnight
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Saturday Citations: The cutest conservationists; a weird stellar object; vitamins good for your brain
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The science of color: How color blindness creates unseen barriers in science
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Saturday Citations: The Dark Energy Survey; the origins of colorblindness; the evolution of heads
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Many survivors aren't sure what to do after a sexual assault—here's what you need to know
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Saturday Citations: Honey yields, exercising under the influence, unexpected benefits of hearing aids
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UK retains metric system for selling after overwhelming support
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Saboteurs try to outfox hunters in England's countryside
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What are the origins of Santa Claus?
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Ballerinas are stepping into sensor suits so one Christmas you may be able to understand the nuances of The Nutcracker
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Research argues that Occam's razor is an 'essential factor that distinguishes science from superstition'
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Saturday Citations: Dogs (woolly) and cats (athletic). Plus: Amino acid precursors on Enceladus, beer goggles on Earth
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A volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is sacred to spiritual practitioners and treasured by astronomers
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Best of Last Year: The top Phys.org articles of 2023
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Saturday Citations: Extragalactic stars in the Milky Way, more biolinguistic evidence and couples coping with COVID
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Exploring acoustic design for better, quieter prisons

Other news

Condensed Matter
Study unveils a spontaneous toroidal polar topology in the helielectric nematic state
Astronomy
Three new millisecond pulsars detected with MeerKAT
Earth Sciences
Fukushima fallout transport longevity revealed by North Pacific ocean circulation patterns
Quantum Physics
A method to compute the Rényi entanglement entropy in auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo simulations
Evolution
Ancient isolation's impact on modern ecology: How deep biogeographic divides drive divergent evolutionary paths
Space Exploration
Japan moon probe survives second lunar night
Molecular & Computational biology
Milk on ice: Antarctic time capsule of whole milk powder sheds light on the enduring qualities of dairy products
Planetary Sciences
Astronomers conduct first search for forming planets with James Webb Space Telescope
Astronomy
New analysis reveals a tiny black hole repeatedly punching through a larger black hole's disk of gas
Condensed Matter
New topological metamaterial amplifies sound waves exponentially
Astronomy
Research unlocks supernova stardust secrets
Earth Sciences
Forest regeneration projects failing to offset carbon emissions
Evolution
Organoids research identifies factor involved in brain expansion in humans
Astronomy
Long-period oscillations control the sun's differential rotation: Study
Optics & Photonics
Unlocking visible femtosecond fiber oscillators: An advance in laser science
Ecology
Satellite data shows how drought changes wildfire recovery in the West
Planetary Sciences
Climate change is messing with how we measure time: Study
Molecular & Computational biology
Sweet success: Researchers crack sugarcane's complex genetic code
Plants & Animals
Europe's forgotten forests could be 21st century 'biodiversity hot spots'
Optics & Photonics
Researchers identify new method to boost laser processing resolution

What are the origins of Santa Claus?

We're all familiar with the jolly, white-haired and bearded overweight man who sneaks down chimneys on Christmas Eve delivering presents to children. But where did this come from?

Best of Last Year: The top Phys.org articles of 2023

It was a good year for research across multiple fields as a team at the University of Ottawa, working with colleagues Danilo Zia and Fabio Sciarrino, from the Sapienza University of Rome, demonstrated a novel technique to ...

Exploring acoustic design for better, quieter prisons

Prisons are typically noisy environments, filled with clanking metal bars and echoing concrete surfaces. This level of constant noise is harmful to both prisoners and staff, but there are few guidelines for designing better, ...