Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a first-ever urban heat wave simulation that takes into account the compounding effects from building infrastructure. The method provides a more accurate picture of the impacts from excessive heat on at-risk populations, which can guide local planners seeking mitigation solutions.

Photosynthesis, the process by which plants, algae and certain kinds of bacteria convert solar radiation into chemical energy, must adjust itself to changes in the intensity of sunlight, so as to ensure its efficient use.

Nuclear theorists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory have successfully employed a new theoretical approach to calculate the Collins-Soper kernel, a quantity that describes how the distribution of quarks' transverse momentum inside a proton changes with the collision energy.

The first dark comet—a celestial object that looks like an asteroid but moves through space like a comet—was reported less than two years ago. Soon after, another six were found. In a new paper, researchers announce the discovery of seven more, doubling the number of known dark comets, and find that they fall into two distinct populations: larger ones that reside in the outer solar system and smaller ones in the inner solar system, with various other traits that set them apart.

A new study from UC San Diego's Comparative Cognition Lab shows that dogs trained to use soundboards to "talk" are capable of making two-word button combinations that go beyond random behavior or simple imitation of their owners. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study analyzed data from 152 dogs over 21 months, capturing more than 260,000 button presses—195,000 of which were made by the dogs themselves.

Animals showcase a remarkable diversity of colors and patterns, from the shimmery appearance of a peacock's tail to the distinctive rosettes on a jaguar's fur. Quantifying animal color has been a longtime goal of evolutionary biologists, who aim to understand how color evolved over time—and the physical and genetic mechanisms involved.

A team of physical chemists at Wageningen University and Research, Maastricht University and EnzyTag BV, all in the Netherlands, has uncovered the physical chemistry behind the ticks' ability to adhere to the skin of its host. In their study, published in the journal Nature Chemistry, the group observed the evaporation of a drop of artificially synthesized amino acid similar to the kind produced in tick saliva to see if it would show phase separation.

Skyrmions, recognized for their intricate spin configurations, have captivated researchers as topological quasiparticles with vast potential in data storage and information technology. Recently, optical skyrmions—light-based counterparts of these quasiparticles—have emerged as a promising avenue for developing advanced optical systems with unique topological properties.

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk at the U.S. president-elect's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday, the European leader announced on social media platform X."USA today. The future has begun! An...

Iran faces a staggering blow to its regional influence as the swift collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime reveals Tehran's limited capacity to protect its allies, leaving it scrambling for explanations, Breitbart reported.