The rapid warming of the Arctic, a definitive sign of climate change, is occurring even faster than previously described, researchers in Finland said Thursday. Over the past four decades the region has been heating up four times faster than the global average, not the commonly reported two to three times. Read more…
A study found that while some fireflies shrugged off light pollution, members of other species failed to mate even when males and females could find each other. As dusk deepens the shadow at the forest’s edge, a tiny beacon lights up the gloom. Soon, the twilight is full of drifting Read more…
China has overtaken the US as the world leader in both scientific research output and “high impact” studies, according to a report published by Japan’s science and technology ministry. The report, which was published by Japan’s National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTP) on Tuesday, found that China now Read more…
A new study corrects an important error in the 3D mathematical space developed by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Erwin Schrodinger and others, and used by scientists and industry for more than 100 years to describe how your eye distinguishes one color from another. The research has the potential to boost Read more…
As Washington embarks on a multi-billion dollar, decade-long semiconductor development campaign, Beijing is reckoning with its own 20-year effort that’s largely failed to deliver. Both will need to grapple with wasted funds and misguided goals as they play catch-up to Taiwan and South Korea. Architects of China’s ambitious efforts may Read more…
Google will stop giving snappy answers to stupid questions, the company has announced, as it seeks to improve its search engine’s “featured snippets” service. That means users should see fewer answers to questions such as “When did Snoopy assassinate Abraham Lincoln?”, to which the service would once merrily respond with Read more…
Researchers have begun tracking a newly identified virus in China, with dozens of cases recorded so far. The novel Langya henipavirus (LayV) was first detected in the north-eastern provinces of Shandong and Henan in late 2018 but was only formally identified by scientists last week. The virus was likely transmitted Read more…