physorg.com:Spotlight stories

Delhi's cloud seeding effort fails to ease smog, raises questions on effectiveness India's efforts to combat air pollution by using cloud seeding in its sprawling capital New Delhi appear to have fallen flat, with scientists and activists questioning the effectiveness of the move.
How to spot November's supermoon, the closest of the year The moon will look slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday night during the closest supermoon of the year.
Rare lost allele that boosts soybean seed protein identified A research team led by Prof. Hou Xingliang from the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify a rare allele that controls seed protein content and was lost during soybean domestication.
Possums in Australia show some of the world's highest PFAS levels among small mammals New research has shown for the first time that Australian marsupials are contaminated with synthetic "forever chemicals," which are linked to significant health impacts on other animals and humans.
Saturday Citations: Test flight of the X-59; a confounding quantum calculation; the universe is not simulated This week, researchers published LIGO findings that hint at the existence of second-generation black holes. Astronomers captured a spectacular new image of the Milky Way across a wide range of radio wavelengths. And medical researchers report that the well-known "cuddle hormone" oxytocin synchronizes the heartbeat and breathing.
Seismic study sheds light on factors that led to 2025 Myanmar supershear rupture Recently, Science put out an article detailing new research on the Myanmar earthquake that occurred on March 28, 2025. In one of these studies, Shengji Wei and colleagues analyze data on the event and provide insight on multiple factors that lead to these rare and devastating supershear ruptures. Their research was published this week.
Virus-loaded patches successfully kill bacteria in contaminated food Every year, around 600 million people are struck down by foodborne illnesses. The culprits are often common yet dangerous bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella, that thrive in undercooked or improperly handled food. These pathogens are a particular concern in ready-to-eat (RTE) products and have caused numerous food recalls. But these widespread risks could be a thing of the past thanks to the invention of microneedle patches that inject bacteria-killing viruses into food.
Abandoned coal mine drainage identified as a significant source of carbon emissions For the past 250 years, people have mined coal industrially in Pennsylvania, U.S.. By 1830, the city of Pittsburgh was using more than 400 tons of the fossil fuel every day. Burning all that coal has contributed to climate change. Additionally, unremediated mines—especially those that operated before Congress passed regulations in 1977—have leaked environmentally harmful mine drainage. But that might not be the end of their legacy.
Explorers seek ancient Antarctica ice in climate change study An explorer and a glaciologist have embarked on a three-month mission to cross part of Antarctica on kite skis in search of ice that is 130,000 years old.
China's Shenzhou 21 docks with space station, sets the country's own speed record China announced Saturday that its Shenzhou 21 spaceship docked with China's space station with its latest three rotation crew at the country's own record speed after a successful launch.
Advanced imaging reveals how electrocatalysts simultaneously generate hydrogen and organic compounds Hybrid water electrolysers are recent devices, which produce hydrogen or other reduction products at the cathode, while valuable organic oxidation products are formed at the anode. This innovative approach significantly increases the profitability of hydrogen production.
Multifunctional landscapes could address interconnected global crises Land use is at the heart of the many emergencies facing our world today: climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice and food insecurity. These—exacerbated by unsustainable practices such as industrial agriculture—combine to create simultaneous and interconnected crises.
Bamboo tissue paper may not be as eco-friendly as you think In recent years, Chinese tissue paper made from bamboo has emerged as a trendy choice for eco-friendly shoppers. However, new research suggests these bamboo paper products may not offer significant climate benefits over tissue produced in the United States and, in some cases, may be more detrimental to the environment.
How parasitic cuckoos lay host-matching eggs while remaining a single species European cuckoos lay very different eggs depending on the host species. Genetic analyses have revealed how this adaptation is inherited without leading to speciation.
Phase diagram map of ferroelectric properties unlocked with AI in seconds Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Tongji University have developed FerroAI, a deep learning model that can produce phase diagrams for ferroelectric materials in just 20 seconds.