Category: Science and Nature

  • The Science Behind Reductive Aromas in Wine

    The Science Behind Reductive Aromas in Wine

    One of today’s most polarizing topics in wine is reduction. Are reductive aromas faults to be eradicated? A lovely aspect of wine character? Does it depend on the intensity or the eye of the beholder? Or is there a broader way to think about reduction altogether? Winemaking practices in the late 20th century sought to…

  • Rice engineers tackle hard-to-map class of materials

    Rice engineers tackle hard-to-map class of materials

    The properties that make materials like semiconductors so sought after result from the way their atoms are connected, and insight into these atomic configurations can help scientists design new materials or use existing materials in new, unforeseen ways. Yimo Han (left) and Chuqiao Shi (Photo by Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University) Rice University materials scientist Yimo Han…

  • Giant polygon rock patterns may be buried deep below Mars’ surface

    Giant polygon rock patterns may be buried deep below Mars’ surface

    Enormous polygon patterns in rock lie dozens of meters below Mars’ surface, ground-penetrating radar data suggest. Similar patterns develop on the surface in Earth’s polar regions when icy sediments cool and contract. A comparable process long ago may have created the shapes on Mars, found near the planet’s dry equator, researchers report November 23 in…

  • Majestic retreat home for nuns in N.J. is now a science center

    Majestic retreat home for nuns in N.J. is now a science center

    From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know. A former retreat for nuns in Cape May Point, New Jersey, has been transformed into a science center that studies migratory patterns of butterflies, birds, crabs and marine…

  • ‘Wobbly spacetime’ may resolve contradictory physics theories

    ‘Wobbly spacetime’ may resolve contradictory physics theories

    At the heart of modern physics is a gulf that scientists have spent more than a century trying to bridge. Quantum mechanics gives an apparently flawless description of the forces that dominate at the atomic scale. Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity has never been proven wrong in its predictions of how gravity shapes cosmic…

  • ‘Wobbly spacetime’ may resolve contradictory physics theories

    ‘Wobbly spacetime’ may resolve contradictory physics theories

    At the heart of modern physics is a gulf that scientists have spent more than a century trying to bridge. Quantum mechanics gives an apparently flawless description of the forces that dominate at the atomic scale. Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity has never been proven wrong in its predictions of how gravity shapes cosmic…

  • Study on the Regularity of Acupoint Match

    Study on the Regularity of Acupoint Match

    Introduction SP6 is derived from “The AB Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion”1 as follows: “SP6 is located triple cun above the medial malleolus, in a depression behind the tibia. It is the crossing point of the meridians of Foot-Taiyin, Foot-Jueyin, and Foot-Shaoyin”.2 This acupoint is thus named Sanyinjiao and is known for its functions of…

  • Study on the Regularity of Acupoint Match

    Study on the Regularity of Acupoint Match

    Introduction SP6 is derived from “The AB Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion”1 as follows: “SP6 is located triple cun above the medial malleolus, in a depression behind the tibia. It is the crossing point of the meridians of Foot-Taiyin, Foot-Jueyin, and Foot-Shaoyin”.2 This acupoint is thus named Sanyinjiao and is known for its functions of…

  • Effect of Passion for Outdoor Activities

    Effect of Passion for Outdoor Activities

    Introduction Well-being, while pivotal to individual fulfillment, is also a cornerstone of societal growth.1 Its effect extends to not only increasing organizational performance and productivity,2 but also customer satisfaction,3 employee engagement,4 and organizational citizenship behavior.5 Hence, investigating employee well-being is of substantial significance. As globalization intensifies and as business environments become more dynamic and complex,…

  • What if soil could tell us trees are stressed before the trees can?

    What if soil could tell us trees are stressed before the trees can?

    On Dja Dja Wurrung country in North Central Victoria, technology developers Jacinta Plucinski and Akiba Wang load a collection of technology into their vehicle, parked in the generous shade of an ancient eucalypt at Nardoo Hills Reserve. The ute is full of sensors, antennas, solar panels, batteries, laptops and cables aplenty: it’s been a long…