New observations show rocky exoplanet has just half the mass of Venus

A team of astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) in Chile to shed new light on planets around a nearby star, L 98-59, that resemble those in the inner Solar System. Amongst the findings are a planet with half the mass of Venus—the lightest exoplanet ever to be measured using the radial velocity technique—an...

28m

Close proximity between salespeople and consumers reduces spending behavior

Conventional wisdom suggests that salespeople should maintain close physical proximity to customers to demonstrate attentiveness, offer personal service and close sales. A survey of retail salespeople suggests that they feel the same. However, new Vanderbilt-led research challenges these assumptions. Freeman Wu, assistant professor of marketing at Owen...

49m

How authoritarian leaders maintain support

How do authoritarian regimes sustain their popularity? A novel study in China led by MIT scholars shows that anticorruption punishments meted out by government authorities receive significant support among citizens—who believe such actions demonstrate both competence and morally righteous leadership.

58m

Insider trading can signal a successful merger

Insider trading can be a key signal in determining the potential success of a merger, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management.

58m

Superflares are less harmful to exoplanets than previously thought

Superflares, extreme radiation bursts from stars, have been suspected of causing lasting damage to the atmospheres and thus habitability of exoplanets. A newly published study found evidence that they only pose a limited danger to planetary systems, since the radiation bursts do not explode in the direction of the exoplanets.

1h

Giant sea bass: Differences in regulation and research between countries obscures population health

I was looking at the seafloor, focused on identifying fish species as I normally did when diving off of the California coast, when suddenly I felt something large above me. When I turned my head I saw a giant fish—more than 6 feet (2 meters) long—calmly interested in the air bubbles coming from my SCUBA regulator. This was 2016 and was my first encounter...

1h

Forest fires rage in Greece, threaten Olympics birthplace

One of the major forest fires burning in Greece amid a protracted heat wave threatened the archaeological site at the birthplace of the modern Olympics as the Greek military prepared Thursday to increase its involvement in preventing new blazes from raging out of control.

1h

Nanocrystals made from amalgam of two metals

Researchers at ETH have managed to produce nanocrystals made of two different metals using an amalgamation process whereby a liquid metal penetrates a solid one. This new and surprisingly intuitive technique makes it possible to produce a vast array of intermetallic nanocrystals with tailored properties for diverse applications.

1h

New approach to information transfer reaches quantum speed limit

Even though quantum computers are a young technology and aren't yet ready for routine practical use, researchers have already been investigating the theoretical constraints that will bound quantum technologies. One of the things researchers have discovered is that there are limits to how quickly quantum information can race across any quantum device.

1h

In blistering drought, California farmers rip up precious almond trees

Crushed by a devastating drought and new water restrictions, Daniel Hartwig had no choice but to pull thousands of precious, fragrant almond trees from his California farm.

4h