Physicists have long wondered whether the fundamental laws of nature contain freely adjustable external “dials.” A researcher at Kyushu University and collaborators have shown, under certain assumptions, that continuous parameters in conformal field theories can be generated by operators within the theory itself. The findings support Einstein’s idea that apparent free parameters in quantum gravity should be explained by dynamical fields rather than chosen externally.

Study led by University of Utah engineers shows data center operations can be adjusted to lower costs. By up to $590 million a year on the Western grid.

Inspired by the human brain, Oregon State University researchers have developed a new light-sensitive device that combines sensing and memory while controlling how digital memories strengthen or fade over time.

Dr. Bajaj uses sensing and feedback to create novel microsystems-based sensors; the CAREER Award supports generalizing these methods to broader fields of engineering.

Female chickadees living in monogamous mating systems will proactively seek out males that have better cognitive skills than their nestmate.

Three students from Lehigh University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering have received National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, one of the nation's most competitive honors for emerging STEM researchers. Their success highlights the impact of a course designed to strengthen scientific communication, proposal writing, and fellowship preparation.

Researchers at Penn State have developed an artificial intelligence-powered modeling framework that uses fiber-optic sensors to monitor and predict permafrost degradation in the Arctic, offering a new tool for monitoring the stability of buildings and roads in this warming climate.

Heatwaves are arriving sooner and becoming hotter, with the United Kingdom recording May 25 as its hottest day in May since tracking began more than a century ago, only for the record to break again the next day. While humans can turn to artificial means of cooling, such as air conditioning or swimming pools, plants are left to cope with heat and frequently co-occurring droughts on their own. Sarah M. Assmann, Waller Professor of Biology at Penn State, is working to better understand how plants respond to environmental signals — and is applying that understanding to develop crops more resilient to environmental stress.

Sonar-MASt3R is a new underwater mapping technique developed at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) that may allow vehicles to see through murky, low-visibility waters.

A team of astronomers, led by Brooke Kotten of the University of Michigan, has shown that TOI-5882—a sun-like star located some 1,300 light-years away—has likely eaten one of its planets.