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Science, page 3

Novel chemical reaction expands options for building DNA-encoded libraries

Finding new drugs requires screening vast numbers of compounds to identify those that interact with a biological target. DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) help researchers explore these large collections by attaching a short DNA sequence to each molecule, acting as a molecular barcode that allows compounds with promising properties to be identified.

Phys.org · 16h ago
Survey reveals what students think about AI

College students say they use AI mostly for learning and don't use it to cut corners but think that their peers do, according to the inaugural Dartmouth AI Survey, a new multiyear survey on how AI is shaping students' learning and career readiness.

Phys.org · 17h ago
Crop diversification protects fields from extreme weather and boosts productivity

Varying crop rotations and keeping the soil constantly covered with vegetation help protect crops against droughts and floods, in addition to increasing productivity. This technique was tested in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, by researchers from the Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON) at the University of São Paulo (USP).

Phys.org · 17h ago
A decade of carbon dioxide data from space gets an upgrade

Every day, two NASA space instruments known as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and -3 (OCO-2 and OCO-3) capture more than a million observations of sunlight reflecting off Earth's surface. Using the physics of how light travels through the air, an algorithm converts these raw data into atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations.

Phys.org · 17h ago
Drone-based AI system tracks cattle growth without stressful trips to scales

In beef cattle production, determining the ideal time to sell makes all the difference in a producer's costs. This is because, once an animal reaches its natural growth limit, it stops gaining weight significantly. From that point on, every additional day in a feedlot means spending money on feed without gaining meat in return.

Phys.org · 18h ago
The Guardian view on 50 years of The Selfish Gene: flawed, outdated, yet still a model of truly popular science writing | Editorial

Richard Dawkins’ first work has thrilled fans and frustrated critics for five decades. The science has moved on, but any writer looking to supplant its place must learn its lessons Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene was not predicted to be a success. Its initial print run, published this week in 1976, was just 5,000. It went on to sell millions, and is perhaps the most influential work of pop-science ever. For 50 years, it has been the go-to resource for the layperson seeking to understand evolution. What accounts for its enduring power? Prof Dawkins’ central claim, that “we are survival machines – robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes” was provocative, stripping the messy stuff of human and other life down to a simple law. And yet the book is primarily concerned with proving that complex, selfless behaviour such as altruism in animals can emerge from these basic “selfish” drives, satisfyingly resolving an apparent paradox. Prof Dawkins – a zoologist by training – also succeeded in conjuring entertaining, vividly drawn vignettes of the lives of animals, from lions and ants to hawks and honeybees, to make his points. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...

The Guardian · 18h ago
Ancient copper mine hints that Iberia played an important role in Bronze Age trade networks

Copper is essential for making bronze, which shaped tools, weapons and ornaments across Bronze Age Europe. While many Bronze Age mines have been identified throughout Europe, researchers are still trying to pin down which of them were most active at different times and how far their copper traveled. New research, published in the journal Antiquity, suggests that a series of mines in modern-day Spain and Portugal may have been an important source of copper in the Late Bronze Age, with some of that copper ending up as far away as Scandinavia.

Phys.org · 18h ago
A gamma-ray powerhouse's smoking gun? Gas trail points to microquasar jets

In 2016, a binary star system emitting unusually strong gamma rays was discovered in our galactic neighborhood. Now, astronomers have found the smoking gun, or rather, a smoking trail of cool molecular gas that suggests jets emanating from a microquasar—one of the few known outside the Milky Way—are responsible.

Phys.org · 18h ago
The bonus that makes employees more committed

Offer your employees money to quit and the ones who say no will work harder as a result. Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and McMaster University set out to test whether pay-to-quit programs work as intended. Their results confirmed they do and revealed a benefit that nobody anticipated.

Phys.org · 18h ago