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Closing in on the elusive rotational-vibrational CH5+ spectra

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 24, 2016 -- Protonated methane, a.k.a. CH5+, is a highly unusual molecule that scientists and astronomers suspect may be found within the interstellar medium where stars and planets are formed.

To identify molecules on Earth or in outer space, scientists typically record the spectrum of light absorbed -- each molecule has its own unique spectrum. CH5+, consists of a central carbon atom with five hydrogen atoms constantly moving around it, which makes it difficult to interpret its spectrum.

Diamonds closer to becoming ideal semiconductors

WASHINGTON, D.C, May 24, 2016 - Along with being a "girl's best friend," diamonds also have remarkable properties that could make them ideal semiconductors. This is welcome news for electronics; semiconductors are needed to meet the rising demand for more efficient electronics that deliver and convert power.

Coral bleaching 'lifeboat' could be just beneath the surface

A report commissioned by the United Nations and co-authored by the University of Sydney's UNESCO Chair in Marine Science offers a glimmer of hope to those managing the impact of bleaching on the world's coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef.

Coral bleaching has affected virtually the entire Great Barrier Reef and many other coral reef systems globally, a result of the continuing rise in global temperatures and exacerbated by the summer's major El Niño event.

We need the full picture to plan for climate change impacts

How can society plan for the future if we only look at individual issues in isolation? Climate change impact studies typically focus on a single sector such as agriculture, forestry or water, ignoring the implications of how different sectors interact.

Revealing the nature of magnetic interactions in manganese oxide

UPTON, NY--For nearly 60 years, scientists have been trying to determine how manganese oxide (MnO) achieves its long-range magnetic order of alternating up and down electron spins. Now, a team of scientists has used their recently developed mathematical approach to study the short-range magnetic interactions that they believe drive this long-range order.

Getting the most out of natural gas

The use of natural gas as a raw material for chemicals production is a goal pursued intensively in chemical research. Scientists working under Javier Pérez-Ramírez, Professor of Catalysis Engineering, have now succeeded in optimising a process which enables natural gas constituents to be upgraded into higher-value chemicals. "We take a molecule of the natural gas constituent methane (CH4) and replace one of its hydrogen atoms with a bromine atom to form methyl bromide (CH3Br)," explains Pérez-Ramírez.

Making polystyrene dissolve like magic (video)

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016 -- Have you ever seen a foam cup appear to melt away in acetone? Foam cups, bowls and containers are made of a lightweight but strong material - expanded polystyrene. How then does acetone reduce this substance to a blob of goo? In this week's video, Reactions teams up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, Ph.D., to explain the viral phenomenon. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/FrnDB2_Kt-4.

Scientists discover methane-producing microbes in California rocks

WASHINGTON, DC -- Deep in vents on the ocean floor, methane-producing microbes feed off chemical reactions between water and rock. Now evidence of this process has been found on land in a freshwater spring in California.

A team of scientists report in a new study that they have found evidence of hardy, methane-producing microbes in water that surfaces from deep underground at The Cedars, a set of freshwater springs in Sonoma County.

Sugar substitutes may cut calories, but no health benefits for individuals with obesity: York U

TORONTO, May 24, 2016 -- Artificial sweeteners help individuals with obesity to cut calories and lose weight but may have negative health effects, according to researchers at York University's Faculty of Health.

"Our study shows that individuals with obesity who consume artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame, may have worse glucose management than those who don't take sugar substitutes," says Professor Jennifer Kuk, obesity researcher in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

Wildfire - it's not spreading like wildfire

A new analysis of global data related to wildfire, published by the Royal Society, reveals major misconceptions about wildfire and its social and economic impacts.

Prof. Stefan Doerr and Dr Cristina Santin from Swansea University's College of Science carried out detailed analysis of global and regional data on fire occurrence, severity and its impacts on society.

Their research, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, looked at charcoal records in sediments and isotope-ratio records in ice cores, to build up a picture of wildfire in the past.

Making virus sensors cheap and simple: New method detects single viruses in urine

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new method to rapidly detect a single virus in urine, as reported this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

While the technique presently works on just one virus, scientists say it could be adapted to detect a range of viruses that plague humans, including Ebola, Zika and HIV.

A history of snowfall on Greenland, hidden in ancient leaf waxes

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The history of Greenland's snowfall is chronicled in an unlikely place: the remains of aquatic plants that died long ago, collecting at the bottom of lakes in horizontal layers that document the passing years.

Using this ancient record, scientists are attempting to reconstruct how Arctic precipitation fluctuated over the past several millennia, potentially influencing the size of the Greenland Ice Sheet as the Earth warmed and cooled.

Dartmouth team creates new method to control quantum systems

HANOVER, N.H. - Dartmouth College researchers have discovered a method to design faster pulses, offering a new way to accurately control quantum systems.

The findings appear in the journal Physical Review A. A PDF is available on request.

EARTH: The most dangerous fault in America

Alexandria, VA - When people think of dangerous faults in America, the the San Andreas probably comes to mind first. But another potentially greater threat lurks in the East Bay region of Northern California, just a stone's throw from San Francisco and the tech hub of Silicon Valley: the Hayward Fault. In the June issue, EARTH Magazine guest author Steven Newton lays out just what is at risk, and what to expect when an earthquake strikes on what may be the most dangerous fault in America.

Neutrons probe structure of enzyme critical to development of next-generation HIV drugs

A team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory used neutron analysis to better understand a protein implicated in the replication of HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS. The enzyme, known as HIV-1 protease, is a key drug target for HIV and AIDS therapies.