Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

Deep below the Earth's surface, rock and mineral formations lay hidden with a secret brilliance. Under a black light, the chemicals fossilized within shine in brilliant hues of pink, blue and green. Scientists are using these fluorescent features to understand how the caves formed and the conditions for supporting life in extreme, and even extraterrestrial, environments.

The condition of the grass on a golf course can drastically skew the chances of a winning putt regardless of a player's skill. Now, a coating that soaks up water molecules could slow the roll of a golf ball on a lightning-fast, dry course and speed it up on a sluggish, wet course without interfering with the ball when it's airborne.

Crashes on electric scooters are mostly due to the behavior of the riders, with one-handed steering and riding in a group being some of the largest risk factors. The researchers are also concerned about riders who deliberately crash or cause dangerous situations when riding, a phenomenon that seems to be specific to electric scooters.

By using geometric shapes in the shock-absorbing material, researchers have developed a bicycle helmet that provides better protection against head injuries. The material absorbs shock by contracting bilaterally.

Using microorganisms, researchers have successfully developed a new bio-based plastic to replace conventional plastic.

The study of elementary particles and forces is of central importance to our understanding of the universe. Now a team of physicists shows how an unconventional type of quantum computer opens a new door to the world of elementary particles.

Nitrate, pesticides, metals, plastic -- agricultural soils often contain pollutants. But are there sustainable and climate-friendly ways to restore and promote soil health in agricultural land? Yes, says a research team. Specific plant species could be used as cover plants for phytoremediation, i.e. to relief agricultural land from adverse pollutant impacts. In their article, the researchers summarize the results of more than 100 scientific studies and present which plants, according to current knowledge, are suitable for removing pollutants from agricultural soils or trapping them in their root systems.

Enzymes originally evolved in high-temperature environments and later adapted to lower temperatures as Earth cooled. Scientists discovered that a key shift in enzyme function occurred over evolutionary time due to amino acid changes distant from the active site. These mutations lowered activation energy, enhancing catalytic efficiency at low temperatures. Their findings highlight how global cooling events influenced enzyme evolution.

Delayed and disorderly energy transitions will threaten economic and financial stability whilst also increasing the economic risks from climate change, according to a new study. Conversely, transitions that are started sooner are likely to be more orderly and economically beneficial.

This a robot can walk, without electronics, and only with the addition of a cartridge of compressed gas, right off the 3D-printer. It can also be printed in one go, from one material.

To get around the constraints of quantum physics, researchers have built a new acoustic system to study the way the minuscule atoms of condensed matter talk together. They hope to one day build an acoustic version of a quantum computer.

Researchers have determined that six gas valves provide the best protection against plasma disruptions in SPARC, a next-generation, experimental fusion system. By refining the setup for the fusion vessel's massive gas injection system, researchers are ensuring that disruptions -- sudden jets of plasma that can damage the fusion vessel's inner walls -- are controlled efficiently, paving the way for safer, more robust fusion power plants.

Researchers wondered if there was a more ethical way to enjoy foie gras, so they created a process to replicate the dish without force-feeding ducks and geese beyond their normal diets. They treated the fat with the bird's own lipases, mimicking the activities that occur naturally in the duck's body, and the resultant foie gras looked correct with noninvasive laser microscopy. The team confirmed the physical properties with stress-deformation tests and found that the treated foie gras had a similar mouthfeel to the original.

Researchers examine the properties of several dairy-free butter alternatives inside one of the region's most well-known snacks: Scottish shortbread. The group tested the alternatives in their lab, selecting three types of vegan butter substitutes with different levels of fat and comparing their consistencies and responses to heat. The vegan alternative with the highest fat content behaved like butter when baked and yielded the most positive feedback in taste testing. Butter typically has a fat content around 80%, and the group recommends choosing a vegan butter with a similar consistency.

Researchers have developed an innovative sensing system that restores the missing tactile feedback in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), enhancing precision, ease of use, and safety. The new 'off-the-jaw' system integrates force and angle sensors into the handle of laparoscopic tools, providing surgeons with real-time measurements of grasping forces and insights into tissue stiffness and thickness.

Researchers have developed a new material that, by harnessing the power of sunlight, can clear water of dangerous pollutants.

When wildfires threaten communities, human health can be impacted as smoke distributes on the breeze, infiltrating various structures. To help people protect themselves and their families, researchers have developed a low-cost, durable, do-it-yourself air filtration system that works as well as more expensive HEPA filters to clear indoor air pollutants such as smoke -- or possibly limit the impact of airborne disease spread.

To mitigate global climate change, emissions of the primary culprit, carbon dioxide, must be drastically reduced. A newly developed process helps solve this problem: CO2 is directly split electrochemically into carbon and oxygen. Oxygen could also be produced in this way under water or in space -- without requiring stringent conditions such as pressure and temperature.

Engineers devised a way to deliver drugs such as contraceptives by injecting them as suspended crystals. Once under the skin, the crystals assemble into a drug depot that can last for months or years, eliminating the need for frequent injections.

Scientists used light to control how a starfish egg cell jiggles and moves during its earliest stage of development. Their optical system could guide the design of synthetic, light-activated cells for wound healing or drug delivery.