According to quantum physics, energy can be 'borrowed' — at least for some time. Energies lower than zero are possible, much like a bank account that can be overdrawn. There are, however, certain restrictions to that. Scientists have now shown that these restrictions are very fundamental properties of our universe and must be true for various possible quantum theories.
Read moreMiddle-aged adults with high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke could be at increased risk for cancer and early death when sleeping less than 6 hours per day.
Read moreResearchers have analyzed remains from ten archaeological sites in England, France, Germany, Russia, and Switzerland to gain insight into the different stages of the second plague pandemic and the genetic diversity of Yersinia pestis during and after the Black Death. The researchers reconstructed 34 Y. pestis genomes, tracing the genetic history of the bacterium, which revealed key insights into the initiation and progression of the second plague pandemic in Europe.
Read moreAnalysis of corruption cases among customs officers and Border Patrol agents reveals alarming trends depending on their years of service.
Read moreA lack of tree seedling establishment following recent wildfires represents a crucial bottleneck limiting coniferous forest recovery in the western US, new research finds.
Read moreA team of scientists characterized the predominant human noise sources in 66 national parks in the US, in an effort to help parks better manage the noise problem.
Read moreThe quantum superposition principle has been tested on a scale as never before in a new study. Hot, complex molecules composed of nearly two thousand atoms were brought into a quantum superposition and made to interfere. By confirming this phenomenon — 'the heart of quantum mechanics', in Richard Feynman's words — on a new mass scale, improved constraints on alternative theories to quantum mechanics have been placed.
Read moreResearchers have devised a way to accurately estimate the weight of free-living whales using only aerial images taken by drones.
Read moreThe largest experiment to date on mobile typing sheds new light on average performance of touchscreen typing and factors impacting the text input speed. Researchers analyzed the typing speed of tens of thousands of users on both phones and computers. Their main finding is that typing speeds on smartphones are now catching up with physical keyboards.
Read more