Conductive polymers: First successful synthesis of polyaniline with golden luster

Conductive polymers: First successful synthesis of polyaniline with golden luster

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, have developed a method for synthesizing polyaniline—a conductive polymer exhibiting golden luster—marking the first successful attempt globally. The reflection spectrum of this polyaniline resembles that of metallic gold. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, have developed a method for synthesizing polyaniline—a conductive polymer exhibiting golden luster—marking the first…

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Bees actively adjust flower choice based on color and distance: Updating ‘flower constancy’ beyond Darwin’s theory

Bees actively adjust flower choice based on color and distance: Updating ‘flower constancy’ beyond Darwin’s theory

Pollinating insects such as bumblebees often repeatedly visit the same type of flower, even when a variety of flowers bloom nearby. This behavior is known as “flower constancy.” Darwin speculated that flower constancy was a passive response to avoid the effort involved in remembering the different flower characteristics. However, researchers at University of Tsukuba have…

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AI can be an effective tool for exploring corporate reporting, researcher finds

AI can be an effective tool for exploring corporate reporting, researcher finds

Machine learning methods enable the efficient mining of large amounts of data from corporate reports. In her doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Finland, Essi Nousiainen presents how the new machine learning-based methods she has developed can be used to examine corporate reporting related to, among other things, responsibility, innovation, and blockchain. Machine learning methods…

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Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

Researchers have tracked 89 northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus) along a migration corridor in Western Montana, underscoring the efficacy of telemetry studies for detailed investigations into the movements of birds. Researchers have tracked 89 northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus) along a migration corridor in Western Montana, underscoring the efficacy of telemetry studies for detailed investigations into…

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Widely used fungicide poses threat to sparrow chicks

Widely used fungicide poses threat to sparrow chicks

A French team coordinated by a scientist at CNRS highlights the harmful impact on sparrow reproduction of chronic exposure to tebuconazole, one of the most widely used fungicides in agriculture in Europe. These findings, recently published in Environmental Research, reveal a direct link between exposure to this fungicide and slower growth, as well as increased…

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Sampling the plumes of Jupiter’s volcano moon, Io

Sampling the plumes of Jupiter’s volcano moon, Io

What can a sample return mission from Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io, teach scientists about planetary and satellite (moon) formation and evolution? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC 2025) hopes to address as an international team of more than two dozen scientists discussed the benefits and…

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A dramatic Einstein ring seen by Webb

A dramatic Einstein ring seen by Webb

One of the first verified predictions of general relativity is the gravitational deflection of starlight. The effect was first observed in 1919 during a total solar eclipse. Since stars appear as points of light, the effect is seen as an apparent shift in the position of stars near the eclipse. But the effect happens more…

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