National Science Foundation

Kill dates of black mosses are archives of Antarctic glacier history Mosses, one of the few types of plants living in Antarctica, have a tenuous existence, threatened by advancing glaciers. When glaciers move, they can entomb or cover a plant — starving it of light and warmth. Scientists have discovered that the… Published February 28, 2023 at 07:15AM Read more at nsf.gov

Computer model of influenza virus shows universal vaccine promise Each year there are an estimated 1 billion cases of influenza, including 3-5 million severe cases and up to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. Seasonal flu vaccines must be reformulated… Published February 27, 2023 at 06:47AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan This week, NSF Director Panchanathan spent a whirlwind week in Australia working to advance the U.S.-Australia research relationship while strengthening and scaling collaborations to create powerful global innovation ecosystems. Upon arriving at the… Published February 24, 2023 at 10:14AM Read more at nsf.gov

Chemical researchers discover catalyst to make renewable paints, coatings and diapers A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers has invented a groundbreaking catalyst technology that converts renewable materials such as trees and corn into acrylic acid and acrylates, the key chemicals used in paints, coatings and… Published February 22, 2023 at 07:15AM Read more at nsf.gov

Getting under your skin for better health The next frontier of continuous health monitoring could be skin deep. Biomedical engineers at the University of Cincinnati say interstitial fluid, the watery fluid between and around cells, tissues and organs in the body, could provide an excellent… Published February 22, 2023 at 07:20AM Read more at nsf.gov

Stars disappear before our eyes in light pollution, citizen scientists report A startling analysis from Globe at Night — a citizen science program run by the U.S. National Science Foundation NOIRLab — concludes that stars are disappearing from human sight at an astonishing rate. The study finds that, to human eyes, artificial… Published February 21, 2023 at 06:18AM Read more at nsf.gov

New NSF-Australia awards will tackle responsible and ethical artificial intelligence The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is announcing grants totaling $1.8 million on the U.S. side and $2.3 million on the Australian side to accelerate groundbreaking research in… Published February 19, 2023 at 03:51PM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan Five times a year, the National Science Board, or NSB, convenes to identify issues critical to NSF's future. In this week's NSB meeting at NSF headquarters, Director Sethuraman Panchanathan had the pleasure of welcoming the eight newly appointed… Published February 17, 2023 at 07:45AM Read more at nsf.gov

New study provides close-up view of melting beneath Thwaites Glacier The rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica appears to be driven by processes under its floating ice shelf that are different than researchers realized. Two papers published in the journal Nature provide a clearer picture of the changes… Published February 15, 2023 at 10:01AM Read more at nsf.gov

New material for computer chips could reduce energy consumption It’s estimated that the information, communication and technology sector accounts for 5% to 9% of total electricity consumption worldwide. If growth continues unabated, computing could demand up to 20% of the world's power generation by 2030. With… Published February 15, 2023 at 07:01AM Read more at nsf.gov

Fossils reveal dinosaurs of prehistoric Patagonia A study led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin is providing a glimpse into dinosaur and bird diversity in Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous, just before the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. The fossils represent the first record… Published February 14, 2023 at 06:45AM Read more at nsf.gov

Without more data, a black hole's origins can be 'spun' in any direction Clues to a black hole's origins can be found in the way it spins, which is especially true for binaries — when two black holes circle close together before merging. The spin and tilt of the respective black holes just before they merge can reveal… Published February 13, 2023 at 06:49AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan How do you converge excellence, equity and access to grow STEM opportunities across the nation? This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited Virginia Commonwealth University, alongside Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Rob Wittman, to listen and… Published February 10, 2023 at 10:52AM Read more at nsf.gov

New $60 million NSF program aims to increase the speed and scale of research solutions The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced the Accelerating Research Translation, or ART, program, a new $60 million investment led by NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. The program will support institutions of… Published February 09, 2023 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Next-generation storm forecasting project aims to save lives Severe storms have greatly impacted the Southeastern United States over the years. In the winter of 2022, there were more than 200 reported tornadoes and 14 fatalities. The human and economic impact of these severe storms cannot be overstated. A key… Published February 08, 2023 at 01:17PM Read more at nsf.gov

How does your heart know which body side to be on? Although the human body is externally symmetrical on left and right, it has remarkable left and right asymmetries in the shape, size and positioning of many internal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, stomach and brain. These asymmetries can… Published February 08, 2023 at 05:59AM Read more at nsf.gov

Urban lizards share genomic markers not found in forest-dwellers Lizards living in different cities have parallel genomic markers when compared to neighboring forest lizards, according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The genetic variations linked to urbanization… Published February 07, 2023 at 06:46AM Read more at nsf.gov

Discovery contradicts physics principle that heat always moves faster as pressure increases A discovery by UCLA researchers and their colleagues on heat transfer through materials contradicts the conventional wisdom that heat always moves faster as pressure increases. That conventional wisdom held true in observations and scientific… Published February 07, 2023 at 06:42AM Read more at nsf.gov

Circadian clock controls sunflower blooms, optimizing the flowers for pollinators An internal circadian clock controls distinctive concentric rings of flowering in sunflowers, maximizing visits from pollinators, a new study by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis shows. The U.S. National Science Foundation… Published February 06, 2023 at 06:51AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan Advancing high-impact global collaboration by fostering international partnerships was a central focus this week for NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. Expanding on the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, the director met… Published February 03, 2023 at 09:39AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF signs U.S.-India implementation arrangement to streamline the process of funding projects between the two nations The U.S. National Science Foundation and India signed an implementation arrangement that streamlines the selection and funding process of research projects from scientists and engineers from the United States and India. India's Ambassador to the U.S… Published February 01, 2023 at 08:18AM Read more at nsf.gov

High-performance visible-light lasers that fit on a fingertip As technologies keep advancing at exponential rates and demand for new devices rises accordingly, miniaturizing systems into chips has become increasingly important. Microelectronics has changed the way electricity is manipulated, enabling… Published February 01, 2023 at 06:32AM Read more at nsf.gov