National Science Foundation

Gray whale die-offs driven by food supply swings in changing Arctic conditions A long-term Arctic biological data set maintained by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) scientists has been instrumental in determining the cause of a series of die-offs of eastern Pacific gray whales. According to a U.S… Published November 30, 2023 at 06:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers develop promising approach to smaller, more powerful, safer electric vehicle batteries Two factors dominate the development of batteries for electric vehicles: power, which determines the vehicle range; and cost, critical in the competition with internal combustion engines. The targets set by the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate… Published November 28, 2023 at 07:10AM Read more at nsf.gov

The moon is 40M years older than previously thought By analyzing tiny lunar zircon crystals gathered by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972, researchers recalculated the age of the Earth's moon. Although previous assessments estimated the moon as over 4.42 billion years old, the new study has discovered it… Published November 28, 2023 at 07:05AM Read more at nsf.gov

Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime They don't know it, but Charles Darwin's finches changed the world. These closely related species — native to the Galapagos Islands — each sport a uniquely shaped beak that matches their preferred diet. Studying these birds helped Darwin develop the… Published November 21, 2023 at 07:35AM Read more at nsf.gov

Robotic prosthetic ankles improve 'natural' movement, stability Robotic prosthetic ankles controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more "naturally," thereby improving their stability, according to a new study by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at… Published November 21, 2023 at 07:31AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF Director Panchanathan headlines the Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa, signs international collaboration arrangement In mid-November, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan traveled to Ottawa, Canada, where he signed a bilateral research arrangement during a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. He also served as a featured… Published November 20, 2023 at 09:54AM Read more at nsf.gov

Novel bacterial proteins from seafloor shine light on climate and astrobiology Gigatons of greenhouse gas are trapped under the seafloor, and that's a good thing. Around the coasts of the continents, where slopes sink down into the sea, tiny cages of ice trap methane gas, preventing it from escaping and bubbling up into the… Published November 16, 2023 at 06:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Caribbean parrots thought to be endemic are relicts of millennial-scale extinction In a study supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and published in the journal PNAS, researchers have extracted the first ancient DNA from Caribbean parrots, which they compared with genetic sequences from modern birds. Working… Published November 16, 2023 at 06:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself Hydrogen is viewed as a promising alternative to fossil fuel, but the methods used to make it either generate too much carbon dioxide or are too expensive. Now, Rice University researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using… Published November 14, 2023 at 07:07AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF Director Panchanathan attends Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce 2023 Ovation Gala, receives Lifetime Achievement Award On Nov. 4, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan traveled to Austin, Texas, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC). The award was presented during GAACC's… Published November 13, 2023 at 06:50AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF and partners kick off the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot Program On Nov. 7, representatives from federal agencies, academia and the private sector gathered at the U.S. National Science Foundation to kick off a collaborative process to design a pilot program for a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource… Published November 09, 2023 at 01:26PM Read more at nsf.gov

Making AI smarter with an artificial, multisensory integrated neuron The feel of a cat's fur can reveal some information, but seeing the feline provides critical details: Is it a housecat or a lion? While the sound of fire crackling may be ambiguous, its scent confirms the burning wood. Our senses synergize to give a… Published November 09, 2023 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers advance topological superconductors for quantum computing Quantum computers process information using quantum bits, or qubits, based on fragile, short-lived quantum mechanical states. To make qubits robust and tailor them for applications, researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National… Published November 07, 2023 at 07:43AM Read more at nsf.gov

Study shows that a single neuron’s parallel outputs can coordinate many aspects of behavior A new MIT study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation focuses on a single cell in one of nature’s simplest nervous systems. It provides an in-depth illustration of how individual neurons can use multiple means to drive complex behaviors.In… Published November 07, 2023 at 07:44AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan On Friday, Oct. 27, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited the University of California, Santa Barbara, to meet with students, faculty and researchers, tour cutting-edge facilities and share NSF's approach to… Published November 03, 2023 at 11:31AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF appoints new special assistant to the director for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response implementation The U.S. National Science Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Renée V. Ferranti as the new special assistant to the NSF director for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response implementation. In this crucial role, Ferranti… Published November 02, 2023 at 08:30AM Read more at nsf.gov

Tiny bubbles could reveal immune cell secrets and improve treatments Macrophages are small cells vital to the immune system that could lead to cell-based therapies for many medical conditions. But realizing the full potential of macrophage therapies relies on being able to see what these cells are up to inside our… Published November 02, 2023 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF invests in civil infrastructure resilient to climate change The U.S. National Science Foundation has invested $3.5 million in ambitious new civil infrastructure research to create transformative and equitable solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Civil infrastructure includes water… Published November 01, 2023 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov