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What inner speech is, and why philosophy is waking up to it

It is quite rare for philosophers to start investigating a new area, and a lot of the questions they explore have been around since ancient times. However, there is something they have only begun to look at closely in the ...

'Doomsday Clock' remains at 90 seconds to midnight

The symbolic "Doomsday Clock" was held at 90 seconds to midnight Tuesday, reflecting existential threats to humanity posed by potential nuclear escalation from the war in Ukraine and the multiplying impacts of the climate ...

What are the origins of Santa Claus?

We're all familiar with the jolly, white-haired and bearded overweight man who sneaks down chimneys on Christmas Eve delivering presents to children. But where did this come from?

Best of Last Year: The top Phys.org articles of 2023

It was a good year for research across multiple fields as a team at the University of Ottawa, working with colleagues Danilo Zia and Fabio Sciarrino, from the Sapienza University of Rome, demonstrated a novel technique to ...

Exploring acoustic design for better, quieter prisons

Prisons are typically noisy environments, filled with clanking metal bars and echoing concrete surfaces. This level of constant noise is harmful to both prisoners and staff, but there are few guidelines for designing better, ...

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Saturday Citations: Adorable kittens, violent pulsars, brand-new fusion reactor and a proposed giant cosmic void
Other
A professor says science shows free will doesn't exist. Here's why he's mistaken
Other
Opinion: Science communicators need to stop telling everybody the universe is a meaningless void
Other
Saturday Citations: Lead, microplastics and coal on our filthy planet—plus, faster-charging lithium-ion batteries
Other
Venice to launch tourist tickets in 2024
Other
Forensic anthropologists work to identify human skeletal remains and uncover the stories of the unknown dead
Mathematics
New research demonstrates more effective method for measuring impact of scientific publications
Other
Record for world's priciest bottle of whisky smashed at London auction
Other
Saturday Citations: Bronze-Age gender representation, gamma rays, nice bonobos in your neighborhood want to meet you
Other
Expert calls for stronger standards for courts weighing scientific evidence, expertise
Other
California scientists seek higher pay in 3-day strike drawing thousands of picketers
Archaeology
Forensic scientists help locate missing Second World War pilot after eight decades
Other
Thousands of California scientists strike over stalled contract talks
Other
Saturday Citations: A big old black hole, polar bears in bad decline, building a jail for electrons
Other
Bleu Royal diamond rakes in nearly $44 mn at Geneva auction
Other
Avalanche of published academic articles could erode trust in science
Other
Saturday Citations: Moon origins, rat whimsy, microgravity orientation. Plus: Starfish are bodiless heads, it turns out
Other
Investigators are being sent to US research base on Antarctica to look into sexual violence concerns
Archaeology
Great Fire of London: How researchers uncovered the man who first found the flames
Other
Saturday Citations: Mars limnology, phage immunology, quantum technology. Plus: The mushrooms are coming

Other news

Social Sciences
Tracing the evolution of sign languages using computer modeling
Environment
Extreme heat, wildfire smoke harm low-income and nonwhite communities the most, study finds
Plants & Animals
Mathematical model reveals how a pit viper is able to find its dinner in the dead of night
Nanophysics
A sleeker facial recognition technology tested on Michelangelo's David
Biotechnology
Biodegradable sensor monitors levels of pesticides via direct contact with surface of fruit and vegetables
Environment
Why are people climate change deniers? Study reveals unexpected results
Astronomy
Team of astronomers discovers galaxy that shouldn't exist
Cell & Microbiology
Team discovers mechanism that protects tissue after faulty gene expression
Polymers
A type of plastic that can be shape-shifted using tempering
Plants & Animals
Alpine ibex becoming more nocturnal as temperatures rise
Archaeology
Study traces the roots of longstanding cultural interactions across the Tibetan Plateau to prehistoric times
Plants & Animals
Fooled: Herbivorous animals 'led by the nose' to leave plants alone
Planetary Sciences
Neptune-like exoplanets can be cloudy or clear: New findings suggest the reason why
Cell & Microbiology
Pituitary gland's embryonic origins may lead to new insights on growth hormone deficiency
Optics & Photonics
A physical qubit with built-in error correction
Nanophysics
Unveiling oxidation-induced super-elasticity in metallic glass nanotubes
Astronomy
A new kink in proton spectrum to enhance our knowledge of cosmic ray origin
Nanomaterials
Joint research team develops edge-to-edge assembly technique for 2D nanosheets
Evolution
Fruit flies give further insight into evolution of male genitalia driven by sexual selection
Evolution
Rare 3D fossils show that some early trees had forms unlike any you've ever seen