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Japan's new seafloor record could sharpen megathrust earthquake warnings in Nankai Trough

Off the southern coast of Japan, the Philippine Sea Plate lies underneath the Japanese mainland. The locked tectonic plates threaten to unleash a catastrophic megathrust earthquake, likely within the next few decades. Given the potential devastation a large quake could evoke, constant developments in predictive technology must be sought. However, predicting the unpredictable movement of the seafloor requires innovative thought.

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We can predict space weather—what if we could also stop it?

The weather on Earth can get pretty messy sometimes. But in space, it can be wild, and the effects can be far-reaching. Solar flares, giant explosions on the sun, can send out streams of energy that block radio communications and fry satellite electronics. Geomagnetic storms, caused by variations in solar wind, can mess with GPS signals and spark current surges on Earth that overload power grids.

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Sunrise III data release opens rare high-altitude solar views that could sharpen space weather forecasts

Close to 100 scientists from all over Europe, the United States, and Japan are gathering this week at the Institute for Solar Physics (KIS) in Freiburg to present and discuss the first scientific results from the successful third flight of the balloon-borne solar observatory SUNRISE. KIS is a key contributor to the SUNRISE project. The meeting marks a milestone in the study of the sun by bringing together researchers from all over the world who are analyzing unprecedented new data gathered by the SUNRISE III project.

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Attribution constraints reveal stronger future intensification of the upper‑level Hadley circulation

The Hadley circulation, a key atmospheric conveyor belt transporting heat and moisture from the tropics to the subtropics, directly influences subtropical aridity, the positions of tropical rainfall belts, and extreme weather risks. However, climate models have long shown inconsistencies in simulating its upper-level intensity (UP-HCI), undermining the reliability of future projections.

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Arctic river deltas face rising climate pressure while holding vast frozen carbon reserves

Many rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean north of the Arctic Circle—including the Lena in Siberia and the Mackenzie River in Canada. The deltas of these large and small rivers store large amounts of carbon, which is bound there in frozen soils and sediments. Climate change, however, is destabilizing the deltas from the ocean and land side and also from the air.

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Social networks outsmart cognitive biases: How herding in networks makes populations more rational

In 2010, the New York City-based restaurant Serendipity 3 revealed its $69 hot dog, winning the Guinness World Record for the world's most expensive hot dog. Served on a toasted pretzel roll with truffle butter and covered in foie gras, the award-winning hot dog made the restaurant's $18 cheeseburger seem like a steal. That's the point, says Professor Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Social networks outsmart cognitive biases: How herding in networks makes populations more rational

In 2010, the New York City-based restaurant Serendipity 3 revealed its $69 hot dog, winning the Guinness World Record for the world's most expensive hot dog. Served on a toasted pretzel roll with truffle butter and covered in foie gras, the award-winning hot dog made the restaurant's $18 cheeseburger seem like a steal. That's the point, says Professor Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Political cues steer dating decisions, with cross-party matches often rejected by young Americans

Affective polarization—i.e., an aversion toward supporters of the opposing party—has been shaping American society for years, including when it comes to finding a partner. A new sociological study by Dr. Ansgar Hudde and Shannon Taflinger from the University of Cologne's Department of Sociology and Social Psychology dives deeper into this phenomenon, examining how political information on a dating profile influences the romantic interest of young Americans. The study was published under the title "Why do young U.S. Americans avoid cross-partisan dating? A closer look at mediators and variation by gender and party" in the journal European Sociological Review.

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Political cues steer dating decisions, with cross-party matches often rejected by young Americans

Affective polarization—i.e., an aversion toward supporters of the opposing party—has been shaping American society for years, including when it comes to finding a partner. A new sociological study by Dr. Ansgar Hudde and Shannon Taflinger from the University of Cologne's Department of Sociology and Social Psychology dives deeper into this phenomenon, examining how political information on a dating profile influences the romantic interest of young Americans. The study was published under the title "Why do young U.S. Americans avoid cross-partisan dating? A closer look at mediators and variation by gender and party" in the journal European Sociological Review.

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Abortion restrictions associated with lower female medical school applicant numbers

States with restrictive abortion policies saw slower growth in the proportion of female medical school applicants following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Amrit Kirpalani of Western University, Canada, and colleagues.

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