Research & science

Research & science Assessing biodiversity impacts of buildings: an evaluation of building elements and limitations in current assessment methods Purpose This study evaluated the life cycle biodiversity impact of building exterior walls. While climate change is well-studied and addressed in the construction sector, its impact on nature and biodiversity remains underexplored. The aim of this article is to assess the consistency of different life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods and evaluate the biodiversity impact of various exterio… The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (Springer) · 17 Jun 2026 Research & science Comparative life cycle assessment and implementation of disposable, biodegradable, and reusable absorbent mats in healthcare Purpose Absorbent mats are widely used in healthcare, with around 23 million consumed annually in the Netherlands. These single-use products are typically discarded after use, making them non-circular. As healthcare transitions towards more sustainable practices, understanding the environmental impact of these mats and evaluating reusable alternatives is essential. This study aimed to comp… The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (Springer) · 17 Jun 2026 Research & science Molecular Transformer-aided Biocatalysed Synthesis Planning - ChemRxiv ChemRxiv preprints · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Forbes Names NC State among the Best Online Master’s Programs for Military Service Members, Citing the University as the ‘Best Deal for North Carolina Residents’ NC State has been recognized by Forbes as one of the best online master’s programs for military service members, earning the distinction of “Best Deal for North Carolina Residents.” In its 2026 ranking, Forbes highlighted NC State’s value for in-state students, noting its annual in-state graduate tuition and fees of $12,101. The ranking also cited… NC State University News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science With social media ban, Starmer attempts an emotional rebrand This was an announcement of Starmer’s intention to fight for his position. University of Sheffield — The Conversation institution feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science KTH and Volvo Cars become strategic partners KTH and Volvo Cars have launched a strategic partnership to strengthen their collaboration in research, education, and innovation. The partnership will focus on developing sustainable mobility solutions for the future, supporting the green transition, and addressing the significant recruitment needs in technical fields. KTH Royal Institute of Technology News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science How bond markets have become one of the most powerful forces in modern politics What exactly are they? And why do politicians care so much about them? Brunel University of London — The Conversation institution feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Microwave-based method to upcycle old lithium-ion cathodes Lithium-ion batteries power everything from phones and electric vehicles to grid-scale energy storage and earbuds, but their cathodes—the part of batteries denoted by a plus sign—are expensive to make and rely on minerals sourced from a limited number of countries, including lithium and cobalt. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, is responsible for mining about 70% of the world's… TechXplore — 'recycling' search feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Gulf Coast coal holds billions in critical minerals, but the economics are tricky Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have found that there is a significant amount of rare earth elements trapped in the coal and coal ash supply of the Gulf Coast—with a total value of more than $187 billion. TechXplore — 'recycling' search feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Prediction markets are opening many new opportunities for unregulated insider trading and unethical bets – in the name of making a game out of politics The rapidly growing popularity of prediction markets is sparking worries about the markets’ effects on US politics, where campaign staff has bet on its candidate’s electoral performance. University of Birmingham — The Conversation institution feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Powering next generation technology for offshore wind innovation Supporting innovators with offshore wind innovation initiatives spanning technology development, business acceleration and industrial-scale innovation capability. Innovate UK UKRI News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science David Hockney’s success is a testament to a Britain that supported working-class artists – the same cannot be said today There was space and money for him to explore and try things out, luxuries that today’s students don’t have. University of Birmingham — The Conversation institution feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Scientists found a way to explain bird flocks that “defy” Newton’s third law Physicists have solved a long-standing problem involving systems that appear to violate Newton’s third law, such as bird flocks and bacterial swarms. By adding carefully designed “imaginary partners” to their models, they can now simulate these complex systems with unprecedented accuracy. ScienceDaily — Materials Science · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Retraction: Lifecycle assessment of carbon emissions from low earth orbit satellite and terrestrial internet networks Volume 17, Issue 1, December 2026 . Carbon Management (Taylor & Francis) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Scientists just found a hidden weakness in forever chemicals Researchers discovered that hydrogen radicals generated by intense UV light can break down stubborn PFAS “forever chemicals” without added chemicals. The breakthrough reveals a key mechanism that could lead to greener and more effective technologies for permanently destroying these pollutants. ScienceDaily — Materials Science · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science The overlooked Virginia Woolf novel about to hit cinemas – Night and Day Critically slated for not being modernist enough, Night and Day is a reappraisal. University of Edinburgh — The Conversation institution feed · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science A simple color cue helps people learn to use prosthetic devices 16.06.26 - Researchers at EPFL show that fewer than 20 training trials with real-time success/failure feedback can significantly improve how people control prostheses, rehabilitation devices, and other motor interfaces. Controlling a robotic arm, a prosthetic hand, or a rehabilitation device is harder than it looks. Picking up an egg, for example, requires just the right amount of force: too li… EPFL News (Mediacom) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Screen time reduction app takes top prize for Imperial's women-led startups competition - Imperial College London Imperial College London News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Singapore AI4Science - Imperial College London Imperial College London News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Physicists measure quantum entanglement of quantum critical metal - Rice University Rice University News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science RNA barcoding approach reveals previously unknown virus-host relationships - Rice University Rice University News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science A Stanford grad’s mission to build opportunity in Malaysia - Stanford Report Stanford Report · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Georgia Savvidou, Energy Technology - Chalmers tekniska högskola Chalmers University of Technology News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Rice’s Tringides wins prestigious Pew Biomedical Scholar award - Rice University Rice University News · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Clinical and immunological effects of adding cyclophosphamide to pomalidomide–dexamethasone in relapsed‐refractory multiple myeloma: The randomized MUKseven trial - Wiley Online Library Journal of Industrial Ecology (Wiley) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Solar remediation of hydrazine wastewater using efficient narrow-bandgap organic photovoltaic catalysts Nature Water (Nature Portfolio) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science A comparative analysis of advanced modeling techniques for global methane emission forecasting using SARIMA, LSTM, and GRU models Greenhouse gases are among the issues that need to be controlled in the fight against climate change due to their heat-trapping capacity and the resulting temperature variations. To determine the variability levels of greenhouse gases, forecasting methods such as time series analysis are currently needed. When using these forecasting methods, their compatibility and accuracy with existing data … Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Modified pervious concrete drainage cover slab: engineering performance and lifecycle carbon assessment Rapid urbanization and monsoon-intense rainfall in Bangladesh exacerbate urban waterlogging, while conventional reinforced concrete drainage covers hinder infiltration and increase surface runoff. This study proposes and validates a modified pervious concrete drainage cover slab as a permeable alternative, aimed at improving stormwater infiltration. The modified pervious concrete (MPC) incorpor… Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Modeling the drivers of climate impact in food systems: an interpretive structural modeling approach based on life cycle assessment The agri-food systems have been found to be major contributors to the greenhouse gases emission in the world because of the overlapping interactions in the production, processing, and supply chain processes. Despite being an extremely effective instrument of attracting environmental hotspots, the life cycle assessment (LCA) is often incapable of capturing interdependencies between other importa… Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Comparative analysis of a transcritical cycle using natural refrigerants for dairy operations: an energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) assessment The present investigation aims to identify the most suitable natural refrigerant—carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), or ethane (C 2 H 6 )—for use in dual systems typically required in dairy processing plants. A comprehensive thermodynamic analysis was conducted to evaluate component-wise irreversibility and to calculate the optimal gas cooler pressure for four key performance criteri… Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Reverse vending machine for single-use beverage packaging: environmental and economic life-cycle assessment Reverse vending machines (RVMs) are increasingly deployed within deposit-refund systems to support circular-economy strategies for single-use beverage packaging. However, their environmental and economic performance remains poorly quantified, particularly in contexts lacking formal barcoding or extended producer responsibility frameworks. This study presents an empirical life-cycle assessment (… Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Mind the gap: evaluating implementation of urban climate plans in three Indian cities In line with global trends, there has been a significant increase in urban climate action plans in India. There is growing literature on the implementation gap of global and national-level climate action; however, much less on the implementation of city-level plans. We review the implementation of climate action plans through detailed case studies of three large Indian cities—Ahmedabad, Chennai… Sustainability Science (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Advancing key transdisciplinary principles: enabling co-production in integrated assessment modelling for sustainable development Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are central to informing climate policy and sustainable development, yet face longstanding criticisms related to transparency, legitimacy, and exclusion of societal actors. This paper argues that a transdisciplinary (TD) approach, offers a promising pathway to address these critiques. However, it can be overwhelming for researchers who know little about TD to… Sustainability Science (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science End-of-life and beyond building life: carbon benefits of a novel Mass timber wood floor system, evaluating end-of-life strategies, recovery rates, and circular design implications Purpose Mass timber construction is gaining attention as a low-carbon alternative to conventional building systems, but the end-of-life (EOL) stage remains one of the least consistently modeled phases in building life cycle assessments (LCAs). This study evaluates how recovery pathways and connection strategies influence the climate performance of prefabricated hollow timber floor systems. Meth… The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science Sustainable Polymer Matrix Selection for Coir Fiber Composites in Electric Vehicle Strut Bar Applications Using a Hybrid AHP–MOORA Approach The growing demand for lightweight and sustainable materials in electric vehicle (EV) structural components has prompted the investigation of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites as potential alternatives to traditional metallic materials. This study proposes a systematic framework for selecting a potential polymer matrix for coir fiber reinforced composites designed for use in EV strut … Materials Circular Economy (Springer) · 16 Jun 2026 Research & science New hybrid materials separate rare earths without harsh chemicals Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential for everyday technologies such as smartphones, LED lights, wind turbines and many medical applications. At the same time, supply chains are under pressure because of the geographic concentration of production, and electronic waste is growing worldwide. Phys.org — 'circular economy' search feed · 15 Jun 2026 Research & science What to Know About Tick-Borne Alpha-Gal Syndrome The science behind what causes the tick-borne red meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome. NC State University News · 15 Jun 2026 Research & science AI robots can go rogue – a researcher explains how easily it happens In tests, AI robot systems easily rejected directly malicious commands. But their safety filters collapsed when creative writing was used to instruct them. University of Oxford — The Conversation institution feed · 15 Jun 2026 Research & science Get Oriented With the NC State Bucket List Orientation is a great time to start checking off items on the NC State Bucket List, your go-to guide to essential student experiences. NC State University News · 15 Jun 2026 Research & science Desequilíbrio energético da Terra dobrou nas últimas décadas e alimenta extremos climáticos Um importante indicador climático acaba de atingir um recorde que deverá moldar o clima nas décadas futuras. University of Leeds — The Conversation institution feed · 15 Jun 2026