Scientific News

Articles across mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy.

• Science

  Transfermium Wars

  The names for the chemical elements 102 to 109 (most notably 104 to 106) were the subject of a major controversy starting in the 1960s and settled by IUPAC in 1997. It was described by some nuclear chemists as the Transfermium Wars because it concerned the elements following fermium (element 100) on the periodic table. This controversy arose from disputes between American scientists and Soviet sci

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Trager approach

  The Trager approach is a form of somatic education. Proponents claim the Trager approach helps release deep-seated physical and mental patterns and facilitates deep relaxation, increased physical mobility, and mental clarity.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transcription bubble

  A transcription bubble is a molecular structure formed during the initialization of DNA transcription, when a limited portion of the DNA double helix is unwound, providing enough space for RNA polymerase (RNAP) to bind to the template strand and begin RNA synthesis. The transcription bubble size is usually 12 to 14 base pairs, which allows the incorporation of complementary RNA nucleotides by the

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transgressive segregation

  In genetics, transgressive segregation is the formation of extreme phenotypes, or transgressive phenotypes, observed in segregated hybrid populations compared to phenotypes observed in the parental lines. The appearance of these transgressive (extreme) phenotypes can be either positive or negative in terms of fitness. If both parents' favorable alleles come together, it will result in a hybrid hav

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Transcritical cycle

  A transcritical cycle is a closed thermodynamic cycle where the working fluid goes through both subcritical and supercritical states. In particular, for power cycles the working fluid is kept in the liquid region during the compression phase and in vapour and/or supercritical conditions during the expansion phase. The ultrasupercritical steam Rankine cycle represents a widespread transcritical cyc

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transferability (chemistry)

  In chemistry, transferability is the assumption that a chemical property that is associated with an atom or a functional group in a molecule will have a similar (but not identical) value in a variety of different circumstances. Examples of transferable properties include: Electronegativity Nucleophilicity Chemical shifts in NMR spectroscopy Characteristic frequencies in Infrared spectroscopy Bond

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transfer DNA binary system

  A transfer DNA (T-DNA) binary system is a pair of plasmids consisting of a T-DNA binary vector and a vir helper plasmid. The two plasmids are used together (thus binary) to produce genetically modified plants. They are artificial vectors that have been derived from the naturally occurring Ti plasmid found in bacterial species of the genus Agrobacterium, such as A. tumefaciens. The binary vector is

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transformation efficiency

  Transformation efficiency refers to the ability of a cell to take up and incorporate exogenous DNA, such as plasmids, during a process called transformation. The efficiency of transformation is typically measured as the number of transformants (cells that have taken up the exogenous DNA) per microgram of DNA added to the cells. A higher transformation efficiency means that more cells are able to t

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transaction data

  Transaction data or transaction information is a category of data describing transactions. Transaction data/information gather variables generally referring to reference data or master data – e.g. dates, times, time zones, currencies. Typical transactions are: Financial transactions about orders, invoices, payments; Work transactions about plans, activity records; Logistic transactions about deli

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Traffic flow (computer networking)

  In packet switching networks, traffic flow, packet flow or network flow is a sequence of packets from a source computer to a destination, which may be another host, a multicast group, or a broadcast domain. RFC 2722 defines traffic flow as "an artificial logical equivalent to a call or connection." RFC 3697 defines traffic flow as "a sequence of packets sent from a particular source to a particula

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Transfer-matrix method (optics)

  The transfer-matrix method is a method used in optics and acoustics to analyze the propagation of electromagnetic or acoustic waves through a stratified medium — a stack of thin films. This is, for example, relevant for the design of anti-reflective coatings and dielectric mirrors. The reflection of light from a single interface between two media is described by the Fresnel equations. However, whe

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transient friction loading

  Transient friction loading is the mechanical stress induced on an object due to transient or vibrational frictional forces.

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Traditional ecological knowledge

  Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment. The integration of TEK into ecological management has been debated, as traditional knowledge is often base

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Transformation optics

  Transformation optics is a branch of optics which applies metamaterials to produce spatial variations, derived from coordinate transformations, which can direct chosen bandwidths of electromagnetic radiation. This can allow for the construction of new composite artificial devices, which probably could not exist without metamaterials and coordinate transformation. Computing power that became availa

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transformed cladistics

  Transformed cladistics, also known as pattern cladistics, is an epistemological approach to the cladistic method of phylogenetic inference and classification that makes no a priori assumptions about common ancestry. It was advocated by Norman Platnick, Colin Patterson, Ronald Brady and others in the 1980s, but has few modern proponents. The book, Foundations of Systematics and Biogeography by Davi

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Transcriptional amplification

  In genetics, transcriptional amplification is the process in which the total amount of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules from expressed genes is increased during disease, development, or in response to stimuli. In eukaryotic cells, the transcribing activity of RNA Polymerase II results in mRNA production. Transcriptional amplification is specifically defined as the increase in per-cell abundance of t

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transcriptome-wide association study

  Transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) is a genetic methodology that can be used to compare the genetic components of gene expression and the genetic components of a trait to determine if an association is present between the two components. TWAS are useful for the identification and prioritization of candidate causal genes in candidate gene analysis following genome-wide association studies.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Trampling

  Trampling is the act of walking on something repeatedly by humans or animals. Trampling on open ground can destroy the above ground parts of many plants and can compact the soil, thereby creating a distinct microenvironment that specific species may be adapted for. It can be used as part of a wildlife management strategy along grazing. When carrying out investigations like a belt transect, trampli

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transdetermination

  Transdetermination is a concept in developmental biology to describe the process by which pluripotent stem cells change their fate from becoming one kind of specialized cell lineage to a different lineage. It is contrasted to transdifferentiation where a differentiated cell switches to another lineage without intermediate stages of dedifferentiation. In Drosophila, it has been shown that imaginal

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Transfinite recursion theorem

  In mathematics, the transfinite recursion theorem says a function can be defined using a recursion over a well-ordered set; for example, N {\displaystyle \mathbb {N} } but also over general well-ordered sets. Since each well-ordered set is isomorphic to an ordinal, the theorem is also often stated in terms of ordinals.

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Trace metal

  Trace metals are the metals subset of trace elements; that is, metals normally present in small but measurable amounts in animal and plant cells and tissues. Some of these trace metals are a necessary part of nutrition and physiology. Some biometals are trace metals. Ingestion of, or exposure to, excessive quantities can be toxic. However, insufficient plasma or tissue levels of certain trace meta

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tolman length

  The Tolman length δ {\displaystyle \delta } (also known as Tolman's delta) measures the extent by which the surface tension of a small liquid drop deviates from its planar value. It is conveniently defined in terms of an expansion in 1 / R {\displaystyle 1/R} , with

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tongxinluo

  Tongxinluo is a traditional Chinese medicine formulation used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Consisting of a combination of medicinal herbs and animal-derived substances, it is manufactured in capsule form and has been widely used in China and several other Asian countries since the 1990s. The formulation of tongxinluo includes both plant and animal ingredients.

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Traditional Chinese medicine

  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence of effectiveness or logical mechanism of action. Some TCM ingredients are known to be toxic and cause disease, including cancer. Medicine in traditional China encompassed a range o

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Total internal reflection

  In physics, total internal reflection (TIR) is the phenomenon in which waves arriving at the interface (boundary) from one medium to another (e.g., from water to air) are not refracted into the second ("external") medium, but completely reflected back into the first ("internal") medium. It occurs when the second medium has a higher wave speed (i.e., lower refractive index) than the first, and the

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Townsend (unit)

  The townsend (symbol Td) is a physical unit of the reduced electric field (ratio E/N), where E {\displaystyle E} is electric field and N {\displaystyle N} is concentration of neutral particles. It is named after John Sealy Townsend, who conducted early research into gas ionisation.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Titius–Bode law

  The Titius–Bode law (sometimes termed simply Bode's law) is a formulaic prediction of spacing between planets in any given planetary system. The formula suggests that, extending outward, each planet should be approximately twice as far from the Sun as the one before. The hypothesis correctly anticipated the orbits of Ceres (in the asteroid belt) and Uranus, but failed as a predictor of Neptune's o

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Tithi

  In Vedic timekeeping, a tithi is a "duration of two faces of moon that is observed from earth", known as milа̄lyа̄ (Newar: 𑐩𑐶𑐮𑐵𑐮𑑂𑐫𑐵𑑅, मिलाल्याः) in Nepal Bhasa, or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12°. In other words, a tithi is a time duration between the consecutive epochs that correspond to when the longitudinal angle between the

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Tomahawk (geometry)

  The tomahawk is a tool in geometry for angle trisection, the problem of splitting an angle into three equal parts. The boundaries of its shape include a semicircle and two line segments, arranged in a way that resembles a tomahawk, a Native American axe. The same tool has also been called the shoemaker's knife, but that name is more commonly used in geometry to refer to a different shape, the arbe

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Titanium oxide

  Titanium oxide may refer to: Titanium dioxide (titanium(IV) oxide), TiO2 Titanium(II) oxide (titanium monoxide), TiO, a non-stoichiometric oxide Titanium(III) oxide (dititanium trioxide), Ti2O3 Ti3O Ti2O δ-TiOx (x= 0.68–0.75) TinO2n−1 where n ranges from 3–9 inclusive, e.g. Ti3O5, Ti4O7, etc.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Titanium metals

  Titanium metals may mean: Titanium, chemical element, atomic number 22 Titanium alloy, metallic material used most notably in aircraft production Titanium Metals Corporation

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit

  The Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit (or TOV limit) is an upper bound to the mass of cold, non-rotating neutron stars, analogous to the Chandrasekhar limit for white dwarf stars. Stars more massive than the TOV limit collapse into a black hole, or possibly to a quark star. The original calculation in 1939, which neglected complications such as nuclear forces between neutrons, placed this limit at

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Titanium chloride

  Titanium chloride may refer to: Titanium tetrachloride (titanium(IV) chloride), TiCl4 Titanium trichloride (titanium(III) chloride), TiCl3 Titanium dichloride (titanium(II) chloride), TiCl2

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tissue bank

  A tissue bank is an establishment that collects and recovers human cadaver tissue for the purposes of medical research, education and allograft transplantation. A tissue bank may also refer to a location where biomedical tissue is stored under cryogenic conditions and is generally used in a more clinical sense. The United States Navy Tissue Bank is generally accepted as the first full tissue banki

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tog (unit)

  The tog is a measure of thermal insulance of a unit area, also known as thermal resistance. It is commonly used in the textile industry and often seen quoted on household items such as duvets, sleeping bags and carpet underlay.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equation

  In astrophysics, the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff (TOV) equation constrains the structure of a spherically symmetric body of isotropic material which is in static gravitational equilibrium, as modeled by general relativity. The equation is d P d r

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Titanium sulfide

  The titanium sulfides are a class of chemical compounds comprising titanium and sulfur in varying stoichiometries. They include: Titanium(II) sulfide, a rare mineral Titanium(III) sulfide, a refractory Titanium(IV) sulfide, used in batteries or other electrochemical cells Titanium "trisulfide", technically a mixed-valence sulfide and disulfide salt

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Toluic acid

  Toluic acid, also known as toluylic acid or methylbenzoic acid, is an organic compound and a carboxylic acid derivative of toluene. Toluic acid may refer to the following isomers: o-Toluic acid m-Toluic acid p-Toluic acid

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tolman's rule

  Tolman's rule states that, in certain chemical reactions, the steps involve exclusively intermediates of 18- and 16-electron configuration. The rule is an extension of the 18-electron rule. This rule was proposed by American chemist Chadwick A. Tolman. However, there are exceptions to Tolman's rule, even for reactions that proceed via 2e− steps, because many reactions involve intermediates with f

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Toluenediamine

  Toluenediamine may refer to these isomeric organic compounds with the formula C6H3(NH2)2(CH3): 2,4-Diaminotoluene, precursor to toluene diisocyanate and azo dye. 2,6-Diaminotoluene, a common impurity in 2,4-diaminotoluene 2,5-Diaminotoluene, precursor to hair dyes.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tokogeny

  Tokogeny or tocogeny is the biological relationship between parent and offspring, or more generally between ancestors and descendants. Hennig introduced the concept of tokogeny in contrast to ontogeny and phylogeny in the context of character states: two character states are related ontogenetically if they are found within a single organism in different stages of the organism's development (e.g.

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Titanium fluoride

  Titanium fluoride can refer to Titanium(III) fluoride (titanium trifluoride, TiF3), a violet to purple-red solid Titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4), a white hygroscopic solid with polymeric structure

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Tired mountain syndrome

  Tired mountain syndrome is a condition in which underground nuclear testing fractures and weakens rock, increasing permeability and the risk of release of radionuclides and radioactive contamination of the environment. Locations said to have undergone the syndrome include the French Polynesian island of Moruroa, Rainier Mesa in the United States, the Dnepr 1 nuclear test site on the Kola Peninsula

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Toit

  Toit is an open-source programming language designed for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, with a focus on ESP32 microcontrollers made by Espressif Systems. It was developed by Toitware ApS, a Danish company founded in 2018, and released as open source in November 2021. Toit was created by a team that included Lars Bak and Kasper Lund, who had previously developed the V8 JavaScript engine for

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Topology

  Topology (from the Greek words τόπος, 'place, location', and λόγος, 'study') is the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of a geometric object that are preserved under continuous deformations, such as stretching, twisting, crumpling, and bending; that is, without closing holes, opening holes, tearing, gluing, or passing through itself. A topological space is a set endowed with a str

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Tony Kent Strix award

  The UKeiG Strix award is an annual award for outstanding contributions to the field of information retrieval and is presented in memory of Dr. Tony Kent, a past Fellow of the Institute of Information Scientists (IIS), who died in 1997. Tony Kent made a major contribution to the development of information science and information services both in the UK and internationally, particularly in the field

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Torquetum

  The torquetum or turquet is a medieval astronomical instrument for taking and converting measurements made in three sets of coordinates: horizon, equatorial, and ecliptic. It is characterised by R. P. Lorch as a combination of Ptolemy's astrolabon (Greek: αστρολάβον) and the plane astrolabe. In a sense, the torquetum is an analog computer.

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Tombstone (typography)

  In mathematics, the tombstone, halmos, end-of-proof, or Q.E.D. symbol "∎" (or "□") is a symbol used to denote the end of a proof, in place of the traditional abbreviation "Q.E.D." for the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum". It is inspired by the typographic practice of end marks, an element that marks the end of an article. In Unicode, it is represented as character U+220E ∎ END OF PROOF. Its

  8/25/2026

• Science

  Trace element

  A trace element is a chemical element of a minute quantity, a trace amount, especially used in referring to a micronutrient, but is also used to refer to minor elements in the composition of a rock, or other chemical substance. In nutrition, trace elements are classified into two groups: essential trace elements, and non-essential trace elements. Essential trace elements are needed for many physio

  8/25/2026

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  Science

  Torsion angle

  In stereochemistry, a torsion angle is defined as a particular example of a dihedral angle, describing the geometric relation of two parts of a molecule joined by a chemical bond. Every set of three non-colinear atoms of a molecule defines a half-plane. As explained above, when two such half-planes intersect (i.e., a set of four consecutively-bonded atoms), the angle between them is a dihedral ang

  8/25/2026