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The effect of economic downturns on the frequency of mass shootings

Bhupathi et al. | Jul 11, 2025

The effect of economic downturns on the frequency of mass shootings

Researching gun violence and mass shootings in the U.S. is difficult due to the lack of consistent data collection. Some studies have linked mass shootings to personal financial stress, but little formal research exists on the impact of broader economic conditions. This study hypothesized an inverse relationship between mass shootings and economic performance, using the S&P 500 and unemployment rate as indicators.

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The determinants and incentives of corporate greenhouse gas emission reduction

Liu et al. | Jun 04, 2021

The determinants and incentives of corporate greenhouse gas emission reduction

This study used hand-collected Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and aimed to understand the determinants and incentives of GHG emissions reduction. It explored how companies’ financials, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) compensation, and corporate governance affected GHG emissions. Results showed that companies reporting GHG emissions were wide-spread among the 48 industries represented by two-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes.

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Discovery of the Heart in Mathematics: Modeling the Chaotic Behaviors of Quantized Periods in the Mandelbrot Set

Golla et al. | Dec 14, 2020

Discovery of the Heart in Mathematics: Modeling the Chaotic Behaviors of Quantized Periods in the Mandelbrot Set

This study aimed to predict and explain chaotic behavior in the Mandelbrot Set, one of the world’s most popular models of fractals and exhibitors of Chaos Theory. The authors hypothesized that repeatedly iterating the Mandelbrot Set’s characteristic function would give rise to a more intricate layout of the fractal and elliptical models that predict and highlight “hotspots” of chaos through their overlaps. The positive and negative results from this study may provide a new perspective on fractals and their chaotic nature, helping to solve problems involving chaotic phenomena.

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The effect of viscous drag on damped simple harmonic motion

Michael Powell et al. | Sep 14, 2023

The effect of viscous drag on damped simple harmonic motion

Dynamic viscosity is a quantity that describes the magnitude of a fluid’s internal friction or thickness. Traditionally, scientists measure this quantity by either calculating the terminal velocity of a falling sphere or the time a liquid takes to flow through a capillary tube. However, they have yet to conduct much research on finding this quantity through viscous damped simple harmonic motion. The present study hypothesized that the relationship between the dynamic viscosity and the damping coefficient is positively correlated.

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Comparative analysis of player ability, game size, and ideal starting positions in Nim games

Sinha et al. | Aug 02, 2026

Comparative analysis of player ability, game size, and ideal starting positions in Nim games
Image credit: Immo Wegmann

Here the authors investigated the impact of player ability versus starting positions in the game of Nim under imperfect play, hypothesizing that player skill becomes the primary determinant of outcomes as pile sizes grow. Through computational simulations and a mathematical model, they demonstrated that favorable starting positions lose their advantage over time and provide key insights to help improve reinforcement learning algorithms in abstract, complex decision-making environments.

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Formation and sticking of air bubbles in water in d-block containers

Gupta et al. | Jun 21, 2021

Formation and sticking of air bubbles in water in d-block containers

Bubbles! In this study, the authors investigate the effects that different materials, temperature, and distance have on the formation of water bubbles on the surface of copper and steel. They calculated mathematical relations based on the outcomes to better understand whether interstitial hydrogen present in the d-block metals form hydrogen bonds with the water bubbles to account for the structural and mechanical stability.

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Changing the surface properties of the backside of a silicon wafer to repel oil and prevent particle binding

Choi et al. | Feb 14, 2025

Changing the surface properties of the backside of a silicon wafer to repel oil and prevent particle binding

Wafers, essential in microchip production, can develop issues like leveling problems and wafer slip due to the formation of silanol bonds on their backside, which attract silica particles and oil. Authors tested addressing this issue with a coating of [acetoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl]triethoxysilane (APTS) applied to the wafer’s backside, preventing particle binding and oil adherence.

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Aggression of Carcharhinus leucas and Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos towards humans

Mignone et al. | May 11, 2021

Aggression of <i>Carcharhinus leucas</i> and <i>Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos</i> towards humans

This paper presents findings on Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark) and Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (grey reef shark) aggression towards humans at Beqa Adventure Divers in Shark Reef Marine Reserve, Fiji. We hypothesized that grey reef sharks would receive more prods than bull sharks because grey reef sharks are typically more aggressive than bull sharks. The results supported our hypothesis, as an individual grey reef shark received 2.44 prods on average per feed, while a bull shark had an average of 0.61. These findings are meaningful not only to the world’s general understanding of shark aggression, but also to human protection against grey reef sharks as well as public education on bull sharks and the conservation of the species.

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