Latest news with #CornellUniversity
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Scientists finally crack mystery of how clapping generates sound
Scientists have finally unravelled the complex process that generates sound during handclaps, a discovery that shows how even simple acts can be rich with physics. The research, published in the journal Physical Review Research, shows that the characteristic ' pop ' sound of a clap is not just from two hands smashing into each other but a much more complex phenomenon. The key to generating sound from clapping is a cavity of air that is compressed and pushed out of a small space. Scientists followed an interdisciplinary approach to understand clapping, using live experiments, theoretical modelling and silicone replicas of human hands. They modified the volume and duration of claps by changing the speed, the shape of the hands and even the skin softness. 'We clap all the time but we haven't thought deeply about it. That's the point of the study,' said study co-author Yicong Fu from Cornell University, 'to explain the world with deeper knowledge and understanding.' 'The point was not to look just at the acoustics, or the flow excitation or the collision dynamics, but to look at them all simultaneously,' Likun Zhang, another study author from the University of Mississippi, said. 'That's an interdisciplinary effort that allows us to really understand how sound relates to hand clapping.' The study shows that when hands come together during a clap, they create a pocket of air between the palms. This pocket is rapidly expelled from the narrow opening between the forefinger and thumb, causing the air molecules to vibrate. Scientists liken this vibration to the Helmholtz resonance principle, which is behind the tone heard when blowing across the mouth of an empty bottle. 'Traditional Helmholtz resonators have rigid walls like the glass walls of a bottle. This produces a long-lasting sound that attenuates very slowly because most of the energy contributes to the acoustic signal,' Dr Zhang explained. 'But when we have elastic walls – let's say our hands – there is going to be more vibration of the solid material, and all of that motion absorbs energy away from the sound.' This is why clapping generates a single short 'pop' as opposed to a longer noise, researchers say. Scientists hope their research can help inform music education, where handclaps are often used for rhythm timing. The study also shows that every person's clap has a different sound and a different frequency, indicating that clapping can be used in the future as an identification method, like how we use fingerprints. 'One of the most promising applications of this research is human identification. Just through the sound, we could tell who made it,' Guoqin Liu, another author of the study, said.
France 24
2 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Targeting foreign students, Trump hits a US lifeline
Now back at the White House, Trump's message has changed drastically. Hoping to crush an academic establishment he sees as his enemy, Trump has launched unprecedented actions against international students that experts warn are likely to decrease enrollment and could trigger a brain drain of top talent. In a matter of days, the Trump administration has sought to bar all foreign students from Harvard University, one of most prestigious US institutions, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to "aggressively" revoke visas to students from China, long the top source of students to the United States although recently eclipsed by India. Rubio has already yanked thousands of visas, largely over students' involvement in activism critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza but also over minor traffic violations and other infractions. "The US, historically, has a reputation around the world of having a very open atmosphere for scientific and technical research, and that draws a lot of people, especially people from countries that don't necessarily have that kind of openness," said Phoebe Sengers, a professor in information science and science and technology studies at Cornell University. She said it's certain the number of international students will "plummet in the coming years." "The challenge with that is that students who would come here don't just disappear. They will stay in their home countries or go to other countries where they can get a technical education, and they're going to be building businesses in those countries and competing directly with our firms," she said. Universities as 'enemy' US universities have long been reputed to be among the world's best, and among the most expensive to attend. International students who pay full tuition are vital sources of revenue, as are federal research grants, which the Trump administration is also slashing. The State Department has justified its crackdown by pointing to "theft" of US technology by China, and Trump has spoken of making more spots for US-born students. But Trump's inner circle has long made clear its intentions to battle universities -- whose often left-leaning faculties, high costs and selectivity make them perfect foils for a presidency centered on countering elites and foreigners. Vice President JD Vance stated in no uncertain terms his hope to destroy the power of academe in a 2021 speech entitled, "The universities are the enemy." Yet Vance himself rose from poverty to power through Yale Law School, one of the country's most elite institutions. Universities have an outsized influence on the economy, with international students directly contributing $50 billion to the US economy in 2023, according to the US Commerce Department. Many top US entrepreneurs are immigrants who came as students, including Trump's ally Elon Musk, with around half of the Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children. Krishna Bista, a professor at Morgan State University who studies international student mobility, said the tone set by the Trump administration "could deter even the most qualified applicants" from the United States. "It's not just a visa issue -- it affects students' sense of safety, belonging and academic freedom," he said. "Other nations are building policies to recruit talent -- it's irrational for the US to push it away." The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recently offered fast-track admissions to Harvard students whom Trump wants to force to transfer. Growing competition The United States across administrations has wooed international students, although the number also declined following the September 11, 2001 attacks due to greater curbs of all visas. A world-record 1.1 million international students studied in the United States in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a State Department-backed report of the Institute of International Education. But international students on average make up just under six percent of the US university population -- far below Britain, the second top destination for international students, where the figure is 25 percent. The opportunity to change course may have already slipped away. "Even if everything was turned around tomorrow, our reputation as an open and welcoming society has already taken significant damage," Sengers said. © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Targeting foreign students, Trump hits a US lifeline
On the campaign trail last year, then-candidate Donald Trump proposed handing US residency cards automatically to international students when they earn diplomas, bemoaning that they were leaving to form successful companies in China and India. Now back at the White House, Trump's message has changed drastically. Hoping to crush an academic establishment he sees as his enemy, Trump has launched unprecedented actions against international students that experts warn are likely to decrease enrollment and could trigger a brain drain of top talent. In a matter of days, the Trump administration has sought to bar all foreign students from Harvard University, one of most prestigious US institutions, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to "aggressively" revoke visas to students from China, long the top source of students to the United States although recently eclipsed by India. Rubio has already yanked thousands of visas, largely over students' involvement in activism critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza but also over minor traffic violations and other infractions. "The US, historically, has a reputation around the world of having a very open atmosphere for scientific and technical research, and that draws a lot of people, especially people from countries that don't necessarily have that kind of openness," said Phoebe Sengers, a professor in information science and science and technology studies at Cornell University. She said it's certain the number of international students will "plummet in the coming years." "The challenge with that is that students who would come here don't just disappear. They will stay in their home countries or go to other countries where they can get a technical education, and they're going to be building businesses in those countries and competing directly with our firms," she said. - Universities as 'enemy' - US universities have long been reputed to be among the world's best, and among the most expensive to attend. International students who pay full tuition are vital sources of revenue, as are federal research grants, which the Trump administration is also slashing. The State Department has justified its crackdown by pointing to "theft" of US technology by China, and Trump has spoken of making more spots for US-born students. But Trump's inner circle has long made clear its intentions to battle universities -- whose often left-leaning faculties, high costs and selectivity make them perfect foils for a presidency centered on countering elites and foreigners. Vice President JD Vance stated in no uncertain terms his hope to destroy the power of academe in a 2021 speech entitled, "The universities are the enemy." Yet Vance himself rose from poverty to power through Yale Law School, one of the country's most elite institutions. Universities have an outsized influence on the economy, with international students directly contributing $50 billion to the US economy in 2023, according to the US Commerce Department. Many top US entrepreneurs are immigrants who came as students, including Trump's ally Elon Musk, with around half of the Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children. Krishna Bista, a professor at Morgan State University who studies international student mobility, said the tone set by the Trump administration "could deter even the most qualified applicants" from the United States. "It's not just a visa issue -- it affects students' sense of safety, belonging and academic freedom," he said. "Other nations are building policies to recruit talent -- it's irrational for the US to push it away." The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recently offered fast-track admissions to Harvard students whom Trump wants to force to transfer. - Growing competition - The United States across administrations has wooed international students, although the number also declined following the September 11, 2001 attacks due to greater curbs of all visas. A world-record 1.1 million international students studied in the United States in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a State Department-backed report of the Institute of International Education. But international students on average make up just under six percent of the US university population -- far below Britain, the second top destination for international students, where the figure is 25 percent. The opportunity to change course may have already slipped away. "Even if everything was turned around tomorrow, our reputation as an open and welcoming society has already taken significant damage," Sengers said. "It would take a concerted effort to bring things back to where they were four months ago." sct/sla
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Targeting Foreign Students, Trump Hits A US Lifeline
On the campaign trail last year, then-candidate Donald Trump proposed handing US residency cards automatically to international students when they earn diplomas, bemoaning that they were leaving to form successful companies in China and India. Now back at the White House, Trump's message has changed drastically. Hoping to crush an academic establishment he sees as his enemy, Trump has launched unprecedented actions against international students that experts warn are likely to decrease enrollment and could trigger a brain drain of top talent. In a matter of days, the Trump administration has sought to bar all foreign students from Harvard University, one of most prestigious US institutions, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to "aggressively" revoke visas to students from China, long the top source of students to the United States although recently eclipsed by India. Rubio has already yanked thousands of visas, largely over students' involvement in activism critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza but also over minor traffic violations and other infractions. "The US, historically, has a reputation around the world of having a very open atmosphere for scientific and technical research, and that draws a lot of people, especially people from countries that don't necessarily have that kind of openness," said Phoebe Sengers, a professor in information science and science and technology studies at Cornell University. She said it's certain the number of international students will "plummet in the coming years." "The challenge with that is that students who would come here don't just disappear. They will stay in their home countries or go to other countries where they can get a technical education, and they're going to be building businesses in those countries and competing directly with our firms," she said. US universities have long been reputed to be among the world's best, and among the most expensive to attend. International students who pay full tuition are vital sources of revenue, as are federal research grants, which the Trump administration is also slashing. The State Department has justified its crackdown by pointing to "theft" of US technology by China, and Trump has spoken of making more spots for US-born students. But Trump's inner circle has long made clear its intentions to battle universities -- whose often left-leaning faculties, high costs and selectivity make them perfect foils for a presidency centered on countering elites and foreigners. Vice President JD Vance stated in no uncertain terms his hope to destroy the power of academe in a 2021 speech entitled, "The universities are the enemy." Yet Vance himself rose from poverty to power through Yale Law School, one of the country's most elite institutions. Universities have an outsized influence on the economy, with international students directly contributing $50 billion to the US economy in 2023, according to the US Commerce Department. Many top US entrepreneurs are immigrants who came as students, including Trump's ally Elon Musk, with around half of the Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children. Krishna Bista, a professor at Morgan State University who studies international student mobility, said the tone set by the Trump administration "could deter even the most qualified applicants" from the United States. "It's not just a visa issue -- it affects students' sense of safety, belonging and academic freedom," he said. "Other nations are building policies to recruit talent -- it's irrational for the US to push it away." The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recently offered fast-track admissions to Harvard students whom Trump wants to force to transfer. The United States across administrations has wooed international students, although the number also declined following the September 11, 2001 attacks due to greater curbs of all visas. A world-record 1.1 million international students studied in the United States in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a State Department-backed report of the Institute of International Education. But international students on average make up just under six percent of the US university population -- far below Britain, the second top destination for international students, where the figure is 25 percent. The opportunity to change course may have already slipped away. "Even if everything was turned around tomorrow, our reputation as an open and welcoming society has already taken significant damage," Sengers said. "It would take a concerted effort to bring things back to where they were four months ago." People hold signs in rally in support of international students at Harvard University AFP
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
8 Hotel Safety Tips That Every Smart Traveller Should Know Before Unpacking
When you are booking a hotel or homestay, what grabs your attention first? The location? That dreamy room view? Free Wi-Fi? Or the breakfast buffet that has no business being that good? Fair enough - these perks do help turn a trip into a proper holiday. But in all the planning and Instagram scrolling, we often skip one key factor - safety. Whether you are travelling solo, off on a family break, or stuck in back-to-back work trips, a few quick safety checks can seriously up your peace of mind. And no, this is not about being paranoid. A little presence of mind goes a long way. So here is a smart, no-fuss guide to hotel room safety - the kind of checklist that is easy to follow and even easier to be grateful for later. Basic Hotel Safety Checks You Should Always Do First: 1. Choose your hotel like it matters (because it does): Your entire trip starts with your stay, so picking the right place makes a difference. A 2009 study from Cornell University showed that bigger, more upscale hotels usually rank highest in terms of safety. If your budget allows it, go for it. And if you are watching your wallet, put in some extra effort researching safe budget hotels. Pro Tip: Use Google Maps' satellite and street view to check the area. Guest reviews often drop the real tea about whether the place feels secure or sketchy. 2. Always check the locks: First thing after you walk into the room: check the door. Is it locking properly? Deadbolt working? Windows secure? If not, report it. When you are inside, use the latch or chain. Locking up properly should be as routine as brushing your teeth. 3. Scan for any shady cameras: It is rare, but hidden cameras in hotels have been in the news more than once. Do a quick visual sweep of odd places - clocks, vents, smoke detectors, and TVs. If anything feels weird, do not ignore it. Pro Tip: Shine your phone's flashlight around to spot tiny lenses or odd reflections. There are apps that can help scan for hidden cameras, too. Totally worth having one installed. 4. Know where the emergency exits are: That little evacuation map on the back of your door? Give it a look. Mentally map the shortest path to the staircase. Count the doors between your room and the exit. If there is ever smoke or darkness, this can save you serious time. 5. Understand the hotel's safety setup: The property should have the basics in place. Look for these when you arrive: A staffed lobby 24/7 CCTV in public areas Modern locks, key cards, in-room safes Bright lighting in common areas Gated side and back entrances These things do not just look fancy - they keep you safe. 6. Protect your digital life too: Hotels might feel secure, but the public Wi-Fi is another story. Hackers love unsecured networks, so always use a VPN. It keeps your data private. Also, skip the public USB ports for charging. Those can be used to grab your data or sneak in malware. Stick to your own charger. 7. Do a quick bathroom safety check: Hotel bathrooms can be sneakily dangerous. Floors get slippery fast, and hot water can be unpredictable. Look for non-slip mats or step onto a dry towel when you exit the shower. Always test the water before hopping in. Some geysers go from lukewarm to 'boiling lava' in seconds. 8. Listen to your gut: If something feels off - the room, the staff, the vibe - do not brush it off. Trusting your instincts is one of the best safety tips out there. You do not need to explain it. Just act. Move rooms, talk to the staff, or leave. Your comfort matters more than anything. Final Word: Travelling is supposed to be fun, but being smart about hotel safety never hurts. These checks take two minutes and cost you nothing - except maybe a little side-eye from your travel buddy. But if it means sleeping better and avoiding sticky situations, it is worth every second.
