Articles by Bob Yirka
Phys.org / Scientists map key enzymes behind locust swarming pheromone production
A team of zoologists, molecular engineers and pest control specialists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working with a small team of colleagues from Peking University, has identified some of the enzymes and precursor compounds ...
Phys.org / Boomerang found in Poland may be oldest ever reported
An international team of scientists with a variety of backgrounds has found evidence that a boomerang found in a cave in Poland decades ago may be the oldest one ever reported. In their study published on the open-access ...
Phys.org / Experiment confirms spikes on scaly tailed squirrel's tail let it perch on Iroko trees without slipping down
A team of bio-robotic specialists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has confirmed theories suggesting that scaly-tailed flying squirrels use their spiky tails to keep their perch in slippery trees. In their ...
Phys.org / Observing guineafowl running on soft mud shows math used to calculate dinosaur speed may be inaccurate
An international team has found that equations to determine the speed of a moving dinosaur based on prints in trackways may be inaccurate. In their study published in the journal Biology Letters, the group urged test guineafowl ...
Medical Xpress / Alternating-pressure mattress design could reduce risk of bed sores
A team of engineers at the University of California, Los Angeles, working with a colleague from K Medical LLC, has developed a pressurized mattress that reduces the likelihood of developing bed sores for bedbound patients. ...
Phys.org / A new look at Colorado's Dinosaur Ridge reveals what may be the largest known dinosaur mating dance arena
A team of paleontologists and researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. has discovered what may be the largest known dinosaur mating dance arena ever found. For their study, published in the journal Cretaceous ...
Phys.org / Mysterious fast radio burst turns out to be from long-dead NASA satellite
A team of astronomers and astrophysicists affiliated with several institutions in Australia has found that a mysterious fast radio burst (FRB) detected last year originated not from a distant source, but from one circling ...
Phys.org / Green roofs shown to capture nearly all microplastics from rainwater
A small team of researchers at Tongji University, working with a colleague from the Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning, both in China, has found that growing plants on roofs can serve as an effective ...
Phys.org / Using ChatGPT to write essays may be eroding critical thinking skills
A team of neurologists and AI specialists at MIT's Media Lab has led a study looking into the brain impacts of large language model (LLM) use among people who engage with them for study or work. They report evidence that ...
Phys.org / Octopus species uses taste sensors on sucker cups to detect harmful chemicals
A team of molecular and cellular chemists and biologists from Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego, has found that at least one type of octopus has taste sensors on its sucker cups that allow it ...
Phys.org / Evidence of a possible ghost plume beneath Oman
An international team of geoscientists, chemists and climate scientists, has found evidence of a possible ghost plume beneath the territory of Oman. In their paper published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, ...
Phys.org / Female baboons with close father bonds tend to live longer lives, study finds
A team of biologists and wildlife specialists from the University of Notre Dame and Duke University, in the U.S., and Amboseli Baboon Research Project, in Kenya, has found evidence that female baboons who have relatively ...
Phys.org / Approximately one-third of vertebrate scavenger species may be facing population decline
A small team of biologists at Stanford University has found evidence that approximately one-third of all vertebrate scavengers are threatened or decreasing in abundance. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the ...
Tech Xplore / Two-actuator robot combines efficient ground rolling and spinning flight in one design
A team of engineers at Singapore University of Technology and Design has created a truly unique robot—one that can roll around like a drum, then take off and fly like a spinning wheel. In their paper published in The International ...
Phys.org / Human-caused stratospheric cooling may have been detectable as early as 1885
A small, multi-institutional team of climate scientists has found evidence that human-caused impacts on the stratosphere began earlier than previously thought. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National ...
