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Krystal Kasal

Krystal Kasal

Author

Krystal is a freelance science and technical writer with a Master's degree in physics from Washington State University. She has been doing freelance work for the last five years, with experience in clinical research and writing educational physics content. She enjoys writing about science, nature, health, and anything a little bit out of the ordinary.

Articles by Krystal Kasal

Phys.org / Women with narcissistic tendencies may struggle with forgiveness

Narcissism is associated with selfishness and other negative traits like a grandiose sense of self-importance, a constant need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. So it may not be surprising that narcissists ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / New models shed light on how an exotic phase of hydrogen in Earth's core may behave

While Earth's core consists mostly of iron, its density implies that lighter elements are also mixed in. Because hydrogen is abundant in the universe and can mix with iron under certain conditions, scientists suspect it makes ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Unusual metal oxide shows signs of magnetism under lattice strain in ultrathin layers

Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a metal oxide that commonly serves as an important metallic conductor, quantum material and industrial electrocatalyst. While there have been debates surrounding the magnetic properties of RuO2, ...

Aug 1, 2026
Phys.org / 2D quantum memory device reaches single-electron limit of information storage

Most electronic memory storage devices require the ability to trap large numbers of electrons for each bit of memory. In an ideal world, however, it would take only one electron. This would reduce space requirements and power ...

Jul 29, 2026
Phys.org / California drought may have pushed parts of the Sacramento Valley aquifer toward permanent collapse

Around a quarter of the U.S. food supply is grown in California's Central Valley. Most of its crops, like rice, fruit trees and nut trees, are water-intensive and require extensive groundwater pumping during droughts. Over ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Extragalactic positron-annihilation hotspots might mean Milky Way produces far more positrons than thought

Positrons—the antimatter counterpart of electrons—are created in high-energy cosmic processes. When normal matter meets its antimatter counterpart, they annihilate, or vanish, and produce a distinctive 511 keV gamma-ray signal. ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient bones from smaller Maya communities reveal heavy reliance on maize and local subsistence patterns

Historians and archaeologists know that maize was a central food source and cultural symbol across the ancient Maya world, but much of what is known has come from studies focused on large Maya cities and elite burials.

Jul 25, 2026
Phys.org / Why and how birdsong differs across the world—and the eight motifs that tie them together

Birdsong carries meaning across open space, helping birds attract mates, defend territory and communicate with rivals. While there has been much research into the use of birdsong across species, researchers have lacked a ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered enzyme erases a stubborn mark of aging by up to 70% in human tissue samples

A biotech company called Revel Pharmaceuticals is looking into ways to reverse aging, and the company's science team, along with researchers from the company Calico and the University of Colorado, may be a step closer to ...

Jul 22, 2026
Phys.org / Low cloud-cover has helped mute warming for the last 47 years, but models predict this will change

A recent study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, combines historical satellite observations with atmospheric reanalysis data to construct a multidecade record of low-cloud cover in the hope of improving current ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Light-driven chemistry steers electron transfers beyond redox limits

Chemists use single-electron transfers to synthesize complex, ring-shaped molecular structures found in many drug candidates and advanced materials, but current techniques still have limitations. A new study, accepted for ...

Jul 20, 2026
Phys.org / AI‑designed gene‑editing enzymes expand the CRISPR toolbox

Scientists have made many advances using traditional CRISPR technology, especially in medicine, but they are now seeking ways to create genuinely new gene-editing enzymes with properties that have not already evolved naturally. ...

Jul 17, 2026
Phys.org / Brain-inspired nanopore device uses current-induced heating for memory operations

Some researchers are leaning into biology for inspiration in computing. In particular, neuromorphic computing offers a brain-inspired approach to hardware that replaces traditional binary processing with systems that function ...

Jul 16, 2026
Phys.org / Asteroid with unexplained orbital shift turns out to be a 'dark comet'

Typically, astronomers identify comets by their distinct atmospheres, or comae, and their tails, which are created as the sun vaporizes a comet's ice. These features emit a glow when sunlight bounces off dust and water droplets. ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / New Jurassic dinosaur species identified in Thailand from a single bone

A new study published in Scientific Reports describes the identification of a new species of long-necked dinosaur found in the Phu Kradung Formation in Thailand. The team calls the dinosaur Uragasaurus kalasinensis and says ...

Jul 10, 2026