Articles by Krystal Kasal
Phys.org / How starfish control tube feet without a central nervous system or brain
Starfish, also known as sea stars, are equipped with an almost alien-like anatomy. Despite lacking a brain, blood, and central nervous system, these odd creatures still have locomotive abilities. The structure of their many ...
Phys.org / Shipping regulations to reduce pollution may have exacerbated Great Barrier Reef bleaching
Rising ocean temperatures have been implicated in mass coral bleaching events affecting the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These events have been increasingly frequent, with major events occurring in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, ...
Phys.org / Four-eyed Cambrian fish fossils hint at origins of vertebrate pineal complex
New fossil evidence from China suggests that some of our vertebrate ancestors had four eyes. The study, published in Nature, takes a closer look at a structure found in multiple 518 million-year-old fossils, which appears ...
Phys.org / Largest canine gut microbiome catalog reveals hundreds of new bacterial strains
Researchers at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in the UK recently revealed a complete taxonomic and functional catalog of the canine gut microbiome after analyzing samples from 107 healthy dogs across the U.S. and Europe. ...
Phys.org / SPHEREx imaging reveals increased sublimation activity on 3I/ATLAS
The interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, was first discovered in July 2025, and made its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) in late October. New observations of 3I/ATLAS were taken in December from the SPHEREx observatory—a ...
Tech Xplore / Benchmarking framework reveals major safety risks of using AI in lab experiments
While artificial intelligence (AI) models have proved useful in some areas of science, like predicting 3D protein structures, a new study shows that it should not yet be trusted in many lab experiments. The study, published ...
Phys.org / Marine wildlife rarely interact with tidal turbines—and usually avoid collisions when they do, observations show
Tidal turbines harbor the potential to provide a natural, inexhaustible source of power, but have faced some regulatory hurdles and scientific uncertainty about risks to marine life.
Phys.org / Scientists transform enigmatic cell structures into devices for recording RNA activity
Scientists can peer into cells to get a limited view of their activity using microscopes and other tools. However, cells and the molecular events within them are dynamic, and developmental processes, disease progression and ...
Phys.org / Antarctic submillimeter telescope enables more complete view of the carbon cycle in star-forming regions
Chinese researchers have braved the cold and harsh environment of Antarctica in order to get a unique view of star formation in the interstellar medium (ISM). The Chinese National Antarctica and Arctic Research Expedition ...
Phys.org / Medieval burials shed light on Menga dolmen's multicultural significance over thousands of years
The Menga dolmen in Antequera, Spain, is a Neolithic monument and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The monument, built in the fourth millennium BCE, has seen continued use for burials and rituals through the Bronze Age, ...
Phys.org / Asexual yam species employs mimicry to trick birds and spread farther
Evolutionarily speaking, the ultimate goal of a lifeform is to reproduce and stave off extinction. Many plants and animals have evolved unique tricks to do so. One of these tricks is mimicry, which might be used to trick ...
Phys.org / Aerosol pollution found to thicken fog over Northern India—especially at night
Frequent, thick winter fog events are a common nuisance in Northern India, exacerbated by heavy air pollution and dense aerosol concentrations. Because these fog events often cause major disruptions to transportation and ...
Medical Xpress / Yoga accelerates opioid withdrawal recovery when combined with standard care, study finds
Opioid addiction, or opioid use disorder (OUD), is a major global health issue, and recovery from OUD is marked with high relapse rates. During withdrawal, patients experience severe symptoms, which are partly due to dysregulation ...
Tech Xplore / New sodium-sulfur battery may offer safer, cheaper alternative to lithium
Due to our ever-increasing reliance on electronics, researchers are always on the lookout for battery materials with more desirable qualities. Common battery materials, like lithium, can be prone to disadvantages like overheating ...
Phys.org / Antiferromagnetic metal exhibits diode-like behavior without external magnetic field
Antiferromagnetic (AF) materials are made up of atoms or molecules with atomic spins that align in antiparallel directions of their neighbors. The magnetism of each individual atom or molecule is canceled out by the one next ...
