Articles by Krystal Kasal
Phys.org / Rare oceanic plate delamination may explain Portugal's mysterious earthquakes
One of the worst earthquakes in European history ripped through Portugal in 1755, causing a tsunami, fires and shaking that killed tens of thousands of people and caused widespread destruction. Another less well-documented ...
Phys.org / Mammoth DNA from Mexico reveals a divergent lineage
Long before the construction of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, which lies northeast of Mexico City, the area was home to the former Lake Xaltocan and inhabited by a rich ecosystem of prehistoric animals. Eons later, ...
Phys.org / Mapping out France's 'Great Fear of 1789' shows how misinformation spreads like a virus
Since the rise of the internet and social media, society has become well-acquainted with the idea of "virality" as the rapid spread of ideas and information (or misinformation). The relatively recent COVID-19 pandemic also ...
Phys.org / Tasmanian tiger extinction may have been facilitated by ancestral gene loss
The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf, roamed the Australian mainland, Tasmania and New Guinea for millions of years, up until the last one died in Tasmania in 1936. Despite the names, the thylacine ...
Phys.org / Parked cars are heating up cities by significantly contributing to urban heat island effect—especially darker cars
The urban heat island effect describes the way urban areas get significantly warmer than the surrounding rural or suburban areas. There are a number of reasons why this occurs, although it can mostly be boiled down to the ...
Medical Xpress / Wearable sweat sensor can detect responses to physical, emotional and pharmacological stress
Most people are well aware of the effects of chronic stress in the modern world. While some stress can be a good thing, like the type of stress your body feels during an intense workout, prolonged or chronic stress can lead ...
Medical Xpress / Rare bone disorder traced to deficiency of an 'enzyme-rescue metabolite' in new study
Living cells contain a world of complex parts, which are constantly in motion. Many functions of these parts are still not fully understood, but likely harbor answers to many of our questions about how diseases work and how ...
Phys.org / DNA from rainwater provides a window into tropical canopy biodiversity
Tropical rainforests still represent a treasure trove of undiscovered species. While many species of plants, animals, and insects have been identified over the years, some parts of these tropical ecosystems are difficult ...
Phys.org / Evidence from Neolithic burial pits reveals gruesome war practices
The Neolithic period, considered to be the last part of the Stone Age, may have been a brutal time to be alive for many people in Europe. Archaeological studies have found evidence of massacres involving entire communities, ...
Tech Xplore / Solar trees provide opportunity to meet renewable energy targets without deforestation
With the right technology, solar energy has the potential to meet all of the world's electricity needs, but we are still a long way off from that point. Still, governments around the world are setting high objectives for ...
Phys.org / Svalbard lost 1% of its ice in the summer of 2024, more than any year on record
Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that is technically a part of Norway, lies about halfway between the northernmost part of Norway and the North Pole. Currently, about 60% of Svalbard's surface is covered in glaciers, but these ...
Phys.org / More drought brings earlier autumn leaf fall, Northern Hemisphere study finds
The progression of leaf coloring from green to the reds, oranges, and yellows of the fall season can be a spectacular sight to behold, but this process is also an important part of a plant's developmental cycle.
Phys.org / Hair-based recordkeeping system may have been used by Inka elites and commoners alike
Before databases and spreadsheets, people had to find other ways to keep track of information. One of the more interesting recording-keeping systems was the khipu—a cord made of human hair from which additional cords were ...
Phys.org / Liberica coffee consists of three distinct species, offering more climate-resilient options
The vast majority of coffee grown around the world consists of only two species: arabica (Coffea arabica) and robusta (Coffea canephora). The dependence on only these two species of coffee is proving to be a challenge in ...
Phys.org / Hydrologists redefine aridity index to include river and groundwater flow—providing more accurate estimates
The aridity index is an invaluable tool used for estimating how dry (or how humid) a location is based on the precipitation and evapotranspiration occurring in the area. It is useful for predicting the severity of droughts, ...
