Articles by Krystal Kasal
Phys.org / Marathon Fusion claims it can turn mercury into gold while creating clean energy
A startup energy company, called Marathon Fusion, may soon be living out the dream of alchemists from the Middle Ages. In a recently released paper posted to the arXiv preprint server, the company outlines a method to turn ...
Phys.org / Record marine heat waves in 2023 covered 96% of oceans, lasted four times longer than average
Heat waves aren't just getting worse on land, the majority of the world's oceans are experiencing record-breaking temperatures too. These marine heat waves are getting longer, more intense and reaching farther than ever before. ...
Phys.org / Male cricket songs spark more socializing among female crickets, study finds
Within the last decade or two, the vast majority of Hawaiian field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) have lost the ability to create their mating song due to a mutation affecting the male crickets' wings. This mutation, referred ...
Phys.org / Hidden black or white feather layers intensify songbird plumage colors
Many species of songbirds have evolved to have strikingly colorful plumage, aiding them in catching the eye of mates, signaling, and recognizing each other. These eye-catching patterns have long interested scientists, who ...
Phys.org / Ancient caiman may have preyed on another apex predator—the giant 'terror bird'
The La Venta fossil site in Colombia is home to a rich fossil record, yielding a particularly diverse set of vertebrate fossil assemblages. The giant terror bird (phorusrhacid) and caiman—a large crocodile-like reptile—were ...
Phys.org / 4-day workweek boosts well-being and job satisfaction, study shows
Working long hours week after week, with no end in sight, takes a toll on employees. Long work hours have been shown to significantly decrease mental and physical health and lead to less productivity at work. This can also ...
Phys.org / Some families may be 'tossing a weighted coin' when it comes to child sex
The consensus on the likelihood of giving birth to a boy or girl has long been that the odds are roughly equal and that all mothers have the same odds of having either a boy or a girl. This is partially because sperm have ...
Medical Xpress / Genetically modified gut bacteria show promise for combating kidney stones in clinical trial
The human gut microbiome has been shown to impact health in a myriad of ways. The type and abundance of different bacteria can impact everything from the immune system to the nervous system. Now, researchers at Stanford University ...
Medical Xpress / Extremely severe obesity is on the rise in kids—along with a barrage of health problems
Obesity rates in children have been on the rise for decades, having quadrupled from 1990 to 2022, and along with the rise in obesity, comes a rise in health risks. However, obesity can be broken down further into categories ...
Medical Xpress / MRI study reveals structural brain changes in children with restrictive eating disorders
In the last decade, the incidence of restrictive eating disorders in children, like anorexia-nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorders (ARFID), has doubled. These disorders have severe consequences for growing ...
Medical Xpress / Obesity more likely caused by high calorie diet than lack of exercise
It's common knowledge that obesity is a global epidemic, particularly in industrialized countries, and that it is a major cause of disease and poor overall health. However, there has been a tug-of-war in the debate of whether ...
Phys.org / New evidence from pterosaur's fossilized stomach helps settle longstanding debate about its diet
The Mesozoic pterosaur is considered to be the first vertebrate to achieve powered flight and new evidence, also the first of its kind, helps to pin down what exactly this flying reptile ate. Previously, scientists had trouble ...
Phys.org / Ritualistically buried donkey remains provide insight into trade and culture in ancient Israel
Donkeys played an important role in the lives of ancient Mediterranean people, providing both food and a means of carrying goods. New evidence from an early Bronze Age (2900–2600/2550 BCE) archaeological site in modern-day ...
Phys.org / Sled dog genetic history sheds light on human migration patterns into Greenland
The histories of sled dogs and humans in the Arctic have been intricately linked for thousands of years, so it is no surprise that the migration patterns of these dogs mirror those of humans through the Arctic. Sled dogs ...
Medical Xpress / Bird flu found to evolve rapidly, infecting more hosts and finding ways to spread more effectively
Although the avian flu (H5N1) virus may not be making the news as frequently, it is still working hard behind the scenes, attempting to evolve into more and more effective versions. Since the highly pathogenic avian flu was ...
