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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 / Liquid crystals enable on‑demand skyrmion formation at room temperature

Researchers have recently found a new way to summon useful structures in magnetic materials using light, heat, and electric fields. This new method, described in a new study published in Physical Review Letters, may lead ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / 80 years after the Trinity nuclear test, scientists identify new molecule-trapping crystal formed in the blast

Matter behaves strangely under extreme conditions, and often, remnants of these behaviors are left behind even when conditions return to normal. The Trinity nuclear test in 1945 left behind such remnants, and now, 80 years ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Buried in Sudan's desert, 280 vast stone circles reveal a vanished cattle-herding culture

Recent satellite remote sensing surveys have identified 280 stone structures spread across the Atbai desert in Sudan. Twenty of these structures were previously identified by fieldwork or informal surveys, but were not systematically ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Ganymede's unique magnetic field may be powered by ongoing core formation—not a cooling core

Ganymede is not only Jupiter's largest moon, but also the largest in our solar system and one of the few that hosts a massive ice ocean. Adding to this planet-like moon's uniqueness is the fact that among the hundreds of ...

May 9, 2026
Phys.org / The moon's largest impact crater scattered something priceless—and Artemis may be heading straight into it

A new study, published in Science Advances, has refined some important details about the moon's largest and oldest impact crater, which stretches more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) on the far side of the moon. The new details ...

May 8, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient sea fossils indicate millipede and centipede ancestors evolved their legs while still underwater

The myriapoda group of arthropods includes the many-legged centipedes and millipedes that most people are familiar with. Although myriapods are all terrestrial creatures, researchers are unclear about when and how they evolved ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Medieval jaw reveals Scotland's first known dental bridge made from 20-carat gold

Without good dental care, teeth tend to suffer. An abundance of archaeological evidence has shown that poor oral health was common throughout history. And unsurprisingly, there have been many attempts at dental restoration ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Plaster-making technique previously attributed to the Romans appears 8,000 years earlier in Motza

Excavations from 2015 to 2021 on the ancient site of Motza, just west of Jerusalem, revealed a sprawling settlement with some surprisingly advanced technology. The site dates back to 7100–6700 BCE during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic ...

May 4, 2026
Phys.org / Gold digging is not exclusive to women: New study uncovers common attributes

Gold digging is often seen as a female behavior focused on exploiting wealthier partners for material gain, but science suggests this stereotype may be too narrow. Past studies have shown both men and women value resources ...

May 2, 2026
Phys.org / A lost galaxy called 'Loki' may be hiding inside the Milky Way

The Milky Way galaxy grew into its current form with the help of smaller galaxies over time, which it has "consumed" or merged with. Astronomers are able to pick out which stars in the Milky Way came from other galaxies by ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Roman cup unearthed in Spain may have been a keepsake representing a soldier's time at the Hadrian Wall

Archaeologists recently analyzed a broken, decorative cup found unexpectedly on a Spanish farm. The cup appears to represent Hadrian's Wall—a place 2,000 miles away—and a time period almost 2,000 years ago. The new study, ...

Apr 29, 2026
Science X / Snowball Earth may hide a far stranger climate cycle than anyone expected

During the Sturtian glacial period during the Neoproterozoic Era, Earth underwent periods of global glaciation, which have been described as either "Snowball" and "Slushball" Earth scenarios. In Snowball Earth models, the ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Monkeys navigate a virtual forest with thought alone, pushing brain-computer interfaces beyond the lab

As a part of a study testing out a new type of implanted brain-computer interface (BCI), three rhesus monkeys controlled movements in a virtual reality (VR) world using only brain signals. The study, published in Science ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / Blended satellite data reveal what drove methane's 2019–2024 rise worldwide

Because methane has around 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period, it has been a major focus for climate action groups. The Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in November 2021, aims to cut human-caused ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Ethiopia's Afar Rift provides glimpse into life and death 100,000 years ago

The study of ancient cultures around Ethiopia during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) time period is important for understanding how some of the first Homo sapiens lived and eventually left Africa. Unfortunately, there are not ...

Apr 14, 2026