Articles by Krystal Kasal
Phys.org / Titan and Pluto exhibit the same mysterious spectral feature—and researchers can't figure out its origin
Researchers are constantly sifting through new spectral data gathered by powerful telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Most of the time, when they identify spectral features—specific absorption or emission ...
Phys.org / 'Timescapes' may help explain how animal species perceive events so differently in time
There is evidence that nonhuman animals perceive the world, and how it unfolds in time, differently from humans and from each other. For example, certain beetles can see flickering in lights up to around 500 Hz, while in ...
Phys.org / Cockroach genomes are packed with DNA transferred by their endosymbiont bacterial partners
Genes aren't just transferred from parents to their offspring. Nature has found other ways to pass on genetic information, even between different species. And a new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National ...
Phys.org / Deep learning helps discover hundreds of Antarctic earthquakes coming from an unlikely location
Most of the earthquakes we hear about are due to tectonic plates colliding or sliding past each other near plate boundaries. Yet researchers have detected some enigmatic earthquakes happening inside the more stable interiors ...
Phys.org / Northern permafrost switches from carbon sink to carbon source earlier than thought in models including deep soil carbon
The Arctic and northern high latitudes are warming about 2–4 times faster than the global average, allowing ancient permafrost to thaw and release stored carbon. These permafrost soils currently store roughly one-third of ...
Phys.org / Burned as waste for years, this overlooked plant material is poised to reshape how nylon gets made
Most people have seen nylon listed as a material on their clothing tags, but nylon is used in an array of other products, too, including automotive parts, wire insulation and medical supplies. Unfortunately, one of the building ...
Tech Xplore / Human understanding of AI can't keep up with its advancement, researchers say
In a recent editorial published in Science, Microsoft's chief scientific officer, Eric Horvitz, and researcher Robert West from the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at EPFL in Switzerland issue a stark warning ...
Phys.org / Human evolution was messy and gradual, not an abrupt revolution, argues archaeologist
It is generally accepted by archaeologists that modern humans originated in Africa and dispersed worldwide, while other hominins went extinct. Yet how and when Homo sapiens dispersed out of Africa, and whether it was an abrupt ...
Phys.org / Maya altar and offerings at abandoned Belize sites highlight enduring ritual activities
Archaeologists excavating Maya sites at Kaxil Uinik and Ayiin Winik in Belize have discovered the first reported Late Postclassic altar in the region, along with additional evidence that Postclassic Maya people continued ...
Phys.org / Newfound sound wave scattering rule may lead to less bulky, more effective soundproofing
Researchers in China recently uncovered a quantum-inspired rule governing how sound is scattered by certain physical properties of a material. Their research, published in Physical Review Letters, may lead to the ability ...
Phys.org / Atlantic 'cold blob' caused by weakening ocean current system that's likely nearing a tipping point, reanalysis finds
A part of the Atlantic Ocean, just south of Greenland and Iceland, has been cooling off while the rest of the world gets hotter. This enigmatic patch is often referred to as the "cold blob" and scientists have been trying ...
Phys.org / Costa Rica paid landowners to restore forests and biodiversity—bioacoustics indicate that it worked
Forest restoration can help fight climate change and restore lost biodiversity, but the satellite-based techniques used to measure successful forest restoration have been less-than-helpful for measuring changes in biodiversity. ...
Phys.org / Deep-Earth seismic anomalies may be explained by newly discovered manganese compound
Scientists know that manganese, in its various oxide forms, plays a significant role in Earth's geochemical cycles. However, the exact forms of manganese, their abundance and the mechanisms behind these cycles that occur ...
Phys.org / Plate tectonics shaped the Cradle of Civilization by merging two ancient rivers, study suggests
The Euphrates River is the longest river in Western Asia and runs through the eastern side of the Fertile Crescent. Flowing over 1,700 miles from Turkey through Syria and Iraq, the river played a crucial role in sustaining ...
Phys.org / Mathematician solves origami donut efficiency challenge with fewest folds
Most people wouldn't think that it would take rigorous mathematical proof to show how many folds it takes to make a donut shape out of paper. Yet, no one could quite figure it out until recently.
