Articles by Krystal Kasal
Phys.org / Mars's manganese 'bathtub ring' reveals ancient ocean timeline and its potential for life
Past research has indicated Mars's largest northern basin, Utopia Planitia, was once the location of a large body of water, but details surrounding when this body of water may have existed have not been resolved. Researchers ...
Phys.org / Quantum pendulum clock overcomes classical accuracy limits and sheds light on quantum to classical transitions
In a grandfather clock, a pendulum swings back and forth and this periodic motion is maintained using the energy stored in its suspended weights. This is done with the help of the escapement mechanism, which converts the ...
Phys.org / Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere may owe its existence to cold subduction
Earth was mostly devoid of oxygen for much of its 4.5 billion year lifetime. That is, until certain processes started to allow for the eventual buildup of oxygen up to the levels we have now (around 21% of the atmosphere). ...
Phys.org / Polymer strategy boosts lithium battery safety and performance by making plasticizers compatible
The performance and safety profile of lithium batteries has improved immensely over the years, but new technologies are constantly demanding even better performance and increased safety demands due to higher energy densities. ...
Phys.org / Mercury's water ice may have been deposited by a larger, slower impactor than previously thought—in only one day
The source of the significant water ice deposits hidden in Mercury's polar regions has been a topic of debate among researchers. A new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, suggests that these ...
Phys.org / Mathematicians solve decades-old mystery about the hidden order in high-dimensional randomness
Three mathematicians have laid out proof that solves a long-standing problem in mathematics. Even the mathematician—an Abel prize winner—that first posed the problem didn't believe it would ever be solved. The solution provides ...
Tech Xplore / New earphone design verifies users by their heartbeat, simplifying authentication
The use of biometric data in personal devices has been popular with consumers for tracking things like heart rate and sleep stages, but it is becoming increasingly common for identification purposes too. Identifying data ...
Phys.org / Less low cloud cover lets in more heat from the sun—and may lock in centuries of sea level rise
According to NOAA, the global average sea level has risen 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. The rate at which the sea level is rising is increasing, threatening coastal cities and ecosystems around the world.
Phys.org / Ultrafast switching device unlocks low-power optical-to-electrical conversion for AI hardware
Modern energy demands are soaring as technologies like AI and IoT become more common, and researchers have been working hard to develop hardware that can keep up. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has ...
Phys.org / Implantable bacteria can now be safely contained, clearing a major hurdle for fighting infection and cancer
Researchers have long known that bacteria could potentially be used to deliver therapeutic drugs inside the human body. However, safely and successfully carrying out such a feat in humans has been a challenge. But now, researchers ...
Science X / Grasslands are facing a threat of poisonous plant takeover—but there's a surprising upside
Grasslands provide food for millions of grazing animals across the world, but overgrazing along with climate change make these valuable ecosystems vulnerable to invaders. In particular, certain species of poisonous plants ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
