Articles by Krystal Kasal
Medical Xpress / Video games might modestly sharpen your memory and other cognitive skills, review suggests
Because video games are a regular part of many people's everyday lives, researchers have spent a lot of time trying to determine whether they are beneficial or detrimental to brain health. A new study, published in Acta Psychologica, ...
Phys.org / Greenland meltwater adds to AMOC weakening, but updated model finds no tipping point in sight
The state of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has been a hot topic among climate scientists in recent years. The AMOC is crucial for climate regulation because it pulls warm surface water from the tropics ...
Phys.org / DNA-based nanoswitch can flip in milliseconds and stay in one state for days without continuous forcing
Scientists have engineered a nanoscale switch using DNA "origami." Inspired by macroscale mechanical switches, the device achieves long-term functionality without the continuous forcing mechanism that past versions required ...
Phys.org / An iconic spear-throwing device likely wasn't used by prehistoric hunters until around 10,000 years ago
Archaeologists have long pictured prehistoric hunters taking down mammoths and other megafauna using the atlatl, a handheld spear-throwing device that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity and force when throwing darts. ...
Phys.org / Light-activated compound kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria by turning its own defense enzyme against it
Antibiotic resistance is becoming an accelerating crisis because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics over many years. The problem is exacerbated when antibiotics wipe out susceptible bacteria but leave resistant bacteria ...
Phys.org / An iron-driven chain reaction may trigger mass death of harmful algae blooms
Over recent decades, harmful algal blooms have become increasingly common. These blooms often consist of bacteria called "cyanobacteria" in freshwater ecosystems. They can produce debilitating toxins, suffocate marine life ...
Phys.org / The universe should look the same in all directions at large scales, but DESI data suggest otherwise
Earlier this year, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) completed observations that mapped 47 million galaxies across 11 billion light-years, allowing astronomers to better evaluate the large-scale structure of ...
Phys.org / Language-based screeners may miss kids who struggle to read due to visual-processing issues
Reading difficulties, like dyslexia, are common and often affect achievement and outcomes during school and later in life. A new study, published in Current Biology, reports that current methods used to test for reading disabilities ...
Phys.org / Oldest example of preserved tube feet reveals clues about the lives of 452-million-year-old sea lilies
Echinoderms, such as starfish, sea urchins and sea lilies, use small, flexible, tubular projections called "tube feet" for locomotion, feeding, respiration and sensory perception. Crinoids, a subgroup of echinoderms, are ...
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 ...
