Articles by Krystal Kasal
Phys.org / Most compact quadruple star system yet fits within an area the size of Jupiter's orbit
Astronomers have reported observations of a rare star system consisting of one star orbiting a system of three more tightly bound stars. This quadruple star system is described in a new study, published in Nature Communications, ...
Phys.org / Study finds 77% of US national parks are highly vulnerable to climate change
National parks in the United States represent a treasure trove of natural, historical, and recreational landscapes, but their health is at risk. A comprehensive new study on the climate-change vulnerability of national parks, ...
Phys.org / NASA's MAVEN detects first evidence of lightning-like activity on Mars
While sifting through the extensive data collected by NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft over the last decade, scientists discovered a familiar type of electromagnetic signal commonly caused ...
Phys.org / Scientists synthesize stable N₄ radical anions under ambient conditions
A team of scientists from the University of Manchester and Oxford have synthesized stable nitrogen chain radical anions under ambient conditions. These molecules, which are normally too reactive to isolate and study under ...
Tech Xplore / HFC electrolyte delivers energy-dense lithium battery that keeps running at −50 °C
A research team in China has developed an electrolyte using monofluorinated hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) solvents capable of achieving energy densities higher than 700 Wh kg−1 at room temperature and about 400 Wh kg−1 at −50 °C, ...
Phys.org / Single-celled organism becomes multicellular via three different pathways
Some single-celled organisms are known to transition to multicellularity during their lifetimes, usually either by cloning themselves or when many similar cells come together to form a larger multicellular organism. A new ...
Phys.org / Major gap in Earth's rock record likely due to tectonics—not glaciers
The Great Unconformity is a major gap in Earth's geologic record. The missing layer between Precambrian and Cambrian rocks represents a gap of around a billion years of history. Among much debate surrounding the cause of ...
Phys.org / CT scans of Inca child sacrifices reveal new details about capacocha rituals
The Incas were known to engage in a sacrificial ritual involving children to appease their gods. Archaeologists have found and analyzed the remains of these human sacrifices, although not all of them have undergone CT scanning, ...
Phys.org / Symbiotic bacteria in planthoppers break record for smallest non-organelle genome ever found
Many insects rely on heritable bacterial endosymbionts for essential nutrients that they cannot get through their diet. A new study, published in Nature Communications, indicates that the genomes of these symbiotic bacteria ...
Medical Xpress / Immune cells from pediatricians help uncover an antibody cocktail against RSV and hMPV
Researchers in China recently published a study in Science Translational Medicine describing a new antibody cocktail for protection against two common viruses. The proposed preventative treatment consists of antibodies identified ...
Phys.org / Giant DNA viruses encode their own eukaryote-like translation machinery, researchers discover
In a new study, published in Cell, researchers describe a newfound mechanism for creating proteins in a giant DNA virus, comparable to a mechanism in eukaryotic cells. The finding challenges the dogma that viruses lack protein ...
Phys.org / AI system TongGeometry generates and solves olympiad-level geometry problems
The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is a prestigious competition featuring talented high school students from around the world, in which competitors solve complicated mathematical problems. Geometry problems from ...
Phys.org / Japan's ancient 'tigers' were actually cave lions, DNA evidence shows
There aren't any native lion or tiger populations living in Japan today, but this was not always the case. Fossil evidence indicates that at least one species of large cat roamed the archipelago during the Late Pleistocene—a ...
Medical Xpress / Why you hardly notice your blind spot: New tests pit three theories of consciousness
Although humans' visual perception of the world appears complete, our eyes contain a visual blind spot where the optic nerve connects to the retina. Scientists are still uncertain whether the brain fully compensates for the ...
Phys.org / Jupiter-family comet 41P/TGK slows down and reverses spin after perihelion
New analysis on 2017 Hubble images of the Jupiter-family comet, 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresak (41P/TGK), indicates that the comet underwent a spin reversal between April and December 2017. While this behavior is not unheard ...