Articles by Paul Arnold
Phys.org / Alkaline-loving microbes could help safeguard nuclear waste buried deep underground for thousands of years
Billions of alkaline-loving microbes could offer a new way to protect nuclear waste buried deep underground. This approach overcomes the limitations of current cement barriers, which can crack or break down over time.
Medical Xpress / Gut bacteria's hidden toxin acts as DNA glue, fueling colorectal cancer risk
Colibactin is a powerful toxin produced by Escherichia coli and other bacteria living in the human gut. This highly unstable bacterial product causes mutations in DNA that have been linked to colorectal cancer. Because it ...
Tech Xplore / Scientists develop a glasses-free 3D system with a little help from AI
Watching 3D movies and TV shows is a fun and exciting experience, where images leap out of the screen. To get this effect, you usually have to wear a special pair of glasses. But that could soon be a thing of the past as ...
Phys.org / Glaciers speed up and slow down at predictable times according to the first global map of ice movement
The speed at which glaciers move changes predictably each year, according to the first-ever global map of how glacier and ice sheet speeds vary with the seasons. Knowing this yearly rhythm could help us better predict sea-level ...
Phys.org / Smart material instantly changes colors on demand for use in textiles and consumer products
Scientists have developed a revolutionary technique for creating colors that can change on command. These are structural colors that don't rely on dyes or pigments and can be used for display signage, adaptive camouflage ...
Phys.org / Interstellar object covered in 'icy volcanoes' could rewrite our understanding of how comets formed
Analysis of the second confirmed interstellar comet to visit our solar system suggests that the alien body could be covered in erupting icy, volcano-like structures called cryovolcanoes. Researchers also discovered that the ...
Phys.org / Ancient stalagmite provides insights into how climate affected early communities in cradle of civilization
The Fertile Crescent, a boomerang-shaped region spanning modern-day Middle Eastern countries, is considered the cradle of civilization and where farming first emerged. But little is known about how climate change influenced ...
Phys.org / Cats adjust their communication strategy by meowing more when greeting men
As many cat owners will testify, their pets are often mysterious creatures, independent, cunning and sometimes aloof. And now it appears that when it comes to communication, they might be playing favorites. A new study published ...
Phys.org / New digital state of matter could help build stable quantum computers
Scientists have taken another major step toward creating stable quantum computers. Using a specialized quantum computer chip (an essential component of a quantum computer) as a kind of tiny laboratory, a team led by Pan Jianwei ...
Phys.org / Monkeys have rhythm and can tap along to the beat (with a little help from the Backstreet Boys)
They may not yet be kings of the swingers, but macaque monkeys can keep time to music and move to the beat. Well, at least two adult macaques can, who were trained by researchers to tap along to different kinds of music. ...
Phys.org / Asteroid loaded with amino acids offers new clues about the origin of life on Earth
One of the most elegant theories about the origins of life on our planet is that it was kick-started by a delivery from outer space. This idea suggests that prebiotic molecules—the building blocks of life—were transported ...
Phys.org / New universal law predicts how most objects shatter, from dropped bottles to exploding bubbles
When a plate drops or a glass smashes, you're annoyed by the mess and the cost of replacing them. But for some physicists, the broken pieces are a source of fascination: Why does everything break into such a huge variety ...
Medical Xpress / Prototype device restores lost smell by teaching the brain to feel odors
There is new hope for people who have lost their smell. Scientists have successfully tested a breakthrough device that lets people detect the presence of certain odors. This innovative system helps them "smell" again by translating ...
Phys.org / Dating a North American rock art tradition that lasted 175 generations
The Pecos River murals are a stunning collection of monumental, multicolored rock paintings in limestone rock shelters across southwest Texas and northern Mexico. They depict human-like figures that reach up to eight meters ...
Phys.org / Modern life explains why people in Chile are taller and have larger heads than their ancestors
Modern Chileans are significantly taller and have larger heads than their ancestors. That's the central finding of new research looking at how intracranial volume (ICV) has changed across thousands of years in northern Chile. ...