Articles by Paul Arnold
Phys.org / Bizarre new dinosaur with giant claws discovered in China
It walked on two legs and may have looked like a feathered bear with giant claws. Meet Kayrasaurus changliensis—well, its almost complete skeleton, to be precise.
Phys.org / What billiard balls reveal about computers and the limits of prediction
When is a billiard ball not a billiard ball? When mathematicians get involved and view a popular game as a model computer.
Phys.org / Astronomers detect radio signals coming from an exoplanet for the first time
Exoplanets are exotic worlds orbiting distant stars far beyond our solar system. Ever since the first ones were discovered in the 1990s, astronomers have turned their attention to these distant worlds to understand more about ...
Phys.org / Antarctica's lost mountains may have helped early life flourish
Beneath the vast frozen wastes of Antarctica lie the remains of ancient mountains that have long since eroded. Even though they're no longer standing, they can still reveal a few lost secrets. New research published in Earth ...
Phys.org / Does Tutankhamen's tomb hold his stepmother Queen Nefertiti's remains? New study offers tantalizing clues
When Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered over a century ago, it became an immediate worldwide sensation, revealing a wealth of treasures from ancient Egypt. In the decades that followed, the tomb was meticulously cleared, cataloged ...
Phys.org / North Korea's nuclear testing may have triggered hundreds of earthquakes over several years
Between 2006 and 2017, North Korea conducted six underground nuclear tests at its vast testing site at Mount Mantap in North Hamgyong province. Typically, underground explosions trigger an intense burst of minor earthquakes ...
Phys.org / Medieval Chinese skeleton may reveal first evidence of a brutal punishment
Ancient Chinese authorities used many creative ways to punish people, often with methods designed to mark them for life. One brutal example mentioned repeatedly in historical texts is cutting off a person's nose. However, ...
Phys.org / New benchmark puts quantum computers to the test and reveals their limitations
Quantum computers are no longer theoretical concepts. Today, they are being developed to tackle a range of complex problems, including exploring financial risk, modeling complex molecules and optimizing massive logistics ...
Phys.org / Deep-sea crustaceans caught hitching rides on giant sea spiders
Some types of marine life appear to have it easy. While exploring thousands of meters below the waves in the Chilean Margin in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, scientists observed tiny shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods ...
Phys.org / Iron Age seeds reveal the origins of Iberian wine
Spain and Portugal are two of the world's most popular wine-growing countries, with regions such as Rioja and the Douro Valley producing millions of bottles every year. This winemaking tradition dates back thousands of years, ...
Phys.org / Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions
One of Athens' crowning jewels is the Parthenon, a classical temple on the Acropolis that overlooks the Greek capital. According to legend, many historians, textbooks and tour guides say the ancient Greek architects who designed ...
Tech Xplore / When AI agents cheat on math problems, others blow the whistle
AI is advancing rapidly. One of the major shifts in the field is that, instead of single chatbots performing individual tasks, teams of autonomous agents work together by communicating with each other, sharing tools and accessing ...
Phys.org / Wild dogs make the longest recorded journey of any terrestrial mammal in Africa
African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) travel incredibly long distances to search for a mate and new places to breed. They typically embark on these mammoth treks as young adults and often face numerous hazards along the way. ...
Phys.org / Rivers may be carrying more microplastics into the world's oceans than previously thought
Microplastics are a modern environmental menace and a potential threat to human health. These tiny pieces of plastic, measuring from 1 to 5,000 micrometers, come mainly from larger plastics as well as sources such as paints ...
Phys.org / The surprising history of woolly rhinos: They weren't always creatures of the frozen north
Woolly rhinoceroses (Coelodonta antiquitatis) were fascinating creatures: giant, lumbering Ice Age beasts with thick fur and massive horns that died out about 11,000 years ago. Previous genetic studies had left open the question ...
