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Phys.org / Zodiacal dust in exoplanetary systems could hinder our search for life on other worlds
If you've ever been under a dark sky in the early morning before dawn, you may have seen a faint glow, almost like a column of light rising from the east. It's sometimes known as the false dawn because it appears before true ...
Phys.org / Physicists link the Riemann Hypothesis to phase transitions in quantum systems
A new study in Nature Communications has established a link between the Riemann Hypothesis and dynamical phase transitions in engineered quantum systems, demonstrating the effect on a quantum processor.
Phys.org / Mechanical recycling contamination risks the circular plastics economy, but quality control analytics can help
A study from the University of Manchester into the effects of polymer cross-contamination on the outcome of mechanically recycling plastics has found that the presence of contaminants radically alters degradation mechanisms.
Phys.org / New technique pinpoints human DNA inherited from 'ghost' ancestors
UC Berkeley researchers have identified regions of DNA that humans inherited from two unknown ancestors as a result of long-ago interbreeding among modern humans and at least four other archaic human relatives.
Phys.org / Smart sensor identifies present molecules by remembering the past
Most sensors are designed to do only one thing: detect what passes through them. But what if a sensor could do more? To create a new generation of technology, researchers have looked to living systems for inspiration. If ...
Phys.org / An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon
New research conducted using airborne laser scanning reveals that a multicultural civilization that flourished in southwestern Amazonia between 600 BCE and 850 CE was home to millions of people. Spanning roughly 183,000 square ...
Phys.org / Climate change could dramatically reduce water flowing from the West's headwaters
The small mountain streams that feed many of the West's rivers may face a much drier future. A new study led by NAU researchers found that groundwater-fed streamflow, known as base flow, has been steadily declining across ...
Phys.org / Hurricane storm surge follows predictable patterns, study finds
When a hurricane roars toward land, forecasters try to predict how high sea levels will rise to help coastal communities prepare for the worst impacts.
Medical Xpress / Children who fetch or open drinks for adults may be at increased risk for problematic alcohol use
When tweens and young adolescents bring or pour drinks for adults, they may perceive that their parents approve of underage drinking, increasing the risk of early drinking initiation and later harmful alcohol use. Findings ...
Phys.org / Why some nitrogen-processing enzymes are more efficient than others
Nitrogen gas is abundant in Earth's atmosphere, but most living organisms can't readily use it. Only a subset of microbes with enzymes known as nitrogenases can break nitrogen gas apart and convert it into ammonia.
Phys.org / Supergene solves evolutionary puzzle of mirror-image flowers
The left-right asymmetry of South African butterfly lilies (genus Wachendorfia) has been regarded as a classic evolutionary puzzle for more than a century. Due to the mirror-image arrangement of the floral parts, the plants ...
Phys.org / Fossil footprints reveal body size and group dynamics of 1.4-million-year-old human relative
Ancient footprints preserved along the shores of Kenya's Lake Turkana are reshaping scientists' understanding of one of humanity's extinct relatives. A paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes ...
