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Tech Xplore / Pine cone mechanics unlock 3D-printed materials that adapt to humidity
The scales of a pine cone open in low humidity to scatter seeds but close in damp conditions to protect seeds from moisture. An artificial material with the same behavior could be useful in applications like moisture-responsive ...
Phys.org / Drier soils may turn late summer into prolonged extreme heat
The summers of recent years have been hot, but not unusual from a meteorological perspective. According to researchers at Leipzig University, though, the next extreme summer would far exceed anything we have experienced so ...
Phys.org / Tomato roots reveal hidden steps in 400-million-year-old fungal partnership
Scientists at VIB and Ghent University have produced the first high-resolution, cell-by-cell map of how tomato roots respond to colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These ancient fungal partners help plants absorb ...
Phys.org / Long-range magnetic interactions govern how a ferrimagnet approaches its phase transition
Close to a phase transition, very different materials can follow the same mathematical rules. The concept of universality, which groups seemingly distinct systems based on their common properties, was developed to describe ...
Phys.org / Quantum light engine links atom-photon thermodynamics to classical physics
What is heat, and what is useful work if a machine consists only of an atom and light particles? In modern quantum technologies, this kind of question connects thermodynamics with quantum physics. Researchers at the University ...
Phys.org / Shackled men in 2,600-year-old Greek mass graves were likely locals, archaeologists find
In 2016, archaeologists working at the Phaleron Burial Ground, part of the ancient Attica region, uncovered an astonishing sight: three mass graves dating to the 7th and 6th centuries BCE containing the skeletons of 79 adult ...
Phys.org / Why Korean 'aegyo' speech sounds cute: Adults raise vocal resonances to sound younger and smaller
In Korean, the term "aegyo" denotes a playful cuteness put on by adults to win someone's affection, typically in romantic contexts. This is usually accomplished with bashful expressions or a childlike manner of speaking sometimes ...
Phys.org / 'Snooping' on dolphins offers acoustic clues to hotspots for food and friends
For dolphins, the ocean is a world of sound. Their whistles carry social information, helping them communicate and stay connected, while echolocation—rapid-fire clicks—functions like underwater sonar, helping them navigate ...
Phys.org / How ancient trees are warning us about the next enormous solar storm
Our sun is capable of storms far bigger than we've ever recorded. Studying the world's oldest trees suggests we could soon be due one of these gargantuan events.
Phys.org / A weakening Atlantic Ocean current system could accelerate Earth's warming
A current system in the Atlantic Ocean that shapes regional climates and distributes ocean nutrients also serves as a control knob to help regulate temperatures across the planet, new research has found.
Phys.org / Distinct neurons drive mice's social sounds and squeaks
Mice use almost completely distinct sets of neurons for their two different types of vocalizations—the squeaks they produce when in distress or fighting and the whistle-like ultrasonic vocalizations they use when communicating ...
Medical Xpress / AI reveals distinct cell defects inside breast cancer
Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed a powerful AI tool that reveals previously invisible patterns inside breast cancers. It uncovers how tiny cellular structures called centrosomes change as tumors ...