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Phys.org / Where was Baltica 616 million years ago? Paleomagnetic data offer revised answer

About 600 million years ago, the continents wandered Earth, yet to settle into their current positions. Their locations during the Ediacaran (as this time is called) have been tough for scientists to pin down. Earth's magnetic ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Colored microplastics could be making global warming worse

There's more bad news about microplastics. We already know they pose a risk to health and can pollute ecosystems, but now researchers have discovered that tiny plastic particles drifting in Earth's atmosphere could be a significant ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Planet 9 volunteers double known population of brown dwarfs

A new paper from NASA's Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project announces that volunteers have essentially doubled the number of known brown dwarfs, with over 3,000 new discoveries made over the past 10 years since the project ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Life with one less: Engineered bacteria break the 20-amino-acid rule

One of life's many mysteries is how it ended up choosing only a set of 20 amino acids to build proteins for its wide catalog of organisms, from single-celled bacteria to behemoth whales. From a chemical standpoint, many of ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists map genetic switches on mosquito reproductive genes, advancing tools to fight disease

Scientists at Keele University have created the first detailed map of the genetic "switches" that control reproduction in disease-carrying insects such as Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito species most responsible for malaria ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Polar vortex forecasts gain months of lead time with new climate-based method

Florida State University researchers have discovered how to accurately predict winter weather forecasts months in advance, affording sectors such as agriculture, water management, energy use and public health a longer lead ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Digitizing microscope slides can uncover billions of fossils for natural history

Approximately 145 million: That's the number of specimens—including plants, animals, minerals, and human artifacts—curators estimate are held in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. However, these estimates ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Physics-based weather models more accurate than AI at predicting extreme weather

Weather forecasting is another aspect of modern life that artificial intelligence is transforming. Models like GraphCast, Pangu-Weather, and Fuxi are already better than traditional physics-based climate models at predicting ...

18 hours ago
Science X / Is fasting the new anti-aging hack? For seniors, it's complicated

Think skipping meals is just for younger folks? Research suggests that when and how older adults eat can influence weight, heart health, and even cognitive function. There's a trade-off, though.

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Inexpensive material compresses light, paving the way for photonic microcircuits in the terahertz range

A two-dimensional lamellar crystal composed of atomically thin layers of lead iodide (PbI2) could be used to manufacture a new generation of circuits that use light and mechanical vibrations (rather than electrons) to transmit ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Watermelon super-pangenome paves the way for precision breeding

Watermelon is a quintessential summertime fruit, evoking images of warm, sunny afternoons and cookouts with friends and family. You can easily picture its striped, green rind and pink flesh, imagine the delicate crunch as ...

9 hours ago
Tech Xplore / Can AI ascertain our personality traits from our ChatGPT history?

Large language models (LLMs), the computational models underpinning the functioning of ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar conversational platforms, are now used daily by many people worldwide. As these models can rapidly answer ...

16 hours ago