All News
Phys.org / New radio-burst method helps locate universe's missing ordinary matter
Stars and galaxies make up much of the universe's ordinary, observable matter. But for decades, scientists have wrestled with a cosmic conflict: There should be much more.
Phys.org / DNA vacuum captures animal traces from air to map Danish wildlife
Researchers have developed a DNA vacuum that can suck genetic traces from animals out of the air and reveal which animals live in an area. In two new studies, the researchers collected air samples in three natural areas in ...
Phys.org / From quantum error correction to emergent gravity: Probing holographic universes at QLab
One of the deepest ambitions in modern physics is understanding how the fabric of space and time could emerge from fundamental quantum degrees of freedom to establish a quantum theory of gravity.
Phys.org / Review finds lack of evidence as to whether planting around our homes reduces the pollution we breathe
A new review led by the University of East London (UEL) has uncovered a major blind spot in air pollution research. Despite domestic gardens covering vast areas of Britain's towns and cities, researchers found no direct evidence ...
Phys.org / Astronomers are still trying to understand how a galaxy's spiral arms form
The Whirlpool galaxy (M51) is a classic grand spiral galaxy. It was the first object identified as a spiral, way back in 1845. At the time, it and other galaxies were considered spiral nebulae, since astronomers didn't know ...
Phys.org / Does dark energy really exist? Our work identifies cracks in the foundations of today's cosmological model
According to current understanding, the universe is expanding—and is doing so at an accelerating rate. This is believed to be caused by something called the cosmological constant, which was first proposed by Albert Einstein ...
Phys.org / Why do some people who trust in science also believe in scientific conspiracy theories?
In a world where trust in institutions is generally declining, trust in science remains relatively high. Yet belief in scientific conspiracy theories, such as hushed-up effects of vaccines or airplane "chemtrails," is also ...
Phys.org / 'I can't work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore': Why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
In the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed: "You'd see massive glacier calvings, and you'd just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you'd be like … 'can you not put two and two together?'"
Phys.org / Ancient bones from smaller Maya communities reveal heavy reliance on maize and local subsistence patterns
Historians and archaeologists know that maize was a central food source and cultural symbol across the ancient Maya world, but much of what is known has come from studies focused on large Maya cities and elite burials.
Phys.org / Kindness emerges intuitively in young children before reflection catches up, study finds
While humans are inherently social beings, psychology studies suggest that their social skills are gradually fine-tuned over time and with experience. Understanding when different social skills emerge and how they typically ...
Phys.org / Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion
Chinese astronomers report the detection of a peculiar optical transient event that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy. The newly discovered event, designated AT2019ijn, is a fast-rising, slow-decaying blue optical ...
Phys.org / Microscale roughness breakthrough defies 80 years of fluid dynamics
Logically, you would think a sleek surface has optimal aerodynamics—but recent research at Tohoku University turns this fundamental principle on its head. Applying an irregular microscale surface texture reduced the aerodynamic ...
