All News
Phys.org / Future big droughts may be worse than we think—NZ's past shows why
For an agricultural nation like New Zealand, severe drought is one of the most ominous consequences of a warming planet.
Phys.org / Sustainable electrosynthesis enables production of amines directly from airborne nitrogen
Amines are a functional group characterized by the presence of a nitrogen atom bonded to one or more alkyl or aryl (aromatic ring) groups. Derived from ammonia, amines play crucial roles in biological systems and various ...
Phys.org / Why do brown bats stop feeding during fireworks?
Firework shows are controversial in this day and age. While beautiful, fireworks are loud, bright, and smoky, and they can be dangerous to the surrounding environment, releasing contaminants into the air and frightening both ...
Phys.org / How carbon dioxide cools the upper atmosphere—and warms Earth below
Even as temperatures rise on Earth's surface and in the lower atmosphere, the planet's upper atmosphere has cooled dramatically. This paradoxical pattern is a well-known sign of humanity's climate impacts—but until now, the ...
Tech Xplore / Light-tunable polarization sensor could sharpen self-driving cars and medical scans
A technology that surpasses the limitations of existing sensors, which fail to distinguish between water and asphalt on dark roads, has emerged to enhance the accuracy of autonomous driving and medical diagnostics. A research ...
Phys.org / Why prescribed fire often fails: Scorched invasive shrubs can resprout instead of die
Invasive woody plants present a major ecological challenge in eastern U.S. forests by outcompeting native species and spreading quickly, forming dense thickets that crowd out native plants and disrupt ecosystems. Land managers ...
Phys.org / Gentle, laser-driven flows enable precise 3D imaging of delicate samples
Until now, it has been technically nearly impossible to rotate highly sensitive samples in all directions under a microscope without making contact. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed ...
Phys.org / Birds can suffer serious harm from heat waves
Extreme weather poses a big threat to birds. Yet there is a lack of both knowledge and methods for measuring its negative effects. In a new study published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, researchers from Lund University ...
Phys.org / Roots reveal climate adaptation as 284 plant varieties reshape water barrier
Plant roots are far more than simple absorption organs: they can adjust their structure to better cope with water stress. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Lausanne (UNIL), ...
Medical Xpress / Digital aging twin measures how organs age at different speeds across adulthood
Aging is a complex process, and precisely measuring how the human body declines has long been a challenge. Two people of the same chronological age can have very different health trajectories. Scientists have also struggled ...
Phys.org / How Qing featherwork got its colors: New scans reveal multiple birds and hidden pigment layers
The kingfisher's brilliant blue feathers were once used like paint to create works of art. The technique, known as tian-tsui, was popular during China's Qing Dynasty. And because tian-tsui uses delicate feathers, previous ...
Phys.org / Climate patterns may shape where violent conflict risks are amplified
A new Rice University study is shedding light on a long-debated question: Can climate variability influence the risk of armed conflict? The answer, researchers say, is yes—but in more nuanced and region-specific ways than ...
