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Phys.org / How poison frogs built a chemical weapons system one evolutionary step at a time
Poison frogs are small and brightly colored amphibians that originate from Central and South America. As suggested by their name, these frogs can release highly toxic chemicals from their skin, which deter and neutralize ...
Phys.org / Navigating the past with ancient stone compass needles
Magnetic rocks with iron oxide concentrations act as natural chroniclers of Earth's past continental movements. Using small samples of rocks, scientists can isolate magnetic grains that were frozen in orientation as the rock ...
Phys.org / The moon might be more prone to fires
Engineers love a good practical challenge, especially when it comes to spaceflight. But there's one particular challenge facing the crewed missions of the near future that scares mission planners above almost all others—fire. ...
Tech Xplore / Perovskite solar cells reach 26.61% certified efficiency with cesium-doping strategy
Solar cells, devices that convert sunlight into electricity, are now widely used in many countries. While most existing solar cells are based on silicon, energy engineers have been working on other devices made of so-called ...
Medical Xpress / Sex differences in brain gene activity could explain why some disorders affect men and women differently
The physical differences between men and women are all too obvious, but the biological divide goes right down to the cellular level in the brain, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
Phys.org / Looking deep inside quarks: CMS test probes to 10⁻²⁰ meters and finds no inner structure
According to our current understanding of the universe, quarks are fundamental, point-like particles: basic building blocks that are not made up of smaller particles. A recent paper from the CMS Collaboration describes how ...
Phys.org / The Colorado River disappeared from the geological record for 5 million years: Scientists now know where it went
Geologists have solved the mystery of the disappearance from the geological record, millions of years ago, of one of North America's most important waterways: the Colorado River. A paper published in Science shows that the ...
Phys.org / America's sewage and manure hold a $5.7 billion key to breaking synthetic fertilizer dependence
Nutrients recovered from animal and human waste could drastically reduce synthetic fertilizer use in the U.S., according to a new Cornell University study that takes into account real-world implementation challenges like ...
Phys.org / Dark matter could explain the earliest supermassive black holes
A growing mystery in astronomy is the presence of gargantuan black holes—some weighing as much as a billion suns—existing less than a billion years after the Big Bang. According to the standard theory of black hole formation, ...
Phys.org / Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle
Do aliens exist? Could Earth really be the only planet hosting intelligent life?
Medical Xpress / How a tiny circle of repeat offenders poisoned 100s of gold-standard medical trials for over a decade
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of medical research as random assignment approach helps eliminate bias and yields the most reliable evidence on whether a treatment truly works. Since RCTs sit at ...
Phys.org / DNA cracks nutmeg's hidden past, revealing a South Moluccas origin and a prehuman journey north
A sprinkle of nutmeg powder on baked goodies or mashed potatoes can immediately lift the flavor with its warm and sweet aroma. Even though it is used globally, not much is known about the true origins of the nutmeg spice ...