Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mother's breasts may protect a newborn from the cold—a new perspective on breast evolution

Humans differ from other primates due to their relatively large, permanent breasts, and their development has so far not been conclusively explained. According to a study conducted at the University of Oulu, Finland, the ...

12 minutes ago in Biology
Phys.org / ALMA reveals Milky Way's core in largest-ever mosaic, tracing cold gas filaments

Astronomers have captured the central region of our Milky Way in a striking new image, unveiling a complex network of filaments of cosmic gas in unprecedented detail. Obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter ...

1 hour ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / A protocol to realize near-perfect atom-photon entanglement

Quantum technologies, devices and systems that operate leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could tackle some tasks more reliably and efficiently than any classical technology could. In recent years, some researchers have ...

2 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / E-waste chemicals are appearing in dolphins and porpoises

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are critical components of laptop, television, and smartphone screens. Given their ubiquity in the environment, these compounds are considered persistent pollutants, posing threats to marine ...

1 hour ago in Earth
Phys.org / Ocean warming drives a nearly 20% annual decline in fish biomass, research confirms

According to a new study by the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) and the National University of Colombia, chronic ocean warming is driving a nearly 20% annual decline in fish biomass. However, the researchers ...

4 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Heat relief means higher emissions: How air conditioning complicates 1.5°C goals

While air conditioning protects people from dangerous heat, it also significantly worsens global warming—by 2050, potentially producing more carbon dioxide than the current annual emissions of the United States, a new study ...

4 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Celebrity dolphin of Venice doesn't need special protection—except from humans

Bottlenose dolphins usually live in small to medium-sized groups in coastal and open-sea waters, but every once in a while, a dolphin might leave its pod behind, flock to coastal areas and approach human settlements. While ...

9 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Urine tests confirm alcohol consumption in wild African chimpanzees

Aleksey Maro knows far more than he cares to know about the urination habits of chimpanzees. But if you want to measure the alcohol intake of chimps in a Ugandan rain forest, where a breathalyzer is impractical, collecting ...

14 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Major gap in Earth's rock record likely due to tectonics—not glaciers

The Great Unconformity is a major gap in Earth's geologic record. The missing layer between Precambrian and Cambrian rocks represents a gap of around a billion years of history. Among much debate surrounding the cause of ...

17 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Physicists develop new method to measure universe's expansion rate

We have known for several decades that the universe is expanding. Scientists use multiple techniques to measure the present-day expansion rate of the universe, known as the Hubble constant. These methods are internally consistent ...

17 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Thunderstorms conjure ghostly coronae in treetops, observed outdoors for the first time

For the first time, researchers have observed and measured weak electrical discharges, known as coronae, on trees during thunderstorms. A new study describes the near-invisible sparkles appearing similarly on branches of ...

21 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / How AI can improve the quality of peer review

A new AI coach for scientists has been shown to significantly improve the quality of peer reviews, making them clearer and more helpful for authors. Peer review is essential to ensuring the integrity of scientific publications, ...

18 hours ago in Other Sciences