Phys.org news

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 ...

55 minutes ago
Phys.org / Mosquitoes reach Iceland for the first time as the Arctic heats up

In what is possibly another sign of climate change, mosquitoes have landed in Iceland for the first time. For many years, the island was the only Arctic country that could claim to be mosquito-free. But that all changed in ...

35 minutes ago
Phys.org / As modern crops turn 'lazy' underground, old sorghum may hold key to future food security

A greater focus on roots during plant breeding could ensure staple grain crops continue to feed the world as recycled nutrients substitute conventional fertilizers in the future, a University of Queensland study published ...

15 minutes ago
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 ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / ALMA and JWST investigate giant disk galaxy's formation and evolution

European astronomers have used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe a recently discovered giant disk galaxy known as ADF22.1. Results of the new observations, published ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / If birds are fancy dancers, are they smarter, too?

Does a male bird with a long and complex courtship dance have superior cognitive abilities? Simply put, is a talented dancer a smarter bird? To answer the question, researchers at Université de Montréal studied the zebra ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Iron plus UV light turns alcohol into hydrogen with catalyst-like efficiency

Publishing in Communications Chemistry, researchers from Kyushu University have discovered a simple method of generating hydrogen gas by mixing methanol, sodium hydroxide, and iron ions, then irradiating the solution with ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have revealed the detailed workings of a cell membrane protein that has essential roles in all animals. The discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies for blood coagulation disorders, ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / A student-led experiment sets new limits in the search for axions

In the era of precision cosmology, research often means big science: large observatories, highly complex instruments, international collaborations and substantial funding. Yet even in such an advanced field, progress is still ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Monumental ship burial beneath ancient Norwegian mound predates the Viking Age

Monumental ship burials in Scandinavia may have started around a century earlier than previously thought, according to a paper published in the journal Antiquity. It reports the discovery of the remains of a 1,300-year-old ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Baby Neanderthals may have had a rapid growth spurt compared to modern babies

Baby Neanderthals may have been much larger and grown much more quickly than their modern Homo sapiens counterparts, according to a new study of the most intact Neanderthal infant skeleton. Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Weighing in on the mystery of the gravitational constant

The time had come to open the envelope, but Stephan Schlamminger, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), wasn't sure he wanted to know the secret number that lay inside. For the past 10 ...

15 hours ago