Phys.org news
Phys.org / 'Ghost tunnels' guide sound waves in one direction while staying invisible to others
Acoustic metamaterials are a fast-evolving family of materials which manipulate sound waves in ever more advanced ways. Now, a team led by Changqing Xu at Nanjing Normal University in China has engineered an acoustic metamaterial, ...
Phys.org / Revived Nubian royal robes shed light on prestige and authority in a lost Christian kingdom
A recent archaeological project has physically reconstructed the ceremonial dress of medieval Nubian royalty and clergy, offering a rare glimpse into how clothing shaped and communicated authority in Christian Nubia. The ...
Phys.org / Space worms! A microscopic crew goes into orbit to support future moon missions
British scientists have launched a crew of microscopic worms to the International Space Station in a pioneering experiment that could help unlock the secrets of long-duration space travel—and support ambitions to reach the ...
Phys.org / Between eternal night and day, the faces of two cousins of Earth
An international team including the University of Bern (UNIBE) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), members of the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS, has succeeded in mapping the climate of rocky exoplanets ...
Phys.org / Nanodiscs capture HIV and Ebola surface proteins in lifelike membranes for vaccine design
Viruses are masters at invading cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often create versions of these viral surface proteins to study how the immune system might ...
Phys.org / Global warming is changing the hatching of bees and wasps
A large-scale experiment shows that warmth brings bees and wasps out of hibernation earlier—leaving some of them with poorer starting conditions. This is particularly true for species in cooler regions that emerge during ...
Phys.org / Gold nanorod makes spinning light when struck off-center by an electron beam
Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This ...
Phys.org / Tiny particles in Arctic ponds may play role in cloud formation and climate change
Tiny particles bubbling up from the tops of melting sea ice into the Arctic sky may be a key, understudied element of cloud formation in that climate-sensitive region.
Phys.org / Painkillers prevent pain responses in Norway lobsters, intensifying the case against boiling them alive
Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to ...
Phys.org / Small talk surprises: Nine experiments show 'boring' topics feel more enjoyable
The small talk you try to avoid because you think it will be boring may actually be more enjoyable than you think, and good for you as well, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Phys.org / Cacti fungal endophytes may help cacao tolerate drought
Beans of the cacao plant, Theobroma cacao, are used in chocolates, pharmaceuticals and other products, but they're under threat. Increased drought associated with climate change has already begun to stress cacao-growing regions ...
Phys.org / Record-breaking photonics approach traps light on a chip for millions of cycles
For years, scientists have dreamed of using atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials to build faster, more efficient photonic chips. These materials can be stacked and tuned with extraordinary precision, opening possibilities ...
