Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient clay cylinders provide first foundation text documenting Nebuchadnezzar II's restoration of the ziggurat of Kish

In 2013, two local Iraqis handed over two inscribed clay cylinders to the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Subsequent analysis and translation of the inscriptions published in Iraq revealed them to belong to King ...

14 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Jupiter's moon Europa lacks the undersea activity needed to support life, study suggests

The giant planet Jupiter has nearly 100 known moons, yet none have captured the interest and imagination of astronomers and space scientists quite like Europa, an ice-shrouded world that is thought to possess a vast ocean ...

16 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Rare 'firework morphology' of supernova remnant Pa 30 may be due to white dwarf wind

In 1181 AD, a bright "guest star" was observed to linger in the sky for around six months. Nearly 850 years later, the likely remnants of this event were rediscovered and tentatively linked to the 1181 supernova and dubbed ...

16 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Advanced quantum detectors are reinventing the search for dark matter

When it comes to understanding the universe, what we know is only a sliver of the whole picture.

11 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Why we trust romantic partners rather than AI when making big financial decisions

Artificial intelligence programs are not only helping us tackle complex challenges like diagnosing diseases and predicting weather patterns, but also assisting with more mundane matters such as correcting grammar and planning ...

14 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Solving quantum computing's longstanding 'no cloning' problem with an encryption workaround

A team of researchers at the University of Waterloo have made a breakthrough in quantum computing that elegantly bypasses the fundamental "no cloning" problem. The research, "Encrypted Qubits can be Cloned," appears in Physical ...

17 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / How a biological version of rock-paper-scissors determines if lizard colors are maintained or lost

Two new studies into lizard colors reveal how one species maintains its colorful diversity while others are losing their ancient colors. And the changes are being driven by the biological equivalent of rock-paper-scissors.

17 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Astronomers build molecular cloud atlas for nearby Andromeda galaxy

Astronomers from Cardiff University, UK, have employed the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) to explore the nearby Andromeda galaxy. Results of the observational campaign, published December ...

18 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / The book only gets 3 stars... but is considered great literature

A new study from Aarhus University shows that star ratings of books are not always accurate. Average ratings on Goodreads can hide both literary classics and highly divided reading experiences—and can therefore be a misleading ...

11 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Twitter data reveals partisan divide in understanding why pollen season's getting worse

Two things are clear from a University of Michigan analysis of nearly 200,000 Twitter posts between 2012 and 2022. One, people are really good at identifying peak pollen season: The largest volume of tweets about pollen often ...

10 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New census of sun's neighbors reveals best potential real estate for life

A new study led by a Georgia State University astronomy graduate student is a major step forward in the search for stars that could host Earth-like planets that may prove to be good havens for life to develop. Sebastián ...

11 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Catalyst behavior that could cut emissions and stabilize supply of everyday materials revealed

A Rice University-led team has unveiled how tiny molecular structures on industrial catalysts behave during the manufacture of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), a core ingredient in adhesives, paints, coatings, packaging, textiles ...

11 hours ago in Chemistry