Phys.org news

Phys.org / Svalbard polar bears gained fat despite rapid Barents Sea ice loss

Their icy hunting grounds are rapidly shrinking, but polar bears in Norway's remote Svalbard archipelago have defied the odds by bulking up instead of wasting away, a study said Thursday.

41 minutes ago in Biology
Phys.org / PFAS exposure greater in wet pet food, study suggests

Ehime University investigators measured 34 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in 100 commercial dog and cat foods sold in Japan and detected PFAS across many products, with higher concentrations in fish-based foods and dry ...

1 hour ago in Biology
Phys.org / Missing methane: Countries may be underestimating wastewater greenhouse gas emissions

The amount of greenhouse gases produced by the wastewater sector may be higher than reports suggest. According to a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, countries are missing out on reporting a significant ...

2 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Heavier hydrogen makes silicon T centers shine brighter for quantum networks

Quantum technologies, computers or other devices that operate leveraging quantum mechanical effects, rely on the precise control of light and matter. Over the past decades, quantum physicists and material scientists have ...

2 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Stale bread and bacteria could power a new era in green chemicals

Scientists have found a way to use common bacteria as tiny, green chemical factories to replace a process that currently relies on fossil fuels. In industrial hydrogenation, the hydrogen added to molecules to create products ...

6 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Arabic document from 17th-century rubbish heap confirms existence of semi-legendary Nubian king

A recent study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa explores new historical evidence of one of pre-colonial Dongola's earliest rulers. Previously considered semi-legendary, the discovery of a document in ...

4 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Bioengineered neuronal 'circuit board' mimics conditions of the human brain

A new bioengineered neuronal circuit board "BioConNet" allows scientists to artificially engineer human brain-like wiring at scale and can be used to engineer any possible circuit. The fully programmable, open-source system ...

3 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists synthesize stable N₄ radical anions under ambient conditions

A team of scientists from the University of Manchester and Oxford have synthesized stable nitrogen chain radical anions under ambient conditions. These molecules, which are normally too reactive to isolate and study under ...

5 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: T. Rex on tiptoe; subduing unruly proteins; opinionated birds

This week, astronomers reported that one of the biggest observed stars in the universe could soon explode. A study compared long-term COVID-19 brain effects to the flu. And a new eco-friendly battery could theoretically last ...

6 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / How a common fungus outsmarts drugs and our immune system

Our bodies are home to millions of fungi that, for the most part, are completely harmless. However, they can sometimes change from peaceful residents into dangerous invaders. One such is Candida parapsilosis, which normally ...

21 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Luminescence dating confirms Roman-era gold mines in the Eastern Pyrenees

A study by the UAB and the University of A Coruña has succeeded in demonstrating the existence of Roman-era alluvial gold mines in the Eastern Pyrenees. The discovery was made possible by dating two samples from the infill ...

21 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Dynamical freezing can protect quantum information for near-cosmic timescales

Preserving quantum information is key to developing useful quantum computing systems. But interacting quantum systems are chaotic and follow laws of thermodynamics, eventually leading to information loss. Physicists have ...

19 hours ago in Physics