Phys.org news

Phys.org / Terraforming Mars: Modeling engineered aerosols to warm the planet

Whenever humans arrive on Mars, they're going to find it a difficult place to exist. Mars is cold, with an average surface temperature of -55°C; temperatures can plunge to -125°C with dust storms lasting months; its atmosphere ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / SimCells successfully target and kill drug-resistant bacteria

We are continually in an evolutionary arms race with bacteria. As we develop new antibiotics, they develop resistance, and so it goes on until some of our treatments no longer work. Superbugs and antimicrobial resistance ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Lost mosaic reveals first image of female beast-fighter from the Roman era

When you think of a fight between an animal and a human in ancient Roman sports, the mental image is usually of a big man vs. an animal in a big arena filled with cheering spectators. In a new study, Alfonso Manas, a researcher ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / Gaia analysis finds Messier 35 is larger and older than earlier estimates

Astronomers from Egypt and Turkey have conducted a comprehensive analysis of kinematic, structural, and astrophysical parameters of a nearby open cluster known as NGC 2168. Results of the new study, published March 23 on ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Astronomers determine the fate of a double white dwarf binary

Utilizing the stellar evolution code named Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), Chinese astronomers have investigated the evolution of a recently discovered ultra-compact double white dwarf binary system ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / New index reveals global water resources' growing dependence on extreme rainfall

As global temperatures climb, rainfall patterns are shifting in ways that could put water resources and agriculture under increasing strain, a new study published in Water Resources Research suggests.

15 hours ago
Phys.org / The influencers with millions of followers who don't actually exist

Lil Miquela has 2.5 million Instagram followers, a high-fashion wardrobe, and a clear political voice. She has advocated for Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQI+ community, fronted major brand campaigns, and built a devoted ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Impacts from meteors may have helped start life on Earth by creating hydrothermal vents

Meteor impacts may have helped spark life on Earth, creating hot, chemical-rich environments where the first living cells could take shape, according to research integrated by a recent Rutgers University graduate. Shea Cinquemani, ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Getting a glimpse of viral dances in the dark in the Sargasso Sea

In a new study of viral abundance over a short time frame in the Sargasso Sea, researchers found that almost all viruses with cyclical changes in abundance were most active at night—somewhat surprising when the team expected ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Climate change may produce 'fast-food' phytoplankton

We are what we eat. And in the ocean, most life-forms source their food from phytoplankton. These microscopic, plant-like algae are the primary food source for krill, sea snails, some small fish, and jellyfish, which in turn ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / New catalyst enables targeted antibiotic redesign to beat resistant bacteria

Antibiotics, our infantry against bacteria, are losing their ability to fight against bacterial infections due to the rise of superbugs—microbes that have developed resistance to medications that are designed to kill them. ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Tracking the footsteps of West Africa's prehistoric metalworkers

The discovery of a 2,400-year-old metalworking workshop in Senegal provides new insights into the history of iron production in Africa. Despite decades of archaeological research, the origins of iron metallurgy in sub-Saharan ...

8 hours ago