Phys.org news
Phys.org / Salmonids reveal the cold truth about human impacts on Fennoscandian lakes
A large-scale study led by the University of Jyväskylä revealed that human activity is consistently changing the ecosystems of Northern European lakes. The study shows that hydropower and human activity in catchment areas ...
Phys.org / Nitrous oxide, a product of fertilizer use, may harm some soil bacteria
Plant growth is supported by millions of tiny soil microbes competing and cooperating with each other as they perform important roles at the plant root, including improving access to nutrients and protecting against pathogens. ...
Phys.org / New 4D-STEM method isolates atomic structures from clustered nanocrystals
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a new way to determine atomic structures from nanocrystals previously considered unusable, a breakthrough that could ...
Phys.org / Left-handed people may have a psychological edge in competition
Left-handers are more competitive than right-handers, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The findings may help explain why left-handedness has persisted throughout evolution despite the ...
Phys.org / Study finds 77% of US national parks are highly vulnerable to climate change
National parks in the United States represent a treasure trove of natural, historical, and recreational landscapes, but their health is at risk. A comprehensive new study on the climate-change vulnerability of national parks, ...
Phys.org / Brazilian fossil site yields smallest rhynchosaur fossil ever recorded
A study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes the smallest rhynchosaur fossil ever recorded from the Brazilian Triassic, with the reconstructed skull only measuring around 2.5 cm (~1 inch). Additionally, ...
Phys.org / Hidden atomic dichotomy drives superconductivity in ultra-thin compound
Physicists in China have unveiled new clues to the origins of high-temperature superconductivity in an iron-based material just a single unit-cell thick. Led by Qi-Kun Xue and Lili Wang at Tsinghua University, the team's ...
Phys.org / How an underground fungal map of the world's oldest, slowest-growing rainforest trees can boost Earth's resilience
The temperate rainforests of the Chilean Coast Range are home to a spectacular array of life: iridescent blue lizards, tiny wild cats called kodkods, and curly vines of waxy red bellflowers. Towering over this biodiversity ...
Phys.org / Wildlife imaging shows that AI models aren't as smart as we think
Using AI to identify wildlife reveals a potential "transferability crisis," researchers say. Marketing for AI imaging systems often suggests that models can easily tackle novel scenarios across ecosystems and settings, much ...
Phys.org / A fanged frog long thought to be one species is revealing itself to be several
When a new species is discovered, it's tempting to imagine an adventure novel, said Chan Kin Onn of Michigan State University. "Most people have this image of an intrepid explorer braving an isolated mountain or some other ...
Phys.org / Ancient plant-eater with a twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth was a 'living fossil' in its own time
In a dry riverbed in Brazil, in a dense forest near the Amazon, a team of paleontologists found a fossilized jawbone from an ancient animal. Over the course of their fieldwork, they found eight similar bones, each around ...
Phys.org / Rewilding could fill gap left by Panama's lost giants
Many large herbivores that once roamed modern-day Panama have declined or died out—including the 6-meter-long giant ground sloth and elephant-related creatures called Cuvieronius. New research suggests that introducing ...