Phys.org news
Phys.org / How to better forecast once-in-a-millennium weather events
For all that day-to-day weather forecasts have improved, it remains a challenge to forecast events that might happen once in 1,000 years—like the deadliest heat waves.
Phys.org / Experiment shows how AI discoveries can shape human cultural evolution
Artificial intelligence can develop solutions that humans would be unlikely to discover on their own. But what happens when machines do more than solve individual problems and actually discover entirely new solution strategies? ...
Phys.org / Secrets of a mystery mammal from Patagonia revealed at last
Eight years of painstaking research on the virtually unknown Wolffsohn's viscacha have helped to shine the spotlight on this super-rare South American rodent and catalyze the conservation action it so urgently needs.
Phys.org / Study suggests three-quarters of Indo-Pacific coral reefs could drown as sea levels rise
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have found that most coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific may struggle to grow fast enough to keep pace with accelerating sea-level rise. Their study found ...
Phys.org / Curved surfaces reshape active materials, localizing vibrations near defects
Many materials, both living and engineered, are powered from within. Scientists have thoroughly investigated how such 'active' materials operate, but so far, mostly in circumstances where the curvature of the environment ...
Phys.org / Rare satellite data reveal major limits in flood models
The Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine was destroyed on June 6, 2023. The event unleashed a catastrophic flood that forced thousands of residents to evacuate their communities as water levels rose 10 feet (3 meters) above normal.
Phys.org / Climate doom may discourage climate action, but there's a way to counter it
Every summer is getting hotter. Wildfires are blazing, and the worst is yet to come. There's nothing to be done—we're doomed! Sound familiar?
Phys.org / Most mammal species discovered in the Global South since 1990 end up in Northern collections
According to a study by Brazilian scientists published in the journal npj Biodiversity, most new mammal species described over the past 35 years are housed in institutions in countries of the so-called Global North, even ...
Phys.org / 'Switchable' smart gel may pave way for next-gen drug delivery and sensing tech
University of Birmingham scientists have developed a new material that changes from a gel to a liquid-like state under ultraviolet light and can be rebuilt using heat or dismantled by acid.
Phys.org / Loud snoring—simulation reveals the physical mechanism that keeps so many of us awake at night
Anyone who has had to share a room—or worse, a bed—with a loud snorer knows the effect unchecked snoring can have on sleep, sanity and emotional stability. An entire industry of products, technologies and treatments claims ...
Phys.org / Double spiral inside narwhal tusks may explain their resistance to bending
The narwhal's impressive tusk has long been the subject of myths. In the Middle Ages, they were sold as unicorn horns believed to possess magical powers. Now, an international team of researchers led by Aarhus University ...
Phys.org / Plants could transform how scientists measure the climate benefits of tidal marshes
Growing up in New Jersey, Emily Wilson regularly passed tidal marshes without giving them much thought. They were part of the coastal landscape—stretches of green and blue she saw from the road.
