Phys.org news
Phys.org / Thinner than hair and stretchable like rubber, this new shield tackles a space-age problem in one layer
Shielding materials are essential in key modern industrial settings—such as spacecraft, nuclear power plants, semiconductor equipment, and advanced medical devices—to protect both equipment and personnel from electromagnetic ...
Phys.org / How a free flow of information can amplify incorrect ideas
The idea that information should flow freely is deeply embedded in the design of social media. The assumption is that the more information is produced and shared, the better. However, simulations by a team of scientists including ...
Phys.org / Ancient farming clues may finally expose where humanity's most important wheat first emerged
The exact origin of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is still a mystery, but researchers believe they are edging closer to the source of one of the most important food staples worldwide. Using genetic studies and ancient plant ...
Phys.org / Invisible fertility crisis: Chemicals and climate change threaten reproduction across species
The rise in infertility is not limited to humans, as environmental stressors are quietly undermining the reproductive potential of different forms of life. A recent review published in npj Emerging Contaminants investigated ...
Phys.org / ALMA reveals giant molecular clouds across Needle galaxy's full disk
An international team of astronomers has employed the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to perform high-resolution observations of the Needle galaxy. Results of the new observational campaign, presented ...
Phys.org / AI slashes the time needed to design better heat-harvesting devices
From wearable technology to industrial heat recovery, thermoelectric generators which convert waste heat into electricity have an enormous range of potential applications. So far, however, designing high-performing versions ...
Phys.org / For decades, this bias test looked inside minds—now its biggest blind spot is coming into focus
People are known to implicitly create connections between different things or ideas in their mind, some of which can influence how they perceive others, themselves and the world at large. These implicit biases have been widely ...
Phys.org / Atlantic Forest's top predator faces a hidden collapse, and protected areas are no longer enough
In addition to habitat loss and illegal hunting, the jaguar (Panthera onca) faces another threat that increases its risk of extinction in the South American Atlantic Forest: food scarcity. A study by Brazilian researchers ...
Phys.org / Soil fertilization with Amazonian dark earth increases tree diameter by up to 88%
A study conducted in the Brazilian state of Amazonas has demonstrated that small amounts of Amazonian dark earth (ADE)—an anthropogenic soil created by ancient Amazonian populations—can increase the height and diameter of ...
Phys.org / How hard-surface feeding unlocked a burst of reef fish evolution 50 million years ago
Why are there so many species of coral reef fish? According to a new study, it's because about 50 million years ago, some fish figured out how to bite food from hard surfaces.
Phys.org / Light can now be shaped in empty space, and it could simplify sensing and boost data links
Scientists at the University of East Anglia have uncovered a hidden property of light that allows it to twist, spin and behave differently—without mirrors, materials or special lenses. In a breakthrough that could transform ...
Phys.org / Astronomers release massive set of 'virtual universes' for global research
Understanding the universe as a whole requires simulations on cosmic scales. An international team of astrophysicists, with a leading role for researchers at Leiden University, Netherlands, has now released one of the largest ...
