Phys.org news
Phys.org / Inflatable fabric robotic arm picks apples
A low-cost, simple robotic apple picker arm developed by Washington State University researchers may someday help with fruit picking and other farm chores.
Phys.org / Small chimps, big risks: What chimps show us about our own behavior
The riskiest behavior in humans peaks in adolescence. Researchers from the University of Michigan and James Madison University expected to find risky behavior to peak in adolescence in a study of chimpanzees as well. But ...
Phys.org / How rice viruses manipulate plant defenses to protect insect vectors
Planthoppers and leafhoppers not only feed on rice plants but also act as highly efficient vectors for plant viruses, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Notably, their persistent ability to evade natural enemies ...
Phys.org / You've heard of climate change. What is the climate debt doom loop?
Municipal bonds are a time-honored way to fund roads, schools, bridges and other public projects while paying investors interest, usually at tax-free rates.
Phys.org / Researchers develop electricity-free chlorine production from brines
Chlorine is a fundamental input to modern industry, yet most of today's supply still relies on energy-intensive electrolysis. In order to reduce energy consumption, researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and ...
Phys.org / Oil residues can travel over 5,000 miles on ocean debris, study finds
When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists' attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris ...
Phys.org / Molecular switch reveals transition between single-celled and multicellular forms
Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan have identified the genes that allow an organism to switch between living as single cells and forming multicellular structures. This ability to alternate between life forms provides ...
Phys.org / Direct flights drive multinational firm growth in globally connected cities
Waiting in an airport for a connecting flight is often tedious. A new study by MIT researchers shows it's bad for business, too.
Phys.org / Advanced quantum detectors are reinventing the search for dark matter
When it comes to understanding the universe, what we know is only a sliver of the whole picture.
Phys.org / Rare 'firework morphology' of supernova remnant Pa 30 may be due to white dwarf wind
In 1181 AD, a bright "guest star" was observed to linger in the sky for around six months. Nearly 850 years later, the likely remnants of this event were rediscovered and tentatively linked to the 1181 supernova and dubbed ...
Phys.org / Orange pigments in birds and human redheads prevent cellular damage, study shows
A pigment that makes feathers and hair orange helps prevent cellular damage by removing excess cysteine from cells. Pheomelanin is an orange-to-red pigment that is built with the amino acid cysteine and found in human red ...
Phys.org / Ancient clay cylinders provide first foundation text documenting Nebuchadnezzar II's restoration of the ziggurat of Kish
In 2013, two local Iraqis handed over two inscribed clay cylinders to the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Subsequent analysis and translation of the inscriptions published in Iraq revealed them to belong to King ...
