Phys.org news
Phys.org / Shell-crushing predators may have sparked early Cenozoic boom in marine snail evolution
A large-scale study of nearly 700 species reveals the evolutionary relationships and history of Neogastropoda, a diverse group of marine snails. The findings provide new evidence for their single origin, identify four new ...
Phys.org / A 2-degree twist creates a nanoscale grid that traps light energy at room temperature
You may have once tried taking a close-up picture of a computer screen and noticed a wavy, rippling effect. This optical effect occurs whenever two fine, repeating grids overlap and slightly misalign, such as when the pixel ...
Phys.org / Assembly of giant wild sunflower family genomes unlocks potential for new perennial crops
The Land Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with key partners, have assembled the first chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased genomes for Silphium integrifolium (rosinweed, silflower) and ...
Phys.org / How atmospheric dryness limits increases in typhoon rainfall
Under global warming, scientists have widely expected tropical cyclones (including typhoons and hurricanes) to bring more intense and frequent rainfall. The underlying physics seems intuitive: Rising temperatures allow the ...
Phys.org / LST-1 and MAGIC telescopes shatter distance record for the very high-energy blazar OP 313
On Aug. 15, the CTAO LST Collaboration and the MAGIC Collaboration released findings from observations of OP 313, the most distant very-high-energy blazar ever recorded. The paper, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, presents ...
Phys.org / Mapping the 'hidden highways' of Mexico's illegal wildlife trade
For decades, wildlife traffickers have illegally captured and sold hundreds of thousands of wild parrots native to Mexico. Despite changes to international wildlife laws, the conservation status of these birds has continued ...
Phys.org / Glacier retreat could promote the spread of diseases among bees
A study conducted in the Swiss Alps by the University of Lausanne and the University of Milan shows that glacier retreat and changing vegetation could influence the spread of certain pathogens between honeybees and wild bees.
Phys.org / What happens inside a wildfire? A Ph.D. student is finding out
What happens during a wildfire? The short answer is: much more than we know. As wildfires burn through trees, grasses and other vegetation, heat from the flames sets off thousands of chemical reactions at once. Molecules ...
Phys.org / Ball milling enhances the antiviral activity of inexpensive inorganic materials
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, developing surfaces that can inactivate viruses upon contact has become an important goal in public health care. Ideally, such surfaces would work on their own without requiring chemical disinfectants, ...
Phys.org / Soil bacteria share amino acids, helping nearly half survive nutrient gaps
Bacteria, too, depend on good neighborly relations: A new study by the Osnabrück University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge in England, shows that soil bacteria live in beneficial communities ...
Phys.org / Antarctic bacteria share 'life‑support' genes to survive extreme conditions
Antarctica is one of the driest, coldest places on Earth. Very little life survives its extremes. In the soils scattered around the frozen ice sheets, however, communities of microbes do survive. And one of the keys to their ...
Phys.org / Climate scientists solve monsoon puzzle and warn of risks to fisheries
A new study has reconciled a long-standing paradox in the South Asian summer monsoon cycle. Climate scientists have discovered why geological records from land and sea have told opposite stories about monsoons throughout ...
