Phys.org news
Phys.org / Brightness 'gap' in ancient star cluster reveals missing red dwarfs
Scientists from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, sought to study one stellar subject and ended up finding something even more exciting. The team's results published today in Astronomy ...
Phys.org / Common plastics soak up ballistic impacts thanks to a cross-linking molecule
With help from a novel cross-linking molecule, MIT chemists have shown they can substantially improve the ballistic impact resistance of common polymers, including polystyrene and a type of rubber used to make shoe soles.
Phys.org / Rising seas could eventually 'drown' mangroves and release carbon
Mangroves could store less carbon—and even begin releasing it—as sea levels rise, suggests new research in Earth's Future. Mangroves are made up of salt-tolerant plants that grow in coastal areas. They cover less than 1% ...
Phys.org / Half-ton early bovines roamed 4-million-year-old grasslands in Europe
The first large-sized bovines grew to up to half a ton 4 million years ago in the European Early Pliocene, an early step toward our modern diversity of large-bodied buffalo and cattle, according to a study published June ...
Phys.org / Egypt fossils show modern ocean fish rose rapidly after dinosaur extinction
The extinction that ended the Age of Dinosaurs is best known for clearing the way for the Age of Mammals on land. Scientists have long suspected that the same catastrophe also transformed life in the seas, opening ecological ...
Phys.org / We can predict space weather—what if we could also stop it?
The weather on Earth can get pretty messy sometimes. But in space, it can be wild, and the effects can be far-reaching. Solar flares, giant explosions on the sun, can send out streams of energy that block radio communications ...
Phys.org / Ancient DNA offers hope for California's critically endangered black abalone
Black abalone once carpeted the rocky shores of California by the millions. The large, long-lived sea snails sustained Indigenous peoples along the coast for thousands of years, anchored a thriving 20th-century commercial ...
Phys.org / Real-time fish interaction enlarges young guppy brains, while screen time falls short
Young guppies who were able to see and interact with live fish developed larger brains than guppies who only saw other fish on a screen. This is shown in a new study from Stockholm University, published in Biology Letters. ...
Phys.org / HETDEX opens massive Cosmic Noon dataset to scientists, novices and AI
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX)—which recently completed the largest survey ever taken of the early universe—has released all of its immense, information-rich database to the public. Built from ...
Phys.org / Arctic river deltas face rising climate pressure while holding vast frozen carbon reserves
Many rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean north of the Arctic Circle—including the Lena in Siberia and the Mackenzie River in Canada. The deltas of these large and small rivers store large amounts of carbon, which is bound there ...
Phys.org / Organized microbial guilds keep Earth's underground biosphere running, research reveals
By studying life deep inside a former gold mine, a Northwestern University-led team of scientists has uncovered evidence that Earth's hidden biosphere operates less like a random collection of microbes and more like an organized ...
Phys.org / Why doesn't coffee taste like caffeine?
Though decaf fans might disagree, caffeine is a critical component of a cup of joe. This compound is incredibly bitter on its own, but regular coffee itself is not. A team reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food ...
