Phys.org news
Phys.org / Industrial-era pollution and warming reshape Tibetan lake after 1,000 years of climate swings
The Tibetan Plateau, together with the Hindu Kush–Karakorum–Himalaya region, has more snow and ice than any other region on Earth apart from the polar regions. As a result, this high-altitude region is particularly sensitive ...
Phys.org / Grasslands could lose four times more carbon uptake under future drought conditions
The effects of individual climate factors on ecosystems are usually considered in isolation. However, in reality, they occur simultaneously and influence each other. Increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere contribute ...
Phys.org / The little red galaxies that may be sending us neutrinos
Peering far into the distant, high-redshift universe, the James Webb telescope has discovered an abundance of small red galaxies known as the Little Red Dots. From their observations, astronomers believe that at least some ...
Phys.org / A severe El Niño could threaten something essential to half of humanity—rice
Forecasters expect the El Niño now underway in the tropical Pacific to strengthen into a strong or very strong climate driver later this year.
Phys.org / Mice actively seek better views to make visual decisions, virtual reality experiments show
Animals don't experience the world passively. A hawk tilts its head to track prey. A person leans forward to read a sign. Scientists call this "active sensing": moving the body to gather better information. A specific version ...
Phys.org / Loss of DNA protector gene exposes vulnerabilities in cancerous cells
Every time a cell copies its DNA, parts of the genome are exposed and vulnerable to damage or errors. Molecular biologist Simon Boulton is interested in how cells spot and repair damage to their DNA, and what happens if this ...
Phys.org / Jellyfish reveal rapid repair system behind scar-free healing
A decade ago this summer, at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Jocelyn Malamy watched jellyfish cells "walk" toward each other to close a wound for the first time. An associate professor of molecular genetics and cell biology ...
Phys.org / Black locust deploys peptides to steer root bacteria into nitrogen fixation
Plants need nitrogen to grow. Many legumes meet this need through a symbiotic relationship: They harbor bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen and make it available to the plant. Until now, it was largely unclear how a perennial ...
Phys.org / New research reveals the motivations and tactics used by call center fraudsters
A new study led by the University of Portsmouth lifts the lid on the tactics used by call center fraudsters in India, while revealing the shocking scale of the industry within the country. Published in the Journal of White ...
Phys.org / 'Atomic zoom' brings gum disease bacteria into sharp focus
The technology at the center of the growing "resolution revolution" has again shown its value to scientists at Yale by revealing the secrets of gum disease.
Phys.org / Human activity has not always harmed biodiversity—quite the opposite
For millennia, farming in Switzerland did not reduce plant diversity but helped increase it, University of Basel researchers have shown in a detailed reconstruction covering the past 7,000 years. Only recent decades paint ...
Phys.org / Camouflaging snails change color in the rain
How does a stripy tree snail hide from hungry birds? The Hypselostyla camelopardalis from the Philippines and Reinia variegata from Japan have both evolved a form of dynamic camouflage to survive. Their light-colored patterns ...
