Phys.org news
Phys.org / Engineers create water-saving sand layer to improve plant resilience during drought
The Anasazi, a once-flourishing tribe in the American Southwest, lived on bounties of corn, squash and beans. In 1276 A.D., however, a long, unforgiving drought made agriculture untenable, forcing them to migrate away from ...
Phys.org / Four baby planets show how super-Earths and sub-Neptunes form
Thanks to the discovery of thousands of exoplanets to date, we know that planets bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune orbit most stars. Oddly, our sun lacks such a planet. That's been a source of frustration for planetary ...
Phys.org / THz spectroscopy system bypasses long-standing tradeoff between spectral and spatial resolution
Terahertz (THz) radiation, which occupies the frequency band between microwaves and infrared light, is essential in many next-generation applications, including high-speed wireless communications, chemical sensing, and advanced ...
Phys.org / Ushikuvirus: Newly discovered giant virus may offer clues to the origin of life
The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses. Said to have existed since living cells first appeared, these microscopic entities differ greatly from ...
Phys.org / Supernova remnant video from NASA's Chandra is decades in making
A new video shows the evolution of Kepler's Supernova Remnant using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captured over more than two and a half decades.
Phys.org / Swinging abyss: Oxygen isotope analysis shows less dynamic Antarctic ice sheet in Oligocene period
Oxygen isotopes data enable researchers to look far back into the geologic past and reconstruct the climate of the past. In doing so, they consider several factors such as ocean temperature and ice volume in polar regions. ...
Phys.org / The mechanical ratchet: A new mechanism of cell division
Cell division is an essential process for all life on Earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early embryonic development have remained elusive—particularly for egg-laying species.
Phys.org / Lunar spacecraft exhaust could obscure clues to origins of life
Over half of the exhaust methane from lunar spacecraft could end up contaminating areas of the moon that might otherwise yield clues about the origins of Earthly life, according to a recent study. The pollution could unfold ...
Phys.org / Marine geoscientists link warming with ancient ocean 'salty blob'
Climate change has many culprits, from agriculture to transportation to energy production. Now, add another: the deep ocean salty blob.
Phys.org / Earth's early sponges were soft: Scientists close fossil record gap
Sponges are among Earth's most ancient animals, but exactly when they evolved has long puzzled scientists. Genetic information from living sponges, as well as chemical signals from ancient rocks, suggest that sponges evolved ...
Phys.org / Creating psychedelic-like molecules by shining light on life's basic building blocks
UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the ...
Phys.org / Synchronizing ultrashort X-ray pulses for attosecond precision
Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have, for the first time, demonstrated a technique that synchronizes ultrashort X-ray pulses at the X-ray free-electron laser SwissFEL. This achievement opens new possibilities ...
