Phys.org news
Phys.org / Heavy water expands energy potential of carbon nanotube yarns
Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new electrolyte system that significantly boosts the energy-harvesting performance of twistrons, which are carbon nanotube yarns that generate electricity ...
Phys.org / Ancient DNA reveals Ice Age mammals thrived after volcanic eruption
For the first time, scientists have used DNA preserved in ancient sediments to examine how a major natural disaster affected animal populations. A new study of a catastrophic volcanic eruption during the Ice Age has found ...
Phys.org / Fish study shows that sexual harassment behavior might matter for ecosystems
For decades, ecologists have known that how a species looks or eats affects its environment. But a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shows that social behavior related to mating can be ...
Phys.org / Trouble swallowing? A nanogel tweak may keep therapeutic stem cells alive longer
Swallowing is a fundamental human function that supports nutrition and communication. Damage to swallowing muscles can reduce quality of life and even lead to aspiration pneumonia or malnutrition. Many patients suffer from ...
Phys.org / Study finds nanocube cation exchange can begin on one face, not six
In a paper published today in Nature Synthesis, a team from the lab of University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and Chemistry Department Prof. Paul Alivisatos explores the role of cation ...
Phys.org / King penguins are the rare species benefiting from a warming world. But that could change
The warming world has disrupted the timing for plant and animal reproduction, and it's usually bad news for species that depend on each other—like flowers blooming too early and pollinating bees arriving too late. But researchers ...
Phys.org / Fluid simulation at unprecedented scale provides toolkit for fundamental physics and applied fluid engineering
What governs the speed at which raindrops fall, sediment settles in river estuaries, and matter is ejected during a supernova? These questions circle around one, deceitfully simple factor: the rate at which a fluid filled ...
Phys.org / How volcanic eruptions and internal climate cycles jointly shape Asian monsoon rainfall
From the rice paddies of South Asia to the wheat fields of northern China, summer monsoon rains sustain the livelihoods of billions. Yet these vital rains fluctuate dramatically from decade to decade—a variability that ...
Phys.org / Florida's most at-risk bat moves into safer artificial roosts
Finding bats in the attic or under roof tiles is no homeowner's idea of fun. But Florida's endangered bonneted bats have few natural options left. With a dwindling number of large, old trees with cavities—their preferred ...
Phys.org / Artificial kinetochores take the pressure off aging chromosomes during meiosis
For sexual reproduction to yield healthy offspring, newly generated oocytes—immature egg cells—must receive the correct amount of DNA after cell division. This process of segregating chromosomes becomes more prone to ...
Phys.org / What primate faces reveal about empathy: Humans mirror emotions across species
Humans perceive emotional expressions displayed by non-human primates and spontaneously mimic these expressions, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Ursula Hess from Humboldt University of ...
Phys.org / Solid but fluid: New materials reconfigure their entire crystal structure in response to humidity
Most solid materials we rely on, from steel, to plastics and ceramics, are designed to have specific properties. Whether a material is soft and flexible, or stiff and tough depends on how molecules within the material are ...
