Phys.org news
Phys.org / New 'Mars GPS' lets Perseverance pinpoint its location within 25 centimeters
Imagine you're all alone, driving along in a rocky, unforgiving desert with no roads, no map, no GPS, and no more than one phone call a day for someone to inform you exactly where you are. That's what NASA's Perseverance ...
Phys.org / Chemistry-powered 'breathing' membrane opens and closes tiny pores on its own
Ion channels are narrow passageways that play a pivotal role in many biological processes. To model how ions move through these tight spaces, pores need to be fabricated at very small length scales. The narrowest regions ...
Phys.org / Turtles' brains shed light on evolutionary developments dating back hundreds of millions of years
A new study from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics reveals a surprising insight into the operation of the ancestral brain: the visual cortex of turtles is capable of detecting unexpected visual stimuli ...
Phys.org / Plant-based material offers sustainable method of recovering rare earth element
Despite rare earth elements' importance in manufacturing cell phones, magnets and a host of other consumer and commercial electronics, the lack of a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to obtaining these metals ...
Phys.org / A clearer future: Researchers unveil transparent, plastic-free wood
Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a highly transparent material made entirely from natural wood without adding plastic and uncovered why some wood becomes clearer than others. Their study reveals that ...
Phys.org / Mantle plume vs. plate tectonics: Basalt cores reshape the North Atlantic breakup debate
About 56 million years ago, Europe and North America began pulling apart to form what became the ever-expanding North Atlantic Ocean. Vast amounts of molten rock from Earth's mantle reached the ocean floor as the crust stretched ...
Phys.org / Microscopic mirrors for future quantum networks: A new way to make high-performance optical resonators
Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have devised a new way to make some of the smallest, smoothest mirrors ever created for controlling ...
Phys.org / Quantum simulator reveals statistical localization that keeps most qubit states frozen
In the everyday world, governed by classical physics, the concept of equilibrium reigns. If you put a drop of ink into water, it will eventually evenly mix. If you put a glass of ice water on the kitchen table, it will eventually ...
Phys.org / New study identifies sequence of critical thresholds for Antarctic ice basins
The Antarctic ice sheet does not behave as one single tipping element, but as a set of interacting basins with different critical thresholds. This is the finding of a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact ...
Phys.org / Rewriting our understanding of early hominin dispersal from Africa to Eurasia
What if Homo erectus (H. erectus), the direct ancestor of modern humans, arrived in China much earlier than we thought? Research published in Science Advances may rewrite our understanding of early human dispersal in that ...
Phys.org / Solving a longstanding mystery about complex life's origin—oxygen-tolerant Asgard archaea may explain eukaryotes' rise
The most widely accepted scientific explanation for the arrival of all complex life on Earth has had an unsolved mystery at its heart. According to the theory, all plants, animals and fungi, known collectively as eukaryotes, ...
Phys.org / From power grids to epidemics: Study shows how small patterns trigger systemic failures
Why do some systems collapse suddenly after what seems like a minor disturbance? A single transmission line failure can cascade into widespread blackouts. A delayed shipment can ripple through a global supply chain, emptying ...
