Phys.org news
Phys.org / From dust to planets: Parabolic flight reveal a turbulent path
How does fine dust aggregate into building blocks that ultimately form entire planets like our Earth? A research team led by the University of Bern, with the participation of ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and the National ...
Phys.org / New rare bird species discovered in Japan
A previously unknown species of leaf warbler has been discovered in Japan. The Ijima's Leaf Warbler has proven to be two different species, not just one. Every year, a few new bird species are identified around the world. ...
Phys.org / Nest-building birds help disperse cotton further than wind, study suggests
Birds play a larger role in the dispersal of wild cotton than previously assumed. This is shown by a study in the journal Oikos, carried out in southern Africa. Researchers discovered that birds actively collect wild cotton ...
Phys.org / Natural textile fibers may persist for more than a century in lake sediments
Natural fibers promoted as sustainable alternatives to plastic, including cotton and wool, have been found preserved in a U.K. lake for more than a century—challenging assumptions that they quickly biodegrade in the environment. ...
Phys.org / Past intensive whaling threatens the future of bowhead whales
A unique collection of prehistoric bowhead whale bones, dating back 11,000 years, reveals a previously untold story of the relative impacts of humans on nature. The time series of ancient fossils show that commercial hunting ...
Phys.org / Inverse design: A new pathway to custom functional polymers
At a potluck, you ate the best chocolate chip cookie—golden-brown, thick and chewy. Unfortunately, you don't know who made the cookie to get the recipe from, so you decide to recreate it. Using forward design principles, ...
Phys.org / When it comes to networks, nature has an edge
Networks exist in both nature—such as biological systems like food webs and gene regulatory networks—and in engineered systems as seen in power grids. Though natural and engineered systems share an overarching goal—providing ...
Phys.org / Mathematical foundations for noise-tolerant quantum catalysts in real-world environments
Quantum catalysts are specialized resources that enable quantum state transformations previously thought impossible, holding promise for advancements in quantum computing and thermodynamics. A recent international study has ...
Phys.org / Students discover new crab egg predator
After a year and a half of remote work and learning, UC Santa Barbara undergraduate students Sophia Lecuona Manos, Gabrielle Plewe, Carson Gadler and doctoral student Zoe Zilz returned to campus in late 2021 eager for some ...
Phys.org / What's in your lipstick and water? New test flags hidden mutagens
Substances capable of mutating human genetic material—altering and permanently damaging it—are present in many everyday products. Researchers at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) have, for the first time, detected ...
Phys.org / 'Conflict entrepreneurs': Examining divisive political rhetoric and the pursuit of celebrity by politicians
American politics is increasingly characterized by high levels of polarization and divisive rhetoric, despite stated preferences among voters for civility and substantive debate. Sean J. Westwood and colleagues sought to ...
Phys.org / Changing flight paths could slash aviation's climate impact
Small changes to aircraft flight paths to avoid the atmospheric conditions that create condensation trails—known as contrails—could reduce aviation's global warming impact by nearly half, a new study suggests. The study, ...
