Phys.org news
Phys.org / Saturn's rings extend further above and below the ring plane, forming a 'halo'
The Cassini probe took its final orbits, referred to as the Grand Finale Orbits (GFOs), in 2017, before launching itself into Saturn's atmosphere. During these GFOs, the probe collected samples of dust above and below Saturn's ...
Phys.org / Subtle twist in materials prompts surprising electromagnetic behavior
Materials react differently to electric and magnetic fields, and these reactions are known as electromagnetic responses. In many solid materials, unusual electromagnetic responses have been known to only emerge when specific ...
Phys.org / How a new diet of penguins is changing puma behavior and social lives in Patagonia
Penguins in the coastal steppes of Argentina have a new enemy to worry about: the increasing numbers of pumas in Monte León National Park (MLNP). These powerful mountain cats were once on the brink of disappearing from this ...
Phys.org / Active thermal metasurfaces amplify heat signatures by a factor of nine
Light undergoes a unique phenomenon called superscattering, an optical illusion where a very small object scatters far more light than expected. This happens when multiple scattering modes overlap and interact, allowing tiny ...
Phys.org / Sourdough starters: How flour choice shapes microbial communities
Sourdough starter, a fermented mix of flour and water, is a staple for bakers. It's also a rich experimental testing ground for microbiologists. The bread's chewy texture and tangy taste arise from the mix of microbes that ...
Phys.org / Conventional entanglement can have thousands of hidden topologies in high dimensions
Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, in collaboration with Huzhou University, discovered that the entanglement workhorse of most quantum optics laboratories can have hidden topologies, reporting ...
Phys.org / Overlooked hydrogen emissions are heating Earth and supercharging methane, research finds
Rising global emissions of hydrogen over the past three decades have added to the planet's warming temperatures and amplified the impact of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, according to new research published ...
Phys.org / Gut bacteria rapidly adapt to digest starches in ultra-processed foods, study finds
Gut bacteria evolve rapidly in response to different diets, UCLA evolutionary biologists report in a new study. The researchers found that gene variants that help microbes digest starches found in ultra-processed foods have ...
Phys.org / The perfect polymer? Plant-based plastic is fully saltwater degradable and leaves behind zero microplastics
Researchers led by Takuzo Aida at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) in Japan have one-upped themselves in their quest to solve our microplastic problem.
Phys.org / Shortest light pulse ever created captures ultrafast electron dynamics
Electrons determine everything: how chemical reactions unfold, how materials conduct electricity, how biological molecules transfer energy, and how quantum technologies operate. But electron dynamics happens on attosecond ...
Phys.org / One and done is not enough: Study challenges traditional evolutionary research
Every living being must cope with a changing world—summer gives way to winter, one year it floods and the next is a drought. It's obvious that populations of plants and animals must constantly face new challenges, says ...
Phys.org / Prehistoric elephant footprints documented for first time in Murcia's fossil dunes
An international team, involving researchers from the University of Seville, the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences in Granada and the University of Huelva, has identified the first fossilized vertebrate footprints from ...