Phys.org news
Phys.org / Did wildfires help spark the invention of pottery?
A new study suggests that a period of intense fires and landscape upheaval in the ancient southern Levant may have helped create the conditions that led Neolithic communities to discover how fire could transform clay.
Phys.org / Climate change may erase 25 million hectares of kelp forests by 2050
Climate change is driving rapid declines in seaweed forests globally, outpacing restoration efforts and undermining seaweed restoration as a viable carbon dioxide removal strategy, according to an essay by Karen Filbee-Dexter ...
Phys.org / Researchers rewire ribosomes to specialize in one protein
Every cell relies on ribosomes, the molecular machines that read genetic instructions and use them to assemble proteins. A cell needs thousands of types of proteins at any one time, so ribosomes must be generalists, capable ...
Phys.org / Waterlogged seeds reveal melons' ancient journey
Melons produce many seeds, making the melon shape a traditional symbol of fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture. But the historical debate about how melons made their way to modern tables is as long and twisted as ...
Phys.org / Study predicts large disparities in access to food, water and energy in 2050
How will global access to food, water and energy evolve in coming decades? A new study coauthored by MIT researchers suggests the answers could be very different depending on region, resource and income.
Phys.org / AI model decodes cell signaling fingerprints across diverse cell types
As an embryo develops from a small cluster of stem cells, those once "blank slate" cells begin to take on more specialized roles like brain, liver or muscle cells and organize themselves into three-dimensional structures ...
Phys.org / Bear baiting in England became more common following Norman invasion, research reveals
Bear baiting in England became more popular after the Norman Conquest in 1066, new research shows. The study by Cardiff University and the University of Nottingham brings together archaeological analysis of bear bones and ...
Phys.org / ALMA watches a massive binary assemble in real time
Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have captured one of the most detailed three-dimensional views yet of a massive binary star system while it is still being born. By tracking the motions ...
Phys.org / Melting Svalbard glaciers may flush ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice
Meltwater rivers flowing from Svalbard glaciers are carrying ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice into the open air, new research published in Nature Communications shows.
Phys.org / Worm's radical transformation shows metamorphosis can change the functions of cells
A squishy worm that starts its life as something of a floating head in the Pacific Ocean is changing what scientists know about metamorphosis at the cellular level.
Phys.org / Cosmic radiation at flight altitudes rises when the sun is less active
Radiation from space is constantly entering Earth's atmosphere, but how much of it reaches the altitudes used by commercial aircraft depends not only on height and location, but also on the activity of the sun. A new study ...
Phys.org / Curved nanographene with five-, six- and seven-membered rings synthesized in two steps
Nanographenes can be considered molecular fragments of graphene, a 2D conductive material in which carbon atoms are connected in a honeycomb pattern. Because their electronic and photophysical properties vary depending on ...
