Phys.org news
Phys.org / Four-eyed Cambrian fish fossils hint at origins of vertebrate pineal complex
New fossil evidence from China suggests that some of our vertebrate ancestors had four eyes. The study, published in Nature, takes a closer look at a structure found in multiple 518 million-year-old fossils, which appears ...
Phys.org / Crouzon syndrome diagnosed in a knight from the Order of Calatrava, killed in battle over 600 years ago
For the ArchaeoSpain research team, it was a day just like any other on their dig at the castle of Zorita de los Canes (Guadalajara). They were working at the Corral de los Condes, where some knights from the Order of Calatrava ...
Phys.org / Astronomers discover dense super-Neptune exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new extrasolar planet orbiting a sun-like star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-3862 b, turns out to ...
Phys.org / Magnetic 'sweet spots' enable optimal operation of hole spin qubits
Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could reliably tackle various computational problems that cannot be solved by classical computers. These systems process information ...
Phys.org / Chimpanzees are better at solving resource dilemmas in larger, more tolerant groups
Despite being one of the most cooperative species on the planet, humans routinely fail to manage shared resources sustainably. We overfish from the oceans, burn fossil fuels, and over-prescribe antibiotics; behaviors that ...
Phys.org / Ancient giant kangaroos could hop to it when they needed to, hindlimb study suggests
Giant ancestors of modern-day kangaroos—which previous research has estimated could weigh up to 250 kilograms—may have been able to hop in short bursts, according to research published in Scientific Reports.
Phys.org / Biofilm streamers harden under flow, making bacterial infections harder to treat
Whether in the human body or on surfaces, bacteria protect themselves from outside attackers using biofilms. Physicist Eleonora Secchi is researching how these slime-like protective films are formed, with the aim of making ...
Phys.org / Dark energy survey scientists release analysis of all six years of survey data
The Dark Energy Survey Collaboration collected information on hundreds of millions of galaxies across the universe using the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation ...
Phys.org / Hubble uncovers the secret of blue straggler stars that defy aging
Some stars appear to defy time itself. Nestled within ancient star clusters, they shine bluer and brighter than their neighbors, looking far younger than their true age. Known as blue straggler stars, these stellar oddities ...
Phys.org / Sourdough starters reveal a recipe for predicting microbial species survival
People have long said that "bread is life." Now, researchers at Tufts University are using the bubbling mixtures of flour and water known as sourdough starters to explore what shapes life at the microscopic level. Their findings, ...
Phys.org / Amplifying feedbacks could drive Greenland ice sheet to near-complete disappearance
Greenland, which has been prominently in the news in recent days, hosts a vast ice sheet. If it melts, it will become one of the largest contributors to global sea-level rise. Under a high-emissions scenario, the Greenland ...
Phys.org / Rule-breaking supermassive black hole discovered in the early universe
An international research team led by scientists at Waseda University and Tohoku University has discovered an extraordinary quasar in the early universe that hosts one of the fastest-growing supermassive black holes known ...