Phys.org news
Phys.org / Rapid warming may tip Atlantic circulation at 2°C, while slower warming may avert collapse
For several years, climate scientists have shown that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could come to a halt if the world warms too much. New research from Utrecht University shows that this picture is ...
Phys.org / Nature's original bioplastic may have fed animals for hundreds of millions of years
Long before humans discovered biodegradable plastics, microorganisms had already invented their own. Many bacteria and archaea produce natural bioplastics called polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), storing them inside their cells ...
Phys.org / Muon g-2 experiment places new constraints on a forbidden property of muons
A year after its final muon magnetic anomaly announcement, the Muon g-2 collaboration reports a new measurement of a different property of the muon: its electric dipole moment. The work is published on the arXiv preprint ...
Phys.org / Teaching AI the biology of antibodies speeds drug discovery
Designing an effective antibody drug is like searching for the right key in a warehouse of locks. Scientists may begin with millions—or even billions—of antibody candidates, but only a tiny fraction will recognize and bind ...
Phys.org / Uniaxial strain reveals new way to tune electron flow in altermagnet material
Altermagnetism is a new, third type of magnetism of great interest for spin-transport applications like computer memory. If properly harnessed, it could combine the benefits of the two existing types of magnetism, ferromagnetism ...
Phys.org / Satellite constellations could create spiraling space debris
To date, close to 30,000 satellites have been launched into Earth's orbit, leading to mounting concerns over the debris created when they collide. In a new analysis posted to the preprint server arXiv, Hugh Lewis of the University ...
Phys.org / Famous oddball quasar isn't X-ray weak after all, astronomers say
For more than two decades, the quasar PHL 1811 has been considered the prototype of a rare class of "intrinsically X-ray weak" quasars, thought to produce unusually little X-ray radiation. But in 2024, the Einstein Probe ...
Phys.org / Models of glacial collapse in Antarctica improve predictions of sea-level rise
With approximately one-third of the world's population living within a day's walk of a coastline, sea-level rise poses a serious global threat. Every centimeter of sea-level rise could displace 1.5 million people, and current ...
Phys.org / African grasslands expanded 5 million year earlier than previously thought, molecular fossils suggest
The iconic grassland savannas of Africa are geographically extensive and important for both local fauna and the global climate. But where did they come from, and how will they change in the future? Ongoing warming, rising ...
Phys.org / A dying star offers a rare glimpse of how the universe recycles its raw materials
Astronomers have captured an unprecedented image of a cosmic recycling project in progress—fragments of a dying star being busted up, stripped and absorbed into interstellar space.
Phys.org / Unsupervised free time increases the likelihood that adolescents will engage in violent behavior, 21-country study finds
A study involving more than 58,000 adolescents from 21 countries found that "unstructured free time"—defined as periods without adult supervision or activities guided by educational, cultural or athletic goals—is strongly ...
Phys.org / Drug-carrying nanoparticles shrink venous malformations by 70% in mice
Venous malformations are abnormally shaped veins that develop when the cells lining blood vessels grow too fast when they aren't supposed to. Children can be born with them, and as the child grows, the venous malformations ...
