Phys.org news
Phys.org / Despotic primate societies rarely play as adults, analysis of 37 species reveals
Although about half of primate species play as adults with other adults, a team of international researchers has just unlocked a key factor in the reason why some don't. The answer lies in the type of society in which the ...
Phys.org / 'Calm' galaxy cluster hides a violent cosmic scene that took 4 billion years to settle
The galaxy cluster Abell 2029 is sometimes described as "the most relaxed cluster in the universe." This moniker does not arise from some sort of mellow vibe, but rather because of how calm and undisturbed the superheated ...
Phys.org / How winds above Tibet quietly replenish water for nearly 2 billion people
The "Asian Water Towers" (AWTs), a high-altitude region with a mean elevation exceeding 4,000 meters, serve as the primary freshwater source for nearly 2 billion people. While the Indian summer monsoon is well known for shaping ...
Phys.org / How Qing featherwork got its colors: New scans reveal multiple birds and hidden pigment layers
The kingfisher's brilliant blue feathers were once used like paint to create works of art. The technique, known as tian-tsui, was popular during China's Qing Dynasty. And because tian-tsui uses delicate feathers, previous ...
Phys.org / How a single radioactive cloud caused Fukushima particle contamination
A new study shows that a single radioactive cloud was responsible for a large share of the nuclear fallout during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011. The work is published in the Journal of Hazardous ...
Phys.org / Engineered exosomes reverse sleep deprivation brain damage in mice
Sleep is a vital physiological process that allows humans and other animals to restore both the mind and body, while also consolidating memories, clearing out toxins and regulating their metabolism. Several past studies showed ...
Phys.org / Self-activating catalysts boost hydrogen output by reshaping themselves during electrolysis
To what extent can self-activating catalysts enhance hydrogen production in electrolyzers? Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have investigated this question, and their findings were published in Advanced ...
Phys.org / Bright blazar reveals 433-day optical quasi-periodic oscillation across nine years
By analyzing the data from the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international team of astronomers has discovered optical quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in a bright quasar known as 3C 454.3. It is so far one of the ...
Dialog / Novel technique measures polymer degradation during cathodic overprotection
Oil and natural gas are vital constituents of our energy ecosystem that need to be transported across long distances. Although steel pipelines are the infrastructure used for this purpose, thereby serving as the lifeline ...
Phys.org / Gentle, laser-driven flows enable precise 3D imaging of delicate samples
Until now, it has been technically nearly impossible to rotate highly sensitive samples in all directions under a microscope without making contact. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed ...
Phys.org / DeepAFM decodes protein motion from noisy images with 93.4% accuracy
In 2018, an artificial intelligence (AI) program called AlphaFold achieved a major breakthrough by placing first in the critical assessment of structure prediction, a competition for predicting the three-dimensional structures ...
Phys.org / Human childbirth is not uniquely difficult among mammals
Human childbirth is commonly viewed as uniquely difficult and dangerous. The reason: The combination of bipedalism and large brains creates a tight fit between the baby and the birth canal. Research at the University of Vienna ...
