Phys.org news

Phys.org / Surprising diversity found among Europe's last Neanderthals

A new study published in Nature provides the most detailed picture to date of Neanderthal diversity in Western Europe shortly before their extinction.

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Machine learning rediscovers equations governing ocean biogeochemistry

Climate and ocean models use a series of equations to represent complex natural processes. However, the equations used in these models are often derived from limited observations and a series of assumptions.

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Interlayer self-doping could unlock room-temperature multiferroics in atom-thin materials

Multiferroics are materials that exhibit more than one prominent "ferroic" property, such as ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. One of their most advantageous features is that they allow engineers to control their magnetic ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Artificial DNA tiles could deliver drugs and monitor neurons non-disruptively

Living cells constantly exchange ions (i.e., charged particles) via the thin barrier that surrounds their interior, known as the outer membrane. Neuroscientists and medical researchers have long been trying to devise effective ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Oldest example of preserved tube feet reveals clues about the lives of 452-million-year-old sea lilies

Echinoderms, such as starfish, sea urchins and sea lilies, use small, flexible, tubular projections called "tube feet" for locomotion, feeding, respiration and sensory perception. Crinoids, a subgroup of echinoderms, are ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Why female guppies prefer rare males and how this might shape evolution

When it comes to choosing a partner, some species prefer males that stand out from the crowd. Evolutionary biologists call the resulting process negative frequency-dependent selection. It means that a male has a huge mating ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / ALMA spots a nine-member stellar family in the act of formation

Massive stars much bigger than our sun always come in pairs or groups, not alone. But astronomers don't fully understand how these groupings form. In a new study, astronomers using ALMA have serendipitously discovered a young ...

11 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum squeezing sidesteps the limits on mechanical transducers

From detecting the ripples of colliding black holes to imaging individual chemical bonds, mechanical transducers have repeatedly transformed our understanding of the universe. So far, however, the sensitivity of these devices ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Euclid captures 60 million stars in sharpest broad view of Milky Way's core

For just one day, our dark universe detective, Euclid, turned its gaze toward the light: the extremely bright inner region of our Milky Way galaxy, known as the galactic bulge. This special request came from astronomers who ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Does the Netherlands feed the world? Study challenges a familiar view of Dutch agriculture

The Netherlands is a major agricultural exporter. But look beyond euros to land, animal feed, calories and protein, and a different picture emerges. In a study published in Nature Food, researchers at Wageningen University ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / New giant wormlion fly species identified on the southern slopes of the Himalayas

An enigmatic new species of wormlion fly, whose larvae construct clever pitfall traps to capture prey, has been revealed in a study led by researchers at Dali University in China.

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Asteroid zooming past Earth on Saturday visible to stargazers

A large asteroid that will zoom harmlessly past Earth on Saturday will be visible to stargazers using a small telescope or large binoculars, the European Space Agency announced Wednesday.

4 hours ago