Phys.org news
Phys.org / Hidden in Maya wall writings: A named astronomer emerges from 1,200-year-old calculations
Researchers have reconstructed and transcribed a mathematical formula from the site of Xultun, Guatemala, revealing the name of a Maya astronomer for the first time. During the Classic period (250–900 CE), mathematics and ...
Phys.org / New 3D thermal cloak hides objects from heat in any direction
Researchers have designed and built the first 3D device that can make objects invisible to heat, an advance that could transform how we protect sensitive electronics, manage heat in microchips and shield equipment from thermal ...
Phys.org / The US just approved a giant space mirror to test 'sunlight on demand.' Low Earth orbit is getting weird
A giant mirror to create "sunlight on demand" was just approved by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), despite opposition from astronomers and the public, and real safety concerns.
Phys.org / Atoms tell different stories when light hits a molecule in trillionths of a second
Researchers have captured how a molecule redistributes energy after absorbing light, differentiating the roles of individual atoms in the process. They used X-ray flashes from the European XFEL to show that different atoms ...
Phys.org / 'Silly sprinklers' put in reverse to further unravel decades-old physics puzzle
Each summer, lawns are marked by a familiar addition: "silly sprinklers," whose loops and spirals spew water in creative ways. While seemingly frivolous in their construction, a team of mathematicians has used their design ...
Phys.org / AI-powered electronic nose can distinguish tens of thousands of odors
A research team has presented a roadmap for developing an "artificial olfactory system" that detects odors like the human nose and analyzes them using artificial intelligence (AI) by leveraging metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). ...
Phys.org / Hubble discovers first of star cluster's missing black holes
The massive globular star cluster Omega Centauri has puzzled astronomers for decades. It should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars, yet evidence for them is scarce. Now, astronomers using archival data ...
Phys.org / Study links sea level to Earth's carbon thermostat
Earth has a natural thermostat that has kept the planet habitable for more than 100 million years. Scientists have struggled to fully explain how it works, but new research identifies a missing link between phosphate availability ...
Phys.org / Where mainshocks strike may explain earthquake size patterns better than timing, data suggests
Japan is well known for its large earthquakes, but not all regions show the same patterns of earthquake activity. One way to understand which places tend to experience large or small earthquakes is the b-value, a key statistical ...
Phys.org / Scientists and citizens are more persuasive than government and industry in mobilizing action, study finds
In environmental, health and technology crises, Americans are more persuaded to take action by scientists and public consensus than by leaders in government and industry, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National ...
Phys.org / Distant exoplanets may be hiding water beyond Webb Telescope's reach, study finds
The planets that appear most common in the universe could have a lot of water—but it could be hiding where telescopes can't detect it, according to a new study led by scientists with the University of Chicago.
Phys.org / Melting icebergs can weaken a massive, far-off ocean current system
Melting and breaking icebergs in the far-off northeastern Pacific Ocean can weaken a massive current system in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a University of California, Davis study published in Nature Communications.
