Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nanopore method improves detection of cyanobacteria toxins in lake water

Cyanobacterial blooms, like the ones that occur in Lake Geneva, are rapid, dense growths of photosynthetic bacteria in fresh and marine waters that can threaten the health of swimmers and their pets.

7 hours ago
Phys.org / New museum find shows nature can't stop inventing seahorses

At first glance, it looks exactly like a seahorse. It has the same horse-shaped head tilted down from the body, the same curled, grasping tail and, in the males, a fully enclosed pouch for brooding the young.

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Forest floors reveal overlooked seed dispersers: Slugs, beetles and crabs spread viable seeds

A review led by the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has revealed that tiny ground-dwelling invertebrates are overlooked but important seed dispersers, challenging the traditional focus on ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Geological evidence questions the role of Agulhas Leakage in Atlantic Ocean circulation

For decades, scientists have asserted that the leakage of warm, salty Indian Ocean water south of South Africa into the Atlantic is a major contributor to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a component ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Kids who start social media earlier may do worse at school

Students who open a personal social media account earlier in adolescence appear to perform worse on later standardized tests, according to a study in Nature Human Behaviour based on 5,227 Italian students. The authors speculate ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Tiny predatory bacteria help protect endangered Caribbean corals

A microscopic predator may offer a new way to protect some of the Caribbean's most endangered corals. Georgia Tech researchers found that tiny predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Rising seas are inundating US coastal wetlands, putting many on track to become open water

Along the three coasts of the contiguous United States, a silent race unfolds. Fueled by climate change, sea levels rise faster than at any time in recent geologic history. Meanwhile, coastal wetlands cling to a slim lead, ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Bringing it all into focus—computational microscope captures 25.2 billion pixels per second across a wide field of view

When designing microscopes, optical engineers have long faced a trade-off between speed, field of view and resolution. But improving one of these properties typically comes at the expense of another. Now, a UC Berkeley–led ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Ultrafast X-ray flashes partially reverse the damage they cause, enabling brighter, more accurate imaging

The interaction between X-rays and matter can be actively controlled, according to an international research team led by the University of Hamburg and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that has succeeded in producing bright ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Ten viral genome regions may explain why deadly chicken virus evades vaccines

A highly contagious herpes virus causes Marek's disease, a deadly illness that mainly infects chickens. While it does not make people sick, the virus causes tumors and paralysis in chickens and, if unchecked, can spread rapidly ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Cells of the same age can follow sharply different biological aging paths

New research reveals that cells of the same chronological age can follow dramatically different biological aging paths, offering new insights into cancer, neurodegeneration and the fundamental biology of aging. Rather than ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Discarded rice husks capture toxic dyes, offering a reusable water filter

Rice is the most-eaten food on the planet, and its discarded outer husk results in some 300 billion pounds of waste per year. FIU chemistry researcher Islam Ibrahim Hussein says the inedible castoffs could be the key to cleaner ...

4 hours ago