Phys.org news

Phys.org / Male sperm whales produce loudest communication sounds ever measured in any mammal

Deep in the world's oceans, large male sperm whales emit slow, low-frequency clicks with the highest source levels of any animal communication sounds. These slow clicks are not the echolocation clicks the whales use to locate ...

11 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 ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Underground fungal networks come into 3D view without disturbing plant roots

Symbioses between plants and fungi are essential for most plants. Fungal structures known as mycorrhizae extend the area from which plants can draw water and nutrients from the soil. In return, plants supply the fungi with ...

11 hours ago
Phys.org / Homo antecessor skull layers resemble modern humans and Neanderthals, fragments suggest

A new study provides quantitative data on cranial vault thickness in Homo antecessor, based on the analysis of three parietal fragments recovered from the Gran Dolina site in the Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain.

12 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.

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Stomach stone hypothesis sheds light on the evolution of dinosaur digestive systems

An international research team led by Assistant Professor Ryuji Takasaki of the Faculty of Biosphere-Geosphere Science at Okayama University of Science has published a paper proposing a new hypothesis on the evolutionary ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Pixel patterns harness diffraction for faster, more accurate nanoscale 3D printing

Researchers at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology's ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / Light controls nanoscale 'bubble' domains in a ferroelectric crystal

Researchers at Flinders University have discovered an unexpected way light can control tiny electronic structures inside advanced materials, a development that could help pave the way for more energy-efficient memory devices, ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / Why we overestimate the positive impact of our actions on the climate

Why is recycling waste or switching off the lights sometimes perceived as more effective for the climate than giving up air travel? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) surveyed nearly 3,000 people and identified ...

11 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, ...

19 hours ago
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.

13 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 ...

14 hours ago