Phys.org news
Phys.org / Simple wipe test reveals hidden PFAS contamination on firefighter protective gear
The flames die down. The sirens fade. Firefighters peel off their gear, thinking the danger has passed. But in the quiet aftermath, another enemy lingers, an invisible film of "forever chemicals" clinging to jackets, pants ...
Phys.org / Encoding adaptive intelligence in molecular matter by design
For more than 50 years, scientists have sought alternatives to silicon for building molecular electronics. The vision was elegant; the reality proved far more complex. Within a device, molecules behave not as orderly textbook ...
Phys.org / New dataset maps global city boundaries in high resolution from 2000 to 2022
A research team led by Prof. Liu Liangyun from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) has produced the first comprehensive, high-resolution map of global city and town boundaries, ...
Phys.org / Ethylene and oxygen found to drive periderm regeneration after plant injury
Plants have an extraordinary ability to sense tissue damage and quickly rebuild their protective outer layers, a process vital for survival amid environmental stresses. The periderm—a specialized protective tissue found ...
Phys.org / The Star of Bethlehem might have actually been a comet described in an ancient Chinese text
Many researchers have spent decades attempting to decode biblical descriptions and link them to verifiable historical events. One such description is that of the Star of Bethlehem—a bright astronomical body that was said ...
Phys.org / Researchers develop efficient, reusable compound for capturing carbon dioxide from air
A new method to capture carbon dioxide from the air has been developed at the University of Helsinki's chemistry department.
Phys.org / Wildland fires emit more air pollution than previously estimated, study finds
As fires burn the landscape, they spew airborne gases and particles, though their impact on air pollution might be underestimated.
Phys.org / These Illinois dairy and beef farms make raising methane-belching cows part of the climate solution
Illinois is a top agricultural state, generating billions of dollars annually, but even where stalks of corn and acres of soybean vastly outnumber its 400,000 head of cattle, cows raised for beef and dairy account for an ...
Phys.org / Multi-core black carbon particles found to boost light absorption in wildfire smoke
Researchers at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) have contributed to a study revealing that conventional theories on the structure of black carbon particles—such as those emitted by wildfires—may have significantly ...
Phys.org / Biology-inspired brain model matches animal learning and reveals overlooked neuron activity
A new computational model of the brain based closely on its biology and physiology has not only learned a simple visual category learning task exactly as well as lab animals, but even enabled the discovery of counterintuitive ...
Phys.org / Ancient Puebloans kept macaws and parrots in great houses for ceremonial use
In a recent study, Dr. Katelyn Bishop conducted a zooarchaeological and archival data reanalysis of macaws and parrots recovered from Chaco Canyon to better understand their depositional contexts, material associations, and ...
Phys.org / Twisted light-matter systems unlock unusual topological phenomena
Properties that remain unchanged when materials are stretched or bent, which are broadly referred to as topological properties, can contribute to the emergence of unusual physical effects in specific systems.