Phys.org news

Phys.org / 3I/ATLAS contains 30 times more semi-heavy water than comets in our solar system

New observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS include the first measurement of the abundance of deuterated water relative to ordinary water in an interstellar object. Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Mysterious gas clouds near Milky Way's black hole now have a likely source

New observations and simulations by a team of researchers led by MPE reveal that a massive binary star near our galaxy's center is responsible for creating a series of enigmatic gas clouds—compact gas clumps that help feed ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / These eight coastal cities sit on America's flood front line, and AI shows why

New York, New Orleans and Miami are among the eight cities along the US Gulf and Atlantic coasts facing the highest flood risk, according to a new study published in Science Advances. Scientists developed a new AI-driven ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Amazon River plume: Where microalgae go carnivorous to win

In the vast plume of the Amazon River, microscopic algae adopt a surprisingly flexible survival strategy: They combine photosynthesis with the uptake of organic matter. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Neanderthals may have shared key DNA for complex language, reshaping when human speech began

In a first-of-its-kind finding, researchers at University of Iowa Health Care discovered that specific genetic sequences have an outsized impact on humans' language abilities and that these sequences evolved before humans ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / This flower's toxic traits hold clues for safer drugs

The molecules of a highly toxic plant, known for its bell-shaped purple and pink flowers and found in some home gardens, have long been used to regulate human heart muscles.

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Physicists revive 1990s laser concept to propose a next-generation atomic clock

Researchers in the US and Germany have unveiled a theoretical blueprint for an atomic clock driven by a highly synchronized laser, where atoms work in concert rather than independently. Publishing their results in Physical ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Black grouse eye test reveals best flags to protect birds from fatal cables

There is a silent killer lurking in the French Alps: ski lift cables. Over the last 60 years, the wires have accounted for almost 600 recorded landfowl deaths in the region. Black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) account for ~70% ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Nuclear war at Ukraine-Russia border could trigger years of global climate disruption and radioactive fallout

Geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe underscore the urgency of addressing the climate and radiological consequences of a regional nuclear conflict. Even a small-scale nuclear conflict at the Ukraine–Russia border could ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / From air to tea: New sensor reveals invisible pollution in minutes

Fine particulate matter in the air or nanoparticles in water—a remarkable new technology developed at TU Wien makes it possible to detect tiny amounts of a wide range of substances in a very short time.

4 hours ago
Phys.org / In Eastern Africa, the cradle of humankind is tearing apart

Eastern Africa's Turkana Rift is both a hotbed for fossil discoveries of our earliest ancestors and a literal hotbed of volcanic activity caused by shifting tectonic plates. Now researchers have found that Earth's underlying ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Gene-sharing view challenged as bacteria shown to police DNA exchange

A new study finds that bacteria can actively block the transfer of beneficial genes to neighboring cells, using specialized proteins to specifically destroy shared DNA before it spreads. This challenges the long-held view ...

4 hours ago