Phys.org news

Phys.org / Training microbes to prepare soils for the impacts of climate change

Scientists at the University of Lincoln have discovered a promising new way to help protect crops from one of climate change's growing threats to global food production—increasing soil salinity.

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Orcas filmed ramming one of the world's heaviest fish so hard it explodes, possibly for fun

Orcas are known to be smart and ruthless hunters. They've been observed hunting a variety of prey, with some species, such as whales, larger than themselves. They use a wide range of strategies to hunt and kill prey, but ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / How much should you reveal about yourself on your dating profile? Scientists have found the 'sweet spot'

Dating has entered a new era in which finding a potential soulmate is increasingly shaped by the digital world and, often, by algorithms. On dating apps, the way people present themselves through their profiles can significantly ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Ceramic vessels reveal how social inequalities were also cooked into 19th-century Brazil

Fish, shellfish, maize, manioc, rice and even chicken eggs. Molecular residues preserved in more than 180 ceramic vessels from southern Brazil have made it possible to reconstruct what different communities were cooking more ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Molecular clock transitions tune out the noise in the hunt for new physics

Heavy polar molecules are some of the most sensitive tools physicists have for probing what lies beyond the Standard Model, the theory that describes the particles and forces we know about. But turning that sensitivity into ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Lipid nanoparticles deliver one-two punch to shrink resistant oral tumors in preclinical models

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of head and neck cancer, and the number of new cases is predicted to rise by 30% in the next decade. Despite decades of cancer research, treating OSCC remains a ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Most powerful Northern Lights in a generation expose weaknesses in UK infrastructure

Millions of people across the UK marveled at the spectacular northern lights that lit up the night sky in May 2024. But while the display captivated skywatchers, the geomagnetic storm behind it also served as the biggest ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Peptide isolated from a Cerrado frog increases strawberry shelf life

Five minutes. That was the amount of time that Oso Grande strawberries remained in contact with the Ctx(Ile21)-Ha peptide—a molecule isolated from a frog native to the Brazilian Cerrado—in experiments conducted in Brazil ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Moon baboon: New insight into the mind of ancient Egyptians

New research from the University of St Andrews has shed light on baboons, moonlight and their link to an ancient Egyptian deity.

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Striped or checkered? Magnetic field influences competing electronic patterns in a graphene-like quantum material

In most everyday materials, such as copper, silver and silicon, the behavior of electrons is relatively predictable. In quantum materials, however, electrons can interact in complex ways, giving rise to collective electronic ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / National food waste recycling promises major climate gains but comes with microplastic risks

Keeping food waste out of landfills provides climate and other environmental benefits, and Vermont requires residents to divert these materials to better management pathways. With other states considering similar policies, ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Shaking atoms to bring black-hole quantum chaos into the lab

Physicists have discovered a surprisingly simple way to reproduce one of the most fascinating models in modern physics—linked to black holes, quantum chaos and exotic electronic materials—using ultracold atoms trapped in ...

5 hours ago