Phys.org news

Phys.org / North Sea 'lost world' had habitable forests during the last Ice Age, study shows

Forests were growing on the now-submerged landmass of Doggerland thousands of years earlier than previously believed, according to a major new sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) study led by the University of Warwick. The ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Mangrove forests are short of breath, researchers warn

The tidal environment of mangrove forests serves as nurseries for many fish species. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have measured carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in 23 of the world's mangrove areas. The study, ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Astronomers capture birth of a magnetar, confirming link to some of universe's brightest exploding stars

Astronomers have for the first time seen the birth of a magnetar—a highly magnetized, spinning neutron star—and confirmed that it's the power source behind some of the brightest exploding stars in the cosmos. The finding ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Nocturnal ants use lunar compass and sophisticated calculations to travel at night

It's well known that many animals, including migratory birds, butterflies, and even fish, use the sun for navigational purposes. Nocturnal animals are dealt a more difficult hand, however, as the moon's path is far more variable. ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Scalable quantum batteries can charge faster than their classical counterparts

Over the past decades, energy engineers have developed increasingly advanced battery technologies that can store more energy, charge faster and maintain their performance for longer. In recent years, some researchers have ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Acoustic driving enables controlled condensation of light and matter on chip

An international research team led by Alexander Kuznetsov at the Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics (PDI) in Berlin has demonstrated a fundamentally new way to control the condensation of hybrid light-matter ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Hydrogen atmosphere could keep exomoons habitable for billions of years

Liquid water is considered essential for life. Surprisingly, however, stable conditions that are conducive to life could exist far from any sun. A research team from the Excellence Cluster ORIGINS at LMU and the Max Planck ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Flying 2,000 km to find a mate—meet Australia's most determined seabirds

New genetic testing from the University of the Sunshine Coast has uncovered the extraordinary lengths a group of Queensland seabirds will travel to keep love blossoming on their little island. It's a common complaint for ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Queen bees survive winter flooding by breathing underwater

Hibernation is a risky endeavor for many animals, as they can be taken away by the elements or predators. For several months of the year, queen bumblebees enter a dormant state underground called diapause. While this keeps ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Stealth' DNA circles safely insert gene-sized payloads into the genome

Genome editing-based therapies typically aim to treat disease by correcting underlying genetic mutations in patient's cells. However, most genetic disorders are caused by dozens or even thousands of unique mutations spread ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Ancient Filipino skeleton reveals a rare hip condition further complicated by scurvy

The growing paleopathological literature shows that scurvy was not a rare problem among people living in the ancient Asia-Pacific tropics. Scurvy is increasingly identified throughout the region, primarily in children but ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Typhoons: The hidden lifeline in a drying world

A research team led by Professor Jonghun Kam from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has revealed that typhoons are a critical factor in mitigating global droughts by simulating a scenario where typhoon-induced ...

3 hours ago