Phys.org news
Phys.org / How rice viruses manipulate plant defenses to protect insect vectors
Planthoppers and leafhoppers not only feed on rice plants but also act as highly efficient vectors for plant viruses, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Notably, their persistent ability to evade natural enemies ...
Phys.org / Oil residues can travel over 5,000 miles on ocean debris, study finds
When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists' attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris ...
Phys.org / Molecular switch reveals transition between single-celled and multicellular forms
Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan have identified the genes that allow an organism to switch between living as single cells and forming multicellular structures. This ability to alternate between life forms provides ...
Phys.org / Direct flights drive multinational firm growth in globally connected cities
Waiting in an airport for a connecting flight is often tedious. A new study by MIT researchers shows it's bad for business, too.
Phys.org / Ancient clay cylinders provide first foundation text documenting Nebuchadnezzar II's restoration of the ziggurat of Kish
In 2013, two local Iraqis handed over two inscribed clay cylinders to the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Subsequent analysis and translation of the inscriptions published in Iraq revealed them to belong to King ...
Phys.org / Jupiter's moon Europa lacks the undersea activity needed to support life, study suggests
The giant planet Jupiter has nearly 100 known moons, yet none have captured the interest and imagination of astronomers and space scientists quite like Europa, an ice-shrouded world that is thought to possess a vast ocean ...
Phys.org / Orange pigments in birds and human redheads prevent cellular damage, study shows
A pigment that makes feathers and hair orange helps prevent cellular damage by removing excess cysteine from cells. Pheomelanin is an orange-to-red pigment that is built with the amino acid cysteine and found in human red ...
Phys.org / Solving quantum computing's longstanding 'no cloning' problem with an encryption workaround
A team of researchers at the University of Waterloo have made a breakthrough in quantum computing that elegantly bypasses the fundamental "no cloning" problem. The research, "Encrypted Qubits can be Cloned," appears in Physical ...
Phys.org / Rare 'firework morphology' of supernova remnant Pa 30 may be due to white dwarf wind
In 1181 AD, a bright "guest star" was observed to linger in the sky for around six months. Nearly 850 years later, the likely remnants of this event were rediscovered and tentatively linked to the 1181 supernova and dubbed ...
Phys.org / Astronomers build molecular cloud atlas for nearby Andromeda galaxy
Astronomers from Cardiff University, UK, have employed the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) to explore the nearby Andromeda galaxy. Results of the observational campaign, published December ...
Phys.org / How a biological version of rock-paper-scissors determines if lizard colors are maintained or lost
Two new studies into lizard colors reveal how one species maintains its colorful diversity while others are losing their ancient colors. And the changes are being driven by the biological equivalent of rock-paper-scissors.
Phys.org / Blazar Ton 599's complex variability investigated by long-term observations
Using the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international team of astronomers have performed long-term photometric observations of a luminous blazar known as Ton 599. Results of the observations, published in the Astronomy ...
