Phys.org news
Phys.org / Hawaii tests asphalt made with recycled plastics and fishing nets for shedding
Hawaii has a plastic problem. The island state faces economic and logistical challenges in recycling plastic waste, including marine debris that lingers in its ocean waters. Researchers in Hawaii are pioneering a method to ...
Phys.org / Fiber-optic sensors reveal how farming destroys soil's natural structure
Soil is often perceived simply as "dirt," but in reality, it is a dynamic, living system that acts as Earth's natural sponge. Unfortunately, common agricultural practices—including deep plowing and the use of heavy machinery—can ...
Phys.org / All 5 fundamental units of life's genetic code were just discovered in an asteroid sample
A new study reveals all five fundamental nucleobases—the molecular "letters" of life—have been detected in samples from the asteroid Ryugu.
Phys.org / How birds send heat into space measured for the first time—a hidden reflectance of feathers
As human-caused climate change continues to raise temperatures across the globe, understanding how birds regulate their temperature is vital for their conservation. But how much heat birds emit—an invisible spectrum of radiation ...
Phys.org / A lysosome switch could reshape research on cancer and neurodegenerative disease
An international research team from Bielefeld University and the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) has uncovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in human cells. For the first time, they ...
Phys.org / Sea turtle shells reveal hidden records of ocean change
Techniques developed to study the distant past—from dating ancient artifacts to reconstructing climate records in ice cores—are now being repurposed to help us better understand the lives of modern sea turtles. Using radiocarbon ...
Phys.org / JWST probes emerging young star clusters in nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has observed a nearby spiral galaxy known as NGC 628. Results of the observational campaign, published March 10 on the arXiv pre-print server, ...
Phys.org / Two buried Iron Age hoards reveal first evidence for four-wheeled wagons in Britain
In 2021, a man named Peter Heads made a fascinating discovery while using his metal detector in Melsonby, North Yorkshire in the UK. The find prompted him to contact Tom Moore at the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, ...
Phys.org / Moons orbiting wandering exoplanets could be habitable—with one catch
Provided they host thick, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, moons orbiting free-floating exoplanets could retain much of the heat generated deep within their interiors by tidal forces. Led by David Dahlbüdding at the Max Planck ...
Phys.org / Superconducting altermagnets could carry spin without energy loss
Researchers have proposed that a newly identified class of magnetic materials could extend the zero-resistance currents of superconductors to electron spins. Publishing their calculations in Physical Review X, Kyle Monkman ...
Phys.org / Are humans naturally violent? New research challenges long-held assumptions
New research from the University of Lincoln, UK, is challenging a common assumption about the evolutionary origins of human violence, suggesting that everyday aggression does not inevitably lead to lethal conflict. The study, ...
Phys.org / Dishwashing with side effects: Kitchen sponges release microplastics
Kitchen sponges are considered a potential, yet largely understudied, source of microplastics in households. A study in Environmental Advances investigated how many microplastic particles are released from kitchen sponges ...