Phys.org news
Phys.org / We can predict space weather—what if we could also stop it?
The weather on Earth can get pretty messy sometimes. But in space, it can be wild, and the effects can be far-reaching. Solar flares, giant explosions on the sun, can send out streams of energy that block radio communications ...
Phys.org / Why doesn't coffee taste like caffeine?
Though decaf fans might disagree, caffeine is a critical component of a cup of joe. This compound is incredibly bitter on its own, but regular coffee itself is not. A team reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food ...
Phys.org / HETDEX opens massive Cosmic Noon dataset to scientists, novices and AI
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX)—which recently completed the largest survey ever taken of the early universe—has released all of its immense, information-rich database to the public. Built from ...
Phys.org / Portable UV spectrometer can detect air pollutants across 2.5 km with high precision
Birgitta Schultze-Bernhardt and her team at the Institute of Experimental Physics at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have developed a new type of UV dual-comb spectrometer that detects gaseous air pollutants with ...
Phys.org / Ancient DNA offers hope for California's critically endangered black abalone
Black abalone once carpeted the rocky shores of California by the millions. The large, long-lived sea snails sustained Indigenous peoples along the coast for thousands of years, anchored a thriving 20th-century commercial ...
Phys.org / 'BBQ sauce' phase may link little red dots to quasars
Everyone knows that finding the right sauce recipe can make or break a barbecue, but now astronomers are using BBQSORS (pronounced "barbecue sauce") as part of the recipe to explain quasars, some of the brightest objects ...
Phys.org / Taimering mammoth was likely butchered by hunters and gatherers
The wooly mammoth from Taimering (Bavaria, Germany), discovered in 2020, was buried in a former Ice Age pond after its death. Pollen findings and radiocarbon dating confirm that the mammoth lived and died during the harsh ...
Phys.org / Organized microbial guilds keep Earth's underground biosphere running, research reveals
By studying life deep inside a former gold mine, a Northwestern University-led team of scientists has uncovered evidence that Earth's hidden biosphere operates less like a random collection of microbes and more like an organized ...
Phys.org / A new capability to detect chemical weapons involves two existing methods
In the aftermath of suspected chemical attacks, investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) step in to collect chemical, environmental, and biomedical samples. Thorough forensic laboratory ...
Phys.org / Water-wave tweezers steer tiny 'surfers' without touching them
Summer brings with it the sight of surfers moving seamlessly across wave crests, with ocean waters carrying them along coastlines. A team of scientists has now created a similar phenomenon—with small objects rather than surfers—that ...
Phys.org / Thundering footsteps warn caterpillars of lethal ladybeetle attacks
Diminutive warty birch caterpillars (Falcaria bilineata), less than 1.5mm long, ardently defend their leaf tip homes from invading caterpillars by scraping and pounding the leaf to warn off potential invaders. But how might ...
Phys.org / Printed manga may give the brain a storytelling advantage
A new study by researchers at the University of Tokyo explores whether reading manga on paper or on a tablet changes how the brain understands and remembers stories. Participants first read the opening half of a two-part ...
