Phys.org news
Phys.org / Adoption of electric vehicles tied to real-world reductions in air pollution
When California neighborhoods increased their number of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) between 2019 and 2023, they also experienced a reduction in air pollution. For every 200 vehicles added, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels ...
Phys.org / Halley's Comet wrongly named: 11th-century English monk predates British astronomer
The British astronomer and mathematician Edmond Halley was not, after all, the first to understand the cycle of the comet that now bears his name. This is shown by research conducted by, among others, Professor Simon Portegies ...
Phys.org / PFAS contamination in Pawcatuck River traced back to old textile mill ponds
A study led by University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography alumnus Jarod Snook, Ph.D., identified a long-term source of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," entering the Pawcatuck River from two historically contaminated ...
Phys.org / Transforming hydrogen energy by flattening granular catalysts into paper-thin sheets
Catalysts are the invisible engines of hydrogen energy, governing both hydrogen production and electricity generation. Conventional catalysts are typically fabricated in granular particle form, which is easy to synthesize ...
Phys.org / Harnessing nanoscale magnetic spins to overcome the limits of conventional electronics
Researchers at Kyushu University have shown that careful engineering of materials interfaces can unlock new applications for nanoscale magnetic spins, overcoming the limits of conventional electronics. Their findings, published ...
Phys.org / Conservation may not be enough to sustain water supplies, researchers find
As temperatures rise and water supplies drop, public policy could bolster municipal water provisions under pressure. But one policy prescription—pushing conservation—will likely be insufficient as a standalone fix to ...
Phys.org / Hydrogen's role in generating free electrons in silicon finally explained
Researchers announced that they have achieved the world's first elucidation of how hydrogen produces free electrons through the interaction with certain defects in silicon. The achievement has the potential to improve how ...
Phys.org / 2D material offers a solution to long-standing obstacle in diamond-based circuits
Beyond their sparkle, diamonds have hidden talents. They shed heat better than any material, tolerate extreme temperatures and radiation, and handle high voltages while wasting almost no electricity—ideal traits for compact, ...
Phys.org / Refined radiocarbon dating provides clearer timeline of human activity along Cantabrian coast 18,000 years ago
A new study refines radiocarbon dating of marine remains and significantly improves the precision with which the human past of the Magdalenian period in the Cantabrian region of Spain can be reconstructed, a key phase of ...
Phys.org / Biologists and engineers follow goopy clues to plant-wilting bacteria
Slippery, drippy goop makes Ralstonia bacteria devastating killers of plants, causing rapid wilting in tomato, potato, and a wide range of other crops, according to new research. The work, published Jan. 22 in Proceedings ...
Phys.org / Climate change can alter flower nectar quality and supply, threatening monarch butterfly migration
Monarch butterflies have always been remarkably resilient. Every fall, these delicate orange-and-black travelers set out on a journey so improbable it borders on myth, flying some three thousand kilometers from Canadian fields ...
Phys.org / Whales may divide resources to co-exist under pressures from climate change
The North Atlantic Ocean is warming up. Higher temperatures and increased human activity in the region can trigger abrupt changes in marine ecosystems, for example, how species are distributed and what they eat.
