Phys.org news
Phys.org / Archaeologists unearth evidence of dogs being traded within Mayan societies
A University of Calgary archaeologist has found evidence that the Classic Period Maya were trading live dogs over long distances between the northern Yucatan peninsula and central Chiapas regions.
Phys.org / LED light unlocks 3D optical fingerprints inside materials without lasers
Researchers have developed, for the first time in the world, incoherent dielectric tensor tomography (iDTT), a technology that can read complex three-dimensional optical fingerprints inside materials using only everyday LED ...
Phys.org / Ancient soil temperatures may have steered millet farming across Neolithic East Asia
Millet has been an important crop in East Asia for much of the Holocene, a period beginning about 11,700 years ago. To better understand how environmental conditions may have shaped the development of millet agriculture, ...
Phys.org / The 'nostalgia effect': Scientists produce less disruptive work as they age
You probably know that Einstein changed the face of physics with his theory of relativity in his twenties. What you may not know is that he spent his later career on a crusade against quantum mechanics, the model that would ...
Phys.org / How soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease
A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants' immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical ...
Phys.org / Chilean wasp named in honor of Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday
Scientists from the Natural History Museum, London have described a new genus and species of parasitic wasp found within the Museum's collections, and named it as a birthday present for Sir David Attenborough.
Phys.org / Deforestation lessens Amazon rainfall—and climate change hastens that process, study finds
Climate change makes the southern Amazon's rain increasingly sensitive to deforestation, a new study finds. Clearing large areas of forest can trigger severe and lasting reductions in rainfall regardless of climate, but as ...
Phys.org / Sharper brains switch to a 'not what you know, but who you know' mindset online and on social media, study shows
Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published ...
Phys.org / Trafficked pangolin DNA reveals hotspots of illegal wildlife trade
Small samples of DNA can reveal hotspots and trade routes in the illegal wildlife trade, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Sean Heighton and Philippe Gaubert of the University of Toulouse ...
Phys.org / Pilot whales are already 'shouting' at full volume, but one busy waterway is pushing them to the edge
With over 60,000 ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar each year, this stretch between the Atlantic and Mediterranean is one of the busiest waterways on the planet. This narrow strip of water is also home to a critically ...
Phys.org / Thawing Arctic soil awakens only half of soil microbes, new study reveals
As the Arctic warms at an unprecedented rate, frozen soils that have remained locked in ice for most of the year are now thawing for longer periods. Yet new research led by an international team including scientists from ...
Phys.org / Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves $3.75 in wildfire damages, study finds
Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves about $3.75 in wildfire damages, according to a new study, led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, of nearly 300 fires in the western United States. The ...
