Phys.org news
Phys.org / Unexpected predator: Jellyfish shown to hunt polychaete worms
Most polychaete species spend their lives in burrows in the seabed. However, adult individuals of two species, Alitta succinea and Platynereis dumerilii, leave their burrows to spawn during warm summer nights around the full ...
Phys.org / Scientists discover f-block metals yield new oxygen-binding chemistry
Iron and oxygen bind together throughout the body. Most famously, iron binds dioxygen, or two oxygens paired with each other, in hemoglobin that transports oxygen through blood. But iron-oxo compounds, as they're called, ...
Phys.org / How bromoform wrecks ozone: Ultrafast 'roaming' step captured in 150 femtoseconds
The halomethane compound bromoform (CHBr3) has devastating effects on the ozone layer. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, bromoform reacts with UV radiation, releasing bromine molecules which destroy ozone molecules. ...
Phys.org / Climate change is outpacing evolution. Scientists are using DNA to catch up
Evolution works over millennia. Climate change is moving far faster. That mismatch is killing some of the planet's most vital ecosystems, from California's towering redwoods to the seagrass meadows along its coast, both of ...
Phys.org / Why warmer Caribbean waters could mean slower hurricanes and worse flooding
Rapid ocean warming is likely to make tropical cyclone rainfall more intense and longer lasting, increasing flood risks in parts of the North Atlantic region. A new study led by Newcastle University using satellite data shows ...
Phys.org / Could your housemates be changing your gut bacteria? An island bird study suggests so
Living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia. Research on a colony of tiny island birds reveals they share more of their gut bacteria with the ...
Phys.org / Unraveling the complexities of the Borna disease virus 1
Cases of Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease, the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain. This zoonotic virus ...
Phys.org / Tarantulas may use learning and memory to search for food and locate their retreats
Researchers have documented several cases of spatial orientation in tarantulas living both in trees and in underground burrows. Spatial orientation refers to the ability of an animal to understand where it is in three-dimensional ...
Phys.org / Alzheimer's-linked protein tau plays a role in cell division
All processes such as wound healing, hair growth, and the replacement of old cells with new ones depend on cell division. During this process, chromosomes inside the cell must be evenly divided between two daughter cells. ...
Phys.org / Rod-shaped synthetic swimmers reveal a 'sweet spot' for active turbulence
Inspired by the collective dynamics of bacteria like E. coli and Bacillus subtilis, researchers at the University of Twente asked a simple but fundamental question: what happens when artificial swimmers are made rod-shaped ...
Phys.org / Seabirds reveal global mercury distribution in oceans
Mercury released into the oceans affects marine environments worldwide. Traditionally, its distribution and quantity have been estimated using marine biogeochemical simulation models.
Phys.org / Chimpanzee empire falls apart in rare instance of division and deadly violence
The largest group of wild chimpanzees known to scientists has permanently split in two. In a study published in Science, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and other institutions report the first clearly documented ...
