Phys.org news
Phys.org / Meet Crocodylus lucivenator, a 12- to 15-foot predator that hunted iconic Lucy's species
More than 3 million years ago, when our ancient ancestors embodied by the iconic Lucy were roaming the African landscape, they would have feared a big, bad crocodile with a prominent lump on its head, patiently lurking in ...
Phys.org / We are not alone: Our sun escaped together with stellar 'twins' from galaxy center
Researchers have uncovered evidence for our sun joining a mass migration of similar "twins" leaving the core regions of our galaxy, 4 to 6 billion years ago. The team created and studied an unprecedentedly accurate catalog ...
Phys.org / Fantastic fungi found with ability to freeze water
Can fungi influence the weather? Turns out, they just might. An international group of researchers that includes Virginia Tech's Xiaofeng Wang and Boris A. Vinatzer discovered the identity of fungal proteins that can catalyze ...
Phys.org / Failed experiment leads to surprise drug development breakthrough
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new way to alter complex drug molecules using light rather than toxic chemicals—a discovery that could accelerate and improve how medicines are designed and made. ...
Phys.org / NASA's tiny spacecraft sends first exoplanet images
With the first images from the spacecraft now in hand, the team behind NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat, or SPARCS, is ready to begin charting the energetic lives of the galaxy's most common stars to help answer ...
Phys.org / Pollen-replacing feed strengthens honey bee colonies, long-term study confirms
A man-made food source provided honey bees a nutritious diet at a commercial scale over the course of two winter seasons, according to a new study led by Washington State University researchers. The study, published in the ...
Phys.org / Good news for wastewater irrigation: Three crops store pharmaceutical byproducts in their leaves
In areas where freshwater is scarce, farmers often turn to treated wastewater to irrigate crops. And many regulators and consumers worry about exposing food to compounds routinely found in wastewater, including many psychoactive ...
Phys.org / Cell death's 'beautiful' rings have implications for biological resilience and immunity
Researchers at the University of Michigan have revealed that cells use a previously unknown feat of molecular craftsmanship to help protect their larger host organisms. The building blocks required for this work are found ...
Phys.org / Selfish sperm hijack Overdrive gene to kill healthy rivals
A new University of Utah-led study has discovered the mechanism behind a decades-old evolutionary mystery—how "selfish chromosomes" cheat the rules of genetic inheritance. The researchers found that rogue chromosomes hijack ...
Phys.org / Upper Egypt site has now yielded more than 43,000 inscribed pot sherds, a record-breaking trove of information
A joint archaeological mission by the University of Tübingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) has documented the world's most extensive find of inscribed pottery sherds at the Upper Egypt site ...
Phys.org / Satellite data suggest Sundarbans mangroves are losing resilience
Mangrove forests protect tropical coasts from storms, store large amounts of carbon and provide vital habitats for plants and animals, serving, for example, as nurseries for fish and crabs. They also supply local communities ...
Phys.org / Global observations reveal rapid reorganization of ocean nutrients
From coral reefs and kelp forests to the open ocean and deep-sea zones, nutrients that support phytoplankton growth and marine productivity form the foundation of oceanic ecosystems. When levels of key nutrients—such as ...
