Phys.org news
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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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 ...
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 / Novel nanoparticle therapy using manganese could improve cancer treatment
A research team led by the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a new type of nanoparticle therapy that could make cancer immunotherapy safer and more ...
Phys.org / Artificial intelligence may accelerate the path to radicalization
How are ordinary people drawn into extremist circles—and what role can artificial intelligence play in that process? This question is addressed by a new study which, for the first time, combines psychological theories of ...
Phys.org / How cells 'back up' DNA replication to survive severe damage
Every time a cell divides, it must copy its DNA with extraordinary precision. But this process is constantly challenged by DNA damage. Among the most dangerous lesions are DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which chemically ...
