Phys.org news
Phys.org / Urban park soil microbes reveal function–evolution trade-off
Urban parks are a vital component of urban ecosystems and provide distinctive habitats for soil microorganisms. Yet scientists have questioned whether—and how—the functional diversity and evolutionary potential of microbial ...
Phys.org / Comprehensive digital materials ecosystem can perform 'sanity check' to guide design
There is a near-infinite number of material candidates out there—and simply not enough time to hunker down in the lab and test them all. Thankfully, researchers have a variety of tools (such as AI) at their disposal to ...
Phys.org / Geneticists challenge common model of how cells retain their identity
One of the most widely accepted models for how cells remember their identity may be incorrect. This is shown in a new study by two research groups at Umeå University. In Science Advances, they present results that overturn ...
Phys.org / How an alga makes the most of dim light by rearranging ordinary chlorophyll
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy ...
Phys.org / A race against time to save Alpine ice cores that record medieval mining, fires, and volcanoes
Ice cores taken from glaciers reveal the air pollution of the past, using atmospheric particles incorporated in snow that fell on the glacier and became ice. Now, scientists have extracted a record of thousands of years' ...
Phys.org / Cloud-ready simulation framework enables capture of molecular binding pathways
Researchers at the Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, have developed an accessible platform to overcome the limitations of conventional static docking simulations, offering new avenues for education, ...
Phys.org / Palm-sized superconducting magnet achieves 42 tesla, rivaling the world's biggest
When we think of powerful magnets used in particle accelerators or for NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), we often envision bulky machines, sometimes the size of buildings. But in an extraordinary breakthrough for physics, ...
Phys.org / Climate change is slowing Earth's spin at unprecedented rate compared to past 3.6 million years
Climate change is lengthening our days because rising sea levels slow Earth's rotation. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich now show that the current increase in day length—1.33 milliseconds per century—is ...
Phys.org / Galactic islands of tranquility: 'Little red dots' may have brewed life's building blocks
Astronomers have found that both the core of our Milky Way and the earliest proto-galaxies in the universe share a surprising trait: They are unusually calm and quiet in terms of harsh radiation. This tranquility is not just ...
Phys.org / Researcher uncovers Zoroastrian 'ripples' in Jewish documents from ancient Egypt
In a study published in the journal Iran, researcher Gad Barnea has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Zoroastrian religious practices were more prevalent and left a deeper imprint on surrounding communities than previously ...
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 ...
