Phys.org news
Phys.org / Humans tend to repeat familiar actions when making sequential decisions, even when better options exist
Behavioral scientists have been trying to uncover the patterns that humans follow when making decisions for decades. The insights gathered as part of their studies can help shape public policies and interventions aimed at ...
Phys.org / Ancient Egyptian genome reveals North African roots and Fertile Crescent ancestry
Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) have extracted and sequenced the oldest Egyptian DNA to date from an individual who lived around 4,500 to 4,800 years ago, the age of ...
Phys.org / Affectionate 'tongue nibbling' observed for the first time among orcas in the wild
A study published in the journal Oceans details the remarkable chance encounter between a group of citizen scientists on a snorkeling expedition in the Kvænangen fjords of Norway and a pair of killer whales (Orcinus orca).
Phys.org / The hidden mechanics of abrupt transitions: Superconducting networks show how tiny changes trigger system collapse
Why do some changes in nature unfold gradually, while others occur in the blink of an eye? Rust forming on metal is a slow, steady process that takes days or even weeks to become visible. By contrast, a power grid can collapse ...
Phys.org / Clingy planets can trigger their own doom, Cheops and TESS suggest
Astronomers using the European Space Agency's Cheops mission have caught an exoplanet that seems to be triggering flares of radiation from the star it orbits. These tremendous explosions are blasting away the planet's wispy ...
Phys.org / Light pollution has more dramatic effect on circadian rhythms of social birds than isolated birds, study finds
Light pollution, or artificial light at night (ALAN), is a widespread phenomenon in areas with dense human populations. Normally, animals use natural external cues, like sunlight and temperature, to synchronize their biological ...
Phys.org / Ocean eruption leaves deep-sea creatures gasping as ash clouds blanket the seafloor
Deep below the surface of the ocean, bacteria and critters that feed off nutrients spouting from hydrothermal vents met with a sudden wave of volcanic sediment, leaving them suffocated.
Phys.org / Quantum computer simulates spontaneous symmetry breaking at zero temperature
For the first time, an international team of scientists has experimentally simulated spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) at zero temperature using a superconducting quantum processor. This achievement, which was accomplished ...
Phys.org / Breaking Ohm's law: Nonlinear currents emerge in symmetry-broken materials
In a review just published in Nature Materials, researchers take aim at the oldest principle in electronics: Ohm's law.
Phys.org / Oxygen and ethylene diffusion triggers wound healing in plants, researchers discover
Scientists at the University of Helsinki discovered how plants heal their protective outer layer, the periderm. The diffusion of ethylene and oxygen through a wound triggers repair—a finding with potential implications ...
Phys.org / New fossils from Earth's most famous extinction show climate tipping point was crossed
The collapse of tropical forests during Earth's most catastrophic extinction event was the primary cause of the prolonged global warming which followed, according to new research.
Phys.org / Double detonation: New image shows remains of star destroyed by pair of explosions
For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice. By studying the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large ...
