Phys.org news
Phys.org / Escape from Fukushima: Pig-boar hybrids reveal a genetic fast track in the wake of nuclear disaster
A new genetic study examines an unusually large hybridization event that followed the Fukushima nuclear accident, when escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar. The research shows that domestic pig maternal lineages sped ...
Phys.org / A long-lost Soviet spacecraft: AI could finally solve the mystery of Luna 9's landing site
Using an advanced machine-learning algorithm, researchers in the UK and Japan have identified several promising candidate locations for the long-lost landing site of the Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft. Publishing their results ...
Phys.org / Third exoplanet detected in the planetary system HD 176986
Using HARPS and HARPS-N spectrographs, astronomers have observed a nearby K-type star designated HD 176986, known to host two super-Earth exoplanets. The observations resulted in the discovery of another planet in the system ...
Phys.org / Scientists harness nature's chirality bias to design series of complex mechanically interlocked molecules
In nature, molecules often show a strong preference for partnering with other molecules that share the same chirality or handedness. A behavior that is quite evident in the phenomenon known as homochirality-driven entanglement, ...
Phys.org / Nature's 'engine is grinding to a halt' as climate change gains pace, says study
Many ecologists hypothesize that, as global warming accelerates, change in nature must speed up. They assume that as temperatures rise and climatic zones shift, species will face local extinction and colonize new habitats ...
Phys.org / Satellite record shows boreal forests expanded 12% and shifted north since 1985
The boreal forest—the world's largest terrestrial biome—is warming faster than any other forest type. To understand the changing dynamics of boreal forests, Min Feng and colleagues analyzed the biome from 1985 to 2020, ...
Phys.org / Biofilm made from fish skin could be a sustainable alternative for food packaging
Using the skin of an Amazonian fish known as tambatinga as the raw material, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and EMBRAPA Pecuária Sudeste—a decentralized unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation ...
Phys.org / 5,300-year-old 'bow drill' rewrites story of ancient Egyptian tools
A new study reveals that Egyptians were using a mechanically sophisticated drilling tool far earlier than previously suggested. Researchers at Newcastle University, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, have re-examined a ...
Phys.org / Satellite observations put stratospheric methane loss higher than models predicted
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with strong heat-trapping capabilities. Although there is less methane in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, the foremost greenhouse gas, researchers attribute 30% of modern global warming ...
Phys.org / How an ancient seafloor turned Arkansas into 'Sharkansas,' a shark fossil hotspot
Most shark fossils are just teeth—their cartilage skeletons usually decay long before they can fossilize. But in northwestern Arkansas, a series of geological sites known as the Fayetteville Shale has preserved dozens of ...
Phys.org / Laser‑written glass chip pushes quantum communication toward practical deployment
As quantum computers continue to advance, many of today's encryption systems face the risk of becoming obsolete. A powerful alternative—quantum cryptography—offers security based on the laws of physics instead of computational ...
Phys.org / Quantum dots reveal entropy production, a key measure of nanoscale energy dissipation
In order to build the computers and devices of tomorrow, we have to understand how they use energy today. That's harder than it sounds. Memory storage, information processing, and energy use in these technologies involve ...