Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mystery of why some toads survive deadly fungus revealed

The mystery of why some amphibian populations recover following outbreaks of a deadly fungus has been solved in a new study led by University College London (UCL), ZSL and Imperial College London.

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Astronomers uncover the earliest known signs of galaxy-building in action

Astronomers at Durham University have made a major advance in understanding how galaxies formed and evolved in the early universe. Using powerful new observations, the team discovered the most distant example ever found of ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Low carbon dioxide levels improve microbial production of biodegradable plastic

In an innovative gas fermentation process, reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide was found to significantly improve microbial production of the biodegradable plastic poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate]. Researchers found that ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / New technique for building ultra-thin material stacks promises quantum breakthrough

Scientists have unveiled a new fabrication technique for the ultra-clean manufacturing of 2D heterostructures—materials just a few atoms thick—that could be used in quantum technology and electronics. Experts from Southampton ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Europe's last pagan state was already diverse: Medieval Vilnius drew migrants from Christian lands

Lithuania was famously the final pagan state in Europe. While the rest of the continent converted to Christianity, Lithuania remained officially pagan until Catholicism was adopted in AD 1387. Despite this, the extent to ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Low-altitude flights reveal Amazon methane emissions far above climate model estimates

Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere has risen sharply in recent decades. Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere, but large uncertainties remain about ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / World-first neutron lens brings sharp focus to structures inside materials and objects

Researchers at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have developed the world's first achromatic lens for neutron imaging. The lens overcomes a longstanding obstacle in the field: focusing neutrons of different wavelengths well enough ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Ancient Roman farm women made wine, oil and profits. Historians dismissed them as 'housekeepers'

Female farm managers are hidden in plain sight in ancient Roman texts, mentioned in laws, literature and grave inscriptions across five centuries. Modern historians have generally assumed they were housekeepers, in charge ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / With an eye toward exploration, researchers map moon's regolith thickness

New research by lunar scientists from Brown University provides critical new insights into the thickness of the moon's regolith, the layer of loose dust and rock that drapes the entire lunar surface.

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Hidden muscle machinery reveals 50 new gene subfamilies across vertebrates

Within every muscle of every living species with a backbone, a protein called myosin tugs on a partner protein to generate a muscle contraction. This function, discovered in mammals a century ago, has been presumed by scientists ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Roman telescope will spot distant black holes that shred stars

How do black holes at the centers of galaxies form and grow over time? To answer this question, scientists need to detect and study supermassive black holes at great distances that existed much earlier in the universe's history. ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Amazing moths': Study pinpoints insect habitat that draws grizzlies to glacier peaks

When grizzly bears clamber onto the talus slopes high in Glacier National Park, they're searching for an abundant, fatty meal: army cutworm moths. The inch-long (2.5-centimeter-long) moths hatch on the Great Plains and fly ...

20 hours ago