Phys.org news
Phys.org / 'Wall-to-wall' map of NYC trees could help cool cities worldwide
Researchers have created an interactive map identifying 1.8 million individual trees in New York City, using a new approach that could optimize the placement of trees for cooling in cities around the world.
Phys.org / Why social media algorithms send you posts you don't like
Do your social media accounts feed you content that reflects your core beliefs and guiding principles? Our new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the algorithms supplying ...
Phys.org / From the lab to headlines: Why do some studies make the news while others don't?
When we read a news story about a new cancer treatment, an Alzheimer's breakthrough or an innovative technology, we rarely think about everything that happens behind the scenes before that information reaches newspapers, ...
Phys.org / Extreme rain shifts toward larger, less frequent storms across eastern US
Extreme precipitation events are among the most damaging natural disasters and a major concern in our changing climate. In the U.S., since 1980, the most destructive events alone have caused more than 2,800 deaths and $700 ...
Phys.org / How well do past extinctions predict extinction risk today?
In the last few centuries, mammals and other animals have been going extinct at least 100 times faster than they did before humans arrived on the scene. So who will be next? Which species are most likely to survive, and which ...
Phys.org / Soil methane sink may be larger than thought, three-model analysis finds
Methane-munching microbes in soil might be more important than previously thought, a new study finds. Soil is an important carbon sink, and scientists are still learning much about the diversity of its microbial communities. ...
Phys.org / A new kind of polymer with two faces and a twist control electron spin
Researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a new class of chiral semiconducting polymers that can generate highly spin-polarized electrical currents. The team's unique molecular design allows the polymers to ...
Phys.org / 100-million-year-old molecular 'bypasses' may have helped grasses dominate landscapes and agriculture
100 million years ago, long before human intervention, ancestors of grasses, including wheat, rice and maize, developed "bypasses" in chemical pathways used to create two critical compounds: lignin and starch. These more ...
Phys.org / Blocc chemistry could automate molecular discovery and democratize access to new materials
A paper published in the journal Science lays out a roadmap for broadening access to the process of discovering molecular tools that can benefit society, including medicines, materials and a wide range of everyday consumer ...
Phys.org / Oxygen vacancies unlock fast lithium-ion transport in battery material
Lithium titanate (LTO, Li4Ti5O12) is a well-established battery material that in its pristine state is a poor conductor of lithium ions. It develops high ionic conductivity only during charging, when additional lithium ions ...
Phys.org / Farm mice study shows antibiotic resistance is an environmental problem, not just a medical one
Scientists analyzed the genomes of gut microorganisms from an extensive population of 875 wild house mice (Mus musculus) collected from farms in Germany. They searched for genes responsible for resistance to common antibiotics ...
Phys.org / Nanoparticle combines two strategies to speed up the healing of chronic wounds
Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, have developed a nanoparticle that can address the various factors hindering the healing of chronic wounds, which include ulcers associated with ...