Phys.org news

Phys.org / First 3D reconstruction of the face of 'Little Foot' completed

Identified as the most complete Australopithecus fossil discovered to date, "Little Foot" was buried in sediments whose movement and weight caused fractures and deformations, making analysis of its skull—and more particularly ...

17 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Isolating vesicle-cloaked viruses in city and hospital wastewater

Viruses such as human norovirus can travel in vesicles, small fluid-filled sacs that are like shipping containers for cells. Viruses hidden in these containers are often harder to detect and may be more infectious than free-floating ...

14 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Trees cover rock, eventually: Study maps how bare Georgia bedrock turns into forest

In the forests of the southeastern United States, dense tree cover dominates most landscapes. That's why the Appalachian Trail is sometimes nicknamed "The Green Tunnel." But avid hikers know that often in the Southeast, they'll ...

18 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Oman ophiolite study suggests subduction zones can lock away CO₂

A research team led by a Keele scientist has shed new light on how a mysterious rock formation in Oman was created, which could reveal new details about Earth's ability to store carbon dioxide (CO2). The study, led by Dr. ...

14 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Scientists rescue lost song of the critically endangered regent honeyeater

Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia have successfully restored the lost traditional song of one of Australia's most endangered birds, offering new hope for ...

15 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Soil saturation data sharpens atmospheric river flood warnings, study of 71,000 storms finds

Atmospheric rivers carry unfathomable amounts of water across the sky, bringing moisture to drought-stricken regions like the Western U.S. But whether a particular incoming atmospheric river storm will result in disastrous ...

15 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Mott and Kondo insulators—how external stimuli can modify electronic energy bands

A study from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) has uncovered a theoretical mechanism showing how the electronic band structures of strongly correlated insulators can be reshaped by spin and charge ...

16 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / How flatworms keep their regeneration powers on track

Scientists have discovered a key biological safeguard that helps one of nature's most impressive regenerators, the planarian flatworm, correctly rebuild its organs. The new research, published in Nature Communications, illuminates ...

15 hours ago in Biology
Dialog / Built to withstand, or built to worry? Housing and disaster risk perception

I have always been interested in how people make decisions under uncertainty—especially decisions about safety. But it was not until I began studying housing conditions and disaster risk that I realized how deeply our built ...

15 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / 3D-printed 'plug' links fiber optics to photonic chips with low loss

Physicists and chemists at Heidelberg University have realized a photonic microchip that is driven by light just as easily as electronic components via a "plug." Their development could serve as the basis for fast and cost-effective ...

16 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Ultrasound-activated 'nanoagents' kill superbugs hiding in biofilms

Scientists have designed nanoagents that act like smart drug-delivery capsules—carrying an antibiotic deep into bacterial infection sites and releasing it only when activated by gentle ultrasound. Delivering antibiotics ...

15 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Scared of spiders? The real horror story is a world without them

Members of the arachnid class—think spiders, scorpions and harvestmen (daddy long legs)—are often the targets of revulsion, disgust and fear. Yet, they are crucial for ecosystems to thrive. Given the crash in worldwide ...

17 hours ago in Biology