Phys.org news
Phys.org / Why chickens come in so many colors, and what one gene reveals about evolution
From snow white and jet black to golden brown, domestic chickens display a wider range of plumage colors than almost any other livestock species. A new international study, with researchers from Leipzig University playing ...
Phys.org / Antarctic surface melt could jump tenfold this century as warming spreads south
New research shows surface melting across Antarctica is set to intensify and spread dramatically over the 21st century, with melt increasing 10-fold and the affected area growing by more than 10% by 2100 if global temperatures ...
Phys.org / DNA tracking links raccoons to riverborne bacteria with possible human spillover
The emerging infectious bacterium Escherichia albertii has caused outbreaks of severe food poisoning and hospitalized people through contaminated water and foods, such as salad ingredients. Now, a new study from Osaka Metropolitan ...
Phys.org / Engineering quantum Hall stripes in 2D materials inside electromagnetic cavities
Quantum materials, materials with properties that are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, have proved to be highly promising for the development of ultra-efficient electronic devices, quantum processors, highly precise ...
Phys.org / Brains update sensory predictions through single timing hub, electric fish study finds
In the split second after you hear a noise, your brain is already making a potentially life-or-death deduction: Did I do that, or did something else? Our nervous systems answer this question using something called corollary ...
Phys.org / One photon, two reactions—new catalyst converts CO₂ and biowaste simultaneously
Researchers have developed a solar-driven catalyst material that harnesses the energy of a single photon to reduce carbon dioxide and oxidize organic waste at the same time, producing valuable chemicals in both reactions.
Phys.org / Collapsing stars could spawn mini-universes, offering new path to gravastars
Stars shine because atoms fuse in their interiors, releasing energy. When a very massive star has exhausted its nuclear fuel, radiation pressure can no longer provide sufficient counterforce to gravity. The star then collapses ...
Phys.org / How a shape-shifting tiny rover inspired by Japanese toys autonomously explored the moon
Moon missions come in all shapes and sizes, from car-sized rovers packed with scientific equipment to towering rocket payloads—and now, a small, shape-shifting machine that is about the size of the average palm.
Phys.org / Electron matter waves gain ultrafast torque that flips handedness in femtoseconds
Many natural processes, ranging from magnetism to chemical reactions, entail the movement and rotation of particles at very small scales. In quantum mechanics, particles exhibit both particle-like and wave-like behaviors, ...
Phys.org / Ancient clay figurine from Guatemala may bear the oldest written numbers in Mesoamerica
A clay figurine, small enough to cradle in your hand, with 11 dots arranged in columns where its head should be, may depict the oldest known example of written numbers in Mesoamerica.
Phys.org / Scientists discover collagen, the human body's most abundant protein, is liquid-like inside cells
Collagen, the protein that builds skin, bones, tendons and organs, exists inside cells as a liquidlike droplet rather than the long, rigid rod seen in textbooks over the last half-century, according to a new study from the ...
Phys.org / Ancient DNA from Tuscan wells reveals origins of modern wine
Scientists analyzing 2,000-year-old grape seeds from ancient wells in Tuscany have mapped the most extensive genetic history of ancient grapevines recovered from a single site.
