Phys.org news
Phys.org / New device aims to protect the Earth from Martian microbes
The possibility of life on other planets is one of the biggest mysteries in science. But what would happen if we actually found it? Our scientists are preparing for this possibility by helping to develop a new system that ...
Phys.org / For some Americans, their accent isn't just related to where they live
For people living in some parts of the United States, their accent might not just indicate where they live, but also who they think they are. In a small study in rural northwestern Ohio, researchers found that men who had ...
Phys.org / World's largest collection of Olympiad-level math problems now available to everyone
Every year, the countries competing in the International Mathematical Olympiad arrive with a booklet of their best, most original problems. Those booklets get shared among delegations, then quietly disappear. No one had ever ...
Phys.org / Why ultrashort laser pulses could make low-power electron sources far more practical
A new theoretical study finds shorter laser pulses achieve higher quantum efficiency for photoemission from a solid surface without increasing power or intensity. Using light to knock electrons loose from a surface—known ...
Phys.org / Why a bizarre Brazil 'pterosaur' fossil is now being reclassified as a fish
Georges Cuvier, the 19th-century French anatomist who first recognized pterodactyls as flying reptiles, wrote that "of all the beings whose ancient existence has been revealed to us, [they are] the most extraordinary."
Phys.org / Australia's truffle industry may owe part of its success to a surprising underground secret
Imagine ordering a truffle dish in a fancy restaurant, and you might picture pricey gourmet mushrooms from France or Italy. But recent decades have seen an upstart on the truffle scene. Today, one of the world's largest producers ...
Phys.org / Nitrogen isotope analysis reveals Southern Hemisphere waters dominated Indonesian Throughflow for 800,000 years
A research team with scientists from MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen studied the hemispheric origin of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) and found a high Southern Hemispheric contribution ...
Phys.org / To thwart pathogens, researchers are giving beneficial microbes what they really want
University of California San Diego researchers have developed a new tool for understanding and modifying any microbiome, including the human microbiome. The approach, called Microbial Interaction and Niche Determination (MIND), ...
Phys.org / Prototype thermal memory stores heat states with tiny voltages for days
Heat is a ubiquitous form of energy that, unlike others, is notoriously difficult to store due to its natural tendency to dissipate. While this property is essential for phenomena like solar energy reaching Earth, it also ...
Dialog / Sprinkling nanoparticles on spintronics
Today, I want to walk you through a deceptively simple innovation from the lab at Loughborough University (PI: Prof Marco Peccianti): what happens when we decorate a spintronic heterostructure with a sparse layer of plasmonic ...
Phys.org / Connected habitats help frogs keep protective microbes and curb deadly fungus
Maintaining connections between natural habitats may support beneficial microbes that help wildlife defend against disease. In a new study of tropical amphibians, a team led by Penn State biologists found that amphibians ...
Phys.org / Lost millennium of Galapagos deep-sea corals linked to major Pacific climate shift
Scientists have discovered that deep-water corals in the Galapagos region vanished for more than 1,000 years before eventually recovering. The findings reveal that deep-water coral ecosystems may be more susceptible to climate ...