Phys.org news
Phys.org / Male sperm whales produce loudest communication sounds ever measured in any mammal
Deep in the world's oceans, large male sperm whales emit slow, low-frequency clicks with the highest source levels of any animal communication sounds. These slow clicks are not the echolocation clicks the whales use to locate ...
Phys.org / Forest floors reveal overlooked seed dispersers: Slugs, beetles and crabs spread viable seeds
A review led by the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has revealed that tiny ground-dwelling invertebrates are overlooked but important seed dispersers, challenging the traditional focus on ...
Phys.org / AI models atom movement to predict solid-state reaction pathways, including impurities, in minutes
A research team at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has successfully demonstrated an AI modeling approach that accurately and rapidly predicts how reactions between solid materials ...
Phys.org / Why we overestimate the positive impact of our actions on the climate
Why is recycling waste or switching off the lights sometimes perceived as more effective for the climate than giving up air travel? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) surveyed nearly 3,000 people and identified ...
Phys.org / Underground fungal networks come into 3D view without disturbing plant roots
Symbioses between plants and fungi are essential for most plants. Fungal structures known as mycorrhizae extend the area from which plants can draw water and nutrients from the soil. In return, plants supply the fungi with ...
Phys.org / Discarded rice husks capture toxic dyes, offering a reusable water filter
Rice is the most-eaten food on the planet, and its discarded outer husk results in some 300 billion pounds of waste per year. FIU chemistry researcher Islam Ibrahim Hussein says the inedible castoffs could be the key to cleaner ...
Phys.org / Pixel patterns harness diffraction for faster, more accurate nanoscale 3D printing
Researchers at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology's ...
Phys.org / Light controls nanoscale 'bubble' domains in a ferroelectric crystal
Researchers at Flinders University have discovered an unexpected way light can control tiny electronic structures inside advanced materials, a development that could help pave the way for more energy-efficient memory devices, ...
Phys.org / Ant teams beat gravity-based puzzle solvers
Ants live in highly organized colonies and cooperate daily to tackle a wide range of problems. Their striking group behaviors have fascinated biologists for centuries and even inspired the development of various artificial ...
Phys.org / Simulations hint at a hidden population of companionless black holes
So far, almost all stellar-mass black holes detected by astronomers have been found in binary systems. However, astronomers have long suspected that these binary black holes are the exception and that, within the Milky Way, ...
Phys.org / New models shed light on how an exotic phase of hydrogen in Earth's core may behave
While Earth's core consists mostly of iron, its density implies that lighter elements are also mixed in. Because hydrogen is abundant in the universe and can mix with iron under certain conditions, scientists suspect it makes ...
Phys.org / A 21-hour dip could help explain Tabby's star's decade-long dimming mystery
Since 2016, an ordinary-looking F-type star called KIC 8462852, nicknamed Tabby's star, has behaved anything but ordinarily. In a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on July 6, researchers ...