Phys.org news
Phys.org / Single-atom catalyst turns lignin into valuable chemicals with near-complete conversion
Researchers at The University of Manchester and Hebei University of Technology have identified how a new class of catalyst can break down lignin into useful chemical building blocks, offering a more sustainable route to replace ...
Phys.org / How giant earthquakes can form at fault planes where theory says they should not
A research group led by Satoshi Ide from the University of Tokyo has demonstrated that classic earthquake generation theory does not hold in areas where the angle at which a tectonic plate dips under another is sufficiently ...
Phys.org / Fish in a polluted Mexican river may mate with the wrong species, leading to hybrid offspring
The byproducts of modern society appear to be messing with the love life of two tiny fish species that have long coexisted in Mexican rivers.
Phys.org / Urokodia! 518-million-year-old fossil shows beginning of spider's bite
The earliest evidence of spiders' fangs has been identified in a 518-million-year-old fossil by scientists at the University of Leicester and Yunnan University.
Phys.org / Crystal-design principle reveals how competing molecular forces control structure, color and phase transitions
Organic molecular crystals can respond to external stimuli such as heat, light, and mechanical force, making them attractive candidates for next-generation functional materials. However, predicting how multiple intermolecular ...
Phys.org / XMM-Newton and Chandra help revise distance to Milky Way's outer spiral arms
The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescopes have spotted the aftermath of three bright explosions echoing through the outer spiral arms of our galaxy, the Milky Way. By measuring the distance ...
Phys.org / Lake Chad supports 2.48 million waterbirds, emerging as one of Africa's top wetland refuges
A study titled "Monitoring major biodiversity stronghold in war zones: model predicts Lake Chad remains Africa's most important wetland for waterbirds" estimates that Lake Chad supports nearly 2.5 million waterbirds, making ...
Phys.org / Climate resilience of brown bears over 175,000 years revealed in 3D analyses of their jaws
European brown bears are masters of survival: These animals have weathered Pleistocene climate fluctuations and survived the cycles of ice ages and interglacial periods to the present day. Zoologists have now investigated ...
Phys.org / Can AI plan for heat emergencies better than simple rules? It depends
The thermometer reads 95°F (35°C) in Brooklyn, and vulnerable individuals need information to take appropriate action. New York City officials must gather facts quickly to provide updates on cooling centers, power outages ...
Phys.org / New bioelectronic microdevices enable remote cell stimulation using ultrasound
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) have developed a new generation of wireless piezoelectric microdevices capable of electrically stimulating living ...
Phys.org / Tree size, not age, may speed habitat recovery for endangered Indiana bats
Bugs run rampant in the summer, and if you have ever suffered a mosquito bite and regretted not putting on bug spray, you should know about nature's insect repellent: the Indiana bat. Federally endangered since 1967, the ...
Phys.org / Physicists and AI model Claude 'collaborate' to prove a 10-year-old jamming conjecture
A mathematical problem that had remained unsolved for more than 10 years in the physics of complex systems has finally been resolved through an unusual collaboration: one involving two theoretical physicists and an artificial ...