Phys.org news
Phys.org / Mars' oddest cloud may be even odder than previously thought
Scientists using the European Space Agency's Mars Express, in combination with a state-of-the-art meteorological model of the Red Planet, have found that there may be some exotic physics behind Mars' most curious cloud. The ...
Phys.org / Boosting seawater alkalinity could help communities tackle local carbon emissions, researchers argue
When scientists discovered that increasing the ocean's natural alkalinity could enhance seawater's capacity to absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO₂), the idea quickly gained attention as a potential geoengineering solution ...
Phys.org / Seafloor sediments reveal how East Antarctic ice temporarily halted its retreat and advanced 40 miles
Off the coast of East Antarctica, researchers led by Kiel University (CAU) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), have investigated an exceptionally large sedimentary body ...
Phys.org / Compact CRISPR alternative uses bacterial proteins to insert large DNA segments
A new engineered gene-editing system, proven in bacteria and showing promise for use in plants, animals and humans, addresses some limitations of current gene-editing tools, with the goal of improving their use in research, ...
Phys.org / 'Classic example' of sexual dimorphism in fossil record actually shows nuance between males and females
For decades, paleontologists have held up uintatheres as a prime illustration of sexual dimorphism, or the tendency for males and females of a species to be physically different. Notable for their large size, prominent horns ...
Phys.org / The world's oyster reefs could add $12 trillion to planetary health each year—if they were better managed
A new study shows that the world's oyster reefs are a precious resource that's vastly underestimated and underutilized. The authors set out to calculate the reefs' potential gross ecosystem product (GEP), the ecological counterpart ...
Phys.org / Alcohol in space: Exotic methanol discovered in planet-building zones
An international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a partner (NSF NRAO), has combined ...
Phys.org / 'Top predator' from the Jurassic measures just half a meter
The "top predator" from the Jurassic is relatively small: Megacauda sungei measures just half a meter (1.6 feet) from its nose to the tip of its tail. The furry ancestor of today's mammals hunted its prey in water 165 million ...
Phys.org / New polystyrene uses 50% plant-based material and breaks into fragments for potential recycling
Polystyrene is used in protective packaging for televisions and electronic devices, in decorative boards and baseboards for interior construction, and in petri dishes. It is one of the world's most important plastics, with ...
Phys.org / Uranium compound known since the 1960s reveals hidden spiral structure with unusual magnetic properties
A University of Texas at Dallas scientist and her colleagues have discovered an unusual atomic pattern in a uranium-based material that gives it a rare combination of magnetic properties, a finding that could open new pathways ...
Phys.org / Mysterious Papua New Guinea rock reveals unexpected cooling as it descended deeper underground
The discovery of an unexpectedly hot rock beneath Earth's surface is challenging scientists' understanding of how heat is distributed deep inside the planet, with potential implications for how they understand earthquakes, ...
Phys.org / Offshore wind turbine foundations may cool ocean surface by mixing seawater
New research within the PELAgIO ECOWind project has revealed how offshore wind farms can influence ocean temperatures and mixing, and why their effects depend on local conditions.