Phys.org news
Phys.org / Why warmer Caribbean waters could mean slower hurricanes and worse flooding
Rapid ocean warming is likely to make tropical cyclone rainfall more intense and longer lasting, increasing flood risks in parts of the North Atlantic region. A new study led by Newcastle University using satellite data shows ...
Phys.org / Tarantulas may use learning and memory to search for food and locate their retreats
Researchers have documented several cases of spatial orientation in tarantulas living both in trees and in underground burrows. Spatial orientation refers to the ability of an animal to understand where it is in three-dimensional ...
Phys.org / Unraveling the complexities of the Borna disease virus 1
Cases of Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease, the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain. This zoonotic virus ...
Phys.org / Alzheimer's-linked protein tau plays a role in cell division
All processes such as wound healing, hair growth, and the replacement of old cells with new ones depend on cell division. During this process, chromosomes inside the cell must be evenly divided between two daughter cells. ...
Phys.org / Rod-shaped synthetic swimmers reveal a 'sweet spot' for active turbulence
Inspired by the collective dynamics of bacteria like E. coli and Bacillus subtilis, researchers at the University of Twente asked a simple but fundamental question: what happens when artificial swimmers are made rod-shaped ...
Phys.org / Seabirds reveal global mercury distribution in oceans
Mercury released into the oceans affects marine environments worldwide. Traditionally, its distribution and quantity have been estimated using marine biogeochemical simulation models.
Phys.org / Chimpanzee empire falls apart in rare instance of division and deadly violence
The largest group of wild chimpanzees known to scientists has permanently split in two. In a study published in Science, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and other institutions report the first clearly documented ...
Phys.org / Mammal ancestors laid eggs—and this 250-million-year-old fossil proves it
A remarkable new discovery is shedding light on one of the greatest survival stories in Earth's history, and answering a decades-old scientific mystery. Lystrosaurus, a hardy, plant-eating mammal ancestor, rose to prominence ...
Phys.org / No more giants, no more heavy handaxes: Why early humans downsized their stone tools
For more than 1 million years, early humans in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean used a range of heavy tools, such as massive handaxes and stone balls, for important tasks, including processing animal carcasses. ...
Phys.org / What if dark matter came in two states?
The absence of a signal could itself be a signal. This is the idea behind a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, which aims to redefine how we search for dark matter, showing that it ...
Phys.org / Plant-inspired water membrane filters CO₂ with constant selectivity and adjustable permeance
Gas separation membranes are vital for carbon capture, biogas upgrading, and hydrogen purification, all of which require the separation of carbon dioxide from gases like nitrogen, methane and hydrogen. However, the membranes ...
Phys.org / Oxygen sensing helps explain why amphibians regenerate limbs but mammals cannot
Some animals can regrow lost body parts. Salamanders and frog tadpoles can rebuild entire limbs after amputation. Mammals cannot. For decades, biologists have tried to understand why. Now a team led by Can Aztekin at EPFL ...
