Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ochre used in ancient graves in Finland reflects identity of deceased
Roughly 5,500–6,000 years ago, the area including present-day Finland was inhabited by hunter-fisher-gatherers living in small village-like clusters. Traveling via waterways, these people established permanent fishing systems, ...
Phys.org / Did You Feel It? Expanding use of an earthquake crowdsourcing tool
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) crowdsourcing platform Did You Feel It? (DYFI) rapidly transforms people's earthquake shaking intensity experiences into detailed maps of damage extent. While the tool's reach is global, ...
Phys.org / Gold 'supraballs' nearly double solar energy absorption in tests
Sunbeams contain a lot of energy. But current technology for harvesting solar power doesn't capture as much as it could. Now, in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers report that gold nanospheres, named supraballs, ...
Phys.org / 3D material mimics graphene's electron flow for green computing
University of Liverpool researchers have discovered a way to host some of the most significant properties of graphene in a three-dimensional (3D) material, potentially removing the hurdles for these properties to be used ...
Phys.org / Massive star WOH G64 is still a red supergiant—for now
An international team of astronomers led by a researcher at Keele University has solved a long-standing cosmic mystery surrounding one of the most extreme stars ever observed. The star, known as WOH G64, is located in the ...
Phys.org / Oddball flower challenges long-held rule about how new plant species evolve
Lipstick vines get their name from their bright red, tube-shaped flowers. But one member of this group of plants has lost its lipstick-like appearance—its flowers are shorter, wider, and yellowish green in color. It also ...
Phys.org / AI unlocks hundreds of cosmic anomalies in Hubble archive
A team of astronomers has employed a cutting-edge, artificial intelligence–assisted technique to uncover rare astronomical phenomena within archived data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The team analyzed nearly 100 ...
Phys.org / Footprint tracker identifies tiny mammals with up to 96% accuracy
It might be less visible than dwindling lion populations or vanishing pandas, but the quiet crisis of small mammal extinction is arguably worse for biodiversity. These species are crucial indicators of environmental health, ...
Phys.org / How defects make permanent magnets even more efficient
Rare-earth magnets are essential for electric motors in vehicles, drones, and trains, forming the backbone of modern, environmentally friendly mobility. These are not simple blocks of metal, but carefully engineered materials ...
Phys.org / Scientists develop technique to identify malfunctions in our genetic code
An international team of researchers including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have developed a way to reveal the smallest of malfunctions in the biochemical machinery that makes proteins in our bodies. ...
Phys.org / Protein 'dark energy' provides insight into form vs. function in structure
Astronomers use the term dark energy to refer to energy in the universe that is unaccounted for by ordinary matter but necessary to explain cosmology. Astronomy, however, isn't the only field with missing energy. Rice University ...
Phys.org / 'Goldilocks size' rhodium clusters advance reusable heterogeneous catalysts for hydroformylation
Recent research has demonstrated that a rhodium (Rh) cluster of an optimal, intermediate size—neither too small nor too large—exhibits the highest catalytic activity in hydroformylation reactions. Similar to the concept ...
