Phys.org news
Phys.org / Fossilized whale skulls reveal feeding secrets of sharks 5 million years ago
A new study analyzing two fossilized whale skulls from around 5 million years ago has revealed fragments of sharks' teeth lodged inside them. This provides rare evidence of how sharks fed on whales in north European waters ...
Phys.org / Using fiber-optic cables to detect moonquakes
Two recent studies suggest that fiber-optic cables laid directly on the moon's surface could potentially detect moonquakes, offering a simpler way to gather seismic data to support future human and robotic exploration.
Phys.org / Protein sequencing advance offers new insights into life's foundations
Proteins, one of the smallest building blocks of life on Earth, hold promise for answering some of biology's biggest questions. Consisting of amino acids strung together into peptide chains, these molecules perform much of ...
Phys.org / Study reveals hidden 'chemical currency' fueling the ocean's carbon cycle
A new study, led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Columbia University, identifies a diverse set of molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and help drive Earth's carbon cycle. ...
Phys.org / First world map shows impact of the tidal pulse in coastal rivers
Tides not only affect regions along the coast, their periodic fluctuations are carried upstream inland through coastal rivers. River sections particularly affected by these tidal pulses are exposed to an increased risk of ...
Phys.org / California's lead-ammo bans are working, but expanding condor ranges undercut gains
Recent data showing an increase in lead exposure and deaths among critically endangered California condors seems to fly in the face of decades of conservation measures, including bans on lead bullets and public-education ...
Phys.org / 3D model predicts mosquito flight paths from sight and CO₂ cues
A mosquito finds its target with the help of certain cues in its environment, such as a person's silhouette and the carbon dioxide they exhale. Now researchers at MIT and Georgia Tech have found that these visual and chemical ...
Phys.org / Why heights and snakes still hit harder: Study tracks fear sweat in 119 people
Fear-eliciting images of modern and ancestral threats are equally likely to evoke physiological reactions, despite their distinct evolutionary origins, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by ...
Phys.org / Satellite data reconstruct 2025 LA fires, showing rapid spread in first day
A severe drought, powerful Santa Ana winds and a not-fully-extinguished brushfire combined to create the most destructive wildfire in the history of Los Angeles in early 2025. The Palisades Fire, which fully ignited on Jan. ...
Phys.org / Rapid melting of Antarctic sea ice is largely driven by ocean warming, research reveals
Sea ice around Antarctica expanded for several decades until a dramatic decline in 2015. The reasons behind this are revealed by research led by the University of Gothenburg, which is published in Nature Climate Change.
Phys.org / Beavers can convert stream corridors to persistent carbon sinks
Beavers could engineer riverbeds into promising carbon dioxide sinks, according to a new international study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham. The paper, published in Communications Earth & Environment, ...
Phys.org / Durable dual-atom catalyst enables high-temperature CO₂ to CO conversion
The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO), an industrial feedstock, has attracted significant attention as a key step for producing synthetic fuels and chemical products. However, because CO₂ is a chemically ...
