Phys.org news
Phys.org / Tiny gene edit cuts cadmium in rice by 48% without reducing yields
Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a serious threat to global food safety. As a toxic and carcinogenic heavy metal, cadmium can accumulate in agricultural soils through industrialization and urbanization before entering the ...
Phys.org / Cave-dwelling snail discovered in Greece, named after Hermes and the nymph who nurtured him
A team of researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has discovered a completely new genus and species of subterranean freshwater snail in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. The species, Cyllena ...
Phys.org / Roadless rule helps protect clean drinking water for 25 million Americans, new study shows
Approximately 90% of the U.S. population relies on public water systems. A significant portion of the water supplying those systems comes from forested lands, which means policies affecting forests also affect water access.
Phys.org / Frog protein could become first antidote to deadly red tide toxin
The "red tide" algal blooms that are becoming more frequent along the Pacific coast produce one of the most potent neurotoxins known: saxitoxin, or STX. The toxin accumulates in shellfish and causes paralytic shellfish poisoning ...
Phys.org / FIFA and pop superstars should discount tickets for fans to keep climate costs of 'mega-events' down, say researchers
The vast majority of carbon emissions caused by "mega-events" such as World Cups and global concert tours come from audience travel, according to University of Cambridge researchers. In a new study, researchers estimate that ...
Phys.org / When disaster strikes, people often flee to places that feel familiar
When the Marshall Fire tore through suburban Colorado in late 2021, residents had only hours to decide where to go. Some fled to nearby towns. Others stayed farther away for weeks or months. Now, a recent study published ...
Phys.org / A new stellar census strengthens the case for a 13.8-billion-year-old universe
Astronomers have used the ages of more than 155,000 stars in the Milky Way to independently estimate the age of the universe, and their findings may be good news for the standard cosmological model. The new research was reported ...
Phys.org / T. rex babies were born ready to run and feed themselves
Tyrannosaurus rex was a giant of the prehistoric world, standing up to 13 feet (4 meters) tall and weighing around 9 tons (8 tonnes). So you might expect that its hatchlings were also a considerable size.
Phys.org / New process turns mixed plastic waste directly into hydrogen fuel without sorting
Plastic has become a ubiquitous part of modern life—in water bottles, shopping bags and car dashboards. But once discarded, it is among the hardest materials on Earth to recycle. Most recycling processes require plastics ...
Phys.org / Alien world chemistry found inside meteorite that struck New Jersey home
On July 16, 2024, a daytime meteor shook New York City with a sonic boom as it passed just south of the Statue of Liberty. Now, an international team of researchers reports in the journal Science Advances that a short time ...
Phys.org / Crab-dug tunnels boost methane-eating microbes in coastal wetlands, study finds
Wetlands are a significant producer of methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. Yet not all of it escapes into the atmosphere. One reason is crabs. A study published in the journal Environmental Science ...
Phys.org / Scientists recover sub-Saharan Africa's oldest ancient animal DNA
Ancient DNA can be a powerful tool for helping us reconstruct the long-dead past. Most surviving genetic material comes from the bones and teeth of animals that lived in cold environments, where freezing temperatures help ...