Phys.org news
Phys.org / Pigeons' eyes are almost perfectly still when they're flying, study finds
When pigeons are flying through the air, they lock their eyes in a near-fixed position instead of moving them around. Researchers from Harvard University discovered this after attaching a lightweight rig of cameras and mirrors ...
Phys.org / Screens dominate the dinner table, with 77.6% of parents using devices
Food has always had a unique way of bringing people together. It becomes especially evident during family mealtimes, when children and adults gather around the table to share more than just a meal. They share stories, catch ...
Phys.org / Analysis of 352 probiotic supplements finds mismatched microbes across marketed health benefits
Probiotic supplements found in drugstores nationwide contain an assortment of microbes sold for specific health purposes despite limited understanding of the microbes' connections to their marketed use, new University of ...
Phys.org / Laser pulses set layered metals vibrating 1 trillion times per second, revealing electron-driven motion
How does light turn into motion within a metal? A team of researchers from European XFEL, the University of Potsdam and other participating institutions has shown that ultrashort optical laser pulses can trigger extremely ...
Phys.org / Diamond-based particle detector captures one-picosecond electron bursts for high-rate beam diagnostics
Physicists at UC Santa Cruz and other institutes across California and New Mexico have developed a detection system that will allow next-generation particle accelerators to better reveal fundamental biological and chemical ...
Phys.org / Mars life search gets boost as rover test distinguishes mirrored biosignature molecules
Billions of years ago, environmental conditions on Mars were significantly more hospitable than they are today. Our neighboring planet was likely warm, humid and surrounded by a dense atmosphere. Whether simple microorganisms ...
Phys.org / Corrected microbial family tree offers statistically sound model for how earliest life forms evolved
In this era of Big Data, the prevailing wisdom is that more information leads to better answers. However, a new Canadian study shows that in the hunt for life's ancient ancestors, more data can actually lead to less truth. ...
Phys.org / Brain enzyme caught doing something unexpected—it builds polysialic acid on itself
A chance discovery at Nagoya University in Japan has shown that a well-known brain enzyme has a hidden ability: It builds a sugar chain on itself, becomes secreted from the cell and deactivates, then switches on outside the ...
Phys.org / Electrically tunable spin polarization in graphene opens path toward low-power spintronic devices
Researchers at the National Graphene Institute, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore, have shown that the magnetic behavior of electrons in graphene can be precisely controlled using electricity, revealing ...
Phys.org / World's highest-consuming 10% cause up to $5.7 trillion a year in environmental damage, study finds
The environmental damage caused by the world's highest-consuming 10% of people is worth $1.7 trillion to $5.7 trillion a year. At the central and upper estimates, this is several times more than the international community ...
Phys.org / Mystery of 17th century shipwreck holding 400 gold coins finally solved after 30 years
The identity of a centuries-old shipwreck discovered off the south coast of England, holding 400 gold coins, has finally been identified as the Dutch trading ship "Dom van Keulen," which left Morocco for the Netherlands in ...
Phys.org / Orangutans eat medicinal plants in patterns that suggest self-medication
Orangutans seek out plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, new research shows. Based on 20 years of observations of orangutans in Indonesian Borneo, scientists assessed how often the animals ...
