Phys.org news
Phys.org / How the 2024 solar superstorm drained Earth's radiation belt
In May 2024, Earth experienced its most intense geomagnetic storm since the Halloween storms of 2003. This "superstorm" filled night skies in many parts of the world with colorful aurorae, and it disrupted some infrastructure, ...
Phys.org / Physicists zoom into the birth of cosmic rainstorms with new CERN study
Every second, particles zip through your body at nearly the speed of light. They rain down from a storm high in the sky, where cosmic rays, a powerful type of interstellar matter, constantly strike atoms in Earth's atmosphere. ...
Phys.org / Snail shells are surprise weather time capsules
Snails carry weather records on their backs that could be used to map prehistoric cyclones, a University of Queensland study has shown. The project led by School of the Environment researchers examined the rings on the shell ...
Phys.org / Mosquito 'toilet' detects West Nile and first Hedwig-like virus found in the Americas
When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater.
Phys.org / Salicornia genomes reveal genetic secrets to farming on salty land
A University of Newcastle-led global study has produced the most complete genetic picture yet of a salt-loving plant with the potential to help grow food in some of the world's harshest environments.
Phys.org / Why do spruce take decades to reproduce? A genetic study offers some clues
New techniques have enabled researchers in Sweden to begin decoding how one of Northern Europe's most important coniferous tree species switches from growing branches to producing cones—their seed-bearing reproductive organs.
Phys.org / Evolutionary home advantage: Field experiment reveals adaptation to be surprisingly local
A research team from the University of Bern has shown in a large-scale field experiment that populations of the same fish species can be much more fine-tuned to their local environments than previously thought. Habitats that ...
Phys.org / Bizarre galactic radio source remains active for two decades with no detectable X-rays
Astronomers have identified a peculiar radio transient in the Milky Way that has remained active for more than two decades, defying the behavior expected of known classes of galactic radio sources. The paper posted to the ...
Phys.org / Ultracold cesium atoms reveal Bethe strings predicted nearly a century ago
In 1931, physicist Hans Bethe predicted that, in certain one-dimensional quantum systems, particles can bind together to form multi-particle states known as Bethe strings. Unlike ordinary molecules, which are held together ...
Phys.org / Tiny 'whirlpools' discovered in atom-thin semiconductor
Monash University-led researchers have directly imaged tiny swirling structures inside an atomically thin semiconductor, opening new possibilities for future low-energy electronic technologies. Published in Science Advances, ...
Phys.org / Pollinators keep a later calendar in human-modified landscapes, study finds
Human development may be changing more than where pollinators live—it may also be changing when they are active. University of Florida researchers at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have found that ...
Phys.org / No cities on the moon—there isn't enough water, scientists say
The discovery of water in dark craters at the moon's poles has sparked a "moon rush" to establish bases there, followed by villages, cities and heavy industry. How sustainable is this rush?
