Phys.org news

Phys.org / Microbial slime: The ultimate system to understand our planet

Billions of years ago, Earth was home to extreme environments, including intense UV radiation, frequent volcanic eruptions, and very high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet, under these conditions, biofilms ...

16 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Direct synthesis method uses recovered carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce formic acid

With the goal of achieving a carbon-neutral society and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, efforts are accelerating to utilize hydrogen as a key energy source. To achieve this goal, the technologies for hydrogen ...

15 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / New framework uses games of chance to put 'price' on intangible assets

A new statistical model could help to address the age-old question of how to price non-physical, intangible goods like data, say scientists.

16 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Bio-based fibers could pose greater threat to environment than conventional plastics

Bio-based materials may pose a greater health risk to some of the planet's most important species than the conventional plastics they are designed to replace, a new study has shown.

Nov 5, 2024 in Earth
Phys.org / Spraying rice with zinc oxide nanoparticles protects yields during heat waves, study finds

A small team of horticulturists in China and the U.S. has found that spraying rice plants with a zinc oxide nanoparticle solution helps them better handle the stress of a heat wave. In their study, published in Proceedings ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Biology
Phys.org / Study of Venus's Haasttse-baad Tessera suggests formation by two large impacts

A trio of geologists and environmental scientists from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the University of Minnesota has found evidence suggesting that the Haasttse-baad Tessera formation ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Earth underwent a massive, rapid melting period after the last global ice age, new study suggests

At the end of the last global ice age, the deep-frozen Earth reached a built-in limit of climate change and thawed into a slushy planet. Results from a Virginia Tech-led study provide the first direct geochemical evidence ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Earth
Phys.org / A human topological insulator: Researchers use choreographed dance to explain quantum materials

Science can be difficult to explain to the public. In fact, any subfield of science can be difficult to explain to another scientist who studies in a different area. Explaining a theoretical science concept to high school ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Physics
Phys.org / Globular cluster Gran 5 hosts two stellar populations, study finds

Using the Gemini-South telescope, astronomers have performed high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of stars in a Galactic globular cluster known as Gran 5. They found that this cluster harbors two stellar populations ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Defibrillation devices can still save lives using 1,000 times less electricity, optimized model finds

In a paper published in Chaos, researchers from Sergio Arboleda University in Bogotá, Colombia, and the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta used an electrophysiological computer model of the heart's electrical circuits ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Physics
Phys.org / Bach, Mozart or jazz: Scientists provide a quantitative measure of variability in music pieces

Physicists at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) have investigated to which extent a piece of music can evoke expectations about its progression. They were able to determine differences in ...

Nov 5, 2024 in Physics
Phys.org / Firms that read more perform better: Researchers analyze online reading habits from employees across firms worldwide

By analyzing online reading behavior across millions of firms worldwide, a new study out of the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) connects how much information companies consume and how the consumption relates to their size.

Nov 5, 2024 in Other Sciences