Phys.org news
Phys.org / 'Jerk' volcano early warning method uses single seismometer to detect magma movement
Forecasting volcanic eruptions in time to alert authorities and populations remains a major global challenge. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers and engineers from the Institut de Physique du Globe ...
Phys.org / Male or female? How one frog gene 'hijacked' sex determination about 20 million years ago
Early in development, many animals pick a team—male or female—based on their genetics, and, with time, acquire the characteristics to match. New research from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) explores how one species ...
Phys.org / King's Trough: How a shifting plate boundary and hot mantle material shaped an Atlantic mega-canyon
The King's Trough Complex is a several-hundred-kilometer-long, canyon-like system of trenches on the North Atlantic seafloor. Its formation was long thought to be the result of simple stretching of the oceanic crust. An international ...
Phys.org / Crosstalk inside cells helps pathogens evade drugs, study finds
Biologists have uncovered a new mode of communication inside cells that helps bacterial pathogens learn how to evade drugs. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, describe how these mechanisms drive ...
Phys.org / Cleaner ship fuel changed clouds, but not their climate balance
To reduce air pollution associated with ocean transport, the International Maritime Organization tightened restrictions on sulfur content in ship fuel, resulting in an 80% reduction in emissions by 2020. That shift created ...
Phys.org / Biodegradable bark–plastic composite lets engineers predict product lifetime from tensile tests
Old trees are learning new tricks with the advent of composite materials. A "green composite" made from biodegradable polymers and the waste bark of the Yakushima Jisugi tree was developed by a research team at Tohoku University. ...
Phys.org / Atomic spins set quantum fluid in motion: Experimental realization of the Einstein–de Haas effect
The Einstein–de Haas effect, which links the spin of electrons to macroscopic rotation, has now been demonstrated in a quantum fluid by researchers at Science Tokyo. The team observed this effect in a Bose–Einstein condensate ...
Phys.org / Svalbard polar bears show improved fat reserves despite sea ice loss
The body conditions of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations around the Norwegian island of Svalbard have improved despite sea ice losses, according to new findings. The findings differ from previously published observations ...
Phys.org / Programmable terahertz vortices enable dual electric and magnetic skyrmion modes
Researchers have created an optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns. These structured light vortices, known as skyrmions, are highly stable and resistant to disturbances, ...
Phys.org / How tree rings help scientists understand disruptive extreme solar storms
Scientists have long relied on tree rings to learn about ancient solar storms—rare bursts of high-energy particles from the sun that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communication systems across the planet. When ...
Phys.org / Self-powered composite material detects its own cracks
A new multifunctional composite made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and piezoelectric materials can use vibrations to self-detect tiny cracks. This material could be used in the aerospace, automotive, and construction ...
Phys.org / One single protein, one big decision: How brown algae know when to reproduce
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology have discovered a remarkably streamlined strategy for developmental control in brown algae. They have shown that a single ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein orchestrates the transition ...