Phys.org news
Phys.org / Drought takes a heavy toll on bumblebees
Drought significantly reduces the reproductive success of bumblebee colonies, according to a new study conducted by a research team at the University of Würzburg and published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological ...
Dialog / Not so dark with Alena Tensor: Math framework could explain dark matter without invisible particles
Alena Tensor is a relatively new mathematical approach that allows for arbitrary curving and straightening of analyzed spacetimes. As it turns out, generalizing this model to all known fields and fully describing matter, ...
Phys.org / Birds that put more energy into parenthood age faster and die younger, research shows
In a new study, appearing in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, scientists selectively bred Japanese quails into two groups: laying either relatively large or small eggs. As the quails don't do much ...
Phys.org / After 9,000 years of cultivation, rice has reached its thermal limit
Rice has historically been a heat-loving plant. In fact, the wild ancestor of cultivated rice once grew primarily on the sweltering, rain-swept Malay and Indochina peninsulas as well as the islands of Southeast Asia. It wasn't ...
Phys.org / Webb redefines the dividing line between planets and stars
Planets, like those in our solar system, form in a bottom-up process where small bits of rock and ice clump together and grow larger over time. But the heftier the planet, the harder it is to explain its formation that way.
Phys.org / Saltwater is closing in on coastal groundwater, putting billions and food supplies at risk
Coastal groundwater is a key source of drinking water in many regions of the world. However, it is threatened by overabstraction and the potential for salinization. Rising sea levels are further exacerbating the situation. ...
Phys.org / Graphene as a charge mirror: Why water droplets 'see' graphene—but don't show it
Research on graphene has made great strides in recent years. However, to fully harness its potential in applications such as desalination membranes, sensors, and energy storage and conversion, a deeper understanding of the ...
Phys.org / Discovery of Addison's disease gene in dogs could help humans as well
Among dog breeds, Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers (tollers) have an unusually high rate of Addison's disease, a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones, notably cortisol and aldosterone. In ...
Phys.org / Ph.D. student solves persistent problem in high-entropy alloys
The University of Wyoming's Lauren Kim has solved a persistent problem in the cutting-edge field of high-entropy alloys, a class of materials with great potential in modern engineering, electronics and energy applications—such ...
Phys.org / Young stars dim quickly in their X-ray output, potentially benefiting orbiting planets
Scientists have found that young stellar cousins of our sun are calming down and dimming more quickly in their X-ray output than previously thought, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. A paper ...
Phys.org / Using computed tomography to study DNA from ancient humans without destroying samples
Research on ancient DNA is surging, but how can scientists ensure that human remains of irreplaceable significance are preserved? This is the question investigated by an international research team led by the University of ...
Phys.org / Glaciers may flow into the ocean more quickly than we think
Models of glacial flow and retreat rely on estimates of glacial ice viscosity, the measure of the ice's resistance to flow. Ice viscosity is dependent on the stress applied to the glacier. Most ice sheet models use a standard ...
