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 ...

6 hours ago
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, ...

21 hours ago
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 ...

20 hours ago
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 ...

21 hours ago
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.

23 hours ago
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. ...

22 hours ago
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 ...

21 hours ago
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 ...

20 hours ago
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 ...

22 hours ago
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 ...

20 hours ago
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 ...

21 hours ago
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 ...

22 hours ago