Phys.org news

Phys.org / Great hammerheads maintain peak hunting across wide temperature swings, biologging data suggest

Most predators slow down when ocean temperatures shift. Great hammerhead sharks don't—not significantly anyway. These ocean predators are masters of the "thermal hustle," maintaining peak hunting performance across a surprisingly ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / NASA probe data suggests a more complex sun's magnetic engine

A Southwest Research Institute-led study found that protons and heavy ions react differently to solar magnetic reconnection events, revealing a more complex magnetic engine powering the solar wind. Magnetic reconnection converts ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Crushing soda cans and the mathematics of corrugation formation

Many people have likely found themselves watching oddly satisfying videos of random objects being squashed by a powerful hydraulic press, but rarely do people consider why things squash the way they do. One object that caught ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Physicist recreates neutron star reaction, reveals how explosive stars forge elements

A Mississippi State physicist has produced a direct laboratory measurement of a key nuclear reaction believed to occur during explosive bursts on neutron stars. These bursts forge heavier elements—the building blocks of planets ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Chiral metasurfaces guide twisted light into free space

Light can carry angular momentum in two distinct ways. One comes from polarization, which describes how the electric field rotates. The other comes from the shape of the wavefront itself, which can twist like a corkscrew ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Engineers introduce first synthetic charged domain wall in 2D material

In a first for the field, materials scientists from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have interfaced two materials to artificially generate a highly conductive ferroelectric ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Forest soil on doormats rebalances urban homes' indoor microbiome, study suggests

Introducing forest soil on an entryway doormat shifted the indoor microbiome of Finnish homes closer to bacterial profiles found outdoors, with less contribution from human-associated bacteria, a new study shows. In the future, ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Climate change may produce 'fast-food' phytoplankton

We are what we eat. And in the ocean, most life-forms source their food from phytoplankton. These microscopic, plant-like algae are the primary food source for krill, sea snails, some small fish, and jellyfish, which in turn ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Reservoirs are changing: What Landsat data reveal about water loss and gain

Communities worldwide rely on reservoirs for drinking water, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and more. These critical freshwater resources are affected by seasonal and long-term changes; water levels in reservoirs can dip ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Say what? New study debunks belief that introverts are better listeners

New Minnesota Carlson research debunks the idea that introverts are better listeners than extroverts. In fact, extroverts may have a slight perceived advantage as listeners. The study authors suggest moving past personality-based ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Income rank predicts well-being worldwide, but social capital can buffer its effects

An individual's position in the income hierarchy is a stronger predictor of well-being than either how much they earn or how large the income gap is between them and others, finds new research from the University of Leeds, ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Conductive hydrogel enables electrical and biochemical signal control

Many emerging medical technologies rely on seamless integration between biological systems and electronics. This requires materials that are soft, electrically conductive, and biologically active—properties that have been ...

22 hours ago