Phys.org news
Phys.org / How evolution sculpts the facial shapes of birds and mammals
Shapes of beaks and snouts come in an extraordinary range of forms, reflecting adaptations to different lifestyles and environments. Yet beneath this diversity lies a paradox: across birds and mammals, faces are built using ...
Phys.org / Magnetic checkerboard separates microparticles by size and sends them along different paths
A team of researchers from the Universities of Tübingen, Bayreuth, and Kassel, and the Polish Academy of Sciences has developed a method for precisely controlling the movement of magnetic microparticles based on their size. ...
Phys.org / Archaeologists unearth evidence of dogs being traded within Mayan societies
A University of Calgary archaeologist has found evidence that the Classic Period Maya were trading live dogs over long distances between the northern Yucatan peninsula and central Chiapas regions.
Phys.org / Sexual arousal can lead to tunnel vision, blinding people to rejection cues
Sexual arousal can lead to "tunnel vision" that makes it more difficult to recognize when someone is just not that into you, according to new research in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Phys.org / Chilean wasp named in honor of Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday
Scientists from the Natural History Museum, London have described a new genus and species of parasitic wasp found within the Museum's collections, and named it as a birthday present for Sir David Attenborough.
Phys.org / Deforestation lessens Amazon rainfall—and climate change hastens that process, study finds
Climate change makes the southern Amazon's rain increasingly sensitive to deforestation, a new study finds. Clearing large areas of forest can trigger severe and lasting reductions in rainfall regardless of climate, but as ...
Phys.org / Tree communities shape hidden energy flows under European forests
Mixing tree species can lead to better growth in the forest—at least above ground. A new study published in Nature shows that mixed forests had lower activity in the complex belowground ecosystems than previously thought. ...
Phys.org / These monster black holes did not form the usual way—their history of violence is written into spacetime ripples
The most massive black holes in the universe detected by the ripples they make in spacetime were not born directly from collapsing stars, according to a new study. These cosmic giants instead build up through a series of ...
Phys.org / Why twisted bilayer graphene stops superconducting near high-dielectric substrates
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with a resistance of zero. In so-called conventional superconductors, this occurs at low temperatures when electrons become bound into pairs, known as Cooper pairs.
Phys.org / Human language shows deep safety bias, challenging 70-year scientific consensus
Researchers at the University of Vermont have uncovered a powerful new insight about how language works—one that overturns a cornerstone assumption in psychology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence that has stood for ...
Phys.org / Buried in Arnhem Land, an ancient fire trick may rewrite early stone technology's timeline
A recent archaeological study has identified the earliest lithic heat treatment of chert in the world. Discovered in Australia, this discovery is nearly twice as old as any previously identified chert heat treatment in Eurasia. ...
Phys.org / A persistent quantum computing error finally explained
Scientists have discovered the cause of a persistent glitch that continues to disrupt superconducting quantum computers, even when they have built-in defenses. For all their advanced hardware, superconducting quantum computers ...